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s/v Jedi · 04-07-2009, 08:36

Lodesman,

I think the discovery of electricity goes much further back. It was the Egyptians and Arabs that described it first (read that on wikipedia I think).

Tesla and Edison: You must read that book about Tesla (don't remember the title but must be easy to find). Edison tried to destroy Tesla and probably succeeded. Tesla was so much ahead of his time that most people thought his demonstrations were magic and tricks. When Marconi was still trying to understand "wireless" (radio), Tesla demonstrated a radio controlled submarine model during the world fair in Chicago.
The hydro power plant at Niagara was build by Tesla and the first AC plant, while Edison was still running DC for city-power.

I do not agree with you that the "first practical application of electricity and power and lighting" was in the US. The first mass scale implementation of it was in the US. In Europe, electricity wasn't just science. For example, the first electric elevator was build in Germany by Ernst Werner von Siemens. There were big generating plants in Europe too incl. the use of Parson's first megawatt generator. But all that wasn't used for lighting up the streets and homes like in New York. It was mostly used for industry.

The Brits?? don't they live on that silly and stubborn island that hides in mist and rain? ;-)

cheers,
Nick.

04-07-2009, 08:36	#34
s/v Jedi Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Boat: Sundeer 64 - Jedi Posts: 1,523	Lodesman, I think the discovery of electricity goes much further back. It was the Egyptians and Arabs that described it first (read that on wikipedia I think). Tesla and Edison: You must read that book about Tesla (don't remember the title but must be easy to find). Edison tried to destroy Tesla and probably succeeded. Tesla was so much ahead of his time that most people thought his demonstrations were magic and tricks. When Marconi was still trying to understand "wireless" (radio), Tesla demonstrated a radio controlled submarine model during the world fair in Chicago. The hydro power plant at Niagara was build by Tesla and the first AC plant, while Edison was still running DC for city-power. I do not agree with you that the "first practical application of electricity and power and lighting" was in the US. The first mass scale implementation of it was in the US. In Europe, electricity wasn't just science. For example, the first electric elevator was build in Germany by Ernst Werner von Siemens. There were big generating plants in Europe too incl. the use of Parson's first megawatt generator. But all that wasn't used for lighting up the streets and homes like in New York. It was mostly used for industry. The Brits?? don't they live on that silly and stubborn island that hides in mist and rain? ;-) cheers, Nick.