Whether it be the remodeling of a modern car or an improvement in the motherboard of a computer, inventing solutions and, in turn, contributing to the progression of society and technologies is an incredible feat. Throughout the course of history our world has seen a multitude of reputable inventors, from Alexander Graham Bell to Nikola Tesla, and Benjamin Franklin to Archimedes. These individuals are extremely intelligent but also have a passion and drive for innovation and problem solving. It is through much perseverance and creativity that they were able to extend technological boundaries and overcome problems that were encountered with past inventions. These individuals have developed and improved hundreds of inventions in order to …show more content…
Born in Milan, Ohio and raised in Michigan, Edison was the seventh and last child to Samuel Ogden Edison and Nancy Matthews Elliot, who worked ordinary jobs and had no legitimate source of education. As a child, Edison’s was clearly elsewhere. It did not take long for him to be kicked out of school as a child, having only received 3 months of formal education. Following this, he was taught by his mother at home. Edison describes his relationship with his mother as very strong and as the focal point of his life. It was because of her that he felt purposeful and aspired to become great. At an early age, Edison developed hearing problems that are said to have been attributed to recurring untreated ear infections. As a young teen he sold candy and newspapers on trains running throughout the state, and he also supplemented his income by selling vegetables. Alongside work he studied qualitative analysis and conducted chemical experiments. Soon after he was able to begin a life-long streak of entrepreneurial ventures by obtaining exclusive rights to sell newspapers on the streets. While continuing as a businessman, Edison began his career as an inventor in New Jersey in the 1870s. The phonograph and the light bulb are only two of over two thousand patents/inventions that Thomas Edison brought to life throughout his …show more content…
Invented in 1877, the purpose of the phonograph is to mechanically record and reproduce sound. Edison conceived the principle of the phonograph as an effort to replay telegraph messages. While experimenting, he noticed that the movement of a paper tape through a telegraph, at high speeds, resembled spoken words. He pressed a stylus into a tinfoil cylinder and was astonished when it recorded his message. This worked because the vibrations of Edison’s voice caused indentation onto the cylinder by the recording needle. Following this discovery, he was able to create a machine with two needles-one to record sound and one to play it back. Of course, Edison intended for the phonograph to be used to replay telegraph messages, but he suggested other uses such as letter writing and dictation, family records, music boxes/toys, alarm clocks, books for the blind and connection with telephones. Originally, people had a hard time believing that this discovery was legitimate. It seemed almost magical to the world-he became widely known as the wizard of Menlo Park following the first demonstration of the phonograph in November of 1877. Throughout the next few decades even a longer list of uses was created. The basic machine was sold for sixty dollars and became popular in private homes in the early twentieth
Nikola Tesla is a man that many individuals associate with brilliance. Moreover, Tesla is a name that ignites impulses within an individual’s brain which illuminate, via bio-circuitry, the thought association of Tesla and brilliance, similar to the force we term as electricity. Brilliance however, shouldn’t be the only descriptive word to come to mind when thinking of one of the greatest engineers and inventors to live. Innovation and determination should be undoubtedly included in the list of descriptive words of Mr. Nikola Tesla. For without the innovative mind of Tesla, midcentury inventions as well as current technological advances would be nonexistent, or worse, credited to Thomas Edison.
Although Thomson set up the first electric system, it was Edison who invented the phonograph in eighteen seventy-seven. Editors at Scientific American, who were some of the first to experience Edison's newest creation, were startled. "The machine began by politely inquiring as to our health, asked how we liked the phonograph, informed us that it was very well, and bid us a cordial good night." (RCA Online 2)
He worked with George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla during the late 19th century so bring electric lighting into houses and offices. Incandescent lighting is when light is produced by heat. Around 1870s, there was already lighting called arc lighting. Those were placed in large indoor rooms such as a stage and outdoors in streetlight lamps. Arc light was proven to be impractical in housing or offices. During the 1879, Edison did research in an entire electrical systems which would deal with a generator, a distribution system, and a light bulb. His main focus though was the light bulb. It needed to be strong enough so that the heat wouldn 't cause the light bulb to explode. He worked with carbon filaments which burned inside a glass globe as electricity flowed through the filaments. During the same year, Edison worked with Francis Upton to make a generator that produced direct current, which is also what Edison is very well known for. Direct current was used for incandescent
Benjamin Franklin was one of the most significant figures during the 18th century. The significance of Benjamin Franklin can be observed through his contributions to society. Such contributions include his profession as a printer, the creation of the first subscription library, the creation of Poor Richard’s Almanac, and his experiments with electricity. In addition, Franklin also tried to reconcile the differences between England and America, and when that proved futile, he traveled to France in an attempt to convince the French to support America in their quest for independence from England. At one point in time Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American on the planet.
Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio on February 11, 1847. He spent a few years of his life in Milan, but when he turned seven him and his family moved to Michigan. Thomas Edison's parents are Samuel Ogden Edison Jr. and Nancy Matthews Elliott. His mother was a former teacher and his dad was a shopkeeper. Edison was the youngest out of seven children. Edison attended school for a short period of time but later became home schooled. Being homeschooled allowed Edison to do more things like experimenting in his basement, crate his habit of reading and make his own newspapers. At a young age Thomas Edison started developing problems with his hearing which was caused by untreated middle-ear infections and scarlet fever he received in his childhood.
That same year he sat up his very first laboratory and manufacturing facility in Newark, New Jersey where he was able to employ several civilians. This facility was well known for developing products for the highest bidders. One of his employers, Mary Stirrell was a hard worker and Thomas quickly noticed this and they began dating one another and by 1871 they had gotten married. Six years later he moved his expanding operations to Mento Park, New Jersey. He also built an independent industrial research facility majoring in machine shops and laboratories. Western Union encouraged him to develop an invention that would compete with Alexander Bell telephone. Thomas never came up with anything, but he came up with the Phonograph; which was capable of recording
In 1877, Edison created his favorite invention of all; the phonograph. Edison actually created this by accident while trying to make a telephone, but after he finally perfected it, everyone wanted to know about how it worked. It became popular so quickly, that he was even invited to the White House to show off his new and unusual machine that mimicked sounds
On February 11th, 1847 in some hospital in Milan, Ohio, a new inventor was born. His parents, Samuel and Nancy, named this inventor Thomas Alva Edison. He was the seventh child. In his early life he set up a laboratory in the cellar of his house. Young Thomas thought that if given enough gas to a person, that person would float. That turned out to be a wrong hypothesis because when he tried this experiment on his friend, his friend got sick and his laboratory was closed by his parents. At the age of twelve Edison became a newsboy and a candy butcher on the Grand trunk Railway. When he fifteen he published his first newspaper, "The Weekly Herald", on a moving train. His railroad was quickly finished when his laboratory caught on fire in one of the boxcars. Fortunately for him he saved the son J. U. Mackenzie from a certain death in a train accident. The father of the boy he saved was the station agent at Mount Clemens, and Mr. Mackenzie taught Edison telegraphy.
From this invention Edison started the Edison Speaking Phonograph Company in 1878. Edison had received $10,000 for the sales and manufacturing rights plus 20% of the profits from this company. The machine had a variety of uses including dictation, creating listening books, a sort of a “family record” which had precious recorded memories of the family like last words, teaching elocution, adn other uses as well
Edison was born on February 11, 1887 in Malian, Ohio. He had seven siblings and he was the youngest. When he was born he was very sick and had a very big head. The doctor thought he was infected with brain fever but he survived and was a very intelligent and active child. He question ever thing from the time he could walk always wondering how and why things worked. Edison was a poor student in school the only thing he enjoyed doing was reading science books and self exploring. The teachers thought he was a mixed up kid so he dropped out and was home schooled by his mother. By age nine he was an excellent reader and loved to experiment from the things he read in the science books. His mother was his biggest supporter. From the ages nine through
Some of his inventions were improvements on other inventions, like the telephone. He didn’t “invent” the telephone he just made it better. Some of his inventions he did try to invent, like the light bulb and the movie projector. The one he is most proud of was pretty much an accident--the phonograph.
Such as the train and car, which have changed transportation and trade for good. Then there are the electrical inventions, such as the light bulb and the alkaline storage battery. Changing the way people live at home. Its almost impossible to live without those two inventions, especially since they love their television and computers. So what was the thinking behind these inventors?
According to author and public speaker, Kevin Daum, Thomas Edison himself quotes, “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” His intelligence and desire to succeed led him to be one of the most successful inventors of all time. At a young age, Edison was already attracted to inventing his own things, which then led into him inventing some of the most valuable things to humankind today. Roberta Baxter, chemist and verified author, states, Edison invented the first automatic vote recorder, the first quadruplex telegraph, the phonograph, electric lighting, and many more things. Edison’s early inventions paved the way for the modern electric world (“Thomas Alva Edison 2008”).
Nikola Tesla is regarded as one of the most brilliant inventors in history. His work provided the basis for the modern alternating current power system, as well as having developed both radio and the fluorescent light bulb. He worked with Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, among others. He was also widely misunderstood by his peers and the public at large.
Many people came to see the showcase of the phonograph. In 1878, Thomas Edison starts expanding his inventions factory, and also builds a shopping store behind the laboratory. So he could sell his invention to the public. Later Thomas Edison started continuing his other inventions.