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HISTORY This Week

Tesla Electrifies the World

Feb 24, 2025
In this discussion, Mark Seifer, author of "Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla," shares captivating insights about Nikola Tesla's groundbreaking 1893 demonstration at the Franklin Institute, where he showcased wireless power. The podcast delves into Tesla's fierce rivalry with Thomas Edison and highlights his ambitious plans for wireless energy transmission. Seifer also explores Tesla's visionary ideas, such as remote-controlled technology and his belief in extraterrestrial signals, framing Tesla as a misunderstood genius whose impact is felt even today.
41:59

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Quick takeaways

  • Nikola Tesla's groundbreaking 1893 demonstration of wireless power captivated audiences and showcased his visionary approach to electrical engineering.
  • The fierce rivalry between Tesla and Edison highlighted the superiority of alternating current technology, ultimately revolutionizing electricity distribution globally.

Deep dives

The Visionary Lectures of Nikola Tesla

In a notable lecture at the Franklin Institute in 1893, Nikola Tesla captivated his audience with a blend of poetry and scientific inquiry, beginning with reflections on perception and the nature of the universe. Tesla's unique ability to demonstrate electrostatic forces left them in awe as he held a charged piece of metal, causing sparks to fly in the air, and even illuminating his own body through streams of light generated by the electrical energy in him. This groundbreaking performance served not only to showcase his scientific prowess but also established Tesla as a prominent figure in the burgeoning field of electrical engineering. His experiments symbolized the dawn of a new technological era, where the potential for wireless power was just beginning to take shape.

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