Tesla built a tower on Long Island that he said would generate electricity free to the entire world. It was destroyed by "vandals" and shortly after that everyone started to use gasoline making the oil companies rich. Had we stuck with Tesla the world today would be a much better place.
Who doesn't know who Nikola Tesla is?
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yeah, an interesting note, Tesla and Mark Twain were buddies. 
i bet they had interesting conversations and yes I agree, Ash, Tesla was a giant among inventors and I think he passed away in 1943 so glad Nazi Germany did not access his talents.
There's an interesting article about Tesla in Wikipedia. An interesting thing is that Tesla and Mark Twain were indeed friends and Tesla and Thomas Edison hated each other because when Tesla worked for Edison; Edison promised to give him $50,000.00 but reneighed; but Twain was also friends with Edison in fact Twain was in one of the first moving pictures ever shot by Edison. Also I said that Tesla's LI tower was destroyed by vandals, according to Wikipedia it was destroyed by the US Marines!
wow Frank! very interesting and we love America but.. all kinds of things go on for the almighty dollar, also referring to your other comment about rich oil! so I wonder what president ordered the Marines to do the "job"
The movie you refer to is "The Prestige" and its listed on IMDB, it was made in 2006 but I never saw it. I'll try to get it. The Wikipedia url is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla. Woodrow Wilson was president at the time, he was sick most of his term so who knows who was in charge when the marines destroyed Tesla's tower. Tesla was the Bobby Fischer of his day, venerated for his genius but disliked because he was so honest. Many of Tesla's notes and papers are available online. He had a photographic memory and kept many of his ideas in his head. The US government has a lot to answer for and just as the Nazis were eventually called to account the US government will also be.
If you do not know who Nikola Tesla is, Please read this article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19503846
Without Tesla, we wouldn't have the tools to all have electric power to play/study/share, etc on this site in the first place. He invented the AC polyphase electric transmission system, allowing electricity to be safely and effectively transferred long distances, the electric motor, and its reverse, the electric generator, allowing other forms of energy to be transformed into electric current. He also invented the radio - not Marconi, Marconi was Tesla's assistant and a thief, (for those who play on mobile devices, or wireless internet in their house, etc), and the spark plug; we've got to drive to chess clubs and places to play after all as well. Without the alternator in the car and the spark plugs, we're not going anywhere.
Mad props and RIP Nikola Tesla! In my opinion the greatest scientist of the 20th century. Einstein was theoretical primarily. What Tesla made we use everyday without thinking twice.