Today, July 10, 2006, is the 150th Anniversary of Nikola Tesla Birth. Tesla's legacy can be seen across modern civilization wherever electricity is used. Aside from his work on electromagnetism and engineering, Tesla is said to have contributed in varying degrees to the fields of robotics, ballistics, computer science, nuclear physics, and theoretical physics. In his later years, Tesla was regarded as a mad scientist and became noted for making bizarre claims about possible scientific developments. Many of his achievements have been used, with some controversy, to support various pseudosciences, UFO theories, and New Age occultism. Many contemporary admirers of Tesla have deemed him the man who invented the twentieth century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla Upon his arival in US, he started working with Thomas Edison, but their ideas separated cause Tesla's interests were in alternating electric current. He made the delivery of electric power over great distances possible. He developed in rapid succession the induction motor, new types of generators and transformers, a system of alternating-current power transmission, fluorescent lights, and a new type of steam turbine. He designed the AC generators installed at Niagara Falls. He also became intrigued with wireless transmission of power. He had an idea of free electric power, available to everyone, everywhere! He intended to use earth's ionosphere to conduct electricity. But some people he offered the project asked: "And where will we put electric counters to see how much electricity did one spend?", but Tesla wanted to make an unlimited and free source of power for the mankind, that's maybe why his apartment in NY was burnt. Tesla had an amazing imagination, he said that he firstly designes the parts and assembles them in his mind, test them mentally, and only after he worked out any accidental possibility, and was 100% sure that every bit is in its place and that everything is working correctly,he'd actually start to render the drawings and manufacture the physical parts. He said that his mental drawing board didn't fail him ever. After his all patents and notes where burnt in the fire, one of his friends asked him: "What will you do now, when all of your work is gone?" He replied: "Don't worry my friend ", then he tapped his index finger on his forehead," it's all here!" His inventions where a WAY ahead of his time! The scientists who tried to understand some of his inventions after his death, had all of his drawings, notes, and the actual machine, built by himself, in front of them, yet they needed 70 years to figure out the function for the one specific part of the machine, which is today known to be some kind of a stabilizator. Tesla allowed himself only a few close friends, and one of them was the humorist and author, Mark Twain. However, when he died in New York City on January 7, 1943, he died alone, poor, in appartment full of pigeons. Yet hundreds of admirers attended his funeral services, mourning the loss of the great genius. At the time of his death Tesla held over 700 patents. He lead a fascinating life, and was a very interesting and unique person, and there's a number of stories I could tell you about him, or you could try to look for yourself... He was the greatest and most productive scientist EVER. He is one of the few I truly honor and glorify. “Let the future tell the truth, and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments. The present is theirs; the future, for which I have really worked, is mine.” Nikola Tesla (1856 - eternity) Your brilliant mind has brought light upon a world, as we know it today... I thank thee. If you want to learn more about his amazing life, good start will be here http://www.nikolatesla150.org/Dynamic/ListItems,intCategoryID,5,intLangID,2.html __________________________ Disclaimer This work is not in the public domain. This work is copyright © Djordje Ungar, =https://artbit.deviantart.com/ 2005-2006. All rights reserved. You may not use and/or reproduce my artwork in any way without my explicit and written permission.