The Problem With Eureka

First one with a press release wins the fellowship! But this isn’t news, this competitive marketplace of ideas. A hundred years ago, we have the sad case of Nicola Tesla entwined with the epic success story of Thomas Edison.

Tesla was brilliant and innovative in a way very few men have ever been or ever will be. Then Edison started doing shocking things like electrocuting elephants (how horrible: both that pun and the elephant murder) to show how dangerous Tesla’s flavor of electricity (alternating current) was. Tesla died alone in a dingy hotel room, with not a penny to his name. Edison died with over 1000 patents to his.

This quote is a good reminder that an idea not shared is just an idea that someone else will take credit for. Great minds often think alike, unfortunately.

(c) Jessica Hagy, 2011