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Russian
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sign up for a free 30-day trial from00:00:03
audio books comm recording by Kane00:00:10
Mercer my inventions part 1 my early00:00:15
life by Nikola Tesla this article was00:00:19
published in electrical experimenter00:00:21
February 1919 how does the world's00:00:26
greatest inventor invent how does he00:00:28
carry out an invention00:00:30
what sort of mentality has Nikola Tesla00:00:33
was his early life as commonplace as00:00:37
most of ours what was the early training00:00:40
of one of the world's chosen these and00:00:43
many other very interesting questions00:00:45
are answered in an incomparable manner00:00:47
by Nikola Tesla himself in this his00:00:51
first article in his autobiography00:00:55
treating mainly on his early youth we00:00:58
obtain a good insight into the wonderful00:01:01
life this man has led it reads like a00:01:05
fairy tale which has the advantage of00:01:07
being true for Tesla is no common mortal00:01:11
he has led a charmed life struck down by00:01:15
the past the cholera and what not given00:01:19
up by doctors at least three times as00:01:21
dead we find him at sixty younger than00:01:24
ever but read his own words you have00:01:28
never read the like before editor the00:01:32
progressive development of man is00:01:34
vitally dependent on invention it is the00:01:37
most important product of his creative00:01:39
brain its ultimate purpose is the00:01:42
complete mastery of mind over the00:01:44
material world the harnessing of the00:01:46
forces of nature to human needs this is00:01:49
the difficult task of the inventor who00:01:51
is often misunderstood and unrewarded00:01:54
but he finds ample compensation in the00:01:56
pleasing exercises of his powers and in00:02:00
the knowledge of being one of that00:02:01
exceptionally privileged class without00:02:03
whom the race would have long ago00:02:05
perished in the bitter struggle against00:02:07
pitiless elements speaking for myself I00:02:10
have already had more than my full00:02:13
measure00:02:14
of this exquisite enjoyment so much that00:02:17
for many years my life was little short00:02:19
of continuous rapture I am credited with00:02:22
being one of the hardest workers and00:02:25
perhaps I am if thought is the00:02:28
equivalent of labour for I have devoted00:02:30
to it almost all of my waking hours but00:02:34
if work is interpreted to be a definite00:02:36
performance in a specified time00:02:38
according to a rigid rule then I may be00:02:41
the worst of idlers every effort under00:02:44
compulsion demands a sacrifice of life00:02:46
energy I never paid such a price on the00:02:50
contrary I have thrived on my thoughts00:02:54
in attempting to give a connected and00:02:57
faithful account of my activities in00:02:59
this series of articles which will be00:03:01
presented with the assistance of the00:03:03
editors of the electrical experimenter00:03:05
and are chiefly addressed to our young00:03:08
men readers I must dwell however00:03:10
reluctantly on the impressions of my00:03:13
youth and the circumstances and events00:03:15
which have been instrumental in00:03:17
determining my career our first00:03:20
endeavors are purely instinctive00:03:22
promptings of an imagination vivid and00:03:25
undisciplined as we grow older reason00:03:28
asserts itself and we become more and00:03:30
more systematic and designing but those00:03:33
early impulses though not immediately00:03:36
productive or of the greatest moment and00:03:38
may shape our very destinies indeed I00:03:42
feel now that had I understood and00:03:45
cultivated instead of suppressing them I00:03:47
would have added substantial value to my00:03:50
request to the world but not until I had00:03:53
attained manhood did I realize that I00:03:55
was an inventor this was due to a number00:03:58
of causes in the first place I had a00:04:01
brother who was gifted to an00:04:03
extraordinary degree one of those rare00:04:05
phenomena of mentality which biological00:04:07
investigation has failed to explain his00:04:10
premature death left my parents00:04:12
disconsolate we owned a horse which had00:04:15
been presented to us by dear friend it00:04:18
was a magnificent animal of Arabian00:04:20
breed possessed of almost human00:04:22
intelligence and was cared for and00:04:25
petted by the whole family00:04:27
having on one occasion saved my father's00:04:29
life under remarkable circumstances00:04:32
my father had been called one winter00:04:34
night to perform an urgent duty and00:04:36
while crossing the mountains infested by00:04:39
wolves the horse became frightened and00:04:41
ran away throwing him violently to the00:04:43
ground it arrived home bleeding and00:04:46
exhausted but after the alarm was00:04:49
sounded immediately dashed off again00:04:51
returning to the spot and before the00:04:53
searching party were far on the way they00:04:55
were met by my father who had recovered00:04:58
consciousness and remounted not00:05:00
realizing that he had been lying in the00:05:02
snow for several hours this horse was00:05:06
responsible for my brother's injuries00:05:08
from what she died00:05:09
I witnessed the tragic scene and00:05:12
although 56 years have elapsed since my00:05:15
visual impression of it has lost none of00:05:17
its force the recollection of his00:05:20
attainments made every effort of mine00:05:22
seemed dull in comparison anything I did00:05:25
that was creditable merely caused my00:05:27
parents to feel their loss more keenly00:05:29
so I grew up with little confidence00:05:32
myself but I was far from being00:05:35
considered a stupid boy if I am to judge00:05:38
from an incident of which I have still a00:05:40
strong remembrance one day the aldermen00:05:43
were passing through a street where I00:05:45
was at play with other boys the oldest00:05:48
of these venerable gentlemen a wealthy00:05:51
citizen paused to give a silver piece to00:05:54
each of us coming to me he suddenly00:05:56
stopped and commanded look in my eyes I00:06:00
met his gaze my hand outstretched to00:06:04
receive the much valued coin went to my00:06:07
dismay he said no not much you can get00:06:11
nothing from me you are too smart00:06:14
they used to tell a funny story about me00:06:17
I had two old aunts with wrinkled faces00:06:20
one of them having two teeth protruding00:06:22
like tusks of an elephant which she00:06:24
buried in my cheek every time she kissed00:06:26
me00:06:27
nothing would scare me more than the00:06:29
prospect of being hugged by these00:06:31
affectionate as unattractive relatives00:06:33
it happened that while being carried in00:06:35
my mother's arms they asked me who was00:06:38
the prettier of the two after examining00:06:41
their faces intently00:06:42
I answered thoughtfully pointing to one00:06:44
of them this here is not as ugly as the00:06:47
other then again I was intended from my00:06:50
very birth for the clerical profession00:06:52
and this thought constantly oppressed me00:06:55
I longed to be an engineer but my father00:06:58
was inflexible he was the son of an00:07:00
officer who served in the army of the00:07:02
great Napoleon and in common with his00:07:05
brother professor of mathematics in a00:07:07
prominent institution had received a00:07:10
military education but singularly enough00:07:13
later embraced the clergy in which00:07:16
vocation he achieved eminence he was a00:07:19
very erudite man a veritable natural00:07:21
philosopher poet and writer and his00:07:24
sermons were said to be as eloquent as00:07:26
those of a Brahma Santa Clara he had a00:07:29
prodigious memory and frequently recited00:07:32
at length from works in several00:07:34
languages00:07:35
he often remarked playfully that if some00:07:38
of the classics were lost he could00:07:40
restore them his style of writing was00:07:42
much admired he penned sentences short00:07:46
and terse and was full of wit and satire00:07:48
the humorous remarks he made were always00:07:51
peculiar and characteristic just to00:07:54
illustrate I may mention one or two00:07:56
instances among the help00:07:59
there was a cross-eyed man called mein00:08:01
employed to do work around the farm he00:08:04
was chopping wood one day as he swung00:08:06
the axe my father who stood nearby and00:08:09
felt very uncomfortable cautioned him00:08:12
for God's sake mean do not strike at00:08:15
what you are looking but at what you00:08:17
intend to hit00:08:19
on another occasion he was taking out00:08:21
for a drive a friend who carelessly00:08:22
permitted his costly fur coat00:08:25
to rub on the carriage wheel my father00:08:27
reminded him of it saying pull in your00:08:30
coat you are ruining my tire00:08:33
he had the odd habit of talking to00:08:35
himself and would often carry on an00:08:37
animated conversation and indulge in00:08:40
heated argument changing the tone of his00:08:42
voice a casual listener might have sworn00:08:45
that several people were in the same00:08:47
room although I must trace to my00:08:49
mother's influence whatever00:08:51
inventiveness I possess the training he00:08:54
gave me must have been helpful it00:08:56
comprised all sorts of exercises as00:08:59
guessing one another's thoughts00:09:02
discovering the defects of some form or00:09:04
expression repeating long sentences or00:09:07
performing mental calculations these00:09:12
daily lessons were intended to00:09:13
strengthen memory and reason and00:09:15
especially to develop the critical sense00:09:18
and were undoubtedly very beneficial my00:09:22
mother descended from one of the oldest00:09:24
families in the country and a line of00:09:26
inventors both her father and00:09:29
grandfather originated numerous00:09:31
implements for household agricultural00:09:33
and other uses she was a truly great00:09:37
woman of rare skill courage and00:09:39
fortitude who had braved the storms of00:09:42
life and passed through many a trying00:09:44
experience when she was 16 a virulent00:09:47
pestilence swept the country00:09:49
her father was called away to administer00:09:53
the last sacraments to the dying and00:09:55
during his absence she went alone to the00:09:58
assistance of a neighboring family who00:10:00
were stricken by the dread disease all00:10:02
of the members five in number succumbed00:10:05
in rapid succession she bathed clothed00:10:09
and laid out the bodies decorating them00:10:11
with flowers according to the custom of00:10:13
the country and when her father returned00:10:16
he found everything ready for a00:10:18
Christian burial00:10:19
my mother was an inventor of the first00:10:21
order and would I believe have achieved00:10:25
great things had she not been so remote00:10:27
from modern life and its multifold00:10:30
opportunities she00:10:32
and constructed all kinds of tools and00:10:35
devices and one of the finest designs00:10:37
from thread which was spun by her she00:10:40
even planted the seeds raised the plants00:10:42
and separated the fibers herself she00:10:45
worked indefatigably from break of day00:10:48
till late at night and most of the00:10:50
wearing apparel and furnishings of the00:10:52
home was the product of her hands when00:10:55
she was past 60 her fingers were still00:10:58
nimble enough to tie three knots in an00:11:01
eyelash there was another and still more00:11:05
important reason for my late awakening00:11:07
in my boyhood I suffered from a peculiar00:11:10
affliction due to the appearance of00:11:12
images often accompanied by strong00:11:14
flashes of light00:11:16
which marred the sight of real objects00:11:18
and interfered with my thought and00:11:20
action there were pictures of things and00:11:23
scenes which I had already seen never of00:11:27
those I imagined when a word was spoken00:11:29
to me the image of the object it00:11:32
designated would present itself vividly00:11:34
to my vision and sometimes I was quite00:11:37
unable to distinguish whether what I saw00:11:39
was tangible or not this caused me great00:11:43
discomfort and anxiety none of the00:11:45
students of psychology or physiology00:11:47
whom I have consulted could ever explain00:11:50
satisfactorily these phenomena they seem00:11:53
to have been unique although I was00:11:56
probably predisposed as I know my00:11:58
brother experienced a similar trouble00:12:00
the theory I have formulated is that the00:12:02
images were the result of a reflex00:12:04
action from the brain on the retina00:12:06
under great excitation they certainly00:12:09
were not hallucinations such as are00:12:11
produced in diseased and anguished minds00:12:13
for in other respects I was normal and00:12:16
composed to give an idea of my distress00:12:20
suppose that I had witnessed a funeral00:12:23
or some such nerve-racking spectacle00:12:25
then inevitably in the stillness of00:12:29
night a vivid picture of the scene would00:12:31
thrust itself before my eyes and persist00:12:35
despite all my efforts to banish it00:12:37
sometimes it would even remain fixed in00:12:40
space though I pushed my hand through it00:12:43
if my explanation is correct00:12:46
it should be able to project on a screen00:12:48
the image of any object one conceives00:12:51
and make it visible such an advance00:12:54
would revolutionize all human relations00:12:56
I'm convinced that this wonder can and00:13:00
will be accomplished in time to come I00:13:02
may add that I have devoted much thought00:13:05
to the solution of the problem to free00:13:09
myself of these tormenting appearances I00:13:12
tried to concentrate my mind on00:13:13
something else I had seen and in this00:13:16
way I would often obtain temporary00:13:18
relief but in order to get it I had to00:13:21
conjure continuously new images it was00:13:25
not long before I found that I had00:13:27
exhausted all of those at my command my00:13:30
reel had run out as it were because I00:13:34
had seen little of the world only00:13:36
objects in my home and the immediate00:13:39
surroundings as I perform these mental00:13:42
operations for the second or third time00:13:44
in order to chase the appearances from00:13:46
my vision the remedy gradually lost all00:13:49
its force then I instinctively commenced00:13:52
to make excursions beyond the limits of00:13:54
the small world of which I had knowledge00:13:56
and I saw new scenes these were at first00:14:00
very blurred and indistinct and would00:14:02
flit away when I tried to concentrate my00:14:04
attention upon them but by-and-by I00:14:07
succeeded in fixing them they gained in00:14:10
strength and distinctness and finally00:14:13
assumed the correctness of real things I00:14:15
soon discovered that my best comfort was00:14:18
attained if I simply went on in my00:14:20
vision farther and farther getting new00:14:22
impressions all the time and so I began00:14:25
to travel of course in my mind every00:14:29
night and sometimes during the day went00:14:32
alone I would start on my journeys see00:14:34
new places cities and countries live00:14:37
there meet people and make friendships00:14:40
and acquaintances and however00:14:42
unbelievable it is a fact that they were00:14:45
just as dear to me as those in actual00:14:47
life and not a bit less intense in their00:14:50
manifestations this I did constantly00:14:54
until I was about seventeen when my00:14:56
thoughts turned seriously to invention00:14:59
then I observe to my delight that I00:15:01
could visualize with the greatest00:15:03
facility I needed no models drawings or00:15:06
experiments I could picture them all as00:15:09
real in my mind thus I have been led00:15:13
unconsciously to evolve what I consider00:15:15
a new method of materializing inventive00:15:17
concepts and ideas which is radically00:15:20
opposite to the purely experimental and00:15:23
is in my opinion ever so much more00:15:25
expedia sand efficient the moment one00:15:29
constructs a device to carry into00:15:31
practice a crude idea he finds himself00:15:33
unavoidably engrossed with the details00:15:36
and effects of the apparatus as he goes00:15:39
on improving and reconstructing his00:15:42
force of concentration diminishes and he00:15:44
loses sight of the great underlying00:15:46
principle results may be obtained but00:15:50
always at the sacrifice of quality my00:15:53
method is different00:15:54
I do not rush into actual work when I00:15:57
get an idea I start at once building it00:16:00
up in my imagination I change the00:16:03
construction make improvements and00:16:05
operate the device in my mind it is00:16:08
absolutely immaterial to me whether I00:16:10
run my turbine in thought or test it in00:16:13
my shop I even note if it is out of00:16:16
balance00:16:17
there is no difference whatsoever the00:16:19
results are the same00:16:21
in this way I'm able to rapidly develop00:16:23
and perfect a conception without00:16:25
touching anything when I have gone so00:16:28
far as to embody in the invention every00:16:30
possible improvement I can think of and00:16:33
see no fault anywhere I put into00:16:35
concrete form this final product of my00:16:37
brain invariably my device works as I00:16:41
conceive that it should and the00:16:43
experiment comes out exactly as I00:16:46
planned it in 20 years there has not00:16:48
been a single exception why should it be00:16:51
otherwise engineering electrical and00:16:54
mechanical is positive and results there00:16:58
is scarcely a subject that cannot be00:17:00
mathematically treated and the effects00:17:02
calculated or the results determined00:17:05
beforehand from the available00:17:06
theoretical and practical data00:17:09
the carrying out in the practice of a00:17:11
crude idea as is being generally done is00:17:14
I hold nothing but a waste of energy00:17:16
money and time my early affliction had00:17:21
however another compensation the00:17:24
incessant mental exertion developed my00:17:27
powers of observation and enabled me to00:17:29
discover a truth of great importance I00:17:32
had noted that the appearance of images00:17:35
was always preceded by the actual vision00:17:38
of scenes under peculiar and generally00:17:40
very exceptional conditions and I was00:17:43
impelled on each occasion to locate the00:17:45
original impulse after a while this00:17:48
effort grew to be almost automatic and I00:17:51
gained great facility in connecting00:17:53
cause and effect soon I became aware to00:17:57
my surprise that every thought I00:17:58
conceived was suggested by an external00:18:01
impression not only this but all my00:18:04
actions were prompted in a similar way00:18:06
in the course of time it became00:18:09
perfectly evident to me that I was00:18:11
merely an intimate on endowed with power00:18:14
of movement responding to the stimuli of00:18:17
the sense organs and thinking and acting00:18:19
accordingly the practical result of this00:18:22
was the art of tell automatics which has00:18:25
been so far carried out only in an00:18:28
imperfect manner its latent00:18:30
possibilities will however be eventually00:18:34
shown I have been since years planning00:18:37
self-controlled automata and believe00:18:39
that mechanisms can be produced which00:18:42
will act as if possessed of reason to a00:18:44
limited degree and will create a00:18:47
revolution in many commercial and00:18:49
industrial departments I was about 1200:18:53
years old when I first succeeded in00:18:54
banishing an image from my vision by00:18:57
willful effort but I never had any00:18:59
control over the flashes of light to00:19:01
which I have referred they were perhaps00:19:04
my strangest experience and inexplicable00:19:07
they usually occurred when I found00:19:10
myself in a dangerous or distressing00:19:12
situation or when I was greatly00:19:14
exhilarated in some instances I have00:19:18
seen all the air around me filled with00:19:20
tons of living flame their intensity00:19:23
instead of diminishing increased with00:19:25
time and seemingly attained a maximum00:19:27
when I was about 25 years old while in00:19:30
Paris in 1883 a prominent French00:19:33
manufacturer sent me an invitation to a00:19:36
shooting expedition which I accepted I00:19:39
had been long confined to the factory00:19:42
and the fresh air had a wonderfully00:19:44
invigorating effect on me on my return00:19:47
to the city that night I felt a00:19:48
positivist sensation that my brain had00:19:51
caught fire I saw a light as though a00:19:54
small Sun was located in it and I passed00:19:57
the whole night applying cold00:19:59
compressions to my tortured head finally00:20:03
the flashes diminished in frequency and00:20:05
force but it took me more than three00:20:07
weeks before they wholly subsided when00:20:10
the second invitation was extended to me00:20:12
my answer was an emphatic no these00:20:16
luminous phenomena still manifest00:20:18
themselves from time to time as when a00:20:21
new idea opening a possibility strikes00:20:23
me but they are no longer exciting being00:20:26
of relatively small intensity when I00:20:30
close my eyes I invariably observe first00:20:33
a background of very dark and uniform00:20:36
blue not unlike the sky on a clear but00:20:39
starless night in a few seconds this00:20:43
field becomes animated with innumerable00:20:45
scintillating flakes of green arranged00:20:47
in several layers and advancing towards00:20:50
me then there appears to the right a00:20:53
beautiful pattern of two systems of00:20:55
parallel and closely spaced lines at00:20:57
right angles to one another in all sorts00:21:00
of colors with yellow green and gold00:21:02
predominating immediately thereafter the00:21:06
lines grow brighter and the hole is00:21:08
thickly sprinkled with thoughts of00:21:10
twinkling light this picture moves00:21:12
slowly across the field of vision and in00:21:15
about 10 seconds vanishes to the left00:21:17
leaving behind a ground of rather00:21:19
unpleasant and inert gray which quickly00:21:22
gives way to a billowy sea of clouds00:21:24
seemingly trying to mold themselves in00:21:26
living shapes it is curious that I00:21:29
cannot project a form into this gray00:21:32
until the second phase is reached every00:21:35
time before falling00:21:37
images of persons or objects flit before00:21:40
my view when I see them I know that I'm00:21:43
about to lose consciousness if they are00:21:46
absent and refused to come it means a00:21:48
sleepless night to what an extent00:21:50
imagination played a part in my early00:21:53
