History Hackers
November 3, 2008
This show aired once a while back, and I its really fun. Even though its got a little bit of history, a little bit of science, and a whole lot of hacking/MAKEing, its fast-paced and more captivating than the documentary I shared a few weeks back about computing. I’m so excited to get the word out about it that I’m even willing to make this worth a bonus reading assignment. You cannot afford to miss out!
This might be tricky for those of you without a DVR, or worse yet, without cable. I highly encourage you to seek out fellow classmates who have either, perhaps even holding viewing parties for it. Click here for the schedule particulars. Please note that it only airs twice on THIS WEDNESDAY.
As usual, once you’ve watched it, post a comment here. Please do so no later than midnight of the Tuesday after our second exam (November 18).
Entry Filed under: Fall 2008, assignments. .
1.
Amanda Beaver and Autumn Wilson | November 11, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Is this show for a grade? If so, I won’t be able to watch it do to work. What do I do?
2.
Amanda Beaver and Autumn Wilson | November 11, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Nevermind. I found my answer. Thanks
3.
jeramiah Caret | November 12, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Anything having to do with Tesla is fascinating, he is one of the most interesting people to ever live. Did you know that apparently Edison claimed on before his death that the biggest mistake of his life was trying to develop Direct Current rather then the Alternating Current that Tesla had tried to show him was superior? I guess hindsight is always 20/20.
I really liked the bike project, it is simple enough to try on your own and can be applied to number of different devices aside from a GPS. The neon light producing segment, although not as DIY was also really cool, glass blowing your own neon bulbs would be an experience I have always wanted to try, that and smithing.
The giant DC generator in the New Yorker hotel is something Im putting on my list of things to see the next time Im in the city. It really was a beautiful piece of machinery that seemed to be in great condition. I know it was an electrical generator but it looked almost steam punkish which was really neat.
Hey Brian, maybe you could have us build a mini tesla coil for extra credit!
4.
Tamara Gajic | November 12, 2008 at 9:51 pm
I enjoyed watching this. I learned that Edison invented a light bulb and then Tesla took over it. One of Tesla’s underrated achievements was inventing the neon sign. I liked watching the whole process of them melting glass, blowing into it and making a glass tube out of it to put the neon gas into it. He mentioned that the process of making it is still the same as it was in the 18th century, which is quite mind blowing. I liked the ending when he lit the whole 40 neon tubes without any wires. He also did other neat things with the bikes and the tubes. Tesla also invented wireless electricity, and without such thing…who knows how would we operate with most things.
Awesome show, learned a lot.
5.
Lori McGill | November 12, 2008 at 11:23 pm
I thought this show was really interesting. I liked the background perspective on the origins of history between Edison and Tesla and “The War of Currents.” The project he did using the bike as a generator was awesome. I can honestly say I would have never thought of doing that myself. Also, the locomotive engine housed in the New Yorker hotel is nothing but impressive. Especially due to the fact that it powered a DC generator providing power to the entire hotel. Overall, I really enjoyed this program. I’m a little bit of a history channel nerd anyway, but I loved that he showed you how to build your own version of the different inventions that shaped modern life.
6.
Ryan Smelser | November 13, 2008 at 12:00 am
I knew Edison had alot to do with electricity, but didnt know about Tesla. He had a theory to transmit more power further and more efficiently using alternating current, too bad he got fired by his hero. The process of how electricity is generated at power plants is pretty amazing, I never thought of how complicated it could be. It was cool how he powered the GPS using magnets and coils, and how he fixed the problem of the GPS shutting off when you stopped pedaling by having the current run through the battery pack.
Using magnetism, satellites in space can use each other to move around. At the MIT lab, they were able to move the objects around using electromagnetic force. I learned that neon is very energy efficient. Tesla had a vision of wireless electricity, and the show expanded upon it. He was able to transmit 1 million volts wirelessly. This show taught my alot about electricity, and how it takes quite a few elements to make a simple light bulb work properly.
7.
Jordan Chusid | November 13, 2008 at 12:19 am
This video was very interesting. Whenever I used to think about electricity, I always think Thomas Edison. It amazed me to know that Tesla was just as brillant, or more so, he was responsible for our communication technology today. I learned that Tesla took Edison’s concept of direct current and made it better with alternating current. AC was able to generate more power, better and further.
I enjoyed the bicycle project, when mechanical energy was transformed into electrical energy. The motion of the pedals acted like a generator, taking the electrical current formed from the magnets on the wheel to turn on the neon bulb and GPS.( with the help of a rechargeable battery pack)
I also was impressed with Tesla’s improvement of the light bulb with the neon tube, with 10 times more efficiency. I also didn’t realize that the laptop uses the neon tube.
Tesla was a man of the future. It was too bad that he was never given the praise he deserved and died a very lonely man. He understood where the future was going, wireless electricity.
