What are you hiding, Mr. Tesla?

[Stormcat]

I am intrigued by Nikola Tesla's theory of "Free Energy for All", but you simply can't type that into Google without getting a whole boatload of conspiracy nuts trying to peddle their woo.

So, I am asking for help finding relatively objective sources for research about Tesla and his numerous inventions. In particular, I am interested in his ideas about energy distribution. I am writing a story which features creatures that can manipulate all forms of energy, so Tesla might have some good ideas about where to find energy in the world around us.

[RJBowman]

Tesla's plan was to harness the entire water flow of Niagara Falls to produce electricity to transmit to the masses through a tower. As it turns out, investors are not interested in putting their money into giving things away free to the world with no possibility of recovering the investment, and it also turns out that transmitting electricity more than a few yards is not feasible.

[Stormcat]

Oh, I'm well aware of what he did in Niagara falls, but I want to find out more information about the plans he drew up for his inventions.

[SkyCityPublishing]

Captain Obviousman man here, but did you check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla ?

[RJBowman]

Oh, I'm well aware of what he did in Niagara falls, but I want to find out more information about the plans he drew up for his inventions.

When he died a lot of his papers were sent back to Czecoslovakia where his only living relatives lived, but those papers vanished into government archives and I don't know if they ever resurfaced. There are reports of blueprints being blown away by the wind when Wardenclyffe was demolished during the first world war. However, some of his papers do still exist, and many have been published. I believe that there is even a Tesla book in the classics section at Barnes and Noble; leatherette bound for about $20.

[Atterton]

Wasn't his idea to send out electromagnetic waves which could then power objects at a distance? It can be done but so much energy would go wasted.

[SkyCityPublishing]

Oh, I'm well aware of what he did in Niagara falls, but I want to find out more information about the plans he drew up for his inventions.

When he died a lot of his papers were sent back to Czecoslovakia where his only living relatives lived, but those papers vanished into government archives and I don't know if they ever resurfaced. There are reports of blueprints being blown away by the wind when Wardenclyffe was demolished during the first world war. However, some of his papers do still exist, and many have been published. I believe that there is even a Tesla book in the classics section at Barnes and Noble; leatherette bound for about $20.

Theres also these... I haven't read them - https://vault.fbi.gov/nikola-tesla

[SkyCityPublishing]

Wasn't his idea to send out electromagnetic waves which could then power objects at a distance? It can be done but so much energy would go wasted.

Wasted... and the power companies would lose all that money...

[Peter Brassbeard]

Wasn't his idea to send out electromagnetic waves which could then power objects at a distance? It can be done but so much energy would go wasted.

I recall a claim that the "magnifying transmitter" would somehow trigger the release of natural free atmospheric energy that would multiply the energy transmitted.  With the more mature understanding today of electromagnetism and Earth's atmosphere, that does not appear to be a realistic proposition.

I've also observed that Mr. Tesla, especially in his later years, tended towards delusions of grandeur, paranoia, and very poor note taking for fear of his inventions being stolen.

[RJBowman]

I recall a claim that the "magnifying transmitter" would somehow trigger the release of natural free atmospheric energy that would multiply the energy transmitted.  With the more mature understanding today of electromagnetism and Earth's atmosphere, that does not appear to be a realistic proposition.

I've also observed that Mr. Tesla, especially in his later years, tended towards delusions of grandeur, paranoia, and very poor note taking for fear of his inventions being stolen.

The lack of mature understanding of electromagnetism, combined with the poor note taking, and the delusions of grandeur (leading to many premature press announcements) is what lead to modern conspiracy theories that there are physics-defying Tesla technologies being suppressed by sinister forces.

[MWBailey]

Sorry, I spoke out of turn, and desire to test the idea before I post about it here. Sorry about that. (it was the old flourescent tube special effect experiment as proof that there's an accessible energy field under high tension power lines. I said a number of things that, in retrospect, I do not know to be true firsthand, thus the decision to take my post down. Again, my apologies).