Both Edison and Tesla are seen as pioneers of a new technological age. With Edison’s name being plastered all over many electrical appliances from the late nineteenth and early twentieth cen
FOR YOUR RESPONSE, PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS HIGHLIGHTED BELOW. Separately identify your post from posts 1 and 2. Thanks.
In these Peer Responses, comment on your peers’ work; ask them questions; elaborate on their ideas; challenge or question their assertions; etc. The purpose of this part of discussion is to share your ideas; dig more deeply in your interpretations; and help each other make broader connections; etc. Each peer response will be at least 75 words and will be constructed in such a way as to encourage and develop discussion. Beyond the required peer responses, you are free to contribute additional comments that are as brief or as elaborate as you wish. Going beyond the minimum, while not required, is always a good idea.
PEER POST 1
Who was the better inventor, Edison or Tesla, and why?
Both Edison and Tesla are seen as pioneers of a new technological age. With Edison’s name being plastered all over many electrical appliances from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and with Tesla’s successes at the world fair along with the various advances he made in the area of alternating current; both men have cemented their names in the history of making electricity accessible to the general public. Both men were in the business of producing products, but they had widely different approaches from each other to developing and distributing their inventions. Ultimately because of this divide in methodology, Tesla is the more faithful inventor, but it does not negate the fact that Edison was the more successful capitalist.
Thomas Edison, while presenting himself as an inventor was mostly a very affluent businessman. Edison immediately realized at the start of producing products that he could get much more done than otherwise if he brought on a team to help invent with him. He built a laboratory called The Menlo Park Lab in 1876 with only five employees, but by the 1880s 50 to 60 were employed at any time. (Karen Garvin) With a team around him, he was able to come up with marketable ideas and then let his team do a lot of the testing and “grunt work” to make them achievable. An example of this is Edison’s lightbulb when he and his team tested thousands of materials to find the one that would make a lightbulb last the longest. (Karen Garvin) There is little likelihood that Edison had a hand in testing a good portion of those materials and with so many working on a project like that, there were probably many more people who significantly contributed to its invention than just Edison himself.
Nikola Tesla on the other hand is very much so what you would think of as a true inventor in the most cartoonish sense, throwing his money at wild grandiose inventions until he was broke, and overloading a power grid taking out a whole city’s electricity. (Karen Garvin) But ultimately besides all of the weird and eccentric stories he was a man committed to his craft. He would invent diving into something that just seemed interesting to him, or he would try to invent by what he thought would benefit society as a whole. An example of this would be his being a huge proponent of alternating current, as he knew it could travel many further distances than alternating current and provide more power. To contribute to the furthering of this technology, and more than likely hoping it would translate to his work on making wireless electricity, he created the Tesla coil which is still used in technologies like radios and televisions today. (energy.gov)
More interested in the prospect of maintaining a DC power grid because of his dominance in supplying electricity at the time, Edison also wared with Tesla and his idea of converting to AC. To do this he often would use scare tactics like saying AC power was likely to kill people to sway public opinion. (energy.gov) This is a good example of how Edison’s mindset of being money-driven often conflicts with what most people see as the stereotypical headspace of an inventor, where if there is a new potential way to do something more efficiently then it should be taken advantage of. Instead, Edison made the move to try and discredit Tesla’s ideas of AC power with misleading half-truths and claims of danger to protect his financial interests. While this makes sense for a businessman, it does not make sense for an inventor seeking progress for the love of progress.
PEER POST 2
Explain the difference between electrification and electromagnetism, and provide one or two examples of the impact that each had on society.
Electrification and electromagnetism are two distinct but related concepts that have played a significant role in shaping modern society. Electrification refers to the process of converting energy from other sources into electrical energy for use in various applications, while electromagnetism is the phenomenon whereby electrically charged particles generate magnetic fields. Despite their similarities, these two concepts have different impacts on society. This essay will discuss the difference between electrification and electromagnetism and provide examples of their impact on society.
Electrification involves the conversion of other forms of energy into electrical energy. According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), electrification is critical for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency (IEA, 2021). The use of electricity has enabled the creation of new technologies and improved living standards for millions of people worldwide. For example, electrification has enabled the development of electric vehicles, which are more efficient and environmentally friendly than their gasoline-powered counterparts.
Electromagnetism, on the other hand, refers to the interaction between electrically charged particles and magnetic fields. This phenomenon has been crucial in the development of electrical devices, including generators, motors, and transformers. According to Michael Faraday, a 19th-century physicist, “Electromagnetic induction is a fundamental process in electrical engineering and physics, involving the generation of electricity in a conductor by the changing magnetic field around it” (Faraday, 1831). Electromagnetism has revolutionized the way we generate and distribute electrical power, making it possible to power homes and businesses using electricity generated from renewable sources.
The impact of electrification and electromagnetism on society cannot be overstated. The use of electricity has transformed the way we live, work and communicate, while the development of electrical devices has revolutionized industry and manufacturing. As Nikola Tesla, a pioneer in the field of electrical engineering, once said, “The harnessing of electricity has enabled mankind to do things that were once thought impossible” (Tesla, 1919).
In conclusion, electrification and electromagnetism are two concepts that have had a profound impact on modern society. Electrification involves the conversion of other forms of energy into electrical energy, while electromagnetism refers to the interaction between electrically charged particles and magnetic fields. These two concepts have enabled the development of new technologies and improved living standards for millions of people worldwide. As we continue to rely on electricity to power our daily lives, it is important to recognize the critical role that electrification and electromagnetism play in shaping the world around us.
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