8.
Corey Paul | November 13, 2008 at 12:28 am
It took a little while to get used to the host, but once I did History Hackers was very enjoyable. I was able to learn a lot as well. I never knew the science behind electricity and the program explained it perfectly. I enjoyed watching the different bike mechanisms that the host built to demonstrate the topics of the show. Some of my other favorite parts included the vast amount of historical content displayed by captivating comic book illustrations and the neon tubes. In fact, the entire glass blowing processing was extremely interesting. I almost felt the urge to learn how to do it as well. What I liked most of all though was learning about Tesla. I had no idea all of the brilliant discoveries he had come up with. I didn’t know about his struggle against Edison either. I did know about one of his inventions though. Who could overlook the infamous Tesla Coil. I’ve never had more fun in a high school science class.
9.
Matt Erickson | November 13, 2008 at 12:35 am
I didn’t know much about Tesla before watching this. Whenever I heard his name, all I could think of was David Bowie in The Prestige. But after watching this show and learning a little bit about him, I know he was brilliant and very under-appreciated, I find it astonishing that we don’t learn about him as much as do Thomas Edison when we’re younger. The glass blowing segment itself was interesting enough to warrant watching it, it was really cool. I’m not used to watching an educational TV show and actually enjoying it.
My favorite part though, was when he hooked the GPS up to the bicycle. Had it been my experiment, I don’t think I would have thought to use a rechargeable battery. It would have been so nice to have a GPS on my bike growing up, I can’t even tell you how many times I would ride my bike somewhere with my friends and get lost on the way home. In my high school electronics class we made the same type of thing with magnets but we never used it to power anything, looking back on it though, I kind of wish we had.
10.
Cameron Lazore | November 13, 2008 at 12:39 am
Tesla versus Edison, the ultimate showdown! And it looks like Tesla’s neon lights won. I thought the idea of turning the bike wheel into a electromagnet to generate power for the gps and light was great. I would want to do that for my bike, if I had one.
With the regular lights being so wasteful, 90% of the energy being in the form of heat, it almost seems like a conspiracy from electric companies since it seems like those regular light bulbs are used more. But maybe
11.
Amanda Farmer | November 13, 2008 at 12:48 am
I loved the idea of the bike powered GPS, and making the neon light was pretty awesome! I think watching this episode really helped me understand what was talked about in class about the differences between Enstine and Tesla’s experiments with electricity, especially the differences between AC and DC. Someone might want to inform the host that it is not a great idea to ride a skateboard with the 40 neon tubes you just created though.
12.
Alicia Torres | November 13, 2008 at 12:52 am
Although I did learn a thing or two, I’d be lying if I said that this show had me clinging to the edge of my seat. I’m sure that I would have enjoyed the show more if the subject matter had been anything other than electricity and the Tesla-Edison current war, but then I was also at the same time pretty impressed that they found a way to fit so much information into an hour time slot and still have time for all of the little experiments and sight-seeing. That switchboard that they had in the New Yorker hotel did look like it was straight out of Frankenstein. What I enjoyed most about the show was the whole DIY aspect, and the notion of using whatever you might pull out of your junk drawer to “hack” out modern working versions of historical inventions. I also really enjoyed seeing that the show’s host might have a little bit of a man-crush on Nikola Tesla.
13.
Nicolas Figueredo | November 13, 2008 at 1:00 am
I thought the show was actually pretty good (despite the fact the host sounds like Napoleon Dynamite). Any time they can mix history with something entertaining is a win-win in my book. I actually did learn quite a bit watching the show. I had no idea that Tesla invented a number of really important things that no one even thinks about. But, I don’t think the wireless electricity will be around any time soon… seems a little dangerous.
(This will make me a huge dork) When I used to play Command and Conquer Red Alert, the Tesla Coil was one of the greatest weapons because it was so powerful, and now it is pretty cool to know some of the history on it… except that it wasn’t originally made as a weapon.
All in all it was nice to see someone actually making something that was relatively useful from old parts. Good show and I will likely watch it again!
14.
Alyssa Velazquez | November 13, 2008 at 1:02 am
I’m not a big fan of the History channel but this show was pretty interesting and I actually learned a lot from it. I like how they did a lot of experiments trying to conduct energy and the one they did with the gps attached to the bike was the one that stood out to me, I thought that was really cool. I also didn’t know about what they called the war of currents which went on between Edison and Tesla, that was pretty interesting and I also didn’t know Tesla worked for Edison or that he invented the neon signs. I had no clue how those things were made and just thought it was made like a lightbulb, but apparently its very different and created from gases. Tesla’s invention of wireless tehcnology was very impressive as well, I had no idea it went back so many years and just now is beginning to become more and more popular.