life I may illustrate by another odd00:21:55
experience like most children I was fond00:21:59
of jumping and developed an intense00:22:01
desire to support myself in the air00:22:03
occasionally a strong wind richly00:22:06
charged with oxygen blue from the00:22:08
mountains rendering my body as light as00:22:10
a cork and then I would leap and float00:22:12
in space for a long time it was a00:22:15
delightful sensation and my00:22:17
disappointment was keen when later I00:22:19
undeceived myself during that period I00:22:22
contracted many strange likes dislikes00:22:25
and habits some of which I can trace to00:22:28
external impressions while others are00:22:30
unaccountable I had a violent aversion00:22:32
against the earrings of women but other00:22:35
ornaments as bracelets pleased me more00:22:38
or less according to design the sight of00:22:40
a pearl would almost give me a fit but I00:22:43
was fascinated with the glitter of00:22:45
crystals or objects with sharp edges and00:22:48
plain surfaces I would not touch the00:22:51
hair of other people except perhaps at00:22:54
the point of a revolver I would get a00:22:56
fever by looking at a peach and if a00:22:59
piece of camphor was anywhere in the00:23:01
house it caused me the keenest00:23:03
discomfort even now I'm not insensible00:23:07
to some of these upsetting impulses when00:23:10
I drop little squares of paper and a00:23:12
dish filled with liquid00:23:13
I always sends a peculiar and awful00:23:16
taste in my mouth I counted the steps in00:23:18
my walks and calculated the cubicle00:23:21
contents of soup plates coffee cups and00:23:24
pieces of food otherwise my meal was00:23:27
unenjoyable all repeated acts or00:23:30
operations I performed had to be00:23:32
divisible by three and if I missed00:23:35
I felt impelled to do it all over again00:23:37
even if it took hours up to the age of00:23:42
eight years my character was weak and00:23:44
vacillating00:23:45
I had neither courage nor strength to00:23:48
form a firm resolve my feelings came in00:23:51
waves and surges and vibrated00:23:53
unceasingly between extremes my wishes00:23:56
were of consuming force and like the00:23:59
heads of a Hydra they multiplied I was00:24:02
oppressed by thoughts of pain in life00:24:04
and death and religious fear I was00:24:07
swayed by superstitious belief and lived00:24:10
in constant dread of the spirit of evil00:24:12
of ghosts and ogres and other unholy00:24:15
monsters of the dark then all at once00:24:18
there came a tremendous change which00:24:21
altered the course of my whole existence00:24:23
of all things I liked books the best my00:24:28
father had a large library and whenever00:24:30
I could manage I tried to satisfy my00:24:33
passion for reading he did not permit it00:24:36
and would fly into a rage when he caught00:24:38
me in the act he hid the candles when he00:24:41
found that I was reading in secret he00:24:44
did not want me to spoil my eyes but I00:24:47
obtained tallow made the wicking and00:24:49
cast the sticks into tin forms and every00:24:53
night I would push the keyhole and the00:24:55
cracks and read off until dawn when all00:24:58
others slept and my mother started on00:25:00
her arduous daily tasks on one occasion00:25:03
I came across a novel entitled a Buffy00:25:07
the son of ABBA a Serbian translation of00:25:10
a well-known Hungarian writer ja sitka00:25:13
this works somehow awaken my dormant00:25:16
powers of will and I began to practice00:25:18
self-control at first my resolutions00:25:21
faded like snow in April but in a little00:25:24
while I conquered my weakness and I felt00:25:27
pleasure I never knew before that of00:25:30
doing as I willed00:25:32
in the course of time this vigorous00:25:35
mental exercise became second nature at00:25:37
outset my wishes had to be subdued but00:25:41
gradually desire and will grew to be00:25:43
identical00:25:44
after years of such discipline I gained00:25:47
so complete a mastery over myself that I00:25:50
toyed with passions which have meant00:25:52
destruction to some of the strongest men00:25:54
at a certain age I contracted a mania00:25:58
for gambling which greatly worried my00:26:00
parents to sit down to a game of cards00:26:03
was for me the quintessence of pleasure00:26:06
my father led an exemplary life and00:26:10
could not excuse the senseless waste of00:26:12
time and money in which I indulged I had00:26:16
a strong resolve but my philosophy was00:26:18
bad I would say to him I can stop00:26:21
whenever I please but is it worthwhile00:26:24
to give up that which I would purchase00:26:26
with the joys of paradise on frequent00:26:29
occasions he gave vent to his anger and00:26:32
contempt but my mother was different she00:26:35
understood the character of men and knew00:26:38
that one salvation could only be brought00:26:40
about through his own efforts one00:26:43
afternoon I remember when I had lost all00:26:46
my money and was craving for a game she00:26:50
came to me with a roll of bills and said00:26:52
go and enjoy yourself00:26:54
the sooner you lose all we possess the00:26:57
better it will be I know that you will00:27:00
get over it she was right I conquered my00:27:04
passion then and there and only00:27:06
regretted that it had not been a hundred00:27:08
times as strong I not only vanquished00:27:11
but tore it from my heart00:27:13
so as not to leave even a trace of00:27:15
desire ever since that time I've been as00:27:18
indifferent to any form of gambling as00:27:20
to picking teeth during another period I00:27:24
smoked excessively threatening to ruin00:27:26
my health00:27:27
then my will asserted itself and I not00:27:31
only stopped but destroyed all00:27:33
inclination long ago I suffered from00:27:36
heart trouble until I discovered that it00:27:39
was due to the innocent cup of coffee I00:27:41
consumed every morning I discontinued at00:27:44
once though I confess00:27:46
it was not an easy task in this way I00:27:50
checked and bridled other habits and00:27:52
passions and have not only preserved my00:27:55
life but derived an immense amount of00:27:57
satisfaction from what most men would00:28:00
consider privation and sacrifice after00:28:03
finishing the studies at the Polytechnic00:28:06
Institute in university I had a complete00:28:08
nervous breakdown00:28:09
and while the malady lasted I observed00:28:12
many phenomena strange and unbelievable00:28:15
to be continued in our March issue end00:28:19
of section 100:28:25
work recording by00:28:28
Mercer my inventions part 2 my first00:28:32
efforts at invention by Nikola Tesla00:28:36
this article was published an electrical00:28:39
experimenter March 1919 boys will be00:28:44
boys the world over the boy Tesla was no00:28:47
exception to the universal rule as this00:28:50
his second autobiographical article00:28:53
clearly proves as mr. Tesla in his own00:28:56
inimitable delightful way here paints00:28:59
with a literary artists brush his own00:29:02
intimate boyhood in charming as well as00:29:05
vivid colors we have often heard of00:29:08
Tesla the dreamer but if he is entitled00:29:11
to the epithet his early boyhood00:29:14
certainly fails to reveal it Tesla did00:29:17
not allow much grass to grow under his00:29:20
feet while a boy for he assuredly was a00:29:23
strenuous red-blooded youngster you will00:29:26
wish to read all about the greatest00:29:28
inventors early boyhood it is doubly00:29:31
valuable because it comes from his own00:29:33
pen we promised you an interesting 2000:29:37
minutes entertainment editor00:29:40
I shall dwell briefly on these00:29:42
extraordinary experiences on the account00:29:45
of their possible interest to students00:29:47
of psychology and physiology and also00:29:50
because this period of agony was of the00:29:53
greatest consequence on my mental00:29:55
development and subsequent Labor's but00:29:59
it is indispensable to first relate the00:30:02
circumstances and conditions which00:30:04
preceded them and in which might be00:30:07
found their partial explanation from00:30:10
childhood I was compelled to concentrate00:30:13
attention upon myself this caused me00:30:16
much suffering but to my present view it00:30:19
was a blessing in disguise for has00:30:22
taught me to appreciate the inestimable00:30:24
value of introspection in the00:30:26
preservation of life as well as a means00:30:29
of achievement the pressure of00:30:32
occupation and the incessant stream of00:30:34
impressions pouring into our00:30:36
consciousness through all the gateways00:30:38
of knowledge make modern existence00:30:40
hazardous in many ways most persons are00:30:44
so absorbed in the contemplation of the00:30:46
outside world that they are wholly00:30:47
oblivious to what is passing on within00:30:50
themselves the premature death of00:30:53
millions is primarily traceable to this00:30:56
cause even among those who exercise care00:30:59
it is a common mistake to avoid00:31:01
imaginary and ignore the real dangers00:31:04
and what is true of an individual also00:31:08
applies more or less to a people as a00:31:11
whole witness and illustration the00:31:15
prohibition movement a drastic if not00:31:19
unconstitutional measure is now being00:31:21
put through in this country to prevent00:31:24
the consumption of alcohol and yet it is00:31:27
a positive fact that coffee tea tobacco00:31:30
chewing gum and other stimulants which00:31:33
are freely indulged in even at the00:31:36
tender age are vastly more injurious to00:31:40
the national body00:31:41
judging from the number of those who00:31:42
succumb so for instance during my00:31:47
student years I gathered from the00:31:49
published necro logs in Vienna the home00:31:51
of coffee drinkers that deaths from ha00:31:54
trouble sometimes reached 67% of the00:31:58
total similar observations might00:32:01
probably be made in cities where the00:32:03
consumption of tea is excessive these00:32:06
delicious beverages super excite and00:32:09
gradually exhaust the fine fibers of the00:32:11
brain they also interfere seriously with00:32:14
arterial circulation and should be00:32:17
enjoyed all the more sparingly as their00:32:19
deleterious effects are slow and00:32:21
imperceptible tobacco on the other hand00:32:24
is conducive to easy and pleasant00:32:27
thinking and detracts from the intensity00:32:29
and concentration necessary to all00:32:32
original and vigorous effort of the00:32:34
intellect chewing gum is helpful for a00:32:37
short while but soon drains the00:32:39
glandular system and inflicts00:32:41
irreparable damage not to speak of the00:32:43
revulsion it creates alcohol and small00:32:47
quantities is an excellent tonic but is00:32:50
toxic in its action when absorbed in00:32:52
larger amounts quite immaterial as to00:32:55
whether it is taken in as whiskey or00:32:58
produced in the stomach from sugar but00:33:01
it should not be overlooked that all00:33:03
these are great eliminators assisting00:33:05
nature as they do in upholding her Stern00:33:09
but just law of survival of the fittest00:33:11
eager reformers should also be mindful00:33:15
of the eternal perversity of mankind00:33:17
which makes the indifferent laissez00:33:20
faire by far preferable to enforced00:33:23
restraint the truth about this is that00:33:26
we need stimulants to do our best work00:33:29
under present living conditions and that00:33:31
we must exercise moderation and control00:33:34
our appetites and inclinations in every00:33:36
direction that is what I've been doing00:33:40
for many years in this way maintaining00:33:43
myself young in body and mind abstinence00:33:48
was not always to my liking but I find00:33:51
ample reward in the agreeable00:33:53
experiences I am now making just in the00:33:56
hope of converting some to my precepts00:33:58
and convictions I will recall one or two00:34:01
a short time ago I was returning to my00:34:04
hotel it was a bitter cold night the00:34:07
on slippery and no taxi to be had half a00:34:11
block behind me followed another man00:34:13
evidently as anxious as myself to get00:34:15
under cover suddenly my legs went up in00:34:19
the air in the same instant there was a00:34:21
flash in my brain the nerves responded00:34:24
the muscles contracted I swung through00:34:27
180 degrees and landed on my hands I00:34:30
resumed my walk as though nothing had00:34:33
happened when the stranger caught up00:34:35
with me how old are you he asked00:34:38
surveying me critically Oh about 59 I00:34:42
replied what of it00:34:43
well said he I have seen a cat do this00:34:48
but never a man about a month since I00:34:51
wanted to order new eyeglasses and went00:34:54
to an oculist who put me through the00:34:56
usual tests he looked at me incredulous00:34:59
Lee as I read off with ease the smallest00:35:02
print at considerable distance but when00:35:05
I told him that I was past 60 he gasped00:35:09
in astonishment friends of mine often00:35:12
remark that my suits fit me like gloves00:35:15
but they do not know that all my00:35:18
clothing is made - measurements which00:35:20
were taken nearly 35 years ago and never00:35:23
changed during the same period00:35:26
my weight has not varied one pound in00:35:30
this connection I may tell a funny story00:35:32
one evening in the winter of 1885 mr.00:35:36
Edison Edward H Johnson the president of00:35:40
the Edison illuminating company mr.00:35:43
bachelor manager of the works and myself00:35:45
entered a little place opposite00:35:48
sixty-five 5th Avenue where the offices00:35:50
of the company were located someone00:35:53
suggested guessing weights and I was00:35:56
induced to step on a scale Edison felt00:35:59
me all over and said Tesla waves 15200:36:03
pounds to announce and he guessed it00:36:06
exactly stripped I weighed 142 pounds00:36:10
and that is still my weight00:36:13
I whispered to mr. Johnson how is it00:36:16
possible that Edison could guess my00:36:18
weight so closely well he said lowering00:36:21
his voice I will tell you confidentially00:36:24
but you must not say anything he was00:36:28
employed for a long time in a Chicago00:36:31
slaughterhouse where he weighed00:36:33
thousands of hogs every day that's why00:36:36
my friend the Honorable Chauncey M de00:36:39
PUE tells of an English man on whom he00:36:42
sprung one of his original anecdotes and00:36:45
who listened with puzzled expression but00:36:47
a year later laughed out loud I will00:36:51
frankly confess it took me longer than00:36:53
that to appreciate Johnson's joke now my00:36:57
well being is simply the result of a00:36:59
careful and measured mode of living and00:37:01
perhaps the most astonishing thing is00:37:03
that three times in my youth I was00:37:05
rendered by illness a hopeless physical00:37:08
wreck and given up by physicians more00:37:11
than this through ignorance and00:37:12
lightheartedness I got into all sorts of00:37:15
difficulties dangers and scrapes from00:37:17
which I extricated myself as by00:37:19
enchantment00:37:20
I was almost drowned a dozen times was00:37:23
nearly boiled alive and just missed00:37:26
being cremated I was entombed lost and00:37:30
frozen I had hair breath escapes from00:37:33
mad dogs hogs and other wild animals I00:37:36
passed through dreadful diseases all00:37:39
kinds of odd mishaps and that I'm hale00:37:42
and hearty today seems like a miracle00:37:44
but as I recall these incidents to my00:37:47
mind I feel convinced that my00:37:48
preservation was not altogether00:37:50
accidental an inventor's endeavor is00:37:54
essentially life-saving whether he00:37:56
harnesses forces improves devices or00:37:59
provides new comforts and conveniences00:38:00
he is adding to the safety of our00:38:03
existence00:38:04
he is also better qualified than the00:38:06
average individual to protect himself in00:38:08
peril for he is observant and00:38:10
resourceful if I had no other evidence00:38:13
that I was in a measure possessed of00:38:16
such qualities I would find it in these00:38:18
personal experiences00:38:20
the reader will be able to judge for00:38:22
himself if I mention one or two00:38:24
instances on one occasion when I was00:38:28
about 14 years old I wanted to scare00:38:31
some friends who are bathing with me my00:38:33
plan was to dive under a long floating00:38:36
structure and slip out quietly at the00:38:38
other end swimming and diving came to me00:38:41
as naturally as to a dock and I was00:38:44
confident that I could perform the feat00:38:46
accordingly I plunged into the water and00:38:49
went out of view turned around and00:38:51
proceeded rapidly towards the opposite00:38:54
side thinking that I was safely beyond00:38:57
the structure I rose to the surface but00:38:59
to my dismay struck a beam of course I00:39:03
quickly dived and forged ahead with00:39:05
rapid strokes until my breath was00:39:07
beginning to give out rising for the00:39:10
second time my head came again in00:39:12
contact with a beam now I was becoming00:39:15
desperate however summoning all my00:39:18
energy I made a third frantic attempt00:39:20
but the result was the same the torture00:39:23
of suppressed breathing was getting00:39:25
unendurable my brain was reeling and I00:39:28
felt myself sinking at that moment when00:39:32
my situation seemed absolutely hopeless00:39:34
I experienced one of those flashes of00:39:37
light and the structure above me00:39:39
appeared before my vision I either00:39:41
discerned or guessed that there was00:39:44
little space between the surface of the00:39:46
water and the board's resting on the00:39:48
beams and with consciousness nearly gone00:39:51
I floated up pressed my mouth close to00:39:54
the planks and managed to inhale a00:39:56
little air unfortunately mingled with a00:39:59
spray of water which nearly choked me00:40:02
several times are repeated this00:40:04
procedure as in a dream until my heart00:40:07
which was racing at a terrible rate00:40:09
quieted down and I gained composure00:40:12
after that I made a number of00:40:14
unsuccessful dives having completely00:40:16
lost the sense of direction but finally00:40:19
succeeded in getting out of the trap00:40:22
when my friends had already given me up00:40:24
and were fishing from my body that00:40:26
bathing season was spoiled for me00:40:28
through recklessness but I soon forgot00:40:30
the lesson and only two years later I00:40:33
fell into a worse predicament00:40:34
there was a large flour mill with a dam00:40:37
across the river near the city where I00:40:39
was studying at the time as a rule the00:40:41
height of the water was only two or00:40:43
three inches above the dam and to swim00:40:45
out to it was a sport not very dangerous00:40:48
in which I often indulged one day I went00:40:51
alone to the river to enjoy myself as00:40:53
usual when I was a short distance from00:40:56
the masonry however I was horrified to00:40:58
observe that the water had risen and was00:41:01
carrying me along swiftly I tried to get00:41:04
away but it was too late00:41:05
luckily though I saved myself from being00:41:08
swept over by taking hold of the wall00:41:09
with both hands the pressure against my00:41:12
chest was great and I was barely able to00:41:15
keep my head above the surface not a00:41:17
soul was in sight and my voice was lost00:41:19
in the roar of the fall slowly and00:41:22
gradually I became exhausted and unable00:41:24
to withstand the strain longer just as I00:41:28
was about to let go to be dashed against00:41:30
the rocks below I saw in a flash of00:41:33
light a familiar diagram illustrating the00:41:36
hydraulic principle that the pressure of00:41:38
a fluid emotion is proportionate to the00:41:40
area exposed and automatically I turned00:41:44
on my left side as if by magic the00:41:47
pressure was reduced and I found it00:41:49
comparatively easy in that position to00:41:52
resist the force of the stream but the00:41:54
danger still confronted me I knew that00:41:57
sooner or later I would be carried down00:41:59
as it was not possible for any help to00:42:02
reach me in time even if I attracted00:42:04
attention00:42:05
I am ambidextrous now but then I was00:42:09
left-handed and had comparatively little00:42:11
strength in my right arm for this reason00:42:14
I did not dare to turn on the other side00:42:16
to rest and nothing remained but to00:42:18
slowly push my body along the dam I had00:42:21
to get away from the mill towards which00:42:23
my face was turned as the current there00:42:26
was much swifter and deeper it was a00:42:28
long and painful ordeal and I came near00:42:31
to failing at its very end for I was00:42:33
confronted with a depression in the00:42:34
masonry I managed to get over with the00:42:38
last ounce of my forest and fell in a00:42:40
swoon when I reached the bank where I00:42:42
was found I had torn virtually all the00:42:45
skin from my left side and it took00:42:47
several weeks but00:42:48
for the fever subsided and I was well00:42:50
these are only two of many instances but00:42:53
they may be sufficient to show that had00:42:56
it not been for the inventors instinct I00:42:58
would not have lived to tell this tale00:43:01
interested people have often asked me00:43:04
how and when I began to invent this I00:43:08
can only answer from my present00:43:09
recollection in the light of which the00:43:11
first attempt I recall was rather00:43:13
ambitious for it involved the invention00:43:16
of an apparatus and a method in the00:43:18
former I was anticipated but the latter00:43:21
was original it happened in this way one00:43:25
of my playmates had come to the00:43:27
possession of a hook and fishing tackle00:43:29
which created quite an excitement in the00:43:31
village and the next morning all started00:43:34
out to catch frogs I was left alone and00:43:37
deserted owing to a quarrel with his boy00:43:39
I'd never seen a real hook and pictured00:43:43
it as something wonderful endowed with00:43:45
peculiar qualities and was despairing00:43:47
not to be one of the party urged by00:43:50
necessity I somehow got hold of a piece00:43:53
of soft iron wire hammered the end into00:43:56
a sharp point between two stones bent it00:43:59
into shape and fastened it to a strong00:44:02
string then I cut a rod gathered some00:44:05
bait and went down to the brook where00:44:07
there were frogs in abundance but I00:44:10
could not catch any and was almost00:44:12
discouraged when they occurred to me to00:44:14
dangle the empty hook in front of a frog00:44:16
