Tesla and Edison

17.03.2022 

Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison are two giants of electrical engineering whose inventions changed history. But the electricity between the two is no secret to the world.

Tesla had an eidetic memory, which meant he could very precisely recall images and objects. This enabled him to accurately visualize intricate 3D objects, and as a result, he could build working prototypes using few preliminary drawings.

In contrast, Edison was more of a sketcher and a tinkerer.

In the end, however, Edison held 1,093 patents, according to the Thomas Edison National Historic Park. Tesla garnered less than 300 worldwide, according to a study published in 2006 at the Sixth International Symposium of Nikola Tesla.

The rivalry between Tesla and Edison was more than a battle of ideas. It was also a financial war between companies. Thomas Edison allied with J.P. Morgan, the most powerful banker in the United States, to electrify the entire country with direct current. This was the beginnings of the almighty General Electric. Nikola Tesla created the Tesla Electric Company and partnered with inventor and entrepreneur George Westinghouse Jr.

Tesla wasn’t an ignored god-hero. Thomas Edison wasn’t the devil. They were both brilliant, strong-willed men who helped build our modern world. They both did great things and awful things. They were both brilliantly right about some things and just as brilliantly wrong about others. They had foibles, quirks, passions, misunderstandings and moments of wonder.