Nikola Tesla.
I've been fascinated with this guy since I was a kid. I'd love to read a biography of him or even better, or his work and ideas. He reminds me a little of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in that he was scientifically literate (though Tesla was a bona fide genius in this regard whereas Doyle was a dabbler), who had complete faith in reason, the scientific method, and sought material explanations for natural phenomena, but who later in life showed a predilection - some would say a weakness, some would say an open mind - for spiritualism, paranormalism, and an obsession with the technology of the future. Where Doyle was the great chronicler with his Sherlock Holmes and Professor Challenger stories, Tesla was the mover and shaker, inventor of the radio, alternating current (AC) electrical circuits which we still use in every household, and possessor of Doyle's visionary power but with one of the best scientific minds to base his fantasies upon. Wireless power grids and many other dreams of his are still within reach and possibilities for our future, nearly a century after he conjured them up, if only conservatism on the part of the government, reliance on oil, and desire for profit and control by the established utility companies were not actively suppressing some of his more practical concepts. As for his more radical concepts, perhaps not even our lifetimes will last long enough to gauge whether he was a genius or a madman.
Nikola Tesla
Arthur Conan Doyle
2 comments:
Personally commented to your email, but what an interesting guy! Doyle too! He did more than I ever knew.
Yeah, after I sent the email I decided it was interesting enough to put in a blog entry. Sorry for the double post, as it were. Thanks for the comments here and especially in the email!
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