sitting on a stump at first he collapsed00:44:19
but by and by his eyes bulged out and00:44:22
became bloodshot he swelled to twice his00:44:24
normal size and made a vicious snap at00:44:27
the hook immediately I pulled him up I00:44:30
tried the same thing again and again and00:44:32
the method proved invaluable when my00:44:35
comrades who in spite of their fine00:44:37
outfit had caught nothing came to me00:44:40
they were green with envy for a long00:44:42
time I kept my secret and enjoyed the00:44:44
monopoly but finally yielded to the00:44:47
spirit of Christmas every boy could then00:44:49
do the same and the following summer00:44:51
brought disaster to the frogs in my next00:44:54
attempt I seemed to have acted under the00:44:56
first instinctive impulse which later00:44:58
dominated me to harness the energies of00:45:01
nature to this00:45:02
of man I did this through the medium of00:45:05
May bugs or June bugs as they are called00:45:07
in America which were a veritable past00:45:10
in the country and sometimes broke the00:45:12
branches of trees by the sheer weight of00:45:14
their bodies the bushes were black with00:45:16
them I would attach as many as four of00:45:19
them to a crosspiece Road ibly arranged00:45:23
on a thin spindle and transmit the00:45:25
motion of the same to a larger disk and00:45:28
so derive considerable power these00:45:31
creatures were remarkably efficient for00:45:33
once they were started they had no sense00:45:36
to stop and continued whirling for hours00:45:38
and hours and the hotter it was the00:45:40
harder they worked all went well until a00:45:43
strange boy came to the place he was the00:45:45
son of a retired officer in the Austrian00:45:48
army that urgent eight May bugs alive00:45:51
and enjoyed them as though they were the00:45:53
finest Blue Point oysters that00:45:55
disgusting sight terminated my endeavors00:45:58
in this promising field and I have never00:46:00
since been able to touch am a bug or any00:46:03
other insect for that matter after that00:46:06
I believe I undertook to take apart and00:46:09
assemble the clocks of my grandfather in00:46:12
the former operation I was always00:46:14
successful but often failed to the00:46:17
ladder so it came that he brought my00:46:19
work to a sudden halt in a matter not00:46:22
too delicate and it took thirty years00:46:24
before I tackled another clockwork again00:46:27
shortly thereafter I went into the00:46:29
manufacture of a kind of pop gun which00:46:32
comprised a hollow tube a piston and two00:46:35
plugs of hemp when firing the gun the00:46:38
piston was pressed against the stomach00:46:40
and the tube was pushed back quickly00:46:42
with both hands the air between the00:46:45
plugs was compressed and raised to high00:46:47
temperature and one of them was expelled00:46:50
with a loud report the art consisted in00:46:53
selecting the tube of the proper taper00:46:55
from the hollow stalks I did very well00:46:58
with that gun but my activities00:47:00
interfered with the windowpanes in our00:47:02
household and met with painful00:47:04
discouragement if I remember rightly I00:47:07
then took to carving swords from pieces00:47:10
of furniture which I could conveniently00:47:12
obtain00:47:13
at that time I was under the sway of the00:47:16
Serbian national poetry and full of00:47:18
admiration for the feats of the heroes I00:47:21
used to spend hours and mowing down my00:47:23
enemies in the form of corn stalks which00:47:25
ruined the crops and netted me several00:47:27
spankings from my mother moreover these00:47:31
were not of the formal kind but the00:47:32
genuine article I had all this and more00:47:36
behind me before I was 6 years old and00:47:38
had passed through one year of00:47:40
elementary school in the village of00:47:42
Simeon where I was born00:47:43
at this juncture we moved to the little00:47:46
city of gospic nearby this change of00:47:49
residence was like a calamity to me it00:47:52
almost broke my heart to part from our00:47:54
pigeons chickens and sheep and her00:47:57
magnificent flock of geese would used to00:48:00
rise to the clouds in the morning and00:48:02
return from the feeding grounds at00:48:04
sundown in battle formation so perfect00:48:07
that it would have put a squadron of the00:48:09
very best aviators of the present day to00:48:11
shame in our new house I was but a00:48:14
prisoner watching the strange people I00:48:17
saw through the window blinds my00:48:19
bashfulness was such that I would rather00:48:21
have faced a roaring lion than one of00:48:23
the city dudes who strolled about but my00:48:27
hardest trial came on Sunday when I had00:48:29
to dress up and attend the service there00:48:32
I meet with an accident the mere thought00:48:34
of which made my blood curdle like sour00:48:37
milk four years afterwards it was my00:48:40
second adventure in a church not long00:48:43
before I was entombed for a night in an00:48:45
old chapel on an inaccessible Mountain00:48:47
which was visited only once a year it00:48:51
was an awful experience but this one was00:48:53
worse there was a wealthy lady in town a00:48:57
good but pompous woman who used to come00:49:00
to church gorgeously painted up and00:49:02
attired with an enormous train and00:49:04
attendants one Sunday I had just00:49:08
finished ringing the bell in the belfry00:49:10
and rushed downstairs when this grand00:49:13
dame was sweeping out and I jumped on00:49:15
her train00:49:16
it tore off with a ripping noise which00:49:19
sounded like a salvo of musketry fired00:49:21
by raw recruits my father was livid with00:49:24
rage he gave me a gentle slap on the00:49:27
cheek the only corporal punishment he ever00:49:29
administered to me but I almost feel it00:49:32
now the embarrassment and confusion that00:49:34
followed are indescribable I was00:49:37
practically ostracized until something00:49:40
else happened that redeemed me in the00:49:42
estimation of the community an00:49:44
enterprising young merchant had00:49:47
organized a fire department a new fire00:49:49
engine was purchased uniforms provided00:49:52
and men drilled for service and parade00:49:54
the engine was in reality a pump to be00:49:58
worked by 16 men and was beautifully00:50:01
painted red and black one afternoon the00:50:04
official trial was prepared for and the00:50:06
machine was transported to the river the00:50:10
entire population turned out to witness00:50:12
the great spectacle when all the00:50:14
speeches and ceremonies were concluded00:50:16
the command was given to palm but not a00:50:19
drop of water came from the nozzle the00:50:22
professors and experts tried in vain to00:50:24
locate the trouble the fizzle was00:50:27
complete when I arrived at the scene my00:50:30
knowledge of the mechanism was nil and I00:50:33
knew next to nothing of air pressure but00:50:35
instinctively I felt for the suction00:50:37
hose in the water and found that it had00:50:39
collapsed when I waited in the river and00:50:42
opened it up the water rushed forth and00:50:45
not a few Sunday clothes were spoiled00:50:48
Archimedes running naked through the00:50:50
streets of Syracuse and shouting Eureka00:50:52
at the top of his voice did not make a00:50:54
greater impression than myself I was00:50:57
carried on the shoulders and was the00:50:59
hero of the day upon settling in the00:51:01
city I began a four years course in the00:51:04
so-called Normal School preparatory to00:51:06
my studies at the college or real00:51:08
gymnasium during this period my boyish00:51:12
efforts and exploits as well as troubles00:51:14
continued among other things I attained00:51:18
the unique distinction of champion crow00:51:20
catcher in the country my method of00:51:22
procedure was extremely simple I would00:51:25
go in the forest hide in the bushes and00:51:28
imitate the call of the bird00:51:31
usually I would get several answers and00:51:33
in a short while a crow would flutter00:51:35
down into the shrubbery near me after00:51:38
that all I needed to do was to throw a00:51:40
piece of cardboard to distract its00:51:42
attention jump up and grab it before it00:51:45
could extricate itself from the00:51:47
undergrowth in this way I could capture00:51:50
as many as I desired but on one occasion00:51:52
something occurred which made me respect00:51:55
them I had caught a fine pair of birds00:51:57
and was returning home with a friend00:51:59
when we left the forest thousands of00:52:02
crows had gathered making a frightful00:52:04
racket in a few minutes they rose in00:52:07
pursuit and soon enveloped us the fun00:52:10
lasted until all of a sudden I received00:52:13
a blow on the back of my head which00:52:14
knocked me down then they attacked me00:52:18
viciously I was compelled to release the00:52:20
two birds and was glad to join my friend00:52:22
who had taken refuge in a cave00:52:24
in the schoolroom there were a few00:52:27
mechanical models which interested me00:52:29
and turned my attention to water00:52:32
turbines I constructed many of these and00:52:35
found great pleasure in operating them00:52:37
how extraordinary was my life00:52:40
an incident may illustrate my uncle had00:52:43
no use for this kind of pastime and more00:52:47
than once rebuked me I was fascinated by00:52:51
a description of Niagara Falls00:52:53
I had perused and pictured in my00:52:55
imagination a big wheel run by the Falls00:52:58
I told my uncle that I would go to00:53:01
America and carry out this scheme thirty00:53:04
years later I saw my ideas carried out00:53:07
at Niagara and marveled at the00:53:10
unfathomable mystery of the mind I made00:53:13
all kinds of other contrivance ha's and00:53:15
contraptions but among these the arbor00:53:17
lists I produced were the best my arrows00:53:21
when shot disappeared from sight and at00:53:23
close range traversed a plank of pine00:53:26
one inch thick through the continuous00:53:29
tightening of the boughs I developed00:53:31
skin on my stomach very much like that00:53:33
of a crocodile and I am often wondering00:53:35
whether it's due to this exercise that00:53:37
I'm able even now to digest cobblestones00:53:40
nor can I pass in silence my00:53:43
performances with the00:53:44
which would have enabled me to give a00:53:46
stunning exhibit at the Hippodrome and00:53:48
now I will tell of one of my feats with00:53:51
this antique implement of war which will00:53:54
strain to that most the credulity of the00:53:56
reader I was practicing while walking with my00:53:59
uncle along the river the Sun was00:54:01
setting the trout were playful and from00:54:04
time to time one would shoot up into the00:54:06
air its glistening body sharply-defined00:54:09
against the projecting rock beyond of00:54:11
course any boy might have hit a fish00:54:14
under these proprietors conditions but I00:54:17
undertook a much more difficult task and00:54:19
I foretold to my uncle to the minutest00:54:21
detail what I intended doing I was to00:54:25
hurl a stone to meet the fish press its00:54:28
body against the rock and cut it in two00:54:31
it was no sooner said than done00:54:34
my uncle looked at me almost scared out00:54:37
of his wits and exclaimed vada retro00:54:40
Satanas and it was a few days before he00:54:43
spoke to me again00:54:44
other records however great will be00:54:47
eclipsed but I feel that I could00:54:49
peacefully rest on my laurels for a00:54:51
thousand years in the April issue mr.00:54:54
Tesla will describe in detail how he00:54:56
conceived one of his most important and00:54:59
far-reaching inventions the rotary00:55:01
magnetic field editor00:55:05
end of section two librivox.org00:55:14
recording by Kane Mercer my inventions00:55:18
part three my later endeavors the00:55:22
discovery of the rotating magnetic field00:55:25
by Nikola Tesla this article was00:55:28
published in electrical experimenter00:55:31
April 1919 this installment no doubt the00:55:36
most interesting of the three published00:55:38
so far reveals many extraordinary00:55:40
occurrences and experiences in the00:55:42
world's greatest inventors life00:55:44
experiences such as do not fall on the00:55:47
lot of ordinary mortals and Tesla the00:55:50
many cited aside from inventing knows00:55:52
the rare art of painting word pictures00:55:54
he does so here in a masterly fashion he00:55:58
tells us how he finally conceived the00:56:00
induction motor perhaps his greatest00:56:02
discovery the invention which changed00:56:05
the face of the globe the invention00:56:08
which made possible the streetcar the00:56:10
subway the electric train power00:56:13
transmission the harnessing of00:56:15
waterfalls and countless others but let00:56:18
Tesla tell you himself00:56:19
how it all came about it is a classic00:56:22
worth reading editor what is the00:56:26
induction motor the induction motor00:56:29
operates on alternating current it has00:56:33
no commutator like a direct current00:56:35
motor nor slip rings like an alternating00:56:38
current motor contrary to the two types00:56:40
just cited the field current is not00:56:43
steady but the current itself rotates00:56:45
constantly pulling around with it by00:56:48
induction the only moving part of the00:56:51
motor the rotor or armature having no00:56:54
armature nor slip rings the induction00:56:57
motor never sparks it consequently knows00:57:00
no brush trouble it needs no attention00:57:03
because of its ruggedness only the00:57:06
bearings wear out its efficiency too is00:57:09
higher on account of all this the00:57:11
induction motor is used in a00:57:13
preponderance in street cars electric00:57:16
trains factories etc00:57:20
at the age of 10 I entered the real00:57:22
gymnasium which was a new and fairly00:57:25
well-equipped institution in the00:57:27
department of physics were various00:57:29
models of classical scientific apparatus00:57:32
electrical and mechanical the00:57:35
demonstrations and experiments performed00:57:37
from time to time by the instructors00:57:39
fascinated me and were undoubtedly00:57:42
a powerful incentive to invention I was00:57:45
also passionately fond of mathematical00:57:48
studies and often won the professor's00:57:50
praise for rapid calculation this was00:57:53
due to my acquired Faculty of00:57:55
visualizing the figures and performing00:57:57
the operations not in the usual00:57:59
intuitive matter but as an actual life00:58:02
up to a certain degree of complexity it00:58:05
was absolutely the same to me whether I00:58:07
wrote the symbols on the board or00:58:09
conjured them before my mental vision00:58:11
but freehand drawing to which many hours00:58:14
of the chorus were devoted was an00:58:16
annoyance I could not endure this is00:58:20
rather remarkable as most of the members00:58:22
of the family excelled in it perhaps my00:58:25
aversion was simply due to the00:58:27
predilection I found in undisturbed00:58:29
thought had it not been for a few00:58:32
exceptionally stupid boys who could not00:58:35
do anything at all my record would have00:58:37
been the worst it was a serious handicap00:58:41
as under the then existing educational00:58:44
regime drawing being obligatory this00:58:47
deficiency threatened to spoil my whole00:58:50
career and my father had considerable00:58:53
trouble in railroading me from one class00:58:55
to another in the second year at that00:58:58
institution I became obsessed with the00:59:00
idea of producing continuous motion00:59:02
through steady air pressure the pump00:59:05
incident of which I have told had set00:59:07
afire my youthful imagination and00:59:09
impressed me with the boundless00:59:11
abilities of a vacuum I grew frantic and00:59:14
my desire to harness this inexhaustible00:59:16
energy but for a long time I was groping00:59:19
in the dark finally however my endeavors00:59:23
crystallized in an invention which was00:59:25
to enable me to achieve what no other00:59:28
mortal ever attempted00:59:29
imagine a cylinder freely rotatable on00:59:33
tube partly surrounded by a rectangular00:59:36
trough which fits it perfectly the open00:59:39
side of the trough is closed by a00:59:41
partition so that the cylindrical00:59:43
segment within the enclosure divides the00:59:45
latter into two compartments entirely00:59:48
separated from each other by airtight00:59:50
sliding joints one of these compartments00:59:53
being sealed and once for all exhausted00:59:56
the other remaining open a perpetual00:59:59
rotation of the cylinder would result at01:00:01
least I thought so01:00:03
a wooden model was constructed and01:00:06
fitted with infinite care and when I01:00:09
applied the pump on one side and01:00:11
actually observed that there was a01:00:12
tendency to turning I was delirious with01:00:15
joy mechanical flight was the one thing01:00:18
I wanted to accomplish although still01:00:21
under that discouraging recollection of01:00:23
a bad fall I sustained by jumping with01:00:25
an umbrella from the top of the building01:00:27
every day I used to transport myself01:00:30
through the air to distant regions but I01:00:33
could not understand just how I managed01:00:35
to do it now I had something concrete a01:00:38
flying machine with nothing more than a01:00:40
rotating shaft flapping wings and a01:00:43
vacuum of unlimited power from that time01:00:46
on I made my daily aerial excursions in01:00:48
a vehicle of comfort and luxury as might01:00:51
have befitted King Solomon it took years01:00:54
before I understood that the atmospheric01:00:57
pressure acted at right angles to the01:00:59
surface of the cylinder and that the01:01:01
slight rotary effort I observed was due01:01:04
to a leak though this knowledge came01:01:06
gradually it gave me a painful shock I01:01:09
had hardly completed my course at the01:01:12
real gymnasium when I was prostrated01:01:14
with a dangerous illness or rather a01:01:17
score of them and my condition became so01:01:19
desperate that I was given up by01:01:21
physicians during this period I was01:01:24
permitted to read constantly obtaining01:01:26
books from the public library which had01:01:28
been neglected and entrusted to me for01:01:30
classification of the works and01:01:32
preparation of the catalogues one day I01:01:34
was handed a few volumes of new01:01:36
literature unlike anything I had ever01:01:38
read before and so captivating as to01:01:41
make me utterly forget my hopeless state01:01:44
they were the earlier works of Mark01:01:46
Twain01:01:47
to them might have been do the01:01:49
miraculous recovery which followed 2501:01:52
years later when I met mr. Clemens and01:01:55
we formed a friendship between us I told01:01:57
him of the experience and was amazed to01:02:00
see that the great man of laughter burst01:02:03
into tears my studies were continued at01:02:06
the higher real gymnasium in Carlstadt01:02:08
Croatia were one of my aunt's resided01:02:11
she was a distinguished lady the wife of01:02:15
a colonel who has an old warhorse01:02:17
having participated in many battles I01:02:19
never can forget the three years I01:02:21
passed at their home no fortress in time01:02:24
of war was under a more rigid discipline01:02:27
I was fed like a canary bird all the01:02:30
meals were of the highest quality and01:02:32
deliciously prepared but short in01:02:34
quantity by a thousand percent the01:02:37
slices of ham cut by my aunt were like01:02:40
tissue paper when the colonel would put01:02:43
something substantial on my plate she01:02:45
would snatch it away and say excitedly01:02:46
to him be careful01:02:48
Niko is very delicate I had a voracious01:02:51
appetite and suffered like Tantalus but01:02:54
I lived in an atmosphere of refinement01:02:56
and artistic taste quite unusual for01:02:58
those times and conditions the land was01:03:01
low and marshy and malaria fever never01:03:04
left me while there despite of the01:03:06
enormous amounts of quinine I consumed01:03:09
occasionally the river would rise and01:03:11
drive an army of rats into the buildings01:03:14
devouring everything even to the bundles01:03:17
of the fairest paprika these pests were01:03:20
to me a welcome diversion I thinned01:03:23
their ranks by all sorts of means which01:03:25
won me the unenviable distinction of01:03:27
ratcatcher and the community at last01:03:30
however my course was completed the01:03:33
misery ended and I obtained the01:03:34
certificate of maturity which brought me01:03:36
to the crossroads during all those years01:03:39
my parents never wavered in their01:03:41
resolve to make me embrace the clergy01:03:43
the mere thought of which filled me with01:03:45
dread01:03:46
I had become intensely interested in01:03:49
electricity under the stimulating01:03:51
influence of my professor of physics who01:03:53
was an ingenious man and often01:03:55
demonstrated the principles by apparatus01:03:57
of his own invention01:03:59
among these I recall a device in the01:04:01
shape of a freely rotatable bulb with01:04:04
tinfoil coatings which was made to spin01:04:07
rapidly when connected to a static01:04:09
machine it is impossible for me to01:04:11
convey an adequate idea of the intensity01:04:14
of feeling I experienced in witnessing01:04:16
his exhibitions of these mysterious01:04:18
phenomena every impression produced a01:04:20
thousand echoes in my mind I wanted to01:04:23
know more of this wonderful force I01:04:25
longed for experiment and investigation01:04:27
and resigned myself to the inevitable01:04:29
with aching heart just as I was making01:04:32
ready for the long journey home I01:04:34
received word that my father wished me01:04:36
to go on a shooting expedition it was a01:04:39
strange request as he had always been01:04:41
strenuously opposed to this kind of01:04:43
sport but a few days later I learned01:04:45
that the cholera was raging in that01:04:47
district and taking advantage of an01:04:49
opportunity I returned to gospic in01:04:52
disregard of my parents wishes it was01:04:55
incredible how absolutely ignorant01:04:57
people were as to the causes of this01:04:59
scourge which visited the country in01:05:01
intervals from 15 to 20 years they01:05:05
thought that the deadly agents were01:05:07
transmitted through the air and filled01:05:09
it with pungent odors and smoke in the01:05:12
meantime they drank the infected water01:05:14
and died in heaps I contracted the awful01:05:17
disease on the very day of my arrival01:05:20
and although surviving the crisis I was01:05:22
confined to bed for nine months with01:05:24
