"Annenberg Media" "¶" "3úNkyu÷+" "A WHILE AGO," "I SHOWED YOU ONE WAY TO GENERATE ELECTRIC POWER" "USING A LEMON." "WHEN YOU DO THAT," "YOU GET WHAT'S CALLED DIRECT CURRENT." "LAST TIME I SHOWED YOU ANOTHER POSSIBILITY." "THAT INVOLVED USING A SIMPLE COIL OF WIRE" "AND A MAGNET." "WHEN YOU GENERATE POWER THIS WAY," "THE CURRENT RUNS BACK AND FORTH" "AND IT'S CALLED ALTERNATING CURRENT." "THIS IS THE WAY" "NEARLY ALL ELECTRICAL POWER IS GENERATED." "THE BEST WAY OF DOING IT" "IS NOT TO MOVE THE COIL BACK AND FORTH" "BUT TO MAKE IT SPIN AROUND STEADILY" "IN THE MAGNETIC FIELD." "THAT IS THE WAY" "VIRTUALLY ALL ELECTRICAL POWER IS GENERATED." "GENERATING POWER THAT WAY REQUIRES ENERGY" "TO SPIN THE COIL AGAINST THE MAGNETIC FORCES" "AND DRIVE THE CURRENT AROUND." "THAT'S USUALLY DONE USING A HEAT ENGINE," "A GAS TURBINE WHICH IS FIRED BY A FOSSIL FUEL" "LIKE OIL, COAL, OR GAS," "OR BY A NUCLEAR REACTOR," "OR EVEN BY WATER IN A HYDROELECTRIC GENERATOR." "I WANTED TO SHOW YOU HOW TO BUILD ONE OF THESE" "IN CASE YOU'RE EVER STRANDED ON AN ISLAND" "AND HAVE TO RECONSTRUCT CIVILIZATION FROM SCRATCH." "THIS IS A WATER WHEEL WHICH GOES AROUND LIKE THAT" "WHEN THERE'S WATER RUNNING ON IT." "WHEN IT GOES AROUND, IT TURNS A COIL" "BETWEEN THE POLES OF THIS PERMANENT MAGNET." "THE ELECTRICAL OUTPUT OF THE GENERATOR" "COMES OUT ON THAT OSCILLOSCOPE," "WHICH IS A DEVICE FOR SHOWING THE VOLTAGE." "AS LONG AS THE TRACE ON THE OSCILLOSCOPE" "IS GOING ACROSS HORIZONTALLY, NOTHING IS HAPPENING." "WHEN WE START GENERATING ELECTRIC POWER," "IT WILL START GOING UP AND DOWN." "ALL I HAVE TO DO TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY" "IS TO TURN ON THE WATER." "GET OUT YOUR UMBRELLAS IN THE FIRST FEW ROWS." "AND THERE IT IS," "HYDROELECTRIC POWER." "HYDROELECTRIC POWER." "NO MORTAL CREATED IT," "BUT 100 YEARS AGO," "ONE MAN COULD FORESEE ITS ENORMOUS POTENTIAL." "AS A CHILD, HE'D READ OF NIAGARA FALLS" "AND DREAMT OF A WHEEL RUN BY THESE CASCADING WATERS." "EVENTUALLY, HIS DREAM TOOK THE SHAPE" "OF A VAST ELECTRIC POWER GRID" "AND SPUN LIKE A DYNAMO" "TO DRIVE THE MODERN INDUSTRIAL AGE." "THE MAN'S NAME WAS NIKOLA TESLA," "AND HIS VISION, A THEORY AND PRACTICE" "THAT COULD FINALLY HARNESS THE POWER OF NIAGARA," "WAS GROUNDED IN THE PRINCIPLE OF ALTERNATING CURRENT." "ALTERNATINGCURRENT,AC ," "ISANOSCILLATINGCURRENT." "IT IS PRODUCED BY A VOLTAGE THATRISESANDFALLS," "POSITIVEANDNEGATIVE, LIKEA SINEWAVE." "BUT AS NIKOLA TESLA DISCOVERED, DEFININGALTERNATINGCURRENT" "WAS JUST THE BEGINNING OF HIS UPS AND DOWNS." "HE WANTED AC TO POWER EVERYTHING ON EARTH," "BUT IN THE REAL WORLD, THE