Nikola Tesla museum campaign raises over $500,000 online in first two days

The development of a museum dedicated to the life and works Nikola Tesla has moved one step closer after an online campaign raised more than $500,000 in 48 hours.

The fundraising effort, called “Let’s build a goddamn Tesla museum“, was devised by web comic The Oatmeal on behalf of the Tesla Science Center.

It is hoping is hoping to raise $850,000 from its appeal on the money-raising website Indiegogo.

The money would allow for the redevelopment of Tesla’s Wardenclyffe laboratory in Shoreham, New York, where the cult scientist intended to develop a tower that would provide free wireless electricity across the world.

www.rawstory.com...

More at link.

Funds to be matched by NY state for purchasing the property, eh? Lol, wonder how the taxpayers are going to feel about that. Of course it doesn't matter how the taxpayers feel, anyway.

Would someone care to explain to me how wireless energy is going to overcome the spherical nature of the planet? That part I just don't get. I mean if it worked, I could maybe see it for a limited area- but it would seem there would have to be repeater towers all over the place, much like cell towers.

But the biggest problem is current draw in amps. I just don't see how you could get that kind of juice on the loose, and frankly I am not sure I'd like to live inside what amounts to a continual, low level lightning storm.

But ok, w/e. I do think Tesla was one of a kind, and it would be great if they could put in the museum somehow... And looks like people are donating to the cause! I know I bitch about RawStory being a staunchly liberal rag, but they are good for the occasional story, oddly, in Science, not politics.

That's awesome! I wish I had $350K to donate! It would be great if the masses could finally see what a great mind we have buried into the bowels of the history books. I just hope they use actual history, like that exposing the conniving Thomas Edison, and not the fluffed up recount that we hear about today.

It's about time the man got some respect, I think it's the least America can do for one it's Greatest

You know.. the guy your Elites raped of ideas and left to die alone...

And.. why is this in the Skunk works? Are we to believe Tesla was a Hokey Faker now???

Wow! Thats some of the fastest and most well deserved fund raising i've ever seen!

Awesomeness!

About time hes finally getting at least some recognition.The inventer of a/c and the Tesla coil among others deserves more credit.

reply to post by Xarian6


Easy does it. I put it in SW because a lot of his ideas are controversial, and especially, the wireless power part, which the article is pushing. Not to mention that I do have some legit questions above in the OP about that.

reply to post by TrueAmerican

Would someone care to explain to me how wireless energy is going to overcome the spherical nature of the planet?

It won't. Tesla's scheme to transmit electricity through the Earth was hopelessly inefficient.

Just how that electricity would be "free" is a tough one to figure out too. Tesla's idea was a transmission system, not a production system. You would need a receiver to use it, just as you need a cable connected to the grid (and a meter). It might make it easier to steal power, but where the heck would that "free" electricity which is transmitted through the ground supposed to come from?

reply to post by Phage


I'm going to have to disagree with you"... Strongly.
Without Tesla nearly every modern accommodation we enjoy today would not have been possible. Tv, radar, radio, bla bla bla.

I've donated to this fund. Tesla lovers should do so.

reply to post by W3RLIED2

Without Tesla nearly every modern accommodation we enjoy today would not have been possible. Tv, radar, radio, bla bla bla.

Tesla was an excellent engineer and we still use a some of his stuff but he had some...um...nutty ideas.

Speaking of TV, radar, radio, bla bla bla. He didn't think much of electromagnetic radiation, mostly because he didn't really understand it. Here's what he said about "Hertzian waves", which we now call radio waves. He insisted that they were devoid of any practical value. He insisted that "earth currents" were the only way to go.

For more than eighteen years I have been reading treatises, reports of scientific transactions, and articles on Hertz-wave telegraphy, to keep myself informed, but they have always imprest me like works of fiction.

The Hertz wave theory of wireless transmission may be kept up for a while, but I do not hesitate to say that in a short time it will be recognized as one of the most remarkable and inexplicable aberrations of the scientific mind which has ever been recorded in history.

www.tfcbooks.com...

reply to post by Phage


Well, they could always put a geothermal power plant in at Yellowstone.

Oh, I just didn't say that!

:shk:

So, what else you know about this guy that might warrant a museum? I know there's lots of ideas he had- are there any you find intriguing?

Originally posted by Phage
Just how that electricity would be "free" is a tough one to figure out too. Tesla's idea was a transmission system, not a production system.

Yes, the Wardenclyffe Tower was never intended to produce energy for free, but route electricity from the Niagra Falls. Then transmit the power wirelessly for people to use freely, when the investor (whose name alludes me at this time, JP Morgan I believe) found out that there would be no way to charge for the power he quickly dropped funding.

reply to post by TrueAmerican

So, what else you know about this guy that might warrant a museum? I know there's lots of ideas he had- are there any you find intriguing?

He was a really, really good engineer. Brilliant even, but the myth outstrips the man and that's the trouble. There is so much myth involved with his ideas that it can be hard to dig through it. But in looking at his patents (some of which are still in use to one degree or another) all that is seen is his skill as an innovative engineer.

Of course the claims about his "hidden" work helps to keep the myth alive and people tend to ignore the fact that there is a Tesla Museum.
www.tesla-museum.org...

I'm sure I read Tesla had an idea for free energy that consisted of a dynamo taping into the earths electromagnetism, it can't run out, as its natural energy it could be used indefinitely, it would power its self by rotating using the force of positive and negative..

I know that's a crap description, I'm not very scientific, I remember when I read it though, it made perfect sense... I really must locate that paper again.

reply to post by Kr0nZ

Then transmit the power wirelessly for people to use freely, when the investor (whose name alludes me at this time, JP Morgan I believe) found out that there would be no way to charge for the power he quickly dropped funding.

Part of the myth I was talking about. Tesla spent all the money which Morgan had invested and the royalty period on his earlier patents expired. He ran out of money and early experiments at Wardenclyffe were apparently less than successful, it wasn't working.

reply to post by Phage


IMO teslas, wardencliffe experiments needed more time. He was there for barely two years before it was planned for demo. Had he recieved slightly more funding and had more time ( as a scientist you must understand ) IMO he probably would have had much more success.

You're correct, ,though.... As usual

You make it very hard to argue, my friend.

reply to post by TrueAmerican


sry about that

Spent the better part of last week informing regular folks that he even existed.. let alone his more basic ideas that we use today, Sad how many have no idea.. truly sad

TechCrunch: The Oatmeal Hits Its $850,000 Goal To Fund A Tesla Museum In Less Than A Week

They are now at $1,031,354



ETA: Hope this bumps the thread up again.

For those who don't know the oatmeal comic about tesla:
Why Nikola Tesla was the greatest geek who ever lived.