scarcely any ability to move my energy01:05:27
was completely exhausted and for the01:05:30
second time I found myself at death's01:05:31
door in one of the sinking spells which01:05:34
was thought to be the last my father01:05:36
rushed into the room I still see his01:05:39
pallid face as he tried to cheer me in01:05:41
tones delaying his assurance perhaps I01:05:44
said I may get well if you let me study01:05:47
engineering you will go to the best01:05:50
technical institution in the world he01:05:52
solemnly replied and I knew that he01:05:55
meant it a heavy weight was lifted from01:05:58
my mind but the relief would have come01:06:00
too late had it not been for a marvelous01:06:03
cure brought about through a bitter01:06:05
decoction of a peculiar beam I came to01:06:08
life like another Lazarus to the utter01:06:11
amazement of everyone01:06:12
my father insisted that I spent a year01:06:15
in healthful physical outdoor exercises01:06:18
to which I reluctantly consented for01:06:20
most of this term I roamed in the01:06:23
mountains loaded with a hunter's outfit01:06:25
and a bundle of books and this contact01:06:28
with nature made me stronger and body as01:06:30
well as in mind I thought and planned01:06:33
and conceived many ideas almost as a01:06:36
rule delusive the vision was clear01:06:39
enough but the knowledge of principles01:06:41
was very limited in one of my inventions01:06:44
I proposed to convey letters and01:06:46
packages across the seas through a01:06:48
submarine tube in spherical containers01:06:51
of sufficient strength to resist the01:06:53
hydraulic pressure the pumping plan01:06:55
intended to force the water through the01:06:57
tube was accurately figured and designed01:07:00
and all other particulars carefully01:07:03
worked out only one trifling detail of01:07:05
no consequence was lightly dismissed I01:07:08
assumed an arbitrary velocity of the01:07:11
water and what is more took pleasure in01:07:14
making it high01:07:15
thus arriving at a stupendous01:07:18
performance supported by faultless01:07:20
calculations subsequent reflections01:07:23
however on the resistance of pipes to01:07:25
fluid flow determined me to make this01:07:28
invention public property another one of01:07:31
my projects was to construct a ring01:07:33
around the equator which would of course01:07:35
flow freely and could be arrested in its01:07:39
spinning motion by reactionary forces01:07:41
thus enabling travel at a rate of about01:07:45
1,000 miles an hour impracticable by01:07:48
rail the reader will smile the plan was01:07:52
difficult of execution I will admit but01:07:55
not nearly so bad as that of a01:07:57
well-known New York professor who wanted01:07:59
to pump the air from the torrid to01:08:02
temperate zones entirely forgetful of01:08:05
the fact that the Lord had provided a01:08:07
gigantic machine for this very purpose01:08:10
still another scheme far more important01:08:13
and attractive was to derive power from01:08:16
the rotational energy of terrestrial01:08:18
bodies I had discovered that objects on01:08:21
the Earth's surface01:08:22
owing to the diurnal rotation of the01:08:25
globe our care01:08:26
by the same alternately in and against01:08:29
the direction of transitory movement01:08:31
from this results a great change in01:08:33
momentum which could be utilized in the01:08:35
simplest imaginable manner to furnish01:08:38
motive effort in any habitable region of01:08:40
the world I cannot find words to01:08:43
describe my disappointment when later I01:08:45
realized that I was in the predicament01:08:47
of Archimedes who vainly sought for a01:08:49
fixed point in the universe at the01:08:52
termination of my vacation I was sent to01:08:55
the Polytechnic School in Graz Styria01:08:58
which my father had chosen as one of the01:09:01
oldest and best reputed institutions01:09:03
that was the moment I had eagerly01:09:06
awaited and I began my studies under01:09:09
good auspices and firmly resolved to01:09:11
succeed my previous training was above01:09:14
average due to my father's teaching and01:09:16
opportunities afforded I had acquired01:09:19
the knowledge of a number of languages01:09:21
and waded through the books of several01:09:24
libraries picking up information more or01:09:27
less useful then again for the first01:09:30
time I could choose my subjects as I01:09:33
liked and freehand drawing was to bother01:09:35
me no more I had made up my mind to give01:09:39
my parents a surprise and during the01:09:41
whole first year I regularly started my01:09:44
work at 3 o'clock in the morning and01:09:46
continued until 11:00 at night01:09:48
no Sundays or holidays accepted as most01:09:52
of my fellow students took things easily01:09:55
naturally enough I eclipsed all records01:09:58
in the course of that year I passed01:10:00
through nine exams and the professor's01:10:03
thought I deserved more than the highest01:10:05
qualifications armed with their01:10:08
flattering certificates I went home for01:10:10
a short rest expecting a triumph and was01:10:13
mortified when my father made light of01:10:16
these hard-won honors that almost killed01:10:19
my ambition but later after he had died01:10:22
I was paying to find a package of01:10:24
letters which the professor's had01:10:26
written him to the effect that unless he01:10:28
took me away from the institution I01:10:30
would be killed through overwork01:10:32
thereafter I devoted myself chiefly to01:10:35
physics mechanics and mathematical01:10:37
studies spending the hours of leisure in01:10:40
the burries I had a veritable mania for01:10:43
finishing whatever I began which often01:10:45
got me into difficulties on one occasion01:10:47
I started to read the works of Voltaire01:10:50
when I learned to my dismay that there01:10:52
were clothes on 100 large volumes in01:10:55
small print which that monster had01:10:57
written while drinking seventy two cups01:10:59
of black coffee per diem it had to be01:11:02
done but when I laid aside the last book01:11:04
I was very glad and said Nevermore my01:11:08
first year showing had won me the01:11:10
appreciation and friendship of several01:11:12
professors among these were professor01:11:15
Rob nur who is teaching arithmetic 'el01:11:18
subjects and geometry01:11:19
professor pol who held the chair of01:11:22
theoretical and experimental physics and01:11:24
dr. Ali who taught integral calculus and01:11:27
specialized in differential equations01:11:30
this scientist was the most brilliant01:11:33
lecturer to whom I've ever listened he01:11:35
took a special interest in my progress01:11:37
and would frequently remain for an hour01:11:40
or two in the lecture room giving me01:11:42
problems to solve in which I delighted01:11:44
to him I explained a flying machine I'd01:11:47
conceived not an illusionary invention01:11:50
but one based on sound scientific01:11:51
principles which has become realizable01:11:54
through my turbine and will soon be01:11:56
given to the world both professors01:11:58
Ragnar and partial were curious men the01:12:02
former had peculiar ways of expressing01:12:04
himself and whenever he did so there was01:12:07
a riot followed by a long and01:12:08
embarrassing pause professor pol was a01:12:12
methodical and thoroughly grounded01:12:13
German he had enormous feet and hands01:12:17
like the paws of a bear but all of his01:12:20
experiments were skillfully performed01:12:22
with lock like precision and without a01:12:24
mess it was the second year of my01:12:26
studies that we received a gram Dynamo01:12:29
from Paris having the horseshoe form of01:12:32
a laminated field magnet and a wire01:12:34
wound armature with a commutator it was01:12:38
connected up and various effects of the01:12:40
currents were shown well professor pol01:12:42
was making demonstrations running the01:12:45
machine as a motor the brushes gave01:12:47
trouble sparking badly and they observed01:12:49
that it might be possible to operate a01:12:51
motor without these appliances but01:12:54
he declared that it could not be done01:12:55
and did me the honor of delivering a01:12:57
lecture on the subject at the conclusion01:13:00
of which he remarked mr. Tesla may01:13:03
accomplish great things but he certainly01:13:05
never will do this it would be01:13:08
equivalent to converting a steadily01:13:10
pulling force like that of gravity into01:13:13
a rotary effort it is a perpetual motion01:13:17
scheme an impossible idea but instinct01:13:20
is something which transcends knowledge01:13:22
we have undoubtedly certain finer fibers01:13:26
that enable us to perceive truths when01:13:28
logical deduction or any other willful01:13:30
effort of the brain is futile for a time01:13:33
I wavered impressed by the professor's01:13:36
authority but soon became convinced I01:13:38
was right and undertook the task with01:13:41
all the fire and boundless confidence of01:13:43
youth I started by first picturing in my01:13:47
mind a direct current machine running it01:13:49
and following the changing flow of the01:13:52
currents in the armature then I would01:13:54
imagine an alternator and investigate01:13:57
the process taking place in a similar01:13:59
manner next I would visualize systems01:14:02
comprising motors and generators and01:14:04
operate them in various ways the images01:14:07
I saw were to be perfectly real01:14:09
intangible all my remaining term in01:14:12
gratz was past in intense but fruitless01:14:15
efforts of this kind and I almost came01:14:17
to the conclusion that the problem was01:14:19
in solvable in 1880 I went to Prague01:14:23
Bohemia carrying out my father's wish to01:14:25
complete my education at the University01:14:27
there who is in that city that I made a01:14:30
decided advance which consisted in01:14:32
detaching the commutator from the01:14:35
machine and studying the phenomena in01:14:37
this new aspect but still without result01:14:40
in the year following there was a sudden01:14:42
change in my views of life I realized01:14:45
that my parents had been making too01:14:46
great sacrifices on my account and01:14:49
resolved to relieve them of the burden01:14:51
the wave of the American Telephone had01:14:53
just reached the European continent and01:14:56
the system was to be installed in01:14:59
Budapest Hungary it appeared an ideal01:15:02
opportunity all the more as a friend of01:15:04
our family was at the head of the01:15:06
enterprise01:15:07
it was here that I suffered the complete01:15:10
breakdown of the nerves to which I have01:15:12
referred what I experienced during the01:15:14
period of that illness surpasses all01:15:17
belief my sight and hearing were always01:15:20
extraordinary I could clearly discern01:15:23
objects in the distance when others saw01:15:25
no trace of them several times my01:15:27
boyhood01:15:28
I saved the houses of our neighbors from01:15:30
fire by hearing the faint crackling01:15:32
sounds which did not disturb their sleep01:15:35
and calling for help in 1899 when I was01:15:39
past 40 in carrying on my experiments in01:15:42
Colorado I could hear very distinctly01:15:45
thunderclaps at a distance of 550 miles01:15:48
the limit of audition for my young01:15:51
assistant was scarcely more than 15001:15:53
miles my ear was thus over 13 times more01:15:57
sensitive yet at that time I was so to01:16:01
speak stone deaf in comparison with the01:16:04
acuteness of my hearing while under the01:16:07
nervous strain in Budapest I could hear01:16:10
the ticking of a watch with three rooms01:16:12
between me and the timepiece a fly01:16:15
alighting on the table in the room would01:16:17
cause a dull thud in my ear a carriage01:16:20
passing at a distance of a few miles01:16:23
fairly shook my whole body the whistle01:16:26
of a locomotive twenty or thirty miles01:16:28
away made the bench or chair on which i01:16:31
sat vibrate so strongly that the pain01:16:34
was unbearable the ground under my feet01:16:37
trembled continuously I had to support01:16:39
my bed on rubber cushions to get any01:16:42
rest at all the roaring noises from near01:16:45
and far often produced the effect of01:16:48
spoken words which often would have01:16:50
frightened me had I not been able to01:16:52
resolve them into their accidental01:16:55
components the sun's rays when01:16:57
periodically intercepted would cause01:17:00
blows of such force in my brain that01:17:02
they would stun me01:17:04
I had to summon all my willpower to pass01:17:07
under a bridge or other structure as I01:17:09
experienced a crushing pressure on the01:17:11
skull in the dark I had the sense of a01:17:14
bat and could detect the presence of an01:17:16
object at a distance of 12 feet by01:17:19
peculiar creepy sensation on the01:17:21
forehead my pauls varied from a few to01:17:24
260 beads and all tissues of the body01:17:28
quivered with twitchings and tremors01:17:30
which was perhaps the hardest to bear a01:17:33
renowned physician who gave me daily01:17:36
large doses of bromide of potassium01:17:38
pronounce my malady unique and incurable01:17:40
it is my eternal regret that I was not01:17:43
under the observation of experts in01:17:45
physiology and psychology at that time I01:17:48
clung desperately to life but never01:17:50
expected to recover01:17:52
can anyone believe that so helpless a01:17:55
physical wreck could ever be transformed01:17:57
into a man of astonishing strength and01:17:59
tenacity able to work 38 years almost01:18:03
without a day's interruption and find01:18:05
himself still strong and fresh in body01:18:07
and mind such as my case a powerful01:18:10
desire to live and to continue the work01:18:12
and the assistance of a devoted friend01:18:15
and athlete accomplished the wonder my01:18:17
health returned and with it the vigor of01:18:20
mind in attacking the problem again I01:18:23
almost regretted that the struggle was01:18:25
soon to end I had so much energy to01:18:28
spare when I undertook the task it was01:18:31
not with the resolve such as men often01:18:33
make with me it was a sacred vow a01:18:36
question of life and death I knew that I01:18:38
would perish if I failed now I felt that01:18:41
the battle was won back in the deep01:18:43
recesses of the brain was the solution01:18:46
but I could not yet give it outward01:18:48
expression one afternoon which is01:18:51
ever-present in my recollection I was01:18:54
enjoying a walk with a friend in the01:18:56
city park and reciting poetry at that01:18:59
age I knew entire books by heart01:19:01
word for word one of these was goethe's01:19:05
faust the Sun was just setting and01:19:08
reminded me of the glorious passage see01:19:11
docked on white dirt AAG is developed01:19:14
toward islets see he knew inferred noise01:19:16
Levin01:19:17
or das kind flugel Mike von Baden hipped01:19:21
earn a condiment up just drivin01:19:25
ein schöner trauma in the sentient01:19:27
waiked oxidic Isis flu converts are01:19:31
liked kind Coppola cough Luger sick01:19:33
Giselle in the glow retreats done is the01:19:38
day of toil it yonder Haste's new fields01:19:41
of life exploring ah that knowing can01:19:46
lift me from the soil upon its track to01:19:49
follow follow soaring a glorious dream01:19:53
though now the glories fade alas the01:19:57
wings that lift the mind no aid of wings01:20:01
to lift the body can be queeth me as I01:20:04
add heard these inspiring words the idea01:20:06
came to me like a flash of lightning and01:20:08
in an instant the truth was revealed I01:20:12
drew with a stick on the sand the01:20:15
diagram shown six years later in my01:20:17
address before the American Institute of01:20:19
Electrical Engineers and my companion01:20:21
understood them perfectly the images I01:20:24
saw were wonderfully sharp and clear and01:20:27
had the solidity of metal and stone so01:20:31
much so that I told him see my motor01:20:33
here watch me reverse it I cannot begin01:20:37
to describe my emotions01:20:38
Figg million seeing his statue come to01:20:41
life could not have been more deeply01:20:43
moved01:20:44
a thousand secrets of nature which I01:20:46
have stumbled upon accidentally I would01:20:48
have given for that one which I had01:20:51
wrestled from her against all odds and01:20:53
at the peril of my existence01:20:55
end of section three recording by a by E01:21:05
in December 2018 my inventions part for01:21:10
the discovery of the Tesla coil and01:21:13
transformer by Nikola Tesla this article01:21:17
was published in electrical experimenter01:21:20
may 1919 for a while I gave myself up01:21:26
entirely to the intense enjoyment of01:21:29
picturing machines and devising new01:21:31
forms it was a mental state of happiness01:21:34
about as complete as I have ever known01:21:36
in life ideas came01:21:38
in an uninterrupted stream and the only01:21:41
difficulty I had was to hold them fast01:21:44
the pieces of apparatus I conceived were01:21:47
to me absolutely real and tangible in01:21:49
every detail even to the minutest marks01:21:52
and signs of where I delighted in01:21:55
imagining the motors constantly running01:21:57
for in this way they presented to the01:22:00
mind's eye a more fascinating sight when01:22:03
natural inclination develops into a01:22:05
passionate desire one advances towards01:22:08
his goal in seven-league boots in less01:22:11
than two months I evolved virtually all01:22:13
the types of motors and modifications of01:22:16
the system which are now identified with01:22:19
my name it was perhaps providential that01:22:22
the necessities of existence commanded a01:22:25
temporary halt to this consuming01:22:27
activity of the mind01:22:29
I came to Budapest prompted by a01:22:31
premature report concerning the01:22:33
telephone enterprise and as irony of01:22:36
fate willed it I had to accept a01:22:39
position as draftsman in the central01:22:41
telegraph office of the Hungarian01:22:42
government at a salary which I deem it01:22:45
my privilege not to disclose fortunately01:22:49
I soon won the interest of the inspector01:22:51
in chief and was thereafter employed on01:22:54
calculations designs and estimates in01:22:57
connections with new installations until01:23:00
the telephone exchange was started when01:23:02
I took charge of the same the knowledge01:23:05
and practical experience I gained in the01:23:07
course of this work was most valuable01:23:10
and the employment gave me ample01:23:12
opportunities for the exercise of my01:23:14
inventive faculties I made several01:23:17
improvements in the Central Station01:23:18
apparatus and perfected a telephone01:23:21
repeater or amplifier which was never01:23:24
patented or publicly described but would01:23:27
be creditable to me even today in01:23:29
recognition of my efficient assistance01:23:32
to organizer of the undertaking Mr01:23:34
puskás upon disposing of his business in01:23:37
Budapest offered me a position in Paris01:23:40
which I gladly accepted I never can01:23:44
forget the deep impression that Magic01:23:46
City produced on my mind for several01:23:49
days after my arrival I roamed through01:23:51
the streets in utter01:23:53
we'll DeMint of the new spectacle the01:23:55
attractions were many and irresistible01:23:57
but alas the income was spent as soon as01:24:00
received when mr. Pooh scarce asked me01:24:03
how I was getting along in the new01:24:05
sphere I described the situation01:24:07
accurately in the statement that the01:24:09
last 29 days of the month are the01:24:12
toughest I led a rather strenuous life01:24:15
in what would now be termed Bruges01:24:16
wealthy and fashion every morning01:24:19
regardless of whether I would go from01:24:21
the bull vos and Marcel where I resided01:24:24
to a bathing house on the sin plunge01:24:26
into the water looped a circuit 27 times01:24:29
and then walk an hour to reach every01:24:32
where the company's factory was located01:24:34
the era would have a good woodchoppers01:24:37
breakfast at half-past seven o'clock and01:24:39
then eagerly awaited a lunch hour in the01:24:42
meanwhile cracking hard nuts for the01:24:44
manager of the works01:24:45
mr. child spatula who was an intimate01:24:48
friend and assistant of Edison here I01:24:52
was thrown in contact with a few01:24:54
Americans who fairly fell in love with01:24:56
me because of my proficiency in01:24:58
billiards to these men I explained my01:25:02
invention and one of them mr. d01:25:04
Cunningham Foreman of the mechanical01:25:06
department offered to form a stock01:25:09
company the proposal seemed to me01:25:11
comical in the extreme I did not have to01:25:14
faintest conception of what that meant01:25:16
except that it was an American way of01:25:19
doing things nothing came of it however01:25:22
and during the next few months I had to01:25:24
travel from one to another place in01:25:26
France and Germany to cure the ills of01:25:28
the power plants on my return to Paris I01:25:32
submitted to one of the administrators01:25:33
of the company mr. Lau a plan for01:25:37
improving their dynamos and was given an01:25:40
opportunity my success was complete and01:25:43
the delighted directors accorded me the01:25:45
privilege of developing automatic01:25:47
regulators which were much desired01:25:49
shortly after there was some trouble01:25:51
with the Lightning plant which had been01:25:54
installed at the new railroad station in01:25:56
Strasbourg Alsace the wiring was01:25:59
defective and on the occasion of the01:26:01
opening ceremonies a large part of a01:26:04
wall was blown out through a short01:26:05
circuit01:26:06
right in the presence of old emperor01:26:08
William the first the German government01:26:11
refused to take the plant and the French01:26:14
company was facing a serious loss on01:26:16
account of my knowledge of the German01:26:18
language and past experience I was01:26:21
entrusted with the difficult task of01:26:23
straightening out matters and early in01:26:26
1883 I went to Strasbourg on that01:26:29
mission01:26:30
the first induction motor is built some01:26:35
of the incidents in that city have left01:26:37
an indelible record on my memory by01:26:39
curious coincidence a number of men who01:26:42
subsequently achieved fame lived there01:26:44
about that time in later life I used to01:26:48
say there were bacteria of greatness in01:26:50
that old town others called the disease01:26:53
but I escaped the practical work01:26:57
correspondence and conferences with01:26:59
officials kept me preoccupied day and01:27:02
night but as soon as I was able to01:27:04
