Print 

Author Topic: The "Famous people you've probably never heard of but should have" thread  (Read 61257 times)

Offline jim360

  • Posts Too Much
  • *****
  • Posts: 6847
Hi,

This thread has two useful purposes:

1) It keeps my post count up.
2) Maybe those people who read it will have a bit of fun and learn something too!!

Every so often I'll add a post giving a few details about someone who rather unfairly has been almost lost from history. Heard of people like Newton, Einstein or Florence Nightingale? Good. What about Leibniz, Dirac or Heaviside? People who also deserve to be famous but for some reason aren't.

My first person to pick is Nikola Tesla, who by a strange twist of fate died 67 years ago today. Actually, you've probably all just about heard of him if you ever played Command and Conquer: Red Alert since the Tesla Coil is one of his quirkier ideas.

But apart from invent a deadly electric turret that zaps people and makes them look funny, what did Tesla do?? Well, quite a few things:

 - He invented the radio, two years before Marconi did. (Marconi got the patent but Tesla won it back in 1943), and the radio transmitter.
 - He designed, built and patented the first useful Alternating Current Generator, and so gave birth to the first useful Electric Grid. The entire Western World is built on AC electricity, and Tesla started it all. And in a stroke of inspiration, too!!! It's said that he came up with the design by drawing it in the sand in a park after a vision.
 - He discovered X-rays, 3 years before Rontgen.
 - He even, 100 years before it was developed, foresaw the internet:

"As soon as completed, it will be possible for a business man in New York to dictate instructions, and have them instantly appear in type at his office in London or elsewhere. He will be able to call up, from his desk, and talk to any telephone subscriber on the globe, without any change whatever in the existing equipment. An inexpensive instrument, not bigger than a watch, will enable its bearer to hear anywhere, on sea or land, music or song, the speech of a political leader, the address of an eminent man of science, or the sermon of an eloquent clergyman, delivered in some other place, however distant. In the same manner any picture, character, drawing, or print can be transferred from one to another place. Millions of such instruments can be operated from but one plant of this kind."

Eerily accurate, I think you'd agree.

Tesla disappears from the fame books due to Marconi winning the patent for the radio in 1904 and the fact that he lost all his money. The rest of his life saw him withdraw from the world.

But let's not forget, this man invented the modern world, and let's be thankful that he did.
Check out my Short introduction... corner and my "Historical figures who should perhaps be better-known" thread!!

Exciting videos: 1.1 / 1.2 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6



              

Offline Fraggle

  • Posts Too Much
  • *****
  • Posts: 2166
  • Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional!
Did someone say Command and Conquer-Red alert?
  i LOVE that game!!
Many thanks to BFM_MiG for the awesometastic siggy!!
Quote from: BFM_JANE
It's just like life! Except with more rockets!

~ӺƦ∂פ₲Ļĕ
Quote from: some random person somewhere
When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin.
It works not because it settles the question for you, but because in that brief moment when the coin is in the air...

...You suddenly know what you are hoping for!

Offline jim360

  • Posts Too Much
  • *****
  • Posts: 6847
Wow great, I probably shouldn't have mentioned that bit then if that's the only thing people will notice, lol. :P
Check out my Short introduction... corner and my "Historical figures who should perhaps be better-known" thread!!

Exciting videos: 1.1 / 1.2 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6



              

Offline Fraggle

  • Posts Too Much
  • *****
  • Posts: 2166
  • Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional!
lol, I knew that'd touch a nerve.  :siderofl:

Seriously though, such a great thread Jim! I love it!  :neckbeard: :dance:

....and thank you Mr Tesla!
Many thanks to BFM_MiG for the awesometastic siggy!!
Quote from: BFM_JANE
It's just like life! Except with more rockets!

~ӺƦ∂פ₲Ļĕ
Quote from: some random person somewhere
When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin.
It works not because it settles the question for you, but because in that brief moment when the coin is in the air...

...You suddenly know what you are hoping for!

Offline BFM_saes

  • BFM Admin
  • *
  • Posts: 1335
  • oops....
The name Leibniz seems somewhat familiar...


Offline jim360

  • Posts Too Much
  • *****
  • Posts: 6847
Well I'll look into it depending on when Cavendish was born or died or something else exciting in his life happened.
Check out my Short introduction... corner and my "Historical figures who should perhaps be better-known" thread!!

Exciting videos: 1.1 / 1.2 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6



              

Offline meeelisa

  • Senior Poster
  • ****
  • Posts: 711
  • Nobody ever died of Laughter!
Just curious, but I am wondering..
Do you know when you will add me to this list.  I wanna make sure I know so I can show my mom.
Thanks Fanatic!!

 You have the right to remain silent.  Anything you say can be misquoted and used against you.

