5 ms·

Nikola Tesla's letterhead circa 1900

79 points by MikeCapone 17y ago

zeynel1 17y ago
8 West 40th street now http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
- asolove 17y ago
  Presumably you meant: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=8+West+40th+ny&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=48.688845,62.402344&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=8+W+40th+St,+New+York,+10018&ll=40.752264,-73.981977&spn=0.02292,0.03047&t=p&z=15&layer=c&cbll=40.752305,-73.982083&panoid=5qroIZqGf8R6LhoeQ2FJWQ&cbp=12,215.63,,0,11.97 http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&#38...
  - zeynel1 17y ago
    This seems to be the view for number 8: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=8+west+40th+street+nyc&sll=40.752717,-73.981445&sspn=0.001089,0.002642&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=8+W+40th+St,+New+York,+10018&ll=40.752491,-73.982534&spn=0.008648,0.021136&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=40.752541,-73.982643&panoid=gDhesU1pYgBGPMzL8Ege7Q&cbp=12,179.02,,0,-0.59 http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&#38...
    - staunch 17y ago
      Me: "That's amazing..that's where his office was." Colleague: "What's amazing is that you're looking at it like that."
- MikeCapone 17y ago
  Your link doesn't work. This should do it: http://goo.gl/HGVl http://goo.gl/HGVl
icey 17y ago
I'm just gonna say it. Tesla was a pimp.
- grinich 17y ago
  And celibate.
  - ugh 17y ago
    http://beatonna.livejournal.com/23574.html http://beatonna.livejournal.com/23574.html
    - deleted 17y ago
      [deleted]
- mhartl 17y ago
  For the uninitiated (or nonnative speakers) out there: the parent comment uses pimp as a strong compliment, in the sense 6(1) at http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pimp http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pimp: 1)something badass or new and fresh. And yes, in this context badass is good: 1. badass The epitome of the American male. He radiates confidence in everything he does, whether it's ordering a drink, buying a set of wheels, or dealing with women. He's slow to anger, brutally efficient when fighting back. (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=badass http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=badass) Indeed, Tesla was a badass pimp.
- motters 17y ago
  Indeed Tesla seems to have been part scientist, part engineer and part showman.
J_McQuade 17y ago
Quite off-topic, I'm sure, but I can't help but wonder if the central image in that letterhead inspired the look of Dr Who's Daleks. I love finding hidden references like that.
dzlobin 17y ago
Looks like Adobe now resides in part of the building. http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/cbc/cbc_ny.html http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/cbc/cbc_ny.html
- zeynel1 17y ago
  There is no plaque on that building but there is one in a nearby building called "Engineers club" mentioning Tesla. http://www.teslasociety.com/bryantpark.htm http://www.teslasociety.com/bryantpark.htm
jazzychad 17y ago
My grandfather, whose background was in economics, became very interested in science later in life and built a fully functional Tesla Coil [1] in his basement in his 60's (this was before wide-spread availability of information on the internet; he did research in libraries and universities and built it out of hardware store parts). I was about 7 at the time. We would do experiments with it such as lighting up free-standing fluorescent bulbs up to 15 feet away, or affixing an ion motor attachment which would reach incredible speeds. I am now 25, and like my grandfather, I never want to stop learning. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_coil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_coil
- cmallen 17y ago
  Please breed. A lot.
- mixmax 17y ago
  An good friend of mine toys around with tesla coils quite a bit. Here's his tesla coil page: http://dzl.dk/projects/tesla/tesla.html http://dzl.dk/projects/tesla/tesla.html A few years ago he got involved in a pretty crazy project: Another friend (artist type) had heard that as long as you didn't touch the ground you could actually sit on top of a tesla coil and have huge sparks coming out of your fingers. He promptly went out and got some funding to make a 3 meter tall coil, and toured around Copenhagen sitting on top of it with lighting coming out of his outstretched hands. I'm somewhat surprised he survived, but it looked damn cool.
  - jurjenh 17y ago
    There's a man that went around music festivals here in new zealand for a couple of years - he'd put himself in a custom-made suit (faraday cage) and would then stand on a platform and hook himself up to a coupla thousand volts... Bloody impressive, except for the day he didn't do his suit up properly. He survived that one, but I haven't seen him perform in a while...
- DavidCh 17y ago
  Normally male teens learn about physics/engineering/mechanics by working on cars. Complicated stuff, and also a practical skill that girls like. I hope these odd ventures haven't turned you into a horrendous nerd, because if they did then you should be very angry at your grandfather.
DavidCh 17y ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVzEfR6wL70 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVzEfR6wL70 (worth it)