WORLD OF BUSINESS," "THAT IDEA MET WITH ENORMOUS RESISTANCE." "RIGHT FROM THE START, HE CAME UP AGAINST" "THE ELECTRICAL POWERS THAT WERE" "THOMAS ALVA EDISON, THAT IS," "AND THE ADVOCATES OF DIRECT CURRENT." "DIRECTCURRENT,DC ," "ISA STEADYFLOW OFELECTRICITY." "IDEALLY,ITSVOLTAGE ISCONSTANT" "ANDEQUALTO THECURRENT," "WHICHISALSOCONSTANT," "MULTIPLIEDBY THEEFFECTIVERESISTANCE" "OFTHECIRCUIT." "OBVIOUSLY, ON THE BASIC ISSUE" "OF ALTERNATING VERSUS DIRECT CURRENT," "EDISON AND TESLA WERE ON DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS," "AND IN WHAT WAS CALLED THE WAR OF THE CURRENTS," "BATTLE LINES WERE DRAWN." "BUT THE BATTLE REACHED FAR BEYOND" "THE COMPARATIVELY SAFE DOMAIN OF SCIENTIFIC THEORY." "MANY OTHER INTERESTS WERE INVOLVED." "FORTUNES WERE MADE AND LOST," "POWERFUL MEN AND IDEAS ADVANCED AND RETREATED." "JUST WHAT WAS BEHIND ALL THIS SOUND AND FURY?" "TESLA ARRIVED IN NEW YORK IN 1884," "A 29-YEAR-OLD IMMIGRANT FROM EASTERN EUROPE." "TESLA HAD A BOOK OF POETRY," "FLUENCY IN A DOZEN LANGUAGES," "AND LESS THAN A NICKEL IN HIS POCKET." "BUT HE ALSO HAD A LETTER OF INTRODUCTION" "TO THOMAS EDISON," "WHO GAVE THE YOUNG MAN A JOB REDESIGNING DYNAMOS" "AT THE EDISON MACHINE WORKS." "OF COURSE, THERE WAS ONE CONDITION" "THE DYNAMOS HAD TO BE DIRECT CURRENT." "AND, OF COURSE, SINCE TESLA WAS DETERMINED" "TO MAKE ALTERNATING CURRENT THE WORLD STANDARD," "HIS CAREER WITH THOMAS EDISON HAD ONLY ONE WAY TO GO." "WITHIN A YEAR, TESLA HAD QUIT," "PARTLY BECAUSE EDISON ALLEGEDLY WOULDN'T KEEP HIS PROMISE" "OF A BONUS." "TESLA SOON FELL ON HARD TIMES" "AND WAS, ONCE AGAIN, VIRTUALLY PENNILESS." "BY STICKING TO HIS PRINCIPLE OF ALTERNATING CURRENT," "TESLA HAD NOT ONLY HIT BOTTOM," "HE'D THROWN A WRENCH INTO THE MOST POWERFUL MACHINERY" "ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH." "WHEN IT CAME TO PUTTING ELECTRICITY TO WORK," "NO MAN IN THE WORLD" "COULD HOLD A CANDLE TO THOMAS ALVA EDISON." "HE WAS SEEN AS THE MASTERMIND OF THE ELECTRIC AGE." "AS THE ELECTRIC GENERAL" "OF WHAT BECAME THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY," "EDISON WASN'T CALLED NAPOLEON" "SIMPLY BECAUSE THE ACTRESS SARAH BERNHARDT" "SAID HE LOOKED THE PART." "EVEN TODAY HIS HEADQUARTERS," "THE EDISON LABORATORY IN MENLO PARK, NEW JERSEY," "REMAINS ALIVE IN THE PUBLIC IMAGINATION." "AS A FITTING TRIBUTE," "IT'S BEEN REASSEMBLED FROM THE GROUND UP," "PLANK BY PLANK," "AND PRESERVED AT THE HENRY FORD MUSEUM" "AT GREENFIELD VILLAGE IN DEARBORN, MICHIGAN." "WHEN EDISON WAS ALIVE," "HE WAS THE CREATIVE FORCE BEHIND JUST ABOUT EVERY BRIGHT IDEA" "UNDER THE SUN." "THOUGH EDISON'S