manage I undertook the construction of a01:27:06
simple motor in a mechanical shop01:27:08
opposite the railroad station01:27:10
having brought with me from Paris some01:27:12
material for that purpose the01:27:15
consummation of the experiment was01:27:17
however delayed until the summer of that01:27:19
year when I finally had the satisfaction01:27:21
of seeing rotation affected by01:27:23
alternating currents of different phase01:27:26
and without sliding contacts or01:27:28
commutator as I had conceived a year01:27:31
before it was an exquisite pleasure but01:27:34
not to compare with the delirium of joy01:27:36
following the first revelation among my01:27:39
new friends was the former mayor of the01:27:41
city mr. baza whom I had already in a01:27:44
measure acquainted with this and other01:27:46
inventions of mine and whose support i01:27:49
endeavoured to enlist he was sincerely01:27:52
devoted to me and put my project before01:27:54
several wealthy persons but to my01:27:57
mortification found no response he01:28:00
wanted to help me in every possible way01:28:02
and the approach of the first of July01:28:04
1919 happens to remind me of a form of01:28:08
assistance I received from that charming01:28:10
man which was not financial but01:28:12
nonetheless appreciated in 1870 when the01:28:16
Germans invaded the country01:28:18
mr. Boozer had buried01:28:20
good-sized allotment of Santa Steph of01:28:22
1801 and he came to the conclusion that01:28:25
he knew no worthier person than myself01:28:27
to consume that precious beverage this I01:28:31
may say is one of the unforgettable01:28:33
incidents to which I have referred my01:28:36
friend urged me to return to Paris as01:28:38
soon as possible and seek support there01:28:41
these sours anxious to do but my work01:28:44
and negotiations were protracted owing01:28:46
to all sorts of petty obstacles I01:28:48
encountered so that at times the01:28:51
situation seemed hopeless German01:28:55
efficiency just to give an idea of01:28:58
German thoroughness and efficiency I may01:29:01
mention here a rather funny experience01:29:03
an incandescent lamp of 16 candle power01:29:07
was to be placed in a hallway and upon01:29:09
selecting the proper location01:29:11
I ordered the monter to run the wires01:29:13
after working for a while he concluded01:29:17
that the engineer had to be consulted01:29:19
and this was done the latter made01:29:21
several objections but ultimately agreed01:29:24
that the lamp should be placed two01:29:26
inches from the spot I had assigned for01:29:28
upon the work proceeded then the01:29:31
engineer became worried and told me that01:29:33
inspector a verdict should be notified01:29:35
that important person called01:29:38
investigated debated and decided that01:29:41
the lamp should be shifted back two01:29:43
inches which was the place I had marked01:29:46
it was not long however before a verdict01:29:49
got cold feet himself and advised me01:29:52
that he had informed OPA inspector he01:29:54
honing most of the matter and that I01:29:56
should await his decision it was several01:29:59
days before the oba inspector was able01:30:02
to free himself of other pressing duties01:30:04
but at last he arrived and a two-hour01:30:07
debate followed when he decided to move01:30:09
the lamp 2 inches father my hopes that01:30:13
this was the final act was shattered01:30:15
when the Ober inspector returned and01:30:17
said to me the gear hung hard funky is01:30:20
so particular that I would not dare to01:30:22
give an order for placing this lamp01:30:24
without his explicit approval01:30:27
accordingly arrangements for a visit01:30:29
from this great man were made we started01:30:32
cleaning up and01:30:33
early in the morning everybody brushed01:30:36
up I put up my gloves and when Frankie01:30:39
came with his retinue he was01:30:41
ceremoniously received after two hours01:30:44
deliberation he suddenly exclaimed I01:30:46
must be going and pointed to a place on01:30:49
the ceiling he ordered me to put the01:30:52
lamp there it was the exact spot which I01:30:55
had originally chosen so it went day01:30:59
after day with variations but I was01:31:01
determined to achieve at whatever cost01:31:03
and in the end my efforts were rewarded01:31:06
by the spring of 1884 all the01:31:09
differences were adjusted the plant01:31:11
formally accepted and I returned to01:31:14
Paris with pleasing anticipations01:31:16
one of the administrators had promised01:31:19
me a liberal compensation in case I01:31:21
succeeded as well as a fair01:31:23
consideration of the improvements I had01:31:25
made in their dynamos and I hoped to01:31:28
realize a substantial sum there were01:31:31
three administrators whom I shall01:31:32
designate as a B and C for convenience01:31:36
when I called on a he told me that B had01:31:40
to say this gentleman thought that only01:31:43
C could decide and the letter was quite01:31:46
sure that a alone had the power to act01:31:48
after several laps of this cyclist VGO01:31:52
chose they don't upon me that my reward01:31:55
was a castle in Spain01:31:56
the utter failure of my attempts to01:31:59
raise capital for development was01:32:01
another disappointment01:32:02
and when mr. bachelor pressed me to go01:32:04
to America with a view of redesigning01:32:07
the Edison machines I determined to try01:32:09
my fortunes in the land of cold and01:32:11
promise but the chance was nearly missed01:32:14
I liquefied my modest assets secured01:32:18
accommodations and found myself at the01:32:19
railroad station as the train was01:32:21
pulling out at that moment I discovered01:32:24
that my money and tickets were gone what01:32:27
to do was the question Hercules had01:32:30
plenty of time to deliberate but I had01:32:33
to decide while running alongside to01:32:34
train with opposite feelings surging in01:32:37
my brain like condenser oscillation01:32:39
resolve helped by the Xterra t1 out in01:32:43
the nick of time and upon passing01:32:45
through the usual experiences01:32:47
as trivial as unpleasant I managed to01:32:50
embark for New York with the remnants of01:32:52
my belongings some poems and articles I01:32:55
had written and a package of01:32:57
calculations relating to solutions of an01:32:59
unsolvable integral and to my flying01:33:02
machine during the voyage I said most of01:33:06
the time at the stern of the ship01:33:07
watching for an opportunity to save01:33:09
somebody from a watery grave without the01:33:12
slightest thought of danger later when I01:33:15
had absorbed some of the practical01:33:17
American sense as she buried at the01:33:19
recollection and marveled at my former01:33:22
folly Tesla in America I wish that I01:33:28
could put in words my first impressions01:33:30
of this country in the Arabian tales I01:33:33
read how genie transported people into a01:33:36
land of dreams to live through01:33:37
delightful adventures my case was just01:33:41
the reverse the genie had carried me01:33:44
from a world of dreams into one of01:33:46
realities what I had left was beautiful01:33:49
artistic and fascinating in every way01:33:52
what I saw here was machined rough and01:33:55
unattractive a burly policeman was01:33:58
twirling his stick which looked to me as01:34:00
big as a log I approached him politely01:34:03
with the request to direct me six blocks01:34:06
down then to the left he said with01:34:08
murder in his eyes is this America I01:34:12
asked myself in painful surprise it is a01:34:15
century behind European civilization01:34:18
when I went abroad in 1889 five years01:34:22
having elapsed since my arrival here I01:34:24
became convinced that it was more than01:34:27
100 years ahead of Europe and nothing01:34:30
has happened to this day to change my01:34:32
opinion01:34:33
Tesla meets Edison the meeting with01:34:37
Edison was a memorable event in my life01:34:40
I was amazed at this wonderful man who01:34:43
without early advantages and scientific01:34:46
training had accomplished so much I had01:34:49
studied a dozen languages delved in01:34:52
literature and art and had spent my best01:34:54
years in libraries reading all sorts of01:34:57
stuff that fell into my hands from01:34:59
Newton's Principia to the01:35:01
volts of Paul de Kock and felt that most01:35:04
of my life had been squandered but it01:35:07
did not take long before I recognized01:35:08
that it was the best thing I could have01:35:10
done within a few weeks I had won01:35:13
Edison's confidence and it came about in01:35:16
this way the SS Oregon the fastest01:35:20
passenger steamer at that time had both01:35:22
of its lightening machines disabled and01:35:24
it's sailing was delayed as the01:35:27
superstructure had been built after01:35:28
their installation it was impossible to01:35:31
remove them from the hold the01:35:33
predicament was a serious one and Edison01:35:35
was much annoyed in the evening I took01:35:38
the necessary instruments with me and01:35:40
went aboard the vessel where I stayed01:35:42
for the night the dynamos were in bad01:35:45
conditions having several short circuits01:35:47
and brakes but with the assistance of01:35:49
the crew I succeeded in putting them in01:35:52
good shape at five o'clock in the01:35:54
morning when passing along Fifth Avenue01:35:56
on my way to the shop I met Edison with01:35:59
Bachelor and a few others as they were01:36:01
returning home to retire here is our01:36:05
Parisian running around at night he said01:36:07
when I told him that I was coming from01:36:10
the Oregon and had repaired both01:36:12
machines he looked at me in silence and01:36:14
walked away without another word but01:36:17
when he had gone some distance I heard01:36:19
him remark Batchelor this is a damn good01:36:22
man and from that time on I had fully01:36:25
freedom in directing the work for nearly01:36:28
a year my regular hours were from 1001:36:31
a.m. until 5 o'clock the next morning01:36:33
without a day's exception it isn't said01:36:37
to me I have had many hard-working01:36:39
assistants but you take the cake during01:36:43
this period I designed 24 different01:36:46
types of standard machines with short01:36:48
cores and a few new form pattern which01:36:51
replaced the old ones the manager had01:36:54
promised me $50,000 on the completion of01:36:56
this task but it turned out to be a01:36:59
practical joke this gave me a painful01:37:01
shock and I resigned my position01:37:04
immediately thereafter some people01:37:07
approached me with the proposal of01:37:08
forming an arc light company under my01:37:10
name to which I agreed here finally was01:37:14
an opportunity01:37:15
to develop the motor but when I broached01:37:17
the subject to my new associates they01:37:20
said no we want the arc lamp we don't01:37:23
care for this alternating current of01:37:25
yours in 1886 my system of arc lighting01:37:29
was perfected and adopted for factory01:37:32
and municipal lighting and I was free01:37:35
but with no other position than a01:37:37
beautifully engraved certificate of01:37:39
stock of hypothetical value then01:37:42
followed a period of struggle in the new01:37:44
medium for which I was not fitted but01:37:47
the reward came in the end and in April01:37:50
1887 the Tesla Electric Company was01:37:53
organized providing a laboratory and01:37:55
facilities the motors I built there were01:37:59
exactly as I had imagined them I made no01:38:02
attempt to improve the design but merely01:38:04
reproduced the pictures as they appeared01:38:06
to my vision and the operation was01:38:08
always as I expected in the early part01:38:12
of 1888 an arrangement was made with the01:38:15
Westinghouse company for the manufacture01:38:17
of the motor is on a large scale but01:38:20
great difficulties had still to be01:38:22
overcome my system was based on the use01:38:25
of low frequency currents and the01:38:28
Westinghouse experts had adopted 13301:38:31
cycles with the object of securing01:38:33
advantages in the transformation they01:38:36
did not want to depart from their01:38:38
standard forms of apparatus and my01:38:40
efforts had to be concentrated upon01:38:42
adapting the motor to these conditions01:38:45
another necessity was to produce a motor01:38:48
capable of running efficiently at this01:38:50
frequency on two wires which was not01:38:53
easy of accomplishment at the close of01:38:56
1889 however my services in Pittsburgh01:38:59
being no longer essential I returned to01:39:02
New York and resumed experimental work01:39:04
in a laboratory on Grand Street where I01:39:07
began immediately the design of01:39:09
high-frequency machines the problems of01:39:12
construction in this unexplored field01:39:14
were novel and quite peculiar and I01:39:17
encountered many difficulties I rejected01:39:20
the inductor type fearing that it might01:39:22
not yield perfect sine waves which were01:39:25
so important to resonant action had it01:39:28
not been for01:39:29
this I could have saved myself a great01:39:30
deal of labor another discouraging01:39:33
factor of the high frequency alternator01:39:35
seemed to be the inconstancy of speed01:39:38
which threatened to impose serious01:39:40
limitations to its use i had already01:39:43
noted in my demonstrations before the01:39:45
american institution of electrical01:39:47
engineers that several times the tune01:39:50
was lost necessitating readjustment and01:39:53
did not yet foresee what i discovered01:39:55
long afterwards a means of operating a01:39:58
machines of this kind at a speed01:40:00
constant to such a degree as not to vary01:40:03
more than a small fraction of one01:40:05
revolution between the extremes of load01:40:08
the invention of the Tesla coil from01:40:13
many other considerations it appeared01:40:15
desirable to invent a simpler device for01:40:17
the production of electric oscillations01:40:19
in 1856 Lord Kelvin had exposed the01:40:23
theory of the condenser discharge but no01:40:26
practical application of that important01:40:29
knowledge was made01:40:30
I saw the possibilities and undertook01:40:32
the development of induction apparatus01:40:34
on this principle my progress was so01:40:38
rapid as to enable me to exhibit at my01:40:40
lecture in 1891 a coil giving sparks of01:40:44
five inches on that occasion I frankly01:40:47
told the engineers of a defect involved01:40:50
in the transformation by the new method01:40:52
namely the loss in the spark gap01:40:55
subsequent investigation showed that no01:40:58
matter what medium is employed be it air01:41:00
hydrogen mercury vapor oil or a stream01:41:04
of electrons the efficiency is the same01:41:07
it is a law very much like that01:41:10
governing the conversion of mechanical01:41:11
energy we may drop a weight from a01:41:15
certain height vertically down or carry01:41:17
it to the lower level along any devious01:41:19
path it is immaterial insofar as the01:41:22
amount of work is concerned fortunately01:41:25
however this drawback is not fatal as by01:41:29
proper proportioning of the resonant01:41:30
circuits and efficiency of 85% is01:41:33
attainable since my early announcement01:41:36
of the invention it has come in to01:41:38
universal use and wrote a revolution in01:41:41
many01:41:42
apartments but a still greater future01:41:44
awaits it when in 1900 obtained powerful01:41:48
discharges of 100 feet and flashed a01:41:51
current around the globe I was reminded01:41:53
of the first tiny spark I observed in my01:41:56
Grand Street laboratory and was thrilled01:41:59
by sensations akin to those I felt when01:42:02
I discovered the rotating magnetic field01:42:06
end of section 4 recording by Ave E in01:42:16
December 2018 my inventions part 5 the01:42:21
magnifying transmitter by Nikola Tesla01:42:24
this article was published in electrical01:42:28
experimenter June 1919 as I reviewed01:42:34
events of my past life I realize how01:42:37
subtle are the influences that shape our01:42:39
destinies an incident of my youth may01:42:42
serve to illustrate one winter's day I01:42:45
managed to climb the steep mountain in01:42:47
company with other boys the snow was01:42:50
quite deep and a warm southerly wind01:42:53
made it just suitable for our purpose we01:42:56
amused ourselves by throwing balls which01:42:59
would roll down a certain distance01:43:01
gathering more or less snow and we tried01:43:04
to outdo one another in this exciting01:43:06
sport suddenly a ball was seen to go01:43:10
beyond the limit swelling to enormous01:43:12
proportions until it became as big as a01:43:14
house and plunged thundering into the01:43:17
valley below with a forest that made the01:43:19
ground tremble I looked on spellbound01:43:22
incapable of understanding what had01:43:25
happened for weeks afterward the picture01:43:27
of the Avalanche was before my eyes and01:43:30
I wondered how anything so small could01:43:32
grow to such an immense size ever since01:43:36
that time the magnification of feeble01:43:38
actions fascinated me and when years01:43:41
later I took up the experimental study01:43:44
of mechanical and electrical resonance I01:43:46
was keenly interested from the very01:43:49
start possibly had it not been for that01:43:52
early powerful impression I might not01:43:55
have fall load up the little spark I obtained with01:43:57
my coil and never developed my best01:44:00
invention the true history of which I01:44:02
will tell here for the first time01:44:06
scrapping the world's engines lion01:44:10
hunters have often asked me which of my01:44:12
discoveries I prize most this depends on01:44:16
the point of view not a few technical01:44:18
men very able in their special01:44:20
departments but dominated by a pedantic01:44:23
spirit and nearsighted have asserted01:44:26
that accepting the induction motor I01:44:28
have given to the world little of01:44:30
practical use this is a grievous mistake01:44:33
a new idea must not be judged by its01:44:36
immediate results my alternating system01:44:40
of power transmission came at a01:44:41
psychological moment as a long short01:44:44
answer to pressing industrial questions01:44:46
and although considerable resistance had01:44:49
to be overcome and opposing interests01:44:52
reconciled as usual the commercial01:44:55
introduction could not be long delayed01:44:57
now compare this situation with that01:45:00
confronting my turbine for example one01:45:03
should think that so simple and01:45:05
beautiful and invention possessing many01:45:07
features of an ideal motor should be01:45:10
adopted at once and undoubtedly it would01:45:13
under similar conditions but the01:45:16
prospective effect of the rotating field01:45:18
was not to render worthless existing01:45:20
machinery on the contrary it was to give01:45:23
it additional value the system lent01:45:26
itself to new enterprise as well as to01:45:28
improvement of the old my turbine is an01:45:31
advance of a character entirely01:45:33
different it is a radical departure in01:45:36
the sense that its success would mean01:45:38
the abandonment of the antiquated types01:45:40
of prime movers on which billions of01:45:43
dollars have been spent under such01:45:46
circumstances the progress must needs be01:45:48
slowed and perhaps the greatest01:45:50
impediment is encountered in the01:45:52
prejudicial opinions created in the01:45:54
minds of experts by organized opposition01:45:57
only the other day I had a disheartening01:45:59
experience when I met my friend and01:46:02
former assistant Charles F Scott now01:46:05
professor of Electrical Engineering at01:46:07
Yale I had not01:46:09
him for a long time and was glad to have01:46:11
an opportunity for a little chat at my01:46:13
office our conversation naturally enough01:46:16
drifted on my turbine and I became01:46:19
heated to a high degree Scotch I01:46:22
exclaimed carried away by the vision of01:46:24
a glorious future my turbine will scrap01:46:27
all the heat engines in the world Scot01:46:30
stroked his chin and looked away01:46:32
thoughtfully as though making a mental01:46:34
calculation that will make quite a pile01:46:37
of scrap he said and left without01:46:40
another word Aladdin's lamp this and01:46:45
other inventions of mine however were01:46:48
nothing more than steps forward in01:46:50
certain directions in evolving them I01:46:53
simply followed the inborn instinct to01:46:55
improve the present devices without any01:46:58
special sort of our far more imperative01:47:00
necessities the magnifying transmitter01:47:03
was the product of labour is extending01:47:06
through years having for their chief01:47:08
object the solution of problems which01:47:10
are infinitely more important to mankind01:47:13
than mere industrial development if my01:47:17
memory serves me right it was in01:47:19
November 1890 that I performed a01:47:22
laboratory experiment which was one of01:47:24
the most extraordinary and spectacular01:47:26
ever recorded in the annals of science01:47:29
in investigating the behavior of01:47:32
high-frequency currents I had satisfied01:47:34
myself that an electric field of01:47:37
sufficient intensity could be produced01:47:39
in a room to light up electrodeless01:47:41
vacuum tubes accordingly a transformer01:47:45
was built to test the theory and the01:47:47
first trial proved a marvelous success01:47:49
it is difficult to appreciate what those01:47:52
strange phenomena meant at that time we01:47:56
crave for new sensations but soon become01:47:58
indifferent to them the wonders of01:48:00
yesterday are today common occurrences01:48:03
when my tubes were first publicly01:48:05
exhibited they were viewed with01:48:08
amazement impossible to describe from01:48:11
all parts of the world I received urgent01:48:13
invitations and numerous honors and01:48:15
other flattering inducements were01:48:17
offered to me which I declined01:48:22
Faraday's chair but in 1892 the demands01:48:26
become irresistible and I went to London01:48:29
where I delivered a lecture before the01:48:31
institution of electrical engineers it01:48:34
had been my intention to leave01:48:35
immediately for Paris in compliance with01:48:38
a similar obligation but Sir James Dewar01:48:41
insisted on my appearing before the01:48:43
Royal Institution I was a man of firm01:48:46
resolve but succumbed easily to the01:48:48
forceful arguments of the great Scotsman01:48:50
he pushed me into a chair and poured out01:48:53
half a glass of a wonderful brown fluid01:48:55
which sparkled in all sorts of01:48:58
