From what I understand, if this technology would have been built out during his time then humanity most likely wouldn’t have developed our semi-processor/radio/computer/telephone technology because the wireless transmission of electricity would have prevented the earliest versions of that tech to work and we wouldn’t have been able to follow that line of technology progression.
I have doubts about this because wireless induction is extremely inefficient due to the inverse square law, and pumping out enough power to make it useful at a distance would electrify almost everything conductive.
No doubt it would have done that as well; I’m not saying he figured it out, that it would have worked or would have been efficient.
I have had this come up a few times over the years and it usually results in the other party inferring “but Tesla had it working in his lab” or “Edison killed the tech” type of response even after stating what you did.
They usually don’t get it until you explain that radio would have not been possible with that much ambient electricity in the air. That all the technology in your cell phone would not have been possible if radio tech was DOA because everything conductive, including rudimentary electronics, would be fried instantly in such a world. It wouldn’t be good for humans either in a world like that.
This comment reminded me of the short story The Road Not Taken.
Fun read for anyone that hasn’t. It’s Earth’s first encounter with an alien race that has developed faster than light travel, only to find out that has put both our civilizations on very different tech trees.
From what I understand, if this technology would have been built out during his time then humanity most likely wouldn’t have developed our semi-processor/radio/computer/telephone technology because the wireless transmission of electricity would have prevented the earliest versions of that tech to work and we wouldn’t have been able to follow that line of technology progression.
I have doubts about this because wireless induction is extremely inefficient due to the inverse square law, and pumping out enough power to make it useful at a distance would electrify almost everything conductive.
No doubt it would have done that as well; I’m not saying he figured it out, that it would have worked or would have been efficient.
I have had this come up a few times over the years and it usually results in the other party inferring “but Tesla had it working in his lab” or “Edison killed the tech” type of response even after stating what you did.
They usually don’t get it until you explain that radio would have not been possible with that much ambient electricity in the air. That all the technology in your cell phone would not have been possible if radio tech was DOA because everything conductive, including rudimentary electronics, would be fried instantly in such a world. It wouldn’t be good for humans either in a world like that.
End. Thread.
Tesla was a genius, not a magician.
This comment reminded me of the short story The Road Not Taken.
Fun read for anyone that hasn’t. It’s Earth’s first encounter with an alien race that has developed faster than light travel, only to find out that has put both our civilizations on very different tech trees.
PDF
YouTube
Dude, no way!
Thank you for this. I love this story but could never find it again after I read it the first time!
So grateful for the link to this, thanks again stranger!
That’s awesome! Glad to help out.