03-12-2012, 03:51 PM | #21 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Re: Gadgeteer: List of Real-life Historical Gadgeteers
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03-13-2012, 08:36 AM | #22 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
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Re: Gadgeteer: List of Real-life Historical Gadgeteers
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I was reading a high school physics text book yesterday about the spat between Edison and Tesla. Edison offered Tesla $20,000 (in the 1920s?) to build a prototype 3-phase AC generator, which Tesla soon accomplished. Instead of paying him for his work, Edison said he had been joking about the money (!?) and refused to pay. Tesla set off to found his own AC manufacturer, but Edison set out to ruin the competition by demonstrating the dangers of AC current, by electrocuting dozens of live animals at fairs and exhibitions. This led to the invention of the electric chair.
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Collaborative Settings: Cyberpunk: Duopoly Nation Space Opera: Behind the King's Eclipse And heaps of forum collabs, 30+ and counting! |
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03-13-2012, 06:04 PM | #23 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Re: Gadgeteer: List of Real-life Historical Gadgeteers
The Tesla vs Edison battle really makes Girl Genius seem accurate for how sparks act.
Tesla like Babbage does make you wonder what things would be like if they had had more people skills. One of those guesses is IW timeline Tesla which is a fun one. |
03-13-2012, 10:13 PM | #24 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Re: Gadgeteer: List of Real-life Historical Gadgeteers
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One event I remember pretty clearly is that Tesla invented a rather impressive refrigerator, but due to Edison's meddling was denied the patent for it because it 'couldn't work' (So the patent office was basically calling his prototype a scam to his face); Edison wanted to buy the plan from him, and Tesla put 2 and 2 together and trashed them out of spite. (I believe it was eventually revealed that he had discovered the electron tunneling peltier effect) |
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Tags |
alternate history, alternate timelines, gadgeteer, techno-fantasy |
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