iridescent colors and tasted like nectar01:49:01
now said he he was sitting in Faraday's01:49:05
chair and you are enjoying whisky he01:49:07
used to drink in both aspects it was an01:49:11
enviable experience the next evening I01:49:14
gave a demonstration before that01:49:16
institution at the termination of which01:49:18
Lord Rayleigh addressed the audience and01:49:20
his generous words gave me the first01:49:22
start in these endeavours I fled from01:49:26
London and later from Paris to escape01:49:28
favours showered upon me and journeyed01:49:31
to my home where I passed through a most01:49:33
painful ordeal and illness upon01:49:36
regaining my health I began to formulate01:49:39
plans for the resumption of work in01:49:41
America up to that time I never realized01:49:44
that I possessed any particular gift of01:49:47
discovery but Lord Rayleigh whom I01:49:49
always considered as an ideal man of01:49:51
science had said so and if that was the01:49:54
case I felt that I should concentrate on01:49:57
some big idea01:50:00
nature's trigger one day as I was01:50:03
roaming in the mountains I sought01:50:05
shelter from an approaching storm the01:50:08
sky became overhang with heavy clouds01:50:10
but somehow the rain was delayed until01:50:12
all of a sudden there was a lightning01:50:15
flash and a few moments after a deluge01:50:18
this observation set me thinking it was01:50:21
manifest that the two phenomena were01:50:23
closely related as cause and effect and01:50:26
a little reflection led me to the01:50:28
conclusion that the electrical energy01:50:30
involved and the precipitation of the01:50:33
water was in considerable the function01:50:35
of light01:50:36
being much like that of a sensitive01:50:38
trigger here was a stupendous01:50:40
possibility of achievement if we could01:50:44
produce electric effects of the required01:50:46
quality this whole planet and the01:50:48
conditions of existence on it could be01:50:50
transformed the Sun raises the water of01:50:53
the oceans and winds drive it to distant01:50:56
regions where it remains in a state of01:50:58
most delicate balance if it were in our01:51:02
power to upsetted when and were ever01:51:04
desired01:51:05
this mighty life-sustaining stream could01:51:07
be at will controlled we could irrigate01:51:10
arid deserts create lakes and rivers and01:51:13
provide motive power in unlimited01:51:16
amounts this would be the most efficient01:51:18
way of harnessing the Sun to the uses of01:51:20
man the consummation depended on our01:51:23
ability to develop electric forces of01:51:26
the order of those in nature it's in the01:51:29
hopeless undertaking but I made up my01:51:31
mind to try it and immediately on my01:51:34
return to the United States in the01:51:36
summer of 1890 to work was begun which01:51:40
was to me all the more attractive01:51:42
because the means of the same kind was01:51:44
necessary for the successful01:51:46
transmission of energy without wires 401:51:51
million volts the first gratifying01:51:55
result was obtained in the spring of the01:51:57
succeeding year when I reached tensions01:51:59
of about 1 million volts with my conical01:52:02
coil that was not much in the light of01:52:04
the present art but it was then01:52:07
considered a feat steady progress was01:52:10
made until the destruction of my01:52:11
laboratory by fire in 1895 as may be01:52:15
judged from an article by TC Martin01:52:18
which appeared in the April number of01:52:20
the century magazine this calamity set01:52:23
me back in many ways and most of that01:52:25
year had to be devoted to planning and01:52:27
reconstruction however as soon as01:52:31
circumstances permitted I returned to01:52:33
the task although I knew that higher01:52:36
electro-motive forces were attainable01:52:38
with apparatus of larger dimensions I01:52:40
had an instinctive perception that the01:52:42
object could be accomplished by the01:52:44
proper design of a comparatively small01:52:46
and compact transformer in01:52:50
carrying on tests with the secondary in01:52:52
the form of a flat spiral as illustrated01:52:55
in my patents the absence of streamers01:52:57
surprised me and it was not long before01:53:00
I discovered that it was due to the01:53:02
position of the turns and their mutual01:53:04
action profiting from this observation I01:53:08
resorted to the use of a high tension01:53:10
conductor with turns of considerable01:53:13
diameter sufficiently separated to keep01:53:16
down the distributed capacity while at01:53:19
the same time preventing undue01:53:20
accumulation of the charge at any point01:53:23
the application of this principle01:53:25
enabled me to produce pressures of four01:53:28
million volts which was about the limit01:53:30
obtainable in my new laboratory at01:53:32
Houston Street as the discharge is01:53:35
extended through a distance of 16 feet a01:53:37
photograph of this transmitter was01:53:39
published in the electrical review of01:53:42
November 1898 in order to advance01:53:45
further along this line I had to go into01:53:48
the open and in the spring of 189901:53:50
having completed preparations for the01:53:53
erection of a wireless plant I went to01:53:56
Colorado where I remained for more than01:53:58
one year here I introduced other01:54:01
improvements and refinements which made01:54:03
it possible to generate currents of any01:54:06
tension that may be desired there was01:54:09
who are interested will find some01:54:11
information in regard to the experiments01:54:13
I conducted there in my article the01:54:15
problem of increasing human energy in01:54:18
the century magazine of June 1902 which01:54:21
I have referred on a previous occasion01:54:25
the magnifying transmitter I have been01:54:29
asked by the electrical experimenter to01:54:32
be quite explicit on this subject so01:54:34
that my young friends among the readers01:54:36
of the magazine will clearly understand01:54:38
construction and operation of my01:54:40
magnifying transmitter and the purposes01:54:43
for which it is intended well then in01:54:46
the first place it is a resonant01:54:49
transformer with a secondary in which01:54:51
the parts charged to a high potential01:54:53
are of considerable area and arranged in01:54:56
space along ideal enveloping surfaces of01:54:59
very large radii of curvature and at01:55:02
proper distances01:55:04
from one another thereby ensuring a01:55:06
small electric surface density01:55:08
everywhere so that no leak can occur01:55:11
even if the conductor is bare it is01:55:14
suitable for any frequency from a few to01:55:17
many thousands of cycles per second and01:55:19
can be used in the production of01:55:21
currents of tremendous volume and01:55:23
moderate pressure or of smaller amperage01:55:26
and immense electro-motive force the01:55:30
maximum electric tension is merely01:55:32
dependent on the curvature of the01:55:34
surfaces on which the charged elements01:55:36
are situated and the area of the letter01:55:40
100 million volts possible judging from01:55:45
my past experience as much as 10001:55:48
million volts are perfectly practicable01:55:50
on the other hand currents of many01:55:53
thousands of amperes may be obtained in01:55:55
the antenna a plant of but very moderate01:55:58
dimensions is required for such01:56:00
performances theoretically a terminal of01:56:04
less than 90 feet in diameter is01:56:06
sufficient to develop an electro-motive01:56:08
force of that magnitude while for01:56:11
antenna currents of from two thousand to01:56:13
four thousand amperes at the usual01:56:15
frequencies it need not be larger than01:56:18
thirty feet in diameter in a more01:56:21
restricted meaning this wireless01:56:23
transmitter is one in which the Hertz01:56:25
wave radiation is an entirely negligible01:56:29
quantity as compared with the whole01:56:31
energy under which condition the damping01:56:33
factor is extremely small and an01:56:36
enormous charge is stored in the01:56:38
elevated capacity such a circuit may01:56:41
then be excited with impulses of any01:56:43
kind even of low frequency and it will01:56:46
yield sinusoidal and continuous01:56:49
oscillations like those of an alternator01:56:52
taken in the narrowest significance of01:56:55
the term however it is a resonant01:56:57
transformer which besides possessing01:57:00
these qualities is accurately01:57:02
proportioned to fit the globe and it's01:57:04
electrical constants and properties by01:57:07
virtue of which design it becomes highly01:57:09
efficient and effective in the wireless01:57:11
transmission of energy distance is then01:57:15
absolutely eliminated01:57:17
there being no diminution in the01:57:19
intensity of the transmitted impulses it01:57:22
is even possible to make the actions01:57:24
increase with the distance from the01:57:26
plant according to an exact mathematical01:57:29
law this invention was one of a number01:57:32
comprised in my world system of wireless01:57:35
transmission which I undertook to01:57:37
commercialize on my return to New York01:57:39
in 1900 as to the immediate purposes of01:57:43
my enterprise they were clearly outlined01:57:45
in a technical statement of that period01:57:48
from which I quote the world system has01:57:52
resulted from a combination of several01:57:54
original discoveries made by the01:57:56
inventor in the course of long continued01:57:59
research and experimentation it makes01:58:02
possible not only the instantaneous and01:58:05
precise wireless transmission of any01:58:07
kind of signals messages or characters01:58:10
to all parts of the world but also the01:58:13
interconnection of the existing01:58:15
telegraph telephone and other signal01:58:18
stations without any change in their01:58:20
present equipment by its means for01:58:23
instance a telephone subscriber here may01:58:26
call up and talk to any other subscriber01:58:29
on the globe an inexpensive receiver not01:58:32
bigger than a watch will enable him to01:58:34
listen anywhere on land or sea to a01:58:37
speech delivered or music played in some01:58:40
other place however distant these01:58:43
examples are cited merely to give an01:58:45
idea of the possibilities of this great01:58:48
scientific advance which annihilates01:58:50
distance and makes that perfect natural01:58:52
conductor the earth available for all01:58:56
the innumerable purposes which human01:58:58
ingenuity has found for a line wire one01:59:01
far-reaching result of this is that any01:59:04
device capable of being operated through01:59:06
one or more wires at a distance01:59:09
obviously restricted can likewise be01:59:12
actuated without artificial conductors01:59:15
and with the same facility and accuracy01:59:18
at distances to which there are no01:59:20
limits other than those imposed by the physical01:59:22
dimensions of the globe thus not only01:59:26
will entirely new fields for commercial01:59:28
exploitation be opened up by this01:59:30
method of transmission but the old ones01:59:33
mostly extended the world system is01:59:37
based on the application of the01:59:39
following important inventions and01:59:41
discoveries 1 the Tesla transformer this01:59:46
apparatus is in the production of01:59:48
electrical vibrations as revolutionary01:59:50
as gunpowder was in warfare currents01:59:54
many times stronger than ever generated01:59:56
in the usual ways and sparks over 10001:59:59
feet long have been produced by the02:00:01
inventor with an instrument of this kind02:00:04
too02:00:06
the magnifying transmitter this is02:00:09
Tesla's best invention a peculiar02:00:12
transformer specially adapted to excite02:00:14
the earth which is in the transmission02:00:16
of electrical energy what the telescope02:00:19
is in astronomical observation by the02:00:22
use of this marvelous device he has02:00:24
already set up electrical movements of02:00:26
greater intensity than those of02:00:28
lightning and passed a current02:00:30
sufficient to light more than 20002:00:32
incandescent lamps around the globe 302:00:37
the Tesla wireless system this system02:00:41
comprises a number of improvements and02:00:43
is the only means known for transmitting02:00:46
economically electrical energy to a02:00:48
distance without wires02:00:50
careful tests and measurements in02:00:53
connection with an experimental station02:00:55
of great activity erected by the02:00:57
inventor in Colorado have demonstrated02:01:00
that power in any desired amount can be02:01:03
conveyed clear across the globe if02:01:05
necessary with a loss not exceeding a02:01:08
few percent for the art of02:01:12
individualization this invention of02:01:15
Tesla is too primitive tuning what02:01:18
refined language is to unarticulated02:01:20
expression it makes possible the02:01:23
transmission of signals or messages02:01:25
absolutely secret and exclusive both in02:01:28
the active and passive aspect that is02:01:31
non interfering as well as non interfere02:01:34
about each signal is like an individual02:01:38
of unmistakable identity and there is02:01:40
virtually no limit to the number of02:01:42
stations or instruments which can02:01:44
be simultaneously operated without the02:01:47
slightest mutual disturbance 5 the02:01:51
terrestrial stationary waves this02:01:55
wonderful discovery02:01:56
popularly explained means that the earth02:01:58
is responsive to electrical vibrations02:02:00
of definite pitch just as a tuning fork02:02:04
to certain waves of sound these02:02:06
particular electrical vibrations capable02:02:09
of powerfully exciting the globe lend02:02:12
themselves to innumerable uses of great02:02:14
importance commercially and in many02:02:17
other respects the first world system02:02:20
power plant can be put in operation in02:02:23
nine months with this power plant it02:02:26
will be practicable to obtain electrical02:02:28
activities up to 10 million horsepower02:02:30
and it is designed to serve for as many02:02:33
technical achievements as a possible02:02:35
without you expense among these the02:02:39
following may be mentioned 1 the02:02:42
interconnection of the existing02:02:43
telegraph exchanges or offices all over02:02:46
the world to the establishment of a02:02:50
secret and non interference Telegraph02:02:53
service 3 the interconnection of all the02:02:57
present telephone exchanges or offices02:02:59
on the globe for the universal02:03:03
distribution of general news by02:03:05
telegraph or telephone in connection02:03:07
with the press 5 the establishment of02:03:11
such a world system of intelligence02:03:12
transmission for exclusive private use 602:03:16
the interconnection and operation of all02:03:19
stock tickers of the world 7 the02:03:23
establishment of a world system of02:03:25
musical distribution etc 8 the universal02:03:30
registration of time by cheap clocks02:03:32
indicating the hour with astronomical02:03:35
precision and requiring no attention02:03:37
whatever 9 the world transmission of02:03:41
typed or handwritten characters letters02:03:44
checks etc 10 the establishment of a02:03:49
Universal marine service enabling the02:03:51
navigators of all ships to steer02:03:53
perfectly without compiz to determine02:03:56
the exact location hour02:03:58
and speed to prevent collisions and02:04:00
disasters etc 11 the inauguration of a02:04:05
system of world printing on land and sea02:04:08
12 - world reproduction of photographic02:04:12
pictures and all kinds of drawings or02:04:15
records I also proposed to make02:04:20
demonstrations in the wireless02:04:21
transmission of power on a small scale02:04:23
but sufficient to carry conviction02:04:26
besides these I referred to other and02:04:29
incomparably more important applications02:04:32
of my discoveries which will be02:04:34
disclosed at some future date a plant02:04:37
was built on Long Island with a tower02:04:39
187 feet high having a spherical02:04:43
terminal about 68 feet in diameter these02:04:46
dimensions were adequate for the02:04:48
transmission of virtually any amount of02:04:50
energy originally only from 200 to 30002:04:54
kilowatts were provided but I intended02:04:57
to employ later several thousand02:04:59
horsepower the transmitter was to emit a02:05:02
wave complex of special characteristics02:05:05
and a hacktivist a unique method of02:05:07
telephonic control of any amount of02:05:09
energy the tower was destroyed two years02:05:12
ago but my projects are being developed02:05:15
and another one improved in some02:05:17
features will be constructed on this02:05:20
occasion I would contradict the widely02:05:22
circulated report that the structure was02:05:24
demolished by the government which owing02:05:26
to war conditions might have created02:05:29
prejudice in the minds of those who may02:05:31
not know that the papers which thirty02:05:33
years ago conferred upon me the honor of02:05:35
American citizenship are always kept in02:05:38
a safe while my orders diplomas degrees02:05:42
gold medals and other distinctions are02:05:44
packed away in old trunks if this report02:05:48
had a foundation I would have been02:05:50
refunded a large sum of money which I02:05:52
expended in the construction of the02:05:53
tower on the contrary it wasn't the02:05:56
interest of the government to preserve02:05:58
it particularly as it would have made02:06:00
possible to mention just one valuable02:06:03
result the location of a submarine in02:06:05
any part of the world my plant services02:06:09
and all my improvements have always been02:06:11
that that is02:06:12
of the officials and ever since the02:06:14
outbreak of the European conflict I have02:06:17
been working at a sacrifice on several02:06:19
inventions of mine relating to aerial02:06:22
navigation ship propulsion and wireless02:06:25
transmission which are of the greatest02:06:27
importance to the country those who are02:06:29
well-informed know that my ideas have02:06:32
revolutionized the industries of the02:06:34
United States and I am not aware that02:06:36
there lives an inventor who has been in02:06:38
this respect as fortunate as myself02:06:41
especially as regards the use of his02:06:43
improvements in the war I have refrained02:06:46
from publicly expressing myself on this02:06:49
subject before as it seemed improper to02:06:51
dwell on personal matters while all the02:06:54
world was in dire trouble I would add02:06:56
further in view of various rumours which02:06:59
have reached me that mr. J Pierpont02:07:01
Morgan did not interest himself with me02:07:04
in a business way but in the same large02:07:06
spirit in which he has assisted many02:07:08
other pioneers he carried out his02:07:11
generous promise to the letter and it02:07:14
would have been most unreasonable to02:07:15
expect from him anything more he had the02:07:18
highest regard for my attainments and02:07:20
gave me every evidence of his complete02:07:22
faith in my ability to ultimately02:07:24
achieve what I had set out to do I am02:07:27
unwilling to accord to some small-minded02:07:30
and jealous individuals the satisfaction02:07:32
of having supported my efforts these men02:07:35
are to mean nothing more than microbes02:07:37
of a nasty disease the project was02:07:40
by laws of nature the world was02:07:43
not prepared for it it was too far ahead02:07:46
of time but the same laws will prevail02:07:49
in the end and make it a triumphal02:07:51
success end of section 5 recording by02:08:02
RIE in December 2018 my inventions part02:08:08
6 the art of telecom ethics by Nikola02:08:12
Tesla this article was published in02:08:15
electrical experimenter October 1919 no02:08:21
subject to which I have ever devoted02:08:23
myself has called for such cons02:08:25
raishin of mind and strange to so02:08:28
dangerously degree two finest fibers of02:08:30
my brain as the system of which the02:08:32
magnifying transmitter is the foundation02:08:35
I put all the intensity and vigor of02:08:38
youth in the development of the rotating02:08:40
fields discoveries but those early02:08:43
laborers were of a different character02:08:45
although strenuous in the extreme they02:08:48
did not involve that keen and exhausting02:08:50
discernment which had to be exercised in02:08:53
attacking the many puzzling problems of02:08:55
the wireless despite my rare physical02:08:58
endurance at that period the abused02:09:00
nerves finally rebelled and I suffered a02:09:03
complete collapse just as the02:09:05
consummation of the long and difficult02:09:07
task was almost in sight without doubt I02:09:11
would have paid a greater penalty later02:09:13
and very likely my career would have02:09:15
been prematurely terminated had not02:09:18
Providence equipped me with a safety02:09:20
device which has seemed to improve with02:09:22
advancing years and unfailingly comes02:09:25
into play when my forces are at an end02:09:28
so long as it operates I am safe from02:09:31
the injure due to overwork which02:09:33
threatens other inventors and02:09:35
incidentally I need no vacations which02:09:38
are indispensable to most people when I02:09:41
am all but used up I simply do as the02:09:43
who naturally fall asleep while02:09:46
white folks worry to venture a theory02:09:49
out of my sphere the body probably02:09:51
accumulates little by little a definite02:09:54
quantity of some toxic agent and I sink02:09:57
into a nearly lethargic state which02:09:59
lasts half an hour to the minute upon02:10:02
awakening I have the sensation as though02:10:04
the events immediately preceding had02:10:06
occurred very long ago and if I attempt02:10:09
to continue the interrupted train of02:10:11
thought I feel a veritable mental nausea02:10:14
involuntarily I then turned to other02:10:16
work and I'm surprised that the02:10:18
freshness of the mind and ease with02:10:20
which I overcome obstacles that had02:10:22
baffled me before after weeks or months02:10:26
my passion for the temporarily abandoned02:10:29
invention returns and I invariably find02:10:32
answers to all the vexing questions with02:10:34
scarcely any effort in this connection I02:10:38
will tell of an extra02:10:39
Denari experience which may be of02:10:41
interest to students of psychology I had02:10:44
produced the striking phenomenon with my02:10:47
grounded transmitter and was endeavoring02:10:49
to ascertain its true significance in02:10:51
relation to the currents propagated02:10:53
through the earth it seemed hopeless02:10:56
undertaking and for more than a year I02:10:58
worked unremittingly but in vain this02:11:01
