Lecture on Nikola Tesla: A Tragic Genius

Introduction

• Nikola Tesla died penniless, insane, and alone.
• His inventions shaped the technological revolution of the 20th century.
• His life was a constant struggle against adversity.

Early Life

• Birth: July 9, 1856, amidst a lightning storm in Smiljan, Croatia.
• The midwife saw his birth as a bad omen, but his mother disagreed.
• As a child, Tesla exhibited intellectual prowess and eidetic memory.
• Fascination with electricity began early, inspired by static electricity from his cat.
• Tragedy: Witnessed his brother's death at age seven.
• Developed phobias and fixations, struggled between imagination and reality.

Education and Early Career

• Father pushed for theology, but Tesla wanted engineering.
• Cholera and Recovery: Promised to study engineering if he survived.
• Avoided military service due to weak health.
• Attended Austrian Polytechnic, excelled initially, then lost interest and gambled.
• Left education, worked various jobs including as a chief electrician in Budapest.
• Developed the AC induction motor after a vision during a mental breakdown.

AC vs DC

• AC (Alternating Current): Advocated by Tesla, allows high voltage to low voltage conversion via transformers, enabling long-distance transmission.
• DC (Direct Current): Championed by Thomas Edison, limited by inability to change voltage efficiently, required frequent generating stations.
• Tesla's induction motor converted AC electricity into mechanical work.
• Innovations led to widespread AC adoption, despite Edison's DC advocacy.

Career Highlights and Struggles

• Westinghouse and AC Power: Sold AC system patent to George Westinghouse.
• Developed AC Motors, Transformers, and Generators.
• The War of Currents: Edison opposed AC using safety concerns.
• Chicago World's Fair 1893: Successfully demonstrated AC power at a grand scale.
• Niagara Falls: Built hydroelectric plant using Tesla's AC system.

Later Life and Mental Health

• Tesla's lab burned down in 1895, losing much of his work.
• Competed with Marconi over radio patents; Marconi initially won but Tesla's claims were later upheld.
• Developed large-scale Tesla coils for wireless electricity; never widely adopted.
• Built Warden Cliff Tower for wireless transmission; project failed financially.
• Suffered financial ruin and mental decline post-1916.

Legacy

• Nikola Tesla's innovations remain crucial today: AC power, radio, remote control, etc.
• Faced challenges in business acumen and mental health.
• Died in 1943, largely forgotten by the public but lionized posthumously for his contributions.

Conclusion

• Tesla was a visionary who struggled to adapt to the capitalist world.
• His legacy endures in the technology that powers our modern lives.