Tag: extraordinary

Nikola Tesla: The extraordinary life of a modern Prometheus
TECHNOLOGY

Nikola Tesla: The extraordinary life of a modern Prometheus

Match the following figures – Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Guglielmo Marconi, Alfred Nobel and Nikola Tesla – with these biographical facts: Spoke eight languages Produced the first motor that ran on AC current Developed the underlying technology for wireless communication over long distances Held approximately 300 patents Claimed to have developed a “superweapon” that would end all war The match for each, of course, is Tesla. Surprised? Most people have heard his name, but few know much about his place in modern science and technology. The inventor at rest, with a Tesla coil (thanks to a double exposure). Dickenson V. Alley, Wellcome Collection, CC BY The opening of a new biopic of Tesla provides a timely opportunity to review the life of a man who came from nowhere yet bec...