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[newcastle]

I'm obliged to you.

I do now recall the magnetic flux unit named after him from my A-Level physics.

Having googled him I see he was a somewhat troubled scientist....particularly if he claimed to have discovered "free" electricity

An interesting chap...whose views on science v. religion accord with my own :

There is no conflict between the ideal of religion and the ideal of science, but science is opposed to theological dogmas because science is founded on fact. To me, the universe is simply a great machine which never came into being and never will end. The human being is no exception to the natural order. Man, like the universe, is a machine. Nothing enters our minds or determines our actions which is not directly or indirectly a response to stimuli beating upon our sense organs from without. Owing to the similarity of our construction and the sameness of our environment, we respond in like manner to similar stimuli, and from the concordance of our reactions, understanding is born. In the course of ages, mechanisms of infinite complexity are developed, but what we call "soul" or "spirit," is nothing more than the sum of the functionings of the body. When this functioning ceases, the "soul" or the "spirit" ceases likewise.[184]

[Mad Dilys]

Thought you'd remember if I jogged your memory. In my opinion a vastly underestimated man.

[newcastle]

To be honest MD I can't say I ever came across him in my physics/maths studies and having seen his Wiki write up I'm not surprised

A bit of a nutter if you ask me.

But no doubt he has fans amongst the "alternate theories" brigade

[Mad Dilys]

That's me. I like plenty of alternative theories, it makes life fun.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Just read Tesla's biography a bit ago. IMO he was a man to be admired. He made lots of significant strides forward.

[Mad Dilys]

It's funny how people have ideas which may not work, but they act as a catalyst for others who make a breakthrough and get all the credit.

It's arguable if the developer would have achieved anything without that catalyst - in common with many scientific processes really.

[newcastle]

“It takes a thousand men to invent a telegraph, or a steam engine, or a phonograph, or a photograph, or a telephone or any other important thing—and the last man gets the credit and we forget the others. He added his little mite — that is all he did. These object lessons should teach us that ninety-nine parts of all things that proceed from the intellect are plagiarisms, pure and simple; and the lesson ought to make us modest. But nothing can do that.” – Mark Twain

None of Tesla's insights were unique....in the sense of, say, Newton (gravity) or Einstein (tine-space)....but he was undoubtedly a genius in many respects.

But a flawed one, ending his life, sadly, in poverty and talking - literally - to the birds.

[Mad Dilys]

“It takes a thousand men to invent a telegraph, or a steam engine, or a phonograph, or a photograph, or a telephone or any other important thing—and the last man gets the credit and we forget the others. He added his little mite — that is all he did. These object lessons should teach us that ninety-nine parts of all things that proceed from the intellect are plagiarisms, pure and simple; and the lesson ought to make us modest. But nothing can do that.” – Mark Twain

None of Tesla's insights were unique....in the sense of, say, Newton (gravity) or Einstein (tine-space)....but he was undoubtedly a genius in many respects.

But a flawed one, ending his life, sadly, in poverty and talking - literally - to the birds.

Thanks for the Mark Twain quote..