OWN HEARING WAS IMPAIRED," "HIS GENIUS PRODUCED THE WORLD'S FIRST PHONOGRAPH." "AND FOR THE RECORD," "HE ALSO INVENTED THE MOTION PICTURE CAMERA." "IT WAS IN MENLO PARK, NOT HOLLYWOOD," "THAT THE MOVIES REALLY BEGAN TO FLICKER." "WITH THIS INVENTION, EDISON'S TICKER-TAPE MACHINE," "THE BLOOD PRESSURE OF BUSINESS COULD RISE AND FALL" "WITH THE PULSE OF THE STOCK EXCHANGE." "AND WHATEVER THE NEWS, IT TRAVELED FAR AND FAST" "WITH EDISON'S VASTLY IMPROVED VERSION" "OF THE REPEATING TELEGRAPH." "IN FACT, HE OFTEN REFINED OTHERS' INVENTIONS," "MAKING THEM MORE PRACTICAL AND COMMERCIALLY VIABLE" "IN THE PROCESS." "OTHERS INVENTED THE FIRST TELEPHONE" "AND THE FIRST TYPEWRITER," "BUT EDISON DEVELOPED BOTH" "INTO HANDY, EFFECTIVE INSTRUMENTS." "ON THE OTHER HAND," "SOMETIMES EDISON SOUGHT TO DESTROY," "NOT IMPROVE," "SOMEONE ELSE'S IDEA." "THE GW IN THOMAS EDISON'S HEART," "UNLIKE THE ONE HE'D PUT HERE IN MENLO PARK," "WAS FAINT INDEED TOWARD NIKOLA TESLA" "AND HIS IDEA OF ALTERNATING CURRENT," "AND NO WONDER." "BEGINNING WITH THE SALLY JORDAN BOARDING HOUSE," "THE FIRST HOME IN THE WORLD TO BE LIT ELECTRICALLY," "EDISON'S DIRECT CURRENT WAS ON ITS WAY" "TO LIGHTING EVERY HOUSE WITHIN THE LIMITED REACH" "OF HIS NETWORK OF POWER STATIONS." "AND EDISON KNEW THAT EVEN IN THE SIMPLEST CIRCUITS," "TESLA'S ALTERNATING CURRENT COULD BE FULL OF SURPRISES." "FOR EXAMPLE," "CONSIDER A SIMPLE CIRCUIT" "THAT CONSISTS OF AN ALTERNATING VOLTAGE SOURCE," "A CAPACITOR," "AND AN INDUCTOR." "ACCORDING TO THE MATHEMATICAL RULES OF GUSTAV KIRCHOFF," "THERISEIN VOLTAGE ATTHESOURCE," "NEVERBIGGERTHANESUB0 ," "ISEQUALTO THESUM" "OFTHEVOLTAGEDROPS" "AROUNDTHECIRCUIT." "THERESULT IS A DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION" "THATCANBE WRITTEN INTERMSOF THECHARGEq" "ONTHECAPACITOR." "THESAMEDIFFERENTIALEQUATION" "ALSODESCRIBES THEDISPLACEMENTx" "OFA HARMONICOSCILLATOR" "DRIVENBY ANOSCILLATINGFORCE." "EVENA SMALLFORCE," "NEVERBIGGERTHANFSUBO ," "ATJUSTTHERIGHTFREQUENCY" "CAUSESOSCILLATIONS THAT GROW BIGGER AND BIGGER." "AND THAT ADDS UP TO THE PHENOMENON OF RESONANCE," "WHICH MEANS THAT IN AN AC CIRCUIT," "EVEN A TINY OSCILLATING VOLTAGE CAN CAUSE THE FLOW" "OF AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF ELECTRIC CHARGE." "¶ SHA DA BOO DEE DA DOE ¶" "¶ DEE DEE DOE DO DO DO ¶" "¶ DOE DO DEE DEE DO BOP ¶" "OF COURSE, IN A MECHANICAL SYSTEM... ¶ DO WEEEEE!" "¶" "THE RESULTS OF RESONANCE CAN BE SHATTERING." "BUT SOMETIMES, IT TAKES ELECTRIC RESONANCE" "TO GET THE TUNE JUST RIGHT." "TESLA WAS, IN FACT," "THE FIRST TO DESCRIBE A NETWORK" "OF TUNED RESONANT CIRCUITS AND RAISED