4 ms·
I liked the play-by-play refutation of the comic, he really researched the whole thing (so I didn't have to). I learned some new things! I enjoyed the tone of
by kenamarit 14y ago
I liked the play-by-play refutation of the comic, he really researched the whole thing (so I didn't have to). I learned some new things!
I enjoyed the tone of the comic, however, even if it was inaccurate or disputable or at times just plain wrong. For me, Edison is one of those figures, like Christopher Columbus, or George Washington, that you learn about every single year growing up, since kindergarten, and whose myth is so grand and ubiquitous that every teacher I had from elementary school up until junior year physics said the exact same thing about him. Tesla was just another of a dozen names in the textbook.
So in a way I understand the sentiment. You grow up being told that this is guy, Edison, is the most awesome inventor in the history of America. And because of that I always felt a certain distrust about his accomplishments (even if I'm wrong), because so much of what my teachers taught me growing up turned out to be wrong.
- debacle 14y agoWe all stand on the shoulders of giants. Edison was no different.
- theorique 14y agoI agree - that smart-ass tone for me was the fun thing as well. Edison, as a larger than life figure in the past 100 years seems to be untouchable. The Oatmeal comic was a rush because I was thinking "you can't say those things about Edison". Of course, the real story is more complex than either hagiography.
- agwa 14y ago> So in a way I understand the sentiment. Yeah, but isn't what The Oatmeal did just as bad as what grade school teachers do? If we go from "Edison is the most awesome inventor in the history of America" to "Edison is the biggest asshat in the history of America," we've gained absolutely no honesty in our discourse. The Forbes article was nuanced and factually correct, which is what we should be striving for.
- sliverstorm 14y agoYou grow up being told that this is guy, Edison, is the most awesome inventor in the history of America. Well, consider this. Let's suppose Tesla was actually the most awesome inventor, and Edison was second. Which do you want to show children? The one who was a genius, or the one who made no bones about the fact that hard work was the main ingredient to his success? In other words, do we teach children that being smart is important, or do we teach them that hard work is important?
- Drbble 14y agoTesla worked tirelessly as well. Edison's clear superiority over Tesla was in business financing. I guess that's the lesson children need to learn?