profound study so entirely absorbed me02:11:04
that I became forgetful of everything02:11:06
else even of my undermined health at02:11:09
last as I was at the point of breaking02:11:12
down nature applied the preservative02:11:14
inducing lethal sleep regaining my02:11:17
senses I realized with consternation02:11:20
that I was unable to visualize scenes of02:11:22
my life except those of the infancy the02:11:25
very first ones that had entered my02:11:27
consciousness curiously enough these02:11:30
appeared before my vision with startling02:11:32
distinctness and afforded me welcome02:11:35
relief night after night when retiring I would02:11:39
think of them and more and more of my02:11:41
previous existence was revealed the02:11:43
image of my mother was always the02:11:45
principal figure in the spectacle that02:11:47
slowly unfolded and a consuming desire02:11:50
to see her again gradually took02:11:52
possession of me this feeling grew so02:11:55
strong that I resolved to drop all work02:11:57
and satisfy my longing but I found it02:12:00
too hard to break away from the02:12:02
laboratory and several months elapsed02:12:04
during which I had succeeded in reviving02:12:07
all the impressions of my past life up02:12:09
to the spring of 1892 in the next02:12:13
picture that came out of the midst of02:12:15
oblivion I saw myself at the Hotel de la02:12:17
Paix II in Paris just coming to from one02:12:21
of my peculiar sleeping spells which had02:12:23
been caused by prolonged exertion of the02:12:25
brain imagine the pain and distress I02:12:28
felt when it flashed upon my mind that a02:12:31
dispatch was handed to me at that very02:12:33
moment peering the sad news that my02:12:35
mother was dying I remembered how I made02:12:38
the long journey home without an hour of02:12:40
rest and how she passed away after weeks02:12:43
of agony it was especially remarkable02:12:46
that during all this period of partially02:12:48
obliterated memory I was fully alive to02:12:51
everything touching on the subject02:12:53
of my research I could recall the02:12:55
smallest details and the least02:12:57
insignificant observations in my02:12:59
experiments and even recite pages of02:13:02
text and complex mathematical formulae02:13:04
my belief is firm in a law of02:13:07
compensation the true rewards are ever02:13:09
in proportion to the labor and02:13:11
sacrifices made this is one of the02:13:14
reasons why I feel certain that of all02:13:16
my inventions the magnifying transmitter02:13:18
will prove most important and valuable02:13:20
to future generations I am prompted to02:13:24
this prediction not so much by thoughts02:13:26
of the commercial and industrial02:13:27
revolution which it will surely bring02:13:30
about but of the humanitarian02:13:32
consequences of the many achievements it02:13:34
makes possible considerations of mere02:13:37
utility way little in the balance02:13:39
against the higher benefits of02:13:40
civilization we are confronted with02:13:43
pretentious problems which cannot be02:13:45
solved just by providing for our02:13:48
material existence02:13:49
however abundantly on the contrary02:13:52
progress in this direction is fraught02:13:54
with hazards and perils not less02:13:57
menacing than those born from want and02:13:59
suffering if we were to release the02:14:02
energy of atoms or discover some other02:14:04
way of developing cheap and unlimited02:14:06
power at any point of the globe this02:14:09
accomplishment instead of being a02:14:11
blessing might bring disaster to mankind02:14:14
in giving rise to dissension and anarchy02:14:17
which would ultimately result in the02:14:19
enthronement of the hated regime of02:14:21
force the greatest good will come from02:14:24
technical improvements tending to02:14:26
unification and harmony and my wireless02:14:29
transmitter is pre-eminently such by its02:14:33
means the human voice and likeness will02:14:35
be reproduced everywhere and factories02:14:37
driven thousands of miles from02:14:39
waterfalls furnishing the power aerial02:14:42
machines will be propelled around the02:14:43
earth without a stop and the sun's02:14:46
energy controlled to create lakes and02:14:48
rivers for motive purposes and02:14:50
transformation of arid deserts into02:14:53
fertile land its introduction for02:14:56
telegraphic telephonic and similar uses02:14:58
will automatically cut out the statics02:15:01
and all other interferences which at02:15:03
present impose narrow limits to the02:15:05
application of the wire02:15:07
this is a timely topic on which a few02:15:10
words might not be amiss Tesla wraps02:15:14
static men vigorously during the past02:15:18
decade a number of people have02:15:20
arrogantly claimed that they had02:15:21
succeeded in doing away with this02:15:23
impediment I have carefully examined all02:15:26
of the arrangements described and tested02:15:29
most of them long before they were02:15:31
publicly disclosed but the finding was02:15:33
uniformly negative a recent official02:15:36
statement from the US Navy may perhaps02:15:39
have toned samba gullible news editors02:15:42
how to appraise these announcements at02:15:44
their real worth as a rule the attempts02:15:46
are based on theories so fallacious that02:15:49
whenever they come to my notice I cannot02:15:51
help thinking in a lighter vein quite02:15:54
recently a new discovery was heralded02:15:56
with a deafening flourish of trumpets02:15:59
but it provided another case of a02:16:01
mountain bringing forth a mouse this02:16:04
reminds me of an exciting incident which02:16:07
took place years ago when I was02:16:09
conducting my experiments with currents02:16:11
of high frequency Steve Brody had just02:16:15
jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge the feat02:16:18
has been vulgarized since by imitators02:16:20
but the first report electrified New02:16:23
York I was very impressionable then and02:16:26
frequently spoke of the daring printer02:16:28
on a hot afternoon I felt the necessity02:16:31
of refreshing myself and stepped into02:16:33
one of the popular 30,000 institutions02:16:36
of this great city where a delicious 1202:16:39
percent beverage was served which can02:16:41
now be had only by making a trip to the02:16:43
poor and devastated countries of Europe02:16:45
the attendance was large and not over02:16:48
distinguished and a matter was discussed02:16:51
which gave me an admirable opening for02:16:53
the careless remark this is what I said02:16:55
when I jumped off the bridge no sooner02:16:59
had I uttered these words then I felt02:17:01
like the companion of timotheus in the02:17:03
poem of Shilla in an instant there was a02:17:05
pandemonium and a dozen voices cried it02:17:08
is Brody02:17:10
I threw a quarter on the counter and02:17:12
bolted for the door but the crowd was at02:17:15
my heels with yells stop Steve which02:17:18
must have been misunderstood for02:17:20
many persons try to hold me up as I ran02:17:22
frantically for my Haven of Refuge by02:17:26
darting around corners I fortunately02:17:28
managed through the medium of a fire02:17:30
escape to reach the laboratory where I02:17:32
threw off my coat camouflaged myself as02:17:35
a hard-working blacksmith and started to02:17:38
forge but these precautions proved02:17:41
unnecessary that I had eluded my02:17:43
pursuers for many years afterward at02:17:46
night when imagination turns into02:17:49
specters the trifling troubles of the02:17:51
day I often thought as I tossed on the02:17:54
bed what my fate would have been had02:17:56
that mob caught me and found out that I02:17:58
was not Steve Brodie now the engineer02:18:03
who lately gave an account before a02:18:05
technical body of a novel remedy against02:18:08
statics based on a heretofore unknown02:18:10
law of nature seems to have been as02:18:13
reckless as myself when he contended02:18:15
that these disturbances propagate up and02:18:18
down while those of a transmitter02:18:20
proceed along the earth it would mean02:18:22
that a condenser as this globe with its02:18:25
gaseous envelope could be charged and02:18:28
discharged in a manner quite contrary to02:18:31
the fundamental teachings propounded in02:18:33
every elementary textbook of physics02:18:35
such as a position would have been02:18:37
condemned as erroneous even in02:18:40
Franklin's time for the facts bearing on02:18:43
this were then well known and the02:18:45
identity between atmospheric electricity02:18:47
and that developed by machines was fully02:18:50
established obviously natural and02:18:53
artificial disturbances propagate02:18:55
through the earth and the air in exactly02:18:57
the same way and both set up02:19:00
electro-motive forces in the horizontal02:19:02
as well as vertical sense interference02:19:06
cannot be overcome by any such methods02:19:08
as were proposed the truth is this in02:19:11
the air the potential increases at the02:19:14
rate of about 50 volts per foot of02:19:16
elevation I went to which there may be a02:19:18
difference of pressure amounting to02:19:20
twenty or even forty thousand volts02:19:23
between the upper and lower ends of the02:19:25
antenna the masses of the charged02:19:28
atmosphere are constantly in motion and02:19:30
give up electricity to the conductor not02:19:33
continuous02:19:34
but rather disruptively this producing a02:19:37
grinding noise in a sensitive telephonic02:19:39
receiver the higher the terminal and the02:19:42
greater the spacing com passed by the02:19:44
wires the more pronounced is the effect02:19:47
but it must be understood that it is02:19:49
purely local and has little to do with02:19:51
the real trouble in 1900 while02:19:55
perfecting my wireless system one form02:19:58
of a parrot is comprised for an 10a02:20:00
these were carefully calibrated to the02:20:03
same frequency and connected in multiple02:20:06
with the object of magnifying the action02:20:08
in receiving from any direction when I02:20:11
desired to ascertain the origin of the02:20:13
transmitted impulses each diagonally02:20:16
situated pair was put in series with the02:20:19
primary coil energizing the detector02:20:21
circuit in the former case the sound was02:20:24
loud in the telephone in the latter it02:20:26
ceased as expected the two antennae02:20:29
neutralising each other but the true02:20:32
statics manifested themselves in both02:20:34
instances and they had to devise special02:20:37
preventatives embodying different02:20:38
principles the remedy for static by02:20:43
employing receivers connected to two02:20:45
points of the ground as suggested by me02:20:48
long ago02:20:49
it is trouble caused by the charged air02:20:51
which is very serious in the structures02:20:53
as now built is nullified and besides02:20:56
the liability of all kinds of02:20:58
interferences is reduced to about one02:21:01
half because of the directional02:21:03
character of the circuit this was02:21:06
perfectly self-evident but came as a02:21:08
revelation to some simple-minded02:21:10
wireless folks whose experience was02:21:12
confined to forms of apparatus that02:21:15
could have been improved with an axe and02:21:17
they have been disposing of the bears02:21:19
skin before killing him if it were true02:21:22
that strays performed such antics it02:21:25
would be easy to get rid of them by02:21:26
receiving without aerials but as a02:21:29
matter of fact a wire buried in the02:21:32
ground which conforming to this view02:21:34
should be absolutely immune is more02:21:37
susceptible to certain extraneous02:21:39
impulses than one placed vertically in02:21:41
the air to state it fairly a slight02:21:44
progress has been made but not by virtue02:21:47
of02:21:48
any particular method or device it was02:21:50
achieved simply by discarding the02:21:52
enormous structures which are bad enough02:21:55
for transmission but wholly unsuitable02:21:57
for reception and adopting a more02:21:59
appropriate type of receiver as I02:22:02
pointed out in a previous article to02:22:05
dispose of this difficulty for good a02:22:07
radical change must be made in the02:22:09
system and the sooner this is done the02:22:11
better radio government-controlled not02:22:15
wanted it would be calamitous indeed if02:22:20
at this time when the art is in its02:22:22
infancy and the vast majority not02:22:24
accepting even experts have no02:22:26
conception of its ultimate possibilities02:22:29
a measure would be rushed through the02:22:31
legislature making it a government02:22:33
monopoly this was proposed a few weeks02:22:36
ago by secretary Daniels and no doubt02:22:38
that distinguished official has made his02:22:40
appeal to the Senate and House of02:22:42
Representatives with sincere conviction02:22:45
but Universal evidence unmistakably02:22:48
shows that the best results are always02:22:49
obtained in healthful commercial02:22:51
competition02:22:52
there are however exceptional reasons02:22:55
why wireless should be given the fullest02:22:57
freedom of development in the first02:23:00
place it offers prospects immeasurably02:23:02
greater and more vital to betterment of02:23:04
human life than any other invention or02:23:07
discovery in the history of man then02:23:10
again it must be understood that this02:23:12
wonderful art has been in its entirety02:23:15
evolved here and can be called American02:23:18
with more right and propriety than the02:23:20
telephone the incandescent lamp or the02:23:23
aeroplane Enterprise increased agents02:23:26
and stock jobbers have been so02:23:28
successful in spreading misinformation02:23:30
that even so excellent a periodical as02:23:33
the Scientific American Accords the02:23:35
chief credit to a foreign country the02:23:38
Germans of course gave us the Hertz02:23:40
waves and the Russian English French and02:23:43
Italian experts were quick in using them02:23:46
for signalling purposes it was an02:23:49
obvious application of the new agent and02:23:51
accomplished with the old classical and02:23:53
unimproved induction coil scarcely02:23:56
anything more than another kind of02:23:58
heliography02:23:59
the radius of transmission02:24:01
very limited the results attained of02:24:04
little value and the Hertz oscillations02:24:06
as a means for conveying intelligence02:24:08
could have been advantageous li replaced02:24:11
by sound waves which are advocated in02:24:14
1891 moreover all of these attempts were02:24:18
made three years after the basic02:24:19
principles of the wireless system which02:24:22
is universally employed today and it's02:24:24
potent instrumentalities had been02:24:26
clearly described and developed in02:24:28
America no trace of those Hertzian02:24:31
appliances and methods remains today we02:24:35
have proceeded in the very opposite02:24:37
direction and what has been done is the02:24:39
product of the brains and efforts of02:24:41
citizens of this country the fundamental02:24:44
patents have expired and the02:24:45
opportunities are open to all the chief02:24:48
argument of the secretary is based on02:24:51
interference according to his statement02:24:53
reported in the New York Herald of July02:24:56
29th signals from a powerful station can02:25:00
be intercepted in every village of the02:25:02
world in view of this fact which was02:25:05
demonstrated in my experiments of 190002:25:07
it would be of little use to impose02:25:09
restrictions in the United States02:25:12
America first as throwing light on this02:25:17
point I may mention that only recently02:25:19
an odd-looking gentleman called on me02:25:21
with the object of enlisting my services02:25:23
in the construction of world's02:25:25
transmitters in some distant land we02:25:28
have no money he said but car loads of02:25:31
solid gold and we will give you a02:25:33
liberal amount I told him that I wanted02:25:36
to see first what will be done with my02:25:38
inventions in America and this ended the02:25:41
interview but I am satisfied that some02:25:44
dark forces are at work and as time goes02:25:47
on the maintenance of continuous02:25:49
communication will be rendered more02:25:51
difficult the only remedy is a system02:25:54
immune against interruption it has been02:25:57
perfected it exists and all that is02:26:00
necessary is to put it in operation the02:26:04
terrible conflict is still uppermost in02:26:06
the minds and perhaps the greatest02:26:08
importance will be attached to the02:26:10
magnifying transmitter as a machine for02:26:12
attack and defense more particularly in02:26:15
connection with till automatics this02:26:18
invention is a logical outcome of02:26:20
observations began in my boyhood and02:26:23
continued throughout my life when the02:26:26
first results were published the02:26:28
electrical review started editorially02:26:30
that it would become one of the most02:26:32
potent factors in the advanced and02:26:34
civilization of mankind02:26:36
the time is not distant when this02:26:39
prediction will be fulfilled in 1898 and02:26:43
1900 it was offered to the government02:26:45
and might have been adopted where are02:26:48
one of those who would go to Alexander's02:26:50
Shepherd when they want a favor from02:26:51
Alexander at that time I really thought02:26:54
that it would abolish war because of its02:26:57
unlimited destructiveness and exclusion02:26:59
of the personal element of combat but02:27:02
while I have not lost faith in its02:27:04
potentialities my views have changed02:27:06
since the road to permanent peace war02:27:13
cannot be avoided until the physical02:27:15
cause for its recurrence is removed and02:27:17
this in the last analysis is the mastic02:27:21
spent of the planet on which we live own02:27:23
lives through anihilation of distance in02:27:25
every respect as the conveyance of02:27:28
intelligence transport of passengers and02:27:31
supplies and transmission of energy will02:27:34
conditions be brought about someday02:27:36
ensuring permanency of friendly02:27:38
relations what we now want most is02:27:41
closer contact and better understanding02:27:43
between individuals and communities all02:27:46
over the earth and the elimination of02:27:49
that fanatic devotion to exalted ideals02:27:51
of national egoism and pride which is02:27:54
always prone to plunge the world into02:27:56
primeval barbarism and strife no League02:28:00
or parliamentary act of any kind will02:28:02
ever prevent such a calamity these are02:28:05
only new devices for putting the weak at02:28:07
the mercy of the strong I have expressed02:28:10
myself in this regard 14 years ago02:28:12
when a combination of a few leading02:28:15
governments a sort of holy Alliance was02:28:18
advocated by the late Andrew Carnegie02:28:20
who may be fairly considered as the02:28:22
father of this idea having given to it02:28:25
more publicity and impetus than anybody02:28:27
else prior to the efforts of02:28:29
president while it cannot be denied that02:28:32
such a pact might be of material02:28:34
advantage to some less fortunate02:28:36
people's it cannot attain the chief02:28:39
object salt peace can only come as a02:28:42
natural consequence of universal02:28:44
enlightenment and merging of races and02:28:47
we are still far from this blissful02:28:48
realization as I view the world of today02:28:51
in the light of the gigantic struggle we02:28:54
have witnessed I am filled with02:28:56
conviction that the interests of02:28:58
humanity would be best served if the02:29:00
United States remained true to its02:29:02
traditions and kept out of entangling02:29:05
alliances situated as it is02:29:07
geographically remote from the theaters02:29:10
of impending conflicts without incentive02:29:13
to territorial aggrandizement with02:29:15
inexhaustible resources and immense02:29:18
population thoroughly imbued with the02:29:20
spirit of liberty and right this country02:29:23
is placed in a unique and privileged02:29:25
position it is thus able to exert02:29:28
independently its colossal strength and02:29:30
moral forests to the benefit of all more02:29:33
judiciously and effectively then as a02:29:36
member of a league the mechanistic02:29:40
theory of life in one of these maya02:29:43
graphical sketches published in the02:29:46
electrical experimenter i have dwelt on02:29:48
the circumstances of my early life and02:29:51
told of an affliction which compelled me02:29:53
to under meeting exercise of imagination02:29:54
and self observation this mental02:29:58
activity at first involuntary under the02:30:01
pressure of illness and suffering02:30:02
gradually became second nature and led02:30:05
me finally to recognize that I was but02:30:08
an automaton devoid of free will in02:30:10
thought and action and merely responsive02:30:13
to the forces of the environment our02:30:15
bodies are of such complexity of02:30:17
structure the motions we perform as so02:30:20
numerous and involved and the external02:30:22
impressions on our sense organs to such02:30:25
a degree delicate and elusive that it is02:30:28
hard for the average person to grasp02:30:30
this fact and yet nothing is more02:30:33
convincing to the trained investigator02:30:35
than the mechanistic theory of life02:30:37
which had been in a measure understood02:30:40
and propounded by the cat three hundred02:30:42
years ago02:30:43
but in this time many important02:30:46
functions of our organism were unknown02:30:48
and especially with respect to the02:30:50
nature of light and the construction and02:30:53
operation of the eye philosophers were02:30:56
in the dark in recent years the progress02:30:59
of scientific research in these fields02:31:01
has been such as to leave no room for a02:31:04
doubt in regard to this view on which02:31:06
many works have been published one of02:31:09
its ablest and most eloquent exponents02:31:12
is perhaps Felix Liu dong Tech formerly02:31:15
assistant of Pasteur professor jacques02:31:18
loeb has performed remarkable02:31:21
experiments in heliotropism clearly02:31:23
establishing the controlling power of02:31:25
light in lower forms of organisms and02:31:27
his latest book forced movements is02:31:31
revelatory but while men of science02:31:34
accept this theory simply as any other02:31:36
that is recognised to me it is a truth02:31:39
which I hourly demonstrate by every act02:31:41
in salt of mine the consciousness of the02:31:44
external impression prompting me to any02:31:46
kind of exertion physical or mental is02:31:49
ever-present in my mind only on very02:31:53
rare occasions when I was in a state of02:31:55