ANTENNAS," "WHICH IS EXACTLY HOW RADIO AND TELEVISION SIGNALS" "ARE TRANSMITTED AND RECEIVED." "A SINGLE TELEVISION STATION" "IS PICKED OUT OF ALL OTHERS" "BECAUSE AN AC CIRCUIT IS TUNED PRECISELY IN RESONANCE" "WITH THE BROADCASTING FREQUENCY." "THAT'S TRUE OF RADIO AS WELL AS TELEVISION." "ELECTRICAL RESONANCE OCCURS" "BECAUSE, MATHEMATICALLY, CAPACITORS AND INDUCTORS" "ACT A LOT LIKE SPRINGS AND MASSES." "FOR EXAMPLE," "WHEN A CAPACITOR STARTS TO CHARGE," "IT CREATES A VOLTAGE THAT OPPOSES THE CHARGE." "IN OTHER WORDS," "A CAPACITOR OPPOSES CHANGE" "IN POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE CHARGE" "JUST AS A SPRING OPPOSES EXPANSION OR COMPRESSION." "ON THE OTHER HAND," "WHEN A VOLTAGE IS APPLIED TO AN INDUCTOR," "IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET THE CURRENT MOVING" "OR TAKES A WHILE TO STOP IT AGAIN." "SO AN INDUCTOR OPPOSES CHANGE IN CURRENT" "IN THE SAME WAY THE INERTIAL MASS ON A SPRING" "OPPOSES CHANGE IN VELOCITY." "BUT NO MATTER HOW PRECISE THE ANALOGY," "DIFFERENCES CAN ARISE." "FOR EXAMPLE," "WHEN RESONANCE OCCURS IN ELECTRICAL OSCILLATORS," "IT SELDOM LETS PEOPLE DOWN," "BUT WHEN RESONANCE OCCURS IN MECHANICAL OSCILLATORS..." "THINGS CAN GET OUT OF HAND." "IN ELECTRIC CIRCUITS," "RESISTANCE CAN HELP KEEP THINGS FROM GETTING OUT OF HAND." "FOR EXAMPLE," "CONSIDER A CAPACITOR AND A RESISTOR" "IN AN AC CIRCUIT." "IF THE FREQUENCY IS LOW ENOUGH," "THE CHARGING AND DISCHARGING OF THE CAPACITOR" "CAN KEEP UP WITH THE OSCILLATING APPLIED VOLTAGE." "BUT AT HIGHER FREQUENCY," "THE CAPACITOR CAN'T CHARGE AND DISCHARGE FAST ENOUGH," "SO NO VOLTAGE DIFFERENCE DEVELOPS ACROSS IT," "AND NEARLY ALL THE VOLTAGE IS ACROSS THE RESISTOR." "ON THE OTHER HAND," "IF AN INDUCTOR'S IN THE CIRCUIT," "AT LOW FREQUENCY THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME" "TO BUILD UP CURRENT IN IT WITHOUT MUCH VOLTAGE ACROSS IT." "BUT AT HIGHER FREQUENCY," "THE CURRENT IN THE INDUCTOR CAN'T CHANGE FAST ENOUGH" "BEFORE IT HAS TO TURN AROUND," "SO THE VOLTAGE IS MOSTLY ACROSS THE INDUCTOR," "AND THERE'S NOT MUCH LEFT ACROSS THE RESISTOR." "WHEN ALL THE ELEMENTS" "ARE IN THE SAME CIRCUIT AT LOW FREQUENCY," "MOST OF THE VOLTAGE GOES INTO CHARGING" "AND DISCHARGING THE CAPACITOR." "AT HIGHER FREQUENCY, MORE OF THE VOLTAGE" "IS USED UP TRYING TO CHANGE THE CURRENT" "IN THE INDUCTOR." "IN FACT, AT VERY HIGH FREQUENCY," "THE INDUCTOR VIRTUALLY KEEPS ANY CURRENT" "FROM FLOWING AT ALL." "BUT IF THE FREQUENCY IS JUST RIGHT," "IN OTHER WORDS," "AT THE RESONANT FREQUENCY," "A QUITE LARGE CURRENT FLOWS." "THE CAPACITOR CHARGES AND DISCHARGES," "CURRENT BUILDS