Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla: Strange Genius

#1

Post by kqr2 » Fri, Jul 10, 2009, 6:47 PM UTC

Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla: Strange Genius
studio360.org

Re: Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla: Strange Genius

#2

Post by massa » Fri, Jul 10, 2009, 7:31 PM UTC

And a vampire! He is probably reading this! :-D

Re: Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla: Strange Genius

#3

Post by tfincannon » Fri, Jul 10, 2009, 9:32 PM UTC

The full text of "Prodigal Genius", a somewhat hagiographic but still fascinating biography of Tesla, is online at http://www.rastko.rs/istorija/tesla/oniell-tesla.html.

Re: Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla: Strange Genius

#4

Post by gruseom » Fri, Jul 10, 2009, 11:08 PM UTC

Years ago I read about Tesla that he would visualize a machine in his head, start a simulation of it running, then come back later and inspect the screws for wear - all of this in his imagination. Does anyone know whether that story is true? or where it came from?

Re: Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla: Strange Genius

#5

Post by TriinT » Sat, Jul 11, 2009, 12:21 AM UTC

Here's a cool documentary on Tesla:

Tesla: Master of Lightning http://www.pbs.org/tesla

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1LqxG49DLk

Re: Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla: Strange Genius

#6

Post by tfincannon » Sat, Jul 11, 2009, 3:52 AM UTC

gruseom wrote: post #4

Years ago I read about Tesla that he would visualize a machine in his head, start a simulation of it running, then come back later and inspect the screws for wear - all of this in his imagination. Does anyone know whether that story is true? or where it came from?

Tesla told his story to the author of "Prodigal Genius" (1944), who wrote: "What Tesla had discovered was a means of creating a rotating magnetic field, a magnetic whirlwind in space which possessed fantastically new and intriguing properties...It was not necessary for him to construct models of copper and iron: in his mental workshop he constructed them in wide variety...The mental constructs were built with meticulous care as concerned size, strength, design and material; and they were tested mentally, he maintained, by having them run for weeks-after which time he would examine them thoroughly for signs of wear."

Re: Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla: Strange Genius

#7

Post by gruseom » Sat, Jul 11, 2009, 4:39 AM UTC

tfincannon wrote: post #6

gruseom wrote: post #4

Years ago I read about Tesla that he would visualize a machine in his head, start a simulation of it running, then come back later and inspect the screws for wear - all of this in his imagination. Does anyone know whether that story is true? or where it came from?

Tesla told his story to the author of "Prodigal Genius" (1944), who wrote: "What Tesla had discovered was a means of creating a rotating magnetic field, a magnetic whirlwind in space which possessed fantastically new and intriguing properties...It was not necessary for him to construct models of copper and iron: in his mental workshop he constructed them in wide variety...The mental constructs were built with meticul…

You nailed it. Yay! Thanks.