79 points by MikeCapone 17y ago

zeynel1 17y ago

8 West 40th street now http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

asolove 17y ago
Presumably you meant: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=8+West+40th+ny&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=48.688845,62.402344&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=8+W+40th+St,+New+York,+10018&ll=40.752264,-73.981977&spn=0.02292,0.03047&t=p&z=15&layer=c&cbll=40.752305,-73.982083&panoid=5qroIZqGf8R6LhoeQ2FJWQ&cbp=12,215.63,,0,11.97 http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&#38...
- zeynel1 17y ago
  This seems to be the view for number 8: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=8+west+40th+street+nyc&sll=40.752717,-73.981445&sspn=0.001089,0.002642&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=8+W+40th+St,+New+York,+10018&ll=40.752491,-73.982534&spn=0.008648,0.021136&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=40.752541,-73.982643&panoid=gDhesU1pYgBGPMzL8Ege7Q&cbp=12,179.02,,0,-0.59 http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&#38...
  - staunch 17y ago
    Me: "That's amazing..that's where his office was." Colleague: "What's amazing is that you're looking at it like that."
MikeCapone 17y ago
Your link doesn't work. This should do it: http://goo.gl/HGVl http://goo.gl/HGVl

icey 17y ago

I'm just gonna say it. Tesla was a pimp.

grinich 17y ago
And celibate.
- ugh 17y ago
  http://beatonna.livejournal.com/23574.html http://beatonna.livejournal.com/23574.html
  - deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]
mhartl 17y ago
For the uninitiated (or nonnative speakers) out there: the parent comment uses pimp as a strong compliment, in the sense 6(1) at http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pimp http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pimp: 1)something badass or new and fresh. And yes, in this context badass is good: 1. badass The epitome of the American male. He radiates confidence in everything he does, whether it's ordering a drink, buying a set of wheels, or dealing with women. He's slow to anger, brutally efficient when fighting back. (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=badass http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=badass) Indeed, Tesla was a badass pimp.
motters 17y ago
Indeed Tesla seems to have been part scientist, part engineer and part showman.

J_McQuade 17y ago

Quite off-topic, I'm sure, but I can't help but wonder if the central image in that letterhead inspired the look of Dr Who's Daleks. I love finding hidden references like that.

dzlobin 17y ago

Looks like Adobe now resides in part of the building. http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/cbc/cbc_ny.html http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/cbc/cbc_ny.html

zeynel1 17y ago
There is no plaque on that building but there is one in a nearby building called "Engineers club" mentioning Tesla. http://www.teslasociety.com/bryantpark.htm http://www.teslasociety.com/bryantpark.htm

jazzychad 17y ago

My grandfather, whose background was in economics, became very interested in science later in life and built a fully functional Tesla Coil [1] in his basement in his 60's (this was before wide-spread availability of information on the internet; he did research in libraries and universities and built it out of hardware store parts). I was about 7 at the time. We would do experiments with it such as lighting up free-standing fluorescent bulbs up to 15 feet away, or affixing an ion motor attachment which would reach incredible speeds. I am now 25, and like my grandfather, I never want to stop learning. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_coil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_coil

cmallen 17y ago
Please breed. A lot.
mixmax 17y ago
An good friend of mine toys around with tesla coils quite a bit. Here's his tesla coil page: http://dzl.dk/projects/tesla/tesla.html http://dzl.dk/projects/tesla/tesla.html A few years ago he got involved in a pretty crazy project: Another friend (artist type) had heard that as long as you didn't touch the ground you could actually sit on top of a tesla coil and have huge sparks coming out of your fingers. He promptly went out and got some funding to make a 3 meter tall coil, and toured around Copenhagen sitting on top of it with lighting coming out of his outstretched hands. I'm somewhat surprised he survived, but it looked damn cool.
- jurjenh 17y ago
  There's a man that went around music festivals here in new zealand for a couple of years - he'd put himself in a custom-made suit (faraday cage) and would then stand on a platform and hook himself up to a coupla thousand volts... Bloody impressive, except for the day he didn't do his suit up properly. He survived that one, but I haven't seen him perform in a while...
DavidCh 17y ago
Normally male teens learn about physics/engineering/mechanics by working on cars. Complicated stuff, and also a practical skill that girls like. I hope these odd ventures haven't turned you into a horrendous nerd, because if they did then you should be very angry at your grandfather.

DavidCh 17y ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVzEfR6wL70 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVzEfR6wL70 (worth it)