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Prashant Khadilkar
Prashant Khadilkar
Digital Transformation | FS Industry | Client Service Delivery | Scaled Agile | AI First | Cloud Right
Published Jul 9, 2021
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What a travesty of our system? That was my reaction when I read about Nikola Tesla for the first time. My ignorance of the legend who touched almost every human life on the planet left me baffled and hollow with sense of indebtedness.
The “Genius” who was an inventor, engineer, scientist, physicist, mathematician, and visionary all in one. From electricity, x-rays and drones to radar and robotics, there are traces of his work in every modern-day device.
Yet, recognition and wealth had always sidestepped him. Or was he indifferent to that? The fact is our world was unable to grasp his greatness at that time. We failed him.
He lived a roller coaster of a life; digging ditches for cabling, becoming the richest person on the planet, and so much more. He took a number of risks that didn't always pay off. What did pay off, however, changed the world forever. His ideas that didn’t come to fruition are so grand that scientists struggle to decipher them even now.
Three of his life circ*mstances intrigued me most. Had any of these transpired a different way, the world would not be the same.
His parting with Edison:
After arriving in US, Nikola Tesla worked with Edison, the then successful business tycoon, in improving direct current (DC) Dynamos. But they parted soon due to their contrasting personalities and scientific differences. He then went on to develop the alternating current (AC) system. The same system which is prevalent today and preferred over DC due to its ease of transmission. What if he had never left and continued there as one of Edison’s engineers, compromising his uprightness? Would large part of the world have been in dark and deprived off vast electrification we see today?
Too generous?
Once AC’s superiority was established, he started a collaboration with Westinghouse who bought his patents. During the war of currents, Tesla tore up the original contractrelinquishing his royalties to save Westinghouse from verge of Bankruptcy. His $2.50 royalty for each horsepower of electricity sold would have made him the richest person on the planet. Enough for self-funding many ahead of his time inventions and possibilities. He was deprived of funding when he needed it the most.
Dream of free electricity:
Tesla believed that there was unlimited electric power available in the universe without the need for coal, gas, oil, or any other fuel. He dreamed of deriving this power and beaming electricity without wires through a channel between the Earth and the ionosphere for anyone to tap into freely. However, it never went to culmination due to the need for additional funding. Had his dream been successful, renewable energy would have been our go to source of energy, diminishing the multitude of environmental problems we face today.
Nikola Tesla never amassed personal wealth but he enriched our world in many ways. At his birth his mother referred him as “the child of light”. It is not overstatement to say that he has invented the twentieth century. Humanity owes an immense debt of gratitude to this unfathomable ingenious mind.
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14 Comments
Prabhdeep Singh
Generative AI, Wealth and Investment Banking IT Consultant and Manager
2y
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Thanks for sharing inspiring story Prashant.When I first heard about Nikola Tesla from you, I went back to library and took a book about his biography. Such a humble and brilliant personality he was. Many people and engineers visits Niagra falls every year but very few knows that Nikola Tesla developed AC system which enable power from Niagra falls to be transmitted to great distances. He even did not marry and spent his lifetime flowing his passion to discover new inventions for mankind. Had people of his time supported him, this world would have been better place to live.
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Mahesh Bhaktha
Client Solution Head (FS-Global Markets) | Bid Management | Solution Integrator | Large Deals Strategizing | Client Engagement | Visual Branding Consultant
2y
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Nice article Prashant.
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Neeraj Joshi
Digital, Data, and AI Advisor | Fractional CTO | Technology Advisory
2y
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Very well written Prashant...Gives glimpse into how society change was brought about by selfless people earlier
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Vaibhav Pandhari
Head of Technology : Voya India | Workplace Solutions & Investment Management Technology | Building GCCs | Ex-Infosys
2y
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Wov didn't know so much about him, super post and a v well written too Prashant, thanx for sharing 👍
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