UP AND REVERSES IN THE INDUCTOR," "AND THE RESISTOR BURNS UP ENOUGH ENERGY" "TO KEEP THE OSCILLATIONS UNDER CONTROL." "OF COURSE, EDISON AND COMPANY" "STILL HAD THE BUSINESS OF ELECTRICITY UNDER CONTROL," "AND TO RETAIN THAT CONTROL," "THEY PUT UP PLENTY OF RESISTANCE" "AGAINST THE INCREASING POWERS OF ALTERNATING CURRENT." "SO, IF TESLA WAS TO WIN THE WAR OF THE CURRENTS," "HE'D NEED A CHAMPION TO RISE UP AND DO BUSINESS" "AGAINST THE FORCES OF THOMAS EDISON." "THAT'S WHERE GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE CAME INTO THE PICTURE." "WESTINGHOUSE, THE LEGENDARY INDUSTRIALIST OF PITTSBURGH," "WAS AN INVENTOR TURNED BIG BUSINESSMAN." "BUT IN CONTRAST TO EDISON," "HE NOT ONLY SPOKE GLOWINGLY OF ALTERNATING CURRENT," "HE PUT HIS MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH WAS" "AND BOUGHT TESLA'S PATENTS FOR A POLYPHASE INDUCTION MOTOR." "AND IN 1888," "THE WAR OF THE CURRENTS ESCALATED." "AS WESTINGHOUSE WENT TO WORK IN SUPPORT OF TESLA," "EDISON'S WELL-OILED MACHINERY SHIFTED INTO HIGH GEAR." "THERE WERE SMEAR CAMPAIGNS" "AND, ACCORDING TO SOME PEOPLE," "DIRTY TRICKS." "OCCASIONALLY, HOWEVER," "THERE WAS A MEETING OF THE MINDS." "CHARLES STEINMETZ," "THE MATHEMATICAL WIZARD OF PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING," "OFFERED A CERTAIN INTELLECTUAL SUPPORT" "TO BOTH CAMPS." "EDISON AND TESLA WERE EVEN ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER," "BUT NOT FOR LONG," "AND NEVER AS LONG AS TESLA" "HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF ALTERNATING CURRENT." "IN THEORY AND PRACTICE ALIKE," "WHY WAS TESLA'S METHOD BETTER?" "OBVIOUSLY, THE REASON A PLANT GENERATES ELECTRICTY" "IS TO SEND POWER SOMEWHERE," "TO TRANSMIT IT THROUGH POWER CABLES" "INTO THE HOME, THE OFFICE," "OR ANYWHERE ELSE THERE'S A NEED" "AND A HANDY SOCKET." "BUT THE POWER IS EQUAL TO THE CURRENT" "TIMES THE VOLTAGE." "THEREFORE, THE SAME POWER CAN BE TRANSMITTED" "AT HIGH CURRENT AND LOW VOLTAGE," "OR LOW CURRENT AND HIGH VOLTAGE." "WHICH IS BETTER?" "REMEMBER," "THE POWER CABLES HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RESISTANCE," "AND THE LONGER THE DISTANCE, THE BIGGER THE RESISTANCE," "BECAUSE A CABLE'S RESISTANCE IS PROPORTIONAL TO ITS LENGTH." "AND, OF COURSE," "PASSING CURRENT THROUGH A RESISTANCE" "CAUSES HEATING," "WHICH IS EQUAL TO CURRENT-SQUARED" "TIMES RESISTANCE." "THIS IS WASTED HEAT." "FOR THE POWER COMPANY AND THE CONSUMER," "THAT MEANS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ENERGY WON'T BE AVAILABLE" "AT THE OTHER END." "SINCE I IS P/V," "THAT HEATING IS P-SQUARED R/V-SQUARED." "SO FOR