mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >
(2) Thomas Edison
The sheer scope of Edison’s inventiveness is staggering. The Wizard of Menlo Park held a record 1,093 patents when he died in 1931. Everyone knows him for the light bulb, but Edison also had a hand in the invention of the radio, the phonograph, and an improved stock ticker. His achievements weren’t all nerdy science, either; Edison’s electric engraving pen needed just a few modifications to become the world’s first tattooing machine.
(7) Nikola Tesla
Not since Benjamin Franklin has one man’s name been so inextricably linked to electricity. Tesla’s major breakthroughs, including the rotating magnetic field, made the alternating current we use in our homes possible. His Tesla coil was a key part of early radios. He’s still revered as a god among electrical engineering fans, and he might just have been the most important inventor of the 20th century.
The Breakdown
A bitter grudge match over a century in the making! These two had legitimate beefs on both a scientific and a personal level. When Tesla arrived in the U.S. in 1884 with little more than four cents and a schematic for a flying machine, Edison was his first employer. Edison allegedly jilted Tesla on payment, and the two had a falling out. Later, they engaged in a “War of Currents” over whose system of electric power distribution was superior, with Edison backing direct current and Tesla in alternating current’s corner. In the end, Tesla got the last laugh. Alternating current brings juice into our homes, and he outlived Edison, which enabled him to slam Edison in the New York Times on the day after his rival’s death. Which one’s the bigger genius, though?
Loading ...[See the whole bracket here.]
Comments (18)
Comment
- Follow mental_floss
TESLA!!!!!!
not only a genius, but also a 80s rock band. Thats 2 things he’s got going for him
posted by Ben on 3-28-2009 at 4:32 pm
Tesla was cheated by Edison! There, I said it.
posted by Palmer on 3-28-2009 at 4:48 pm
This is the match up I’m most excited about.
My vote goes to Tesla.
posted by Mike on 3-28-2009 at 5:36 pm
this is the one that I have been waiting for, I am not kidding!
Go Tesla!
posted by Joshua on 3-28-2009 at 7:03 pm
EDISON RULES!!!!!!!!!! TESLA DROOLS!!!!!!
All what Tesla has done to mankind is just making dangerous weapons. Edison’s the REAL reason why we have lights at out homes. Yet another great genius fallen because of stupid Tesla. Let’s just see who’ll the public think when Einstein & Tesla battle it out together in the latter part of the Tournament of Geniuses. I’m still going to make those “I HATE TESLA” T-Shirts & NO ONE WILL EVER STOP ME!!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
posted by Karl on 3-28-2009 at 8:49 pm
Edison has stolen so many things from Tesla.
Edison = Poser
Tesla = Genius
posted by Goldenberg on 3-28-2009 at 9:22 pm
Science over business. Inspiration over perspiration. Tesla over Edison.
Edison was the Bill Gates of his time.
posted by Teslite on 3-28-2009 at 9:22 pm
Yay Tesla! Evil Alliance propagandists take heed, theft is a crime, and WILL come back to haunt you and your sacred Edison statues.
.
posted by Johnny Cat on 3-28-2009 at 9:49 pm
Tesla, hands down. Edison had to go through hundreds, if not thousands of materials to figure out what to use for his lightbulb filament (and even then his choice, a carbon filament, was ultimately replaced by tungsten). Tesla, on the other hand, visualized the AC motor entirely in his head before building the first one. Where Edison excelled was in shameless self-promotion.
posted by David on 3-29-2009 at 12:56 am
Tesla! When Edison wasn’t screwing him over, he was trying to steal Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone invention. Thankfully Bell had a rather powerful father-in-law.
posted by James on 3-29-2009 at 4:44 am
Edison was a thieving bastard…
posted by Jess on 3-29-2009 at 1:45 pm
I love Tesla. While a little overly emotional due to the vicodin i sobbingly explained to my mother why Tesla deserves recognition and then fell asleep. Tesla RULES!!!
posted by shell on 3-29-2009 at 4:49 pm
Have to go with the home team on this one. Born in Ohio, voting for Edison!
posted by KJ on 3-29-2009 at 6:12 pm
Tesla, as he has a direct endorsement from Jack White.
posted by Dai on 3-30-2009 at 3:49 am
edison stole from tesla firstly, and then made huge strides to get everyone to think he was a dangerous foreigner, and a nutbar who would kill everyone with his inventions.
it didn’t help that tesla (the genius that he is) was an odd little guy.
edison has classic “idea stealing rat bastard boss” syndrome.
tesla, all the way.
posted by em on 3-30-2009 at 4:01 am
Tesla was insane, vote is for him.
At the 1893 World’s Fair, Tesla won the contract to light it. Edison denied the use of his bulb, Tesla just made his own.
posted by J on 3-30-2009 at 9:44 am
To add to Tesla’s coolness (if that’s even possible), we should remember he was portrayed by the great David Bowie in the 2006 film, “The Prestige”.
(er, um… maybe that doesn’t exactly add to his coolness… but he’s still better than Edison!)
posted by Mike on 3-30-2009 at 11:07 am
Edison is like Jamie in Myth busters.
Sure he’s cool when playing with build it yourself kits but if it werent for the other guy we all know he’d be dead.
posted by Anthony Alexander on 5-6-2009 at 2:19 pm