The fascinating life of Nikola Tesla, the genius who electrified the world and dreamed up death rays
It's a good day to celebrate the life of the Serbian-American engineer and physicist: Without Tesla, you might not be able to affordably power your home, let alone read this sentence.
Tesla filed more than 300 patents during his 86 years of life, and his inventions helped pave the way for alternating current (AC), electric motors, radios, fluorescent lights, lasers, and remote controls, among many other things.
Some of his ideas later in life, however, seem strange even now. He once described plans for a death ray, for example, and eluded to another idea for an impenetrable "wall of force" to block and destroy foreign invasions.
Here's a glimpse into the remarkable life of one of history's most important - and eccentric - geniuses.
Tanya Lewis wrote a previous version of this story.
- I spent 2 weeks in India. A highlight was visiting a small mountain town so beautiful it didn't seem real.
- I quit McKinsey after 1.5 years. I was making over $200k but my mental health was shattered.
- Some Tesla factory workers realized they were laid off when security scanned their badges and sent them back on shuttles, sources say
- Indian Railways to break record with 9,111 trips to meet travel demand this summer, nearly 3,000 more than 2023
- India's exports to China, UAE, Russia, Singapore rose in 2023-24
- A case for investing in Government securities
- Top places to visit in Auli in 2024
- Sustainable Transportation Alternatives