ANY GIVEN POWER AND RESISTANCE," "THE HIGHER THE VOLTAGE," "THE LESS POWER LOST IN TRANSIT." "IN OTHER WORDS," "THE KEY TO TRANSMITTING POWER EFFICIENTLY" "IS TO TRANSMIT IT AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE VOLTAGE." "IN A MODERN ELECTRIC POWER GRID," "ENERGY IS ROUTINELY TRANSMITTED OVER THOUSANDS OF KILOMETERS" "AT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VOLTS." "BUT NO MATTER HOW IT'S USED," "THE RECIPIENT WANTS ALL THOSE WATTS" "TO ARRIVE AT A SAFE AND HANDY VOLTAGE." "AND THAT'S POSSIBLE ONLY IF THE ELECTRIC ENERGY" "CAN BE TRANSFORMED UP TO HIGH VOLTAGE" "WHICH IT TAKES" "TO MAKE THE LONG TRIP TO THE CONSUMER" "AND BACK DOWN TO LOW VOLTAGE" "FOR USE AT THE END OF THE LINE." "THAT TASK, RAISING AND LOWERING VOLTAGE," "IS HARD TO ACCOMPLISH WITH DIRECT CURRENT," "BUT WITH AC, IT'S COMPARATIVELY EASY." "IF ALTERNATING CURRENT PASSES THROUGH A LOOP," "OR COIL," "IT PRODUCES A CONSTANTLY CHANGING MAGNETIC FLUX." "A BAR OF IRON, MAGNETIZED BY THE COIL," "CAN CONCENTRATE AND INTENSIFY THE CHANGING FLUX." "IN FACT, AN IRON RING CAN CONTAIN THE FLUX ENTIRELY." "AND IF A SECONDARY CIRCUIT IS WOUND AROUND THE RING" "AS THE CHANGING FLUX PASSES THROUGH IT," "A VOLTAGE IS INDUCED IN IT." "THAT VOLTAGE IS PROPORTIONAL" "TO THE NUMBER OF TURNS AROUND THE IRON." "OBVIOUSLY, THEN, THE VOLTAGE OF THE POWER" "TRANSMITTED TO THE SECONDARY CIRCUIT" "CAN BE MADE HIGHER OR LOWER" "THAN THE VOLTAGE IN THE PRIMARY CIRCUIT." "SO ALTHOUGH THE POWER OUT" "IS NEARLY EQUAL TO THE POWER IN," "IT CAN BE STEPPED UP TO HIGH VOLTAGE" "FOR LONG-RANGE TRANSMISSION" "AND THEN BROUGHT DOWN TO LOW VOLTAGE" "FOR SAFE USE AT THE END OF THE LINE." "IT'S EXACTLY THIS PRINCIPLE WHICH IS THE GREATEST ADVANTAGE" "OF TESLA'S AC OVER EDISON'S DC." "AND WHILE IT WAS REVOLUTIONARY AT THE END OF THE 19th CENTURY," "THAT PRINCIPLE WOULD BE APPLIED" "FROM ONE END OF THE EARTH TO THE OTHER IN THE 20th." "THAT FACT-- THE OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE" "THAT ALTERNATING CURRENT POWERS THE MODERN INDUSTRIAL WORLD" "MAKES THE CASE FOR DECLARING TESLA THE WINNER" "IN THE WAR OF THE CURRENTS." "ON THE OTHER HAND, WITH WARS AND STORIES ALIKE," "THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO SIDES." "CONSIDERING EDISON'S ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTION" "TO THE WORLD OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING," "DID ONE SIDE REALLY WIN AND THE OTHER REALLY LOSE?" "AFTER ALL," "EDISON DID HAVE A CONVINCING NUMBER OF PATENTS." "BEFORE TESLA," "EDISON BUILT HIS OWN GENERATORS," "ONE AFTER ANOTHER," "EACH MORE POWERFUL THAN