True genius never dies. Nor does it ever fade away. Those who inspire us and change the world for the better, even if it's just through simple works of art, always leave us with something to contemplate for centuries. Leonardo DaVinci, Michael Angelo, Goethe - to this day their works strike awe into our hearts and minds. They make us stop and think, and reflect not only on their bodies of work, but also on the nature of intelligence and what immense things a single human being is capable of.Tesla and his accomplishments, though they may be more practical and less artistic, have made him in my mind the single greatest inventor in history. I honestly cannot imagine what today's world be like if we didn't have him in our past.
He was the first person to envision a spinning electromagnetic field, and then went on to invent the first brushless electric motor. And he did it despite being told by his engineering professor that such a motor was “impossible.” He later continued his inventing, and produced the first hydro-electric power plant, which is still located in Niagara Falls – and by all accounts, could still produce energy if called upon. He invented current amplifiers, fluorescent light bulbs, neon lighting, remote control, the first robotics, the first air hammer, remote power sourcing (which we're only now beginning to understand), and so many other things that his list of patents numbers over 400 items.
As I mentioned, his intellectual pursuits may have been more practical than artistic, but they're no less inspirational to anyone who wants to pay attention. We still use them every, single day. All of us.
I like to say that people like him should live for at least two hundred years. But then, in a way, he's still with us. So thank you, Niko. And happy birthday. You made the world a much better place. And we remember you.
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