January 26, 2016 ▸ People, Technology

Episode 59: Nikola Tesla

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As per listener request, this week’s Sofa King Podcast covers the life and inventions of Nikola Tesla. Born in Croatia in 1856, he was the archetype of the mad scientist. We start the episode with a look at his feud and relationship Thomas Edison. At the heart of this rivalry was a race to provide New York city with electricity. Edison backed DC current, and Tesla wanted the innovative AC current we used today, even though the technology didn’t exist at the time.

From George Westinghouse to JP Morgan, Tesla had support from the biggest financiers of his time and created the power plant at Niagara Falls that still provides power to much of New York. However, Tesla is also known for much more ambitious and crazy inventions. He beat the guy who supposedly invented the radio by inventing it first and did the same with X-rays. He built the famous Tesla Coils, the first remote control robot, a frequency oscillator that could supposedly destroy a building and split the earth in two. From weather control to free wireless energy (out of his Wardenclyffe Tower), and from a permanent aurora borealis to making the earth a giant battery, Tesla thought big and built bigger. And yes, we even discuss his famous death ray. So, if you want to know why so many conspiracy theories tie to Tesla and his inventions, give this one a listen.