THE LAST." "BUT THEN, SO HAD TESLA." "AND SURELY AS WELL AS EDISON," "HE, TOO, BUILT TURBINES AND MOTORS." "HOWEVER--AND THIS WAS THE BIG DIFFERENCE" "IN THE LONG RUN" "EDISON'S GENERATORS COULD ONLY ILLUMINATE THINGS" "WITHIN THE REACH OF HIS POWER PLANT," "WHILE TESLA'S AC SYSTEM" "COULD REACH BEYOND THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD." "WITH AN EVER-EXPANDING GRID OF POWER LINES," "AC COULD GO FROM COAST TO COAST" "AND JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN." "NONETHELESS, THOMAS EDISON'S PLACE IN HISTORY WAS SECURE." "AND IN MENLO PARK, NEW JERSEY," "HIS MIND WAS STILL AS LIVELY AS HIS MOTION PICTURE CAMERA." "AS AN AMERICAN INVENTOR AND ELECTRICIAN," "NO ONE SINCE BEN FRANKLIN" "HAD GONE AS FAR AS THOMAS EDISON." "BUT IN HIS OWN WAY," "NIKOLA TESLA WOULD GO EVEN FARTHER." "LONG BEFORE THEY BECAME A REALITY," "TESLA HAD ENVISIONED VACUUM TUBES" "COATED WITH PHOSPHOR" "AND GLASS TUBES FILLED WITH GAS" "FLUORESCENT LIGHTS AND NEON LIGHTS." "AND YEARS BEFORE THE WRIGHT BROTHERS APPEARED," "TESLA CLAIMED THAT IF AVIATION WERE TO GET OFF THE GROUND," "IT WOULD NEED TO USE A THEN ALMOST UNKNOWN METAL" "CALLED ALUMINUM." "AND WHILE GUGLIELMO MARCONI" "GOT THE ACCLAIM OF THE POPULAR PRESS" "FOR INVENTING THE RADIO," "NIKOLA TESLA GOT THE CREDIT, AS WELL AS THE FINAL VERDICT," "IN THE COURTS." "SPEAKING OF CREDIT," "SOME STATE THAT TESLA WAS DENIED HIS DUE" "FOR MANY ORIGINAL INVENTIONS." "IN ALL, NO ONE CAN DENY THAT TESLA" "WAS ONE OF THE MOST DYNAMIC SCIENTISTS WHO EVER LIVED," "NOR THAT HIS MIND WAS FERTILE" "AND INVENTIVE BEYOND COMPARE." "BUT TESLA, MORE INTERESTED IN INVENTION" "THAN IN SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS," "KEPT MUCH OF HIS METHODOLOGY IN HIS HEAD." "PERHAPS THAT'S WHY THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY" "REMAINED DUBIOUS OR MISERLY WITH ITS PRAISE FOR YEARS." "HE DID, HOWEVER," "RECEIVE HONORARY DOCTORATES FROM COLUMBIA AND YALE." "AND IN THE END, WITH UNINTENDED IRONY," "NIKOLA TESLA WAS EVEN HONORED WITH THE EDISON MEDAL," "THAT MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARD" "NAMED FOR NONE OTHER THAN THOMAS EDISON HIMSELF." "THROUGHOUT THIS LONG YARN WE'VE BEEN SPINNING," "THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS" "WHOM WE COULD IDENTIFY AS THE SAINTS OF SCIENCE." "THESE WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE DRIVEN TO SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY" "THE WAY MOTHS ARE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT." "THEY WOULD INCLUDE KEPLER AND NEWTON, FARADAY," "AND CERTAINLY ALBERT