Although Nikola Tesla passed away in 1943, his reputation has increased rather than diminished over the years. This wonderful and strange scientist made the inventions that laid the foundations for the power generation and mass communication systems of the time. His enemy and former boss, Thomas Edison, was the inventor of the light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture. Edison is almost always remembered for the material evils and moral torments he inflicted on Nikola Tesla. However, to commemorate Edison only in this way would be to ignore what he contributed to humanity. Of course, they are both real scientists for their contributions to science.
There were subjects in which both scientists were successful. In addition to being an inventor, Edison had serious business acumen, he knew very well how to make money and manage people. Tesla, on the other hand, was more of a man of dreams; His aim was always to think big things and work towards making people’s energy as accessible and reliable as possible.
So how did the paths of these two inventors cross? Tesla moved to New York and started working with Edison. Edison asks Tesla for a design that will improve direct current dynamos and says he will pay a large amount of money. Tesla, in need of this money, offers a real solution after hard work and demands the promised money. Edison also loves and uses this solution, but does not pay for it.
Tesla’s work on alternating current systems further increased this competition. Before Edison, no home in the United States had electricity; therefore, the entry of electricity into the house as possible with the direct current system developed by Edison, and Edison did not want the system to change due to economic concerns because the alternating current systems developed by Tesla converted electrical energy into mechanical energy with less energy loss and more successfully. In addition, alternating current made it possible to transport electricity much farther, much cheaper.
Despite such important inventions that shape the course of humanity, Tesla died poorly in a hotel room. No matter how much he did not see the value he deserved in his own time, people have started to understand his value more in today’s time. Edison is also a very valuable scientist, but I think my answer to the question of Tesla or Edison is Nicola Tesla.