From lightning to X-Rays, Niagara Falls to ‘The Prestige’, how much do you really know about the eccentric figure of Nikola Tesla? Listen to this episode for a detailed biography that discusses the man’s contributions to science and engineering, as well as a meta-conversation about the cult of personality that often accompanies his legacy in 2020.
0:00 – Introduction: early life + the nature of historical legacy.
4:50 – Tesla’s career: relationship with Edison; technologies/inventions; fun facts and eccentricities.
20:23 – Discussing the breadth of Tesla’s discoveries, his most radical endeavours, and untangling the myth from the man.
28:13 – Hypercreativity.
37:03 – The general role of technology in society.