Nikola Tesla is the true unsung prophet of the electronic age; without whom our radio, auto ignition, telephone, alternating current power generation and transmission, radio and television would all have been impossible.
Ben Johnston, My Inventions : The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla (1983)
In my adult life, when I learn of some fact of history that has been twisted or omitted – it always takes me by surprise. The rock band Tesla was the first time that I heard about Nikola Tesla. That was in 1990, when their live acoustic album, Five Man Acoustical Jam was released, which contained the "Love Song." Around that same time, I was visiting Carlsbad, Czech Republic. The hotel room had a radio that actually had the name Tesla on it.
This really caught my interest and I have studied Nikola Tesla throughout the years. One fact that astonished me was that he sold his patents for the polyphase alternating current system of generators, motors and transformers to George Westinghouse. It would have made him a wealthy man, but he later released Westinghouse from the contract. Where would we be today without his inventions and lifelong work? While this has nothing to do with Information Assurance, sometimes it is good to remember the basics and somewhere in all of this is a lesson on patents or even copyrights. Happy Nikola Tesla Day!
WHAT ARE TESLA'S GREATEST INVENTIONS?
1. AC polyphase transmission and AC motor in 1887-1888 -- (the world's primary power--electrical and mechanical). (No, not Edison--Tesla has all the US patents for polyphase AC.)
2. Fundamental circuitry for radio in 1891 -- (providing worldwide communication). (No, not Marconi--Tesla has the defining US patents for radio, upheld by the US Supreme Court.)
The Tesla Memorial Society - Links to Other Tesla-related Web Sites
The Tesla Foundation of North America (TFNA)
PBS: Tesla – Master of Lightning
The Complete Nikola Tesla U.S. Patent Collection - Title Order
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