nikola tesla

< old aether9 scripts

born in 1856 to a Serbian family in the village of Smiljan near Gospić, in the Lika region of the Croatian Krajina in Military Frontier (part of the Austrian Empire), in the present-day Croatia.
Suffered a peculiar affection during his youth.
Recommended reading is his short autobiography freely available on the web, here for instance: http://www.rastko.org.yu/istorija/tesla/ntesla-autobiography.html

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quotes:

in The Problem of Increasing Human Energy (1900, traduction):
Parmi la variété infinie de phénomènes que la Nature offre à nos sens, le seul à nous frapper réellement d’étonnement et d’admiration est cette activité incroyablement complexe que, dans son ensemble, nous appelons la vie humaine. Son origine mystérieuse porte le voile d’un passé éternellement brumeux, sa nature nous est incompréhensible à cause de sa complexité infinie, et son but est caché dans les profondeurs insondables du futur. D’où vient-elle ? Qui est-elle ? Vers quoi tend-elle ? Ce sont les grandes questions auxquelles les sages de tous les temps ont cherché à répondre.
La science moderne dit : le Soleil est notre passé, la Terre est notre présent et la Lune notre futur. Issus d’une masse incandescente, nous nous transformerons en une masse gelée. Les lois de la Nature sont impitoyables ; très vite nous sommes entraînés immanquablement vers notre perte. D’après Lord Kelvin, notre espérance de vie serait relativement courte, soit de quelque six millions d’années, après quoi la lumière éclatante du soleil se sera éteinte, sa chaleur fécondante aura disparu et notre propre Terre ne sera plus qu’un bloc de glace, fonçant dans la nuit éternelle. Toutefois, ne désespérons pas. Il subsistera toujours une faible étincelle de vie et il se pourrait que, sur une étoile lointaine, s’allume un nouveau feu. En effet, il semblerait que cette possibilité séduisante soit tout à fait réaliste, si l’on en juge les superbes expérimentations du professeur Dewar avec l’air liquide, qui ont prouvé que les germes de la vie organique ne sont pas détruits par le froid, quelle que soit son intensité ; par conséquent, ils peuvent voyager dans l’espace interstellaire. En attendant, notre route s’illumine des lumières éclatantes des sciences et des arts, dont l’intensité ne cesse d’augmenter ; ils font naître des merveilles et nous offrent des plaisirs qui nous aident grandement à oublier notre funeste destin.


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in My Inventions (an autobiography) (1919):
1) The Tesla Transformer: This apparatus is in the production of electrical vibrations as revolutionary as gunpowder was in warfare. Currents many times stronger than any ever generated in the usual ways and sparks over one hundred feet long, have been produced by the inventor with an instrument of this kind.
2) The Magnifying Transmitter: This is Tesla’s best invention, a peculiar transformer specially adapted to excite the earth, which is in the transmission of electrical energy when the telescope is in astronomical observation. By the use of this marvellous device, he has already set up electrical movements of greater intensity than those of lightening and passed a current, sufficient to light more than two hundred incandescent lamps, around the Earth.
3) The Tesla Wireless System: This system comprises a number of improvements and is the only means known for transmitting economically electrical energy to a distance without wires. Careful tests and measurements in connection with an experimental station of great activity, erected by the inventor in Colorado, have demonstrated that power in any desired amount can be conveyed, clear across the Globe if necessary, with a loss not exceeding a few per cent.
4) The Art of Individualisation: This invention of Tesla is to primitive Tuning, what refined language is to unarticulated expression. It makes possible the transmission of signals or messages absolutely secret and exclusiveboth in the active and passive aspect, that is, non-interfering as well as non-interferable. Each signal is like an individual of unmistakable identity and there is virtually no limit to the number of stations or instruments which can be simultaneously operated without the slightest mutual disturbance.
5) The Terrestrial Stationary Waves: This wonderful discovery, popularly explained, means that the Earth is responsive to electrical vibrations of definite pitch, just as a tuning fork to certain waves of sound. These particular electrical vibrations, capable of powerfully exciting the Globe, lend themselves to innumerable uses of great importance commercially and in many other respects. The “first World System” power plant can be put in operation in nine months. With this power plant, it will be practicable to attain electrical activities up to ten million horse-power and it is designed to serve for as many technical achievements as are possible without due expense. Among these are the following:
1) The inter-connection of existing telegraph exchanges or offices all over the world;
2) The establishment of a secret and non-interferable government telegraph service;
3) The inter-connection of all present telephone exchanges or offices around the Globe;
4) The universal distribution of general news by telegraph or telephone, in conjunction with the Press;
5) The establishment of such a “World System” of intelligence transmission for exclusive private use;
6) The inter-connection and operation of all stock tickers of the world;
7) The establishment of a World system ”” of musical distribution, etc.;
8) The universal registration of time by cheap clocks indicating the hour with astronomical precision and requiring no attention whatever;
9) The world transmission of typed or hand-written characters, letters, checks, etc.;
10) The establishment of a universal marine service enabling the navigators of all ships to steer perfectly without compass, to determine the exact location, hour and speak; to prevent collisions and disasters, etc.;
11) The inauguration of a system of world printing on land and sea;
12) The world reproduction of photographic pictures and all kinds of drawings or records...

I also proposed to make demonstration in the wireless transmission of power on a small scale, but sufficient to carry conviction. Besides these, I referred to other and incomparably more important applications of my discoveries which will be disclosed at some future date. A plant was built on Long Island with a tower 187 feet high, having a spherical terminal about 68 feet in diameter. These dimensions were adequate for the transmission of virtually any amount of energy. Originally, only from 200 to 300 K.W. were provided, but I intended to employ later several thousand horsepower. The transmitter was to emit a wave-complex of special characteristics and I had devised a unique method of telephonic control of any amount of energy. The tower was destroyed two years ago (1917) but my projects are being developed and another one, improved in some features will be constructed.

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