exceptional concentration have I found02:31:58
difficulty in locating the original02:32:00
impulses lack of observation of form of02:32:05
ignorance the by far greater number of02:32:09
human beings are never aware of what is02:32:11
passing around and within them and02:32:13
millions fault victims of disease and02:32:16
die prematurely just on this account the02:32:19
commonest everyday occurrences appear to02:32:22
them mysterious and inexplicable one may02:32:25
feel a sudden wave of sadness and Drake02:32:28
his brain for an explanation when he02:32:30
might have noticed that it was caused by02:32:32
a cloud cutting off the Rays of the Sun02:32:34
he may see the image of a friend dear to02:32:37
him and the conditions which he02:32:39
constitute as very peculiar when only02:32:42
shortly before he has passed him in the02:32:44
street or seen his photographs somewhere02:32:46
when he loses a collar button he fusses02:32:49
and swears for an hour being unable to02:32:52
visualize his previous actions and02:32:54
locate the object directly02:32:57
defficient observation is merely a form02:32:59
of ignorance and responsible for the02:33:02
many morbid notions and foolish ideas02:33:04
prevailing there is not more than one02:33:07
out of every ten persons who does not02:33:09
believe in telepathy and other psychic02:33:12
manifestations spiritualism and02:33:14
communion with the dead and who would02:33:17
refuse to listen to willing or unwilling02:33:19
deceivers just to illustrate how deeply02:33:22
rooted this tendency has become even02:33:25
among the clear-headed American02:33:27
population I may mention a comical02:33:29
incident psychic phenomena in the02:33:34
manufacture of flavors shortly before02:33:37
the war when the exhibition of my02:33:39
turbines in this city elicited02:33:41
widespread comment in the technical02:33:43
papers I anticipated that there would be02:33:46
a scramble among manufacturers to get02:33:48
hold of the invention and I had02:33:50
particular designs on that man from02:33:52
Detroit who has an uncanny Faculty for02:33:55
accumulating millions so confident was I02:33:59
that he would turn up someday that I02:34:01
declared this as certain to my secretary02:34:04
and assistance sure enough one fine02:34:07
morning a body of engineers from the02:34:09
Ford Motor Company presented themselves02:34:11
with the request of discussing with me02:34:14
an important project didn't I tell you I02:34:17
remarked triumphantly to my employees02:34:20
and one of them said you are amazing mr.02:34:24
Tesla everything comes out exactly as02:34:27
you predict as soon as these hard-headed02:34:30
men were seated I of course immediately02:34:33
began to extol the wonderful features of02:34:35
my turbine when the spokesmen02:34:37
interrupted me and said we know all02:34:40
about this but we are on a special02:34:42
errand we have formed a psychological02:34:45
Society for the investigation of psychic02:34:47
phenomena and we want you to join us in02:34:49
this undertaking I suppose those02:34:52
engineers never knew how near they came02:34:54
to being fired out of my office02:34:58
confusing spiritism ever since I was02:35:01
told by some of the greatest men of the02:35:04
time leaders in science whose names are02:35:06
immortal that I am possessed of an02:35:09
unusual mind I02:35:10
and all my thinking faculties on the02:35:13
solution of great problems regardless of02:35:15
sacrifice for many years I endeavored to02:35:18
solve the Enigma of death and watched02:35:20
eagerly for every kind of spiritual02:35:22
indication but only once in the course02:35:25
of my existence have I had an experience02:35:28
which momentarily impressed me as02:35:30
supernatural it was at the time of my02:35:33
mother's death I had become completely02:35:36
exhausted by pain and long vigilance and02:35:39
one night was carried to a building02:35:41
about two blocks from our home as I lay02:35:44
helpless there I thought that if my02:35:47
mother died while I was away from her02:35:49
bedside she would surely give me a sign02:35:51
two or three months before I was in02:35:54
London in company with my late friend02:35:56
Sir William Crookes when spiritualism02:35:58
was discussed and I was under the full02:36:01
sway of these thoughts I might not have02:36:03
paid attention to other men that were02:36:05
susceptible to his arguments as it was02:36:08
his epochal work on gradient matter02:36:10
which I had read as a student that made02:36:13
me embrace the electrical Corea I02:36:16
reflected that the conditions for a look02:36:18
into the beyond were most favorable for02:36:21
my mother was a woman of genius and02:36:23
particularly excelling in the powers of02:36:25
intuition during the whole night every02:36:28
fiber in my brain was strained in02:36:30
expectancy but nothing happened until02:36:32
early in the morning when I fell in02:36:34
asleep or perhaps a swoon and saw a02:36:37
cloud carrying angelic figures of02:36:40
marvellous beauty02:36:41
one of whom gazed upon me lovingly and02:36:43
gradually assumed the features of my02:36:46
mother the appearance slowly floated02:36:48
across the room and vanished and I was02:36:51
awakened by an indescribably sweet song02:36:53
of many voices in that instant a02:36:56
certitude which no words can impress02:36:59
came upon me that my mother had just02:37:01
died and that was true I was unable to02:37:06
understand the tremendous weight of the02:37:08
painful knowledge I received in advance02:37:10
and wrote a letter to Sir William02:37:12
Crookes while still under the domination02:37:14
of these impressions and in poor bodily02:37:17
health when I recovered I sought for a02:37:20
long time the external cause of this02:37:22
strange manifestation and02:37:24
to my great relief I succeeded after02:37:27
many months of fruitless effort I had02:37:30
seen the painting of a celebrated artist02:37:32
representing allegorically one of the02:37:35
seasons in the form of a cloud with a02:37:37
group of angels which seemed to actually02:37:39
float in the air02:37:40
and this had struck me forcefully it was02:37:44
exactly the same that appeared in my02:37:46
dream with the exception of my mother's02:37:48
likeness the music came from the choir02:37:51
in the church nearby at the early mass02:37:53
of Easter morning explaining everything02:37:56
satisfactorily in conformity with02:37:58
scientific facts this occurred long ago02:38:02
and I have never had the faintest reason02:38:05
since to change my views on psychical02:38:07
and spiritual phenomena for which there02:38:10
is absolutely no foundation the belief02:38:13
in these is the natural outgrowth of02:38:15
intellectual development religious02:38:17
dogmas are no longer accepted in their02:38:20
Orthodox meaning but every individual02:38:22
clings to faith in a supreme power of02:38:25
some kind02:38:26
we all must have an ideal to govern our02:38:29
conduct and ensure contentment but it is02:38:32
immaterial whether it be one of creed02:38:34
art science or anything else so long as02:38:38
it fulfills the function of a02:38:40
dematerialization force it is essential02:38:43
to the peaceful existence of humanity as02:38:45
a whole that one common conception02:38:48
should prevail02:38:50
Tesla's astounding discovery while I02:38:55
have failed to obtain any evidence in02:38:57
support of the contentions of02:38:59
psychologists and spiritualists I have02:39:02
proved to my complete satisfaction the02:39:04
automatism of life not only through02:39:07
continuous observations of individual02:39:09
actions but even more conclusively02:39:11
through certain generalizations these02:39:14
amount to a discovery which I consider02:39:16
of the greatest moment to human society02:39:18
and on which I shall briefly dwell I got02:39:22
the first inkling of this astounding02:39:24
truth when I was still a very young man02:39:26
but for many years I interpreted what I02:39:29
noted simply as coincidences namely02:39:32
whenever either myself or a person to02:39:35
whom I was attached or a cause to which02:39:37
I was devoted02:39:38
was hurt by others in a particular way02:39:41
which might be best properly02:39:43
characterized as the most unfair02:39:45
imaginable02:39:46
I experienced a singular and undefinable02:39:49
pain which for want of a better term I02:39:52
have qualified as cosmic and shortly02:39:55
thereafter and invariably those who had02:39:58
inflicted it came to grief after many02:40:02
such cases I confided this to a number02:40:04
of friends who had the opportunity to02:40:07
convince themselves of the truth of the02:40:09
theory which I have gradually formulated02:40:11
and which may be stated in the following02:40:13
few words our bodies are of similar02:40:16
construction and exposed to the same02:40:19
external influences this results in02:40:22
likeness of response and concordance of02:40:25
the general activities on which all our02:40:27
social and other rules and laws are02:40:29
based we are automata entirely02:40:32
controlled by the forces of the medium02:40:34
being tossed about like quarks on the02:40:37
surface of the water but mistaking the02:40:39
resultant of the impulses from the02:40:41
outside for free will the movements and02:40:45
other actions we perform are always life02:40:47
preservative and though was seemingly02:40:50
quite independent from one another we02:40:52
are connected by invisible links so long02:40:55
as the organism is in perfect order it02:40:58
responds accurately to the agents that02:41:00
prompt it but the moment that there is02:41:03
some derangement in any individual his02:41:05
self preservative power is impaired02:41:08
everybody understands of course that if02:41:11
one becomes death has his eyesight02:41:13
weakened or his limbs injured the02:41:15
chances for his continued existence are02:41:18
lessened but this is also true and02:41:21
perhaps more so of certain defects in02:41:24
the brain which deprived the automaton02:41:26
more or less of that vital quality and02:41:29
cause it to rush into destruction a very02:41:33
sensitive and observant being with his02:41:35
highly developed mechanism all intact02:41:37
and acting with precision in obedience02:41:40
to the changing conditions of the02:41:42
environment is endowed with the02:41:44
transcending mechanical sense enabling02:41:47
him to evade perils to subtle to be02:41:49
directly perceived when he comes in02:41:52
contact with others who's controlling02:41:54
organs are radically faulty that sends02:41:57
asserts itself and he feels the cosmic02:42:00
pain the truth of this has been borne02:42:03
out in hundreds of instances and I am02:42:06
inviting other students of nature to02:42:08
devote attention to this subject02:42:10
believing that through combined and02:42:12
systematic effort results of02:42:14
incalculable value to the world will be02:42:16
obtained doctor Tesla's first automaton02:42:22
the idea of constructing an automaton to02:42:25
bear out my theory presented itself to02:42:28
me early but it did not begin active02:42:30
work until 1893 when I started my02:42:34
wireless investigations during the02:42:37
succeeding two or three years a number02:42:39
of automatic mechanisms to be actuated02:42:42
from a distance were constructed by me02:42:44
and exhibited to visitors in my02:42:47
laboratory in 1896 however I designed a02:42:51
complete machine capable of a multitude02:42:54
of operations but the consummation of my02:42:56
labors was delayed until late 1897 this02:43:00
machine was illustrated and described in02:43:03
my article in the century magazine of02:43:05
June 1900 and other periodicals of that02:43:09
time and when first shown in the02:43:11
beginnings of 1898 it created a02:43:14
sensation such as no other invention of02:43:17
mine has ever produced in November 189802:43:20
a basic patent on the novel art was02:43:23
granted to me but only after the02:43:26
examiner in chief had come to New York02:43:28
and witnessed the performance for what I02:43:30
claimed seemed unbelievable I remember02:43:34
that when later I called on an official02:43:36
in Washington with a view of offering02:43:38
the invention to the government he burst02:43:41
out in laughter upon my telling him what02:43:43
I had accomplished nobody thought then02:43:46
that there was the faintest prospect of02:43:48
perfecting such a device it is02:43:51
unfortunate that in this patent02:43:53
following the advice of my attorneys I02:43:55
indicated the control is being effected02:43:58
through the medium of a single circuit02:44:00
and a well-known form of detector for02:44:02
the reason that I had not yet secured02:44:04
protection on my02:44:06
and apparatus for individualization as a02:44:09
matter of fact my boats were controlled02:44:12
through the joint action of several02:44:13
circuits and interference of every kind02:44:16
was excluded most generally I employed02:44:19
receiving circuits in the form of loops02:44:21
including condensers because the02:44:24
discharges of my high tension02:44:26
transmitter ionizing the air in the hole02:44:28
so that even a very small aerial would02:44:31
draw electricity from the surrounding02:44:33
atmosphere for hours just to give an02:44:36
idea I found for instance that a bulb 1202:44:40
inches in diameter highly exhausted and02:44:42
with one single terminal to which a02:44:45
short wire was attached would deliver02:44:47
well onto 1,000 successive flashes02:44:50
before all charge of the air in the02:44:52
laboratory was neutralized the loop form02:44:55
of receiver was not sensitive to such a02:44:57
disturbance and it is curious to note02:44:59
that it is becoming popular at this late02:45:02
date02:45:03
in reality it collects much less energy02:45:06
than the aerials or a long grounded wire02:45:09
but it so happens that it does away with02:45:11
a number of defects inherent to the02:45:13
present wireless devices in02:45:16
demonstrating my invention before02:45:18
audiences the visitors were requested to02:45:21
ask any questions02:45:22
however involved and the automaton would02:45:25
answer them by signs this was considered02:45:28
magic at that time but was extremely02:45:31
simple for it was myself who gave the02:45:33
replica means of the device at the same02:45:38
period another larger tete automatic02:45:41
boat was constructed a photograph of02:45:43
which is shown in this number of the02:45:45
electrical experimenter it was02:45:48
controlled by loops having several turns02:45:50
placed in the hull which was made02:45:52
entirely watertight and capable of02:45:55
submergence the appearance was similar02:45:58
to that used in the first with the02:46:00
exception of certain special features I02:46:02
introduced as for example incandescent02:46:05
lamps which afforded a visible evidence02:46:08
of the proper functioning of the machine02:46:11
till automatics of the future these02:46:15
automata controlled within the range of02:46:17
vision of the operator02:46:19
however the first and rather crude steps02:46:22
in the evolution of the art of02:46:24
telematics as I had conceived it the02:46:27
next logical improvement was its02:46:29
application to automatic mechanisms02:46:31
beyond the limits of vision and at a02:46:34
great distance from the centre of02:46:36
control and I have ever since advocated02:46:38
their employment as instruments of02:46:40
warfare in preference to guns the02:46:43
importance of this now seems to be02:46:45
recognized if I am to judge from casual02:46:48
announcements through the press of02:46:50
achievements which are said to be02:46:52
extraordinary but contain no merit of02:46:55
novelty whatever in an imperfect manner02:46:58
it is practicable with the existing02:47:00
wireless plants to launch an aeroplane02:47:03
have it follow a certain approximate02:47:05
course and perform some operation at a02:47:08
distance of many hundreds of miles a02:47:10
machine of this kind can also be02:47:13
mechanically controlled in several ways02:47:15
and I have no doubt that it may prove of02:47:17
some usefulness in war but there are to02:47:20
my best knowledge no instrumentalities02:47:23
in existence today with which such an02:47:26
object could be accomplished in a02:47:27
precise manner I have devoted years of02:47:31
study to this matter and have evolved02:47:33
means making such and greater wonders02:47:36
easily realizable as stated on a02:47:39
previous occasion when I was a student02:47:41
at college I conceived a flying machine02:47:44
quite unlike the present ones02:47:46
the underlying principle was sound but02:47:49
could not be carried into practice for02:47:50
want of a prime mover of sufficiently02:47:53
great activity in recent years I have02:47:56
successfully solved this problem and I02:47:59
am now planning aerial machines devoid02:48:01
of sustaining planes ailerons propellers02:48:04
and other external attachments which02:48:07
will be capable of immense speeds and02:48:09
are very likely to furnish powerful02:48:12
arguments for peace in the near future02:48:14
such a machine sustained and propelled02:48:18
entirely by reaction is shown on one of02:48:21
the pages and is supposed to be02:48:23
controlled either mechanically or by02:48:25
wireless energy by installing proper02:48:28
plants it will be practicable to project02:48:31
a missile of this kind into the air02:48:33
dropp'd almost under very spot02:48:35
designated which may be thousands of02:48:37
miles away but we are not going to stop02:48:40
at this tell automata will be ultimately02:48:43
produced capable of acting as if02:48:46
possessed of their own intelligence and02:48:48
their advent will create a revolution as02:48:51
early as 1898 I proposed to02:48:54
representatives of a large manufacturing02:48:57
concern the construction and public02:48:59
exhibition of an automobile carriage02:49:02
which left to itself would perform a02:49:05
great variety of operations involving02:49:07
something akin to judgment but my02:49:10
proposal was deemed chimerical at that02:49:12
time and nothing came from it at present02:49:16
many of the ablest minds are trying to02:49:18
devise expedience for preventing a02:49:20
repetition of the awful conflict which02:49:23
is only theoretically ended and the02:49:25
duration and main issues of which I have02:49:27
correctly predicted in an article02:49:29
printed in the Sun of December 20th 191402:49:33
the proposed league is more to remedy02:49:36
but on the contrary in the opinion of a02:49:39
number of competent men may bring about02:49:42
results just the opposite02:49:44
it is particularly regrettable that a02:49:46
punitive policy was adopted in framing02:49:49
the terms of peace because a few years02:49:51
hence it will be possible for nations to02:49:54
fight without armies ships or guns by02:49:57
weapons far more terrible to the02:49:59
destructive action and range of which02:50:02
there is virtually no limit any City at02:50:05
a distance whatsoever from the enemy can02:50:08
be destroyed by him and no power on02:50:11
earth can stop him from doing so if we02:50:14
want to avert an impending calamity and02:50:16
a state of things which may transform02:50:18
this globe into an inferno we should02:50:21
push the development of flying machines02:50:23
and wireless transmission of energy02:50:25
without an instant's delay and with all02:50:28
the power and resources of the nation02:50:32
end of section 602:50:40
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⚡Between February and October 1919, Nikola Tesla submitted many articles to the magazine Electrical Experimenter. The most famous of these works is a six part series titled My Inventions, which is an autobiographical account of Nikola Tesla's life and his most celebrated discoveries. This work has been compiled and republished as a stand-alone book several times under different names, but has been a cause of some controversy due to some versions deviating from the original text without explanation. This audiobook returns to the original texts as they were published in 1919. 🌟🎧📚 https://greatestaudiobooks.co/ 🌐 ________________________________________________ 🎁 S H O P great books & gifts: https://www.amazon.com/shop/GreatestAudioBooks ________________________________________________ @GreatestAudioBooks 💙 T w i t t e r : https://www.twitter.com/GAudioBooks 📸 I n s t a: https://www.facebook.com/unsupportedbrowser 🕧 T i k T o k: https://www.tiktok.com/@greatestaudiobooks 🔲K o j i ► https://koji.to/GreatestAudioBooks ________________________________________________ 🎧 30 day Audible audiobooks trial► https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00NB86OYE/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325 📙👩🏿🚀 More vids on O d y s e e : https://odysee.com/$/invite/@GreatestAudioBooks:c 🎧 Audiobooks .com 🎧 30 day trial► https://affiliates.audiobooks.com/tracking/scripts/click.php?a_aid=5b8c26085f4b8 - READ along by clicking (CC) for Closed Caption Transcript! - LISTEN to the entire audiobook for free! Chapter listing and length: 01 My Inventions Part 1: My Early Life by Nikola Tesla 00:28:37 02 My Inventions Part 2: My First Efforts at Invention by Nikola Tesla 00:27:06 03 My Inventions Part 3: My Later Endeavors. The Discovery of the Rotating Magnetic Field by Nikola Tesla 00:26:12 04 My Inventions Part 4: The Discovery of the Tesla Coil and Transformer by Nikola Tesla 00:21:31 05 My Inventions Part 5: The Magnifying Transmitter by Nikola Tesla 00:26:08 06 My Inventions Part 6: The Art of Telatomatics by Nikola Tesla 00:43:00 🚸 To Support Child Rescue & Education via our nonprofit partner Compassion United: 👶🏿1) you may donate directly here on YT 👶🏽2) or visit: https://www.compassionunited.com/ 🤟Thanks! 100% of your gift goes DIRECTLY to support the causes you choose. ❤️No salaries. ❤️No expenses.❤️No marketing.💯 Compassion United is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. EIN: 47-4319990 🇪🇹 Our most recent trip to Africa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQJNZv3TfVg 🌟🎧📚 My Inventions by Nikola Tesla - FULL AudioBook 🎧📖 Greatest🌟AudioBooks This video: Copyright 2019. Greatest Audio Books. All Rights Reserved. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate and an affiliate with other select companies we earn from qualifying purchases. Your purchases through affiliate links help to generate revenue for this channel. Thank you for your support.
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