EINSTEIN." "SOME OF THESE PEOPLE DID VERY WELL FOR THEMSELVES." "IN FACT, A FEW BECAME QUITE WEALTHY." "BUT OBVIOUSLY, IT WAS NOT MONEY" "THAT DROVE THEM TO DO WHAT THEY DID." "BUT AT THE SAME TIME," "THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A DIFFERENT KIND OF GENIUS." "THESE WERE PEOPLE JUST AS CLEVER AS THE OTHERS," "BUT PEOPLE WHO HAD THEIR EYES FIXED ON THE BOTTOM LINE." "ONE, OF COURSE, WAS THOMAS EDISON." "THERE WAS ALSO JAMES WATT AND HENRY FORD," "AND THERE WERE MANY OTHERS." "SUCH PEOPLE TYPICALLY SPENT AS MUCH TIME IN LAW COURTS" "LITIGATING PATENTS" "AS THEY SPENT MAKING THEIR INVENTIONS." "ONE IS TEMPTED TO DRAW A DISTINCTION" "BETWEEN THE SAINTLY SCIENTISTS" "AND THE MONEY-GRUBBING TECHNOLOGISTS." "BUT, OF COURSE," "THERE WAS AN EXCEPTION THAT PROVED THE RULE." "I'VE NEVER LIKED THAT PHRASE" "THE EXCEPTION THAT PROVES THE RULE." "I THINK IT MUST COME FROM AN ARCHAIC MEANING" "OF THE WORD "TO PROVE," WHICH USED TO MEAN "TO TEST."" "AN EXCEPTION TESTS A RULE." "IF IT'S TRULY AN EXCEPTION, THE RULE ISN'T RIGHT." "THERE WAS AN EXCEPTION WHO TESTED THE RULE" "AND FOUND IT WANTING," "AND THAT WAS NIKOLA TESLA." "TESLA WAS CERTAINLY A GENIUS OF THE FIRST MAGNITUDE." "IF MICHAEL FARADAY COULD IMAGINE SPACE" "FILLED WITH LINES OF CONSTANT FORCE," "NIKOLA TESLA COULD PICTURE MULTIPHASE GENERATORS" "AND MULTIPHASE MOTORS" "ALL CONNECTED WITH COMPLEX ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS," "AND WHEN THEY WERE BUILT," "ALL OF IT WOULD WORK PERFECTLY," "EXACTLY AS HE HAD IMAGINED IT." "TIME AND AGAIN," "TESLA MADE FORTUNES AND SQUANDERED THEM," "BUT TURNED DOWN SOFT JOBS WITH FAT SALARIES" "JUST SO HE COULD BE LEFT ALONE" "TO THINK AND TO INVENT." "YOU MIGHT SAY THAT TESLA, LIKE DA VINCI BEFORE HIM," "WAS A TRUE SAINT OF ENGINEERING." "HE DIED, ALMOST FORGOTTEN AND ALMOST PENNILESS," "IN NEW YORK CITY." "BUT IT WAS NIKOLA TESLA," "AT LEAST AS MUCH AS THOMAS EDISON," "WHO SHAPED THE NATURE OF THE WORLD" "THAT WE LIVE IN TODAY." "OK." "I'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME." "CAPITONING IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE ANNENBERG/CPB PROJECT" "CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, INC." "CAPTIONS COPYRIGHT 1986 CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY," "THE CORPORATION FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE TELEVISION, THE ANNENBERG/CPB PROJECT" "PUBLIC PERFORMANCE OF CAPTIONS PROHIBITED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE" "Annenberg Media" "¶" "For information about this and other Annenberg Media programs call 1-800-LEARNER and visit us at"