As I researched ball lightning, I came across the work of Nikola Tesla. Called the "Master of Lightning" I was amazed at his visions of the future and experiments.
I wrote my 100th article on the Tunguska Event of 1908 this week. I wanted to explore the theories behind this almost one hundred year old mysterious event. I decided to explore the possible meteorological explanations. Ball lightning is considered a possible cause of the Siberian event. However, ball lightning is not universally understood by the science world.
Nikola Tesla - Master of Lightning
While researching ball lightning and the Tunguska Event, I came across the work of physicist Nikola Tesla. Born in 1856, Tesla came in the United States from the Balkan Peninsula, at the time electricity was brought to New York City. After being employed by Thomas Edison, Tesla set out on his own, with an inventor's spirit. Tesla aimed to prove that to could "be possible to transmit electrical power without wires at high altitudes" (PBS, 2004) and set up a laboratory in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
In this laboratory, Tesla experimented with producing lightning with his "resonate transformer". Known as the "Master of Lightning", he conceived it possible for power to be transmitted without wires. He set out to prove it to the world. Backed by J.P. Morgan, he built the Wardenclyffe tower, in order to send wirelss communication across the Atlantic. However, Marconi beat him to it in 1901.
Inventions and Mysteries
His inventions were important to both the fields of electricity and radio. Tesla developed the first "AC motor and polyphase power transmission system" (PBS, 2004). This future-thinking inventor and physicist invisioned a wirelss world, using the sun's energy and a world without war. Mysteries remain after his death, as his scientific papers remain missing. I find this a fitting match with Tunguska, as the two are veiled in mystery.
Resources:
PBS