Offline BFM_JANE

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 9501
  • Despite the cost of living, it remains popular.

I've posted on this before... HIs craziness is fun!


Aww, you missed some of the good stuff! Tesla was kind of crazy... Here are some of his other "inventions":

Death Ray: destructive energy transmitter he claimed to have built - "when unavoidable... may be used to destroy property and life." --- Tesla, 1915

Mechanical Oscillator: compresses air until the air is a liquid

Earthquake Machine: a pocket-sized device that could shake a house apart with building waves of energy.

Force Field: a magnetic field dome made of energy that will eventually be built big enough to protect a city from attack during wars

Thought Camera: In 1933, Dr. Tesla theorized about a device that could photograph thoughts. "I expect to photograph thoughts... In 1893, while engaged in certain investigations, I became convinced that a definite image formed in thought, must by reflex action, produce a corresponding image on the retina, which might be read by a suitable apparatus. This brought me to my system of television which I announced at that time..."

And then there were a few that were interesting, when you look at the time (early 1900's):

Wireless Transmission of Electricity: transmitted from power stations and received by antennas on houses and electric cars

Free Energy: Renewable electricity and heat tapped from the natural energy sources (not energy created from nothing)

Anti-Gravity Aircraft: electric aircraft[/size]





Offline BFM_Tails

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 1419
  • [VGTG]

 Actually, you've probably all just about heard of him if you ever played Command and Conquer: Red Alert since the Tesla Coil is one of his quirkier ideas.

But apart from invent a deadly electric turret that zaps people and makes them look funny, what did Tesla do?? Well, quite a few things:



/
Did someone say Command and Conquer-Red alert?
  i LOVE that game!!


 ;D thank you telsla, for giving us the tesla coil, and the ability to smite our enimies and withstand mamoth tank rushes
( you had to get me started on command and conquer :P )

Offline jim360

  • Posts Too Much
  • *****
  • Posts: 6847
Just curious, but I am wondering..
Do you know when you will add me to this list.  I wanna make sure I know so I can show my mom.

Well, everyone in BFM's heard of you, though, Meelisa! And if they haven't you go tell those squirrels to give the ignorant parties a lesson!!!

Nice hair today, by the way!!
Check out my Short introduction... corner and my "Historical figures who should perhaps be better-known" thread!!

Exciting videos: 1.1 / 1.2 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6



              

Offline BFM_Edison

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 3074
Re: The "Famous people you've probably never heard of but should have" thread
« Reply #10 on: January 08, 2010, 02:47:54 AM »
Tesla > (Thomas) Edison

Edison was worthless and just made a bunch of people do his work for him, then tried to say DC was better than AC. And Tesla was considered an Assassin (in Assassin's Creed 2) whereas Edison was a Templar, which is legit. Also, AC are also the initials of Assassin's Creed. Woo.
52.87   60.07   46.40   72.73   68.23   55.10   98.27   84.73

Offline ·WídgêT·

  • Posts Too Much
  • *****
  • Posts: 1827
  • Fail gun at your service
Re: The "Famous people you've probably never heard of but should have" thread
« Reply #11 on: January 08, 2010, 06:05:31 PM »
Sorry to burst your bubble JANE, but Mythbusters came close, but disproved the earthquake machine could actually work, but it's still pretty awesome to see he came that close.

Tesla has always been one of my favorite inventors, and not just because of the C&C games (though that did help a lot :clint: )


Thank you Tanger!


Not for wealth, rank, or honor, but for personal worth and character
Cheers, Marty!

http://8tracks.com/widget4nz
Check out my mixes and sign up for the site. It has yet to do me wrong

Offline conrad96

  • Regular Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 327
Re: The "Famous people you've probably never heard of but should have" thread
« Reply #12 on: January 08, 2010, 06:22:06 PM »
unfamous famous ppl huh?

thanks BFM_xsix for the awesome sig


thanks bfm_marine for the sig
 
(\__/)
(='.'=) This is Bunny. Copy and paste Bunny into your
(")_(") signature to help him gain world domination

hold on to to your potatoes!

~Brian Posehn



thanks legend for the awsome sig :D

Offline xOninez

  • Junior Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 177
  • Just do it.
Re: The "Famous people you've probably never heard of but should have" thread
« Reply #13 on: January 08, 2010, 06:33:14 PM »
idk about telsa much, but i know thomas edison

Offline jim360

  • Posts Too Much
  • *****
  • Posts: 6847
Re: The "Famous people you've probably never heard of but should have" thread
« Reply #14 on: January 09, 2010, 05:03:02 AM »
Good to see that the thread hasn't gone down too badly. My next post might be about Paul Dirac or some other mathematician.
Check out my Short introduction... corner and my "Historical figures who should perhaps be better-known" thread!!

Exciting videos: 1.1 / 1.2 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6



              

Print