A Conversation for Thomas Alva Edison
Peer Review: A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Monsignore Pizzafunghi Bosselese Started conversation Jan 7, 2002
I've been scouting (and making mistakes 
... and found:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A644465
It's a pity that krayzee girl (researcher 185759) doesn't seem to be around 
Bossel (presses thumbs)
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Satyagraha Posted Jan 7, 2002
Poorly known grim fact about Thomas Edison is that he was in competition with Westinghouse, who invented the alternating current, for the elctricity business, so Edison got patent on the first electric chairs, and made contracte with New York State, I believe, that they would only use his direct current electric chairs for the executions. There was not real practical knowledge of how this thing is going to work, and the initial tests were very messy executions. I know he is painted as heroic inventor, but where there is competitions in capitalisme, there is ugliness. 
Alas, no hero has no imperfection.
S.
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
xyroth Posted Jan 8, 2002
she mentions that "he was the last of the great inventors", but this popularly held belief is wrong.
he was not a very good inventor.
what gave him the reputation was his invention of the method of invention which modern research organisations like r.a.n.d. rely upon.
The other this he did was patent the entire system, so that if you had an edison bulb it had to go into an edison bulb holder fed by and edison generator.
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Satyagraha Posted Jan 10, 2002
So his invention was a huge improved form of Capitalisme? Comme c'est charmant. (How charming). This proprietairy thing, Compaq do it, too. I have obsolete Compaq laptop, and since Compaq no longer make the parts, there are no parts available, because Compaq machine only take Compaq up-grade. 
Is clever way to make people buy your stuff, but is also good way to make them never, ever make same mistake again, n'est-ce pas? 
Hell will host winter Olympics before I buy more Compaq!
S.
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Jan 10, 2002
Interesting.
Laurie Anderson used to tell the story (as part of her stage act) that Edison so hated Tesla that he, Edison, used to electrocute live dogs on stage in order to discredit Tesla's findings.
I get the feeling that our boy Edison was all that nice a man... 
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Satyagraha Posted Jan 10, 2002
Not Tesla, I am quite sure it was Westinghouse... but no, nice he was certainly not!
S.
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Jan 10, 2002
She definitely told the story about Tesla, who had worked with Edison in his early days.
I'm not saying it's gospel, but Anderson has a habit of being right...
<shark
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Satyagraha Posted Jan 10, 2002
Ah bon. The Westinghouse Edison rivalry was late in Edison's life and career, and so was the electric chair 
business. No doubt he did horrible things to make Tesla look bad, too. The man was not scroupulous at all.
I don't know who is Laurie Anderson? Some biographist?
S.
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Jan 12, 2002
Laurie Anderson-was a "performance artist", became (briefly) a rock star (best selling single, the 8 minute 'O Superman', reached number 2 in the UK charts). Now an all round American cultural icon, as well as being Mrs Lou Reed.
The story about Tesla and Edison was told as part of her 8 hour stage show, 'United States Parts I-IV'. Specialist subject, the growth and abuse of American technology.
Obviously a guide entry is needed...
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Jan 12, 2002
Laurie Anderson-was a "performance artist", became (briefly) a rock star (best selling single, the 8 minute 'O Superman', reached number 2 in the UK charts). Now an all round American cultural icon, as well as being Mrs Lou Reed.
The story about Tesla and Edison was told as part of her 8 hour stage show, 'United States Parts I-IV'. Specialist subject, the growth and abuse of American technology.
Obviously a guide entry is needed...
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Jan 12, 2002
Laurie Anderson-was a "performance artist", became (briefly) a rock star (best selling single, the 8 minute 'O Superman', reached number 2 in the UK charts). Now an all round American cultural icon, as well as being Mrs Lou Reed.
The story about Tesla and Edison was told as part of her 8 hour stage show, 'United States Parts I-IV'. Specialist subject, the growth and abuse of American technology.
Obviously a guide entry is needed...
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Jan 12, 2002
Laurie Anderson-was a "performance artist", became (briefly) a rock star (best selling single, the 8 minute 'O Superman', reached number 2 in the UK charts). Now an all round American cultural icon, as well as being Mrs Lou Reed.
The story about Tesla and Edison was told as part of her 8 hour stage show, 'United States Parts I-IV'. Specialist subject, the growth and abuse of American technology.
Obviously a guide entry is needed...
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Jan 12, 2002
Laurie Anderson-was a "performance artist", became (briefly) a rock star (best selling single, the 8 minute 'O Superman', reached number 2 in the UK charts). Now an all round American cultural icon, as well as being Mrs Lou Reed.
The story about Tesla and Edison was told as part of her 8 hour stage show, 'United States Parts I-IV'. Specialist subject, the growth and abuse of American technology.
Obviously a guide entry is needed...
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Zarquon's Singing Fish! Posted Jan 12, 2002
Another nice find, Bossel
Needs a bit of tidying up, otherwise fine.
One obvious typo - incandescent light bulbs must have been invented in 1879, not 1979.
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Jan 13, 2002
I hate it when a duff server connection makes you post something 5 times.
Apologies to all.
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Monsignore Pizzafunghi Bosselese Posted Jan 14, 2002
Yeah, such is life 
How about (virtually) renaming the piece to 'The Inventions of T.A. Edison'? I've made a copy of the entry at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A681095
with only minor editing, but I'm a bit busy with other stuff which keeps me from making it a full story of his life, patent wars and electrocution experiments. Whoever wants to, feel free to take over from there!
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
krayzee girl (researcher 185759) Posted Feb 3, 2002
I am too around, just not as often as everyone else. I am, after all, a university student!
A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Feb 3, 2002
Hi there!
Fine piece. Glad you are still around to take the credit for it!
Key: Complain about this post
Peer Review: A644465 - Thomas Alva Edison
- 1: Monsignore Pizzafunghi Bosselese (Jan 7, 2002)
- 2: Satyagraha (Jan 7, 2002)
- 3: xyroth (Jan 8, 2002)
- 4: Satyagraha (Jan 10, 2002)
- 5: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Jan 10, 2002)
- 6: Satyagraha (Jan 10, 2002)
- 7: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Jan 10, 2002)
- 8: Satyagraha (Jan 10, 2002)
- 9: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Jan 12, 2002)
- 10: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Jan 12, 2002)
- 11: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Jan 12, 2002)
- 12: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Jan 12, 2002)
- 13: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Jan 12, 2002)
- 14: Zarquon's Singing Fish! (Jan 12, 2002)
- 15: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Jan 13, 2002)
- 16: Monsignore Pizzafunghi Bosselese (Jan 14, 2002)
- 17: krayzee girl (researcher 185759) (Feb 3, 2002)
- 18: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Feb 3, 2002)
- 19: Monsignore Pizzafunghi Bosselese (Feb 4, 2002)
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