15.
Jeffry Younger | November 13, 2008 at 1:25 am
I watch a lot of the history channel and I’m surprised i didn’t know about this beforehand. Either way, i love learning about Tesla and Edison’s quarrels and competitions. It wasn’t really a revelation for me as I’ve read and watched a lot about their detailed history, but i was impressed with the bike generator and neon bulb making. I think it’s a great way for them to help show the genius behind these two extraordinary gentlemen. I liked how they mentioned the New Yorker and how it was powered by Edison’s DC currents while Tesla lived there. Also, any time i see a demonstration or example of the Tesla coil, it makes me happy. I think Tesla was way beyond his time when it came to his ideas and concepts.
16.
Andrew Rogers | November 13, 2008 at 4:31 am
I’ve never been an avid watcher of the History Channel, so when I saw this bonus assignment I wasn’t too excited for it. I knew I needed all the extra help with my grade that I can get, so I decided to sit through the show. I ended up being really interested in the show. The only time I had ever heard the name Tesla was in my physics classes dealing with magnetic flux. I was completely unaware of who Nikola Tesla was. This show was great in informing me of Tesla’s greatness and his quirkiness. I had no idea Tesla had about 300 patents, that he challenged Thomas Edison’s DC current idea, or that he had an obsession with the number three. The lead engineer at the New Yorker Hotel said that Tesla would probably walk away from a table if the amount of peas on his plate wasn’t divisible by 3. That’s on the border of very intense OCD, or straight-up insanity. Despite that, the man was a genious, and I really had no idea how greatly he has affected our lives today until I saw History Hackers.
The little experiments that the host did while the show was going through Tesla’s discoveries were really interesting. The bike-powered GPS was really cool, and seems like it would be really useful. Making his own neon lights was pretty interesting as well. The most interesting part of the show was learning about the competitions between Edison and Tesla after they went their seperate ways. One example the show gave as a way of showing how extreme the two were during the “Current War,” was Edison electrocuting animals with an AC current, in order to demonstrate how potentially dangerous it is. Tesla outdid Edison’s DC current and lightbulb with his AC current and neon signs. All I remember hearing in grade school is how much Edison has done, and not too much about Tesla’s work, when he deserves alot of attention too.
The show was interesting, considering how pessimistic I was going into it. I wouldn’t mind watching it again for extra credit.
17.
Mike Mantia | November 13, 2008 at 5:54 am
I fucking(pardon my emotion) love History channel, this is no exception. It’s wonderful to learn the history Mr. Tesla, and it is often times very unfortunate that so few people know enough about his wonderful contributions to the world.
While often times he wasn’t the initial creator of certain technologies(light bulb, electricity, etc) he found ways to improve the technologies to ways never though possible to make the world a better place. If not for his contributions we would certainly be quite a distance back in our technological history.
As for recreating his experiments, well I certainly would want to, though not as colorfully as the host did. Perhaps living in a New York hotel with Pigeons and having an obsession with 3’s would be more enjoyable…possibly.
18.
Ricky Schools | November 13, 2008 at 8:56 am
I am glad that this program actually aimed at showing people that Telsa was almost just as innovative in dealing with electricity as Edison was. The first time I ever heard of Telsa was when i watch The Prestige, the movie with Hugh Jackman and Christan Bale that was about magic. But anyways, that is besides the point. But it did fascinate me how many different patents that he had under his name, because I was not aware of that.
Also, I was somewhat surprised at how much the show said that Edison and Telsa saw things differently. I mean obviously they are two different people, who both happen to be geniuses, but still.
Both of these men were pioneers and way ahead of their time, I just feel that Telsa doesn’t quite get the credit that he deserves. I mean he laid the framework for wireless technology and we are just getting around to using it more and more.
Overall I really enjoyed this program, I found it extremely incite full and but honestly, I found the host to be somewhat annoying with that voice. I dunno that’s just me. But I really enjoyed it. If something else interesting like this comes up please let us know again!!!!
19.
Travis Barton | November 13, 2008 at 2:15 pm
This was a great assignment, admittedly i watch history channel a little and i like it for its obscure facts etc. This program was really cool, as someone said earlier i almost always thought of Thomas Edison and electricity in the same thought. I knew a little bit about Tesla and the Tesla Coil but i did not know there was a unit of measurement named after him.
I really like how the hour was filled up with the host’s little experiments and i particularly liked the MIT satellite making formations without any sort of thrusters.
I was also impressed with the creation of the Neon lights, they are a novelty in almost all situations but it was cool to see all of them line up and be lit by the giant Tesla Coil.
All in all a good program, even if the host was a little bit more than irritating.
20.
Kristina Proia | November 13, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I come from Ft.Myers where Edison has one of his homes so down there all they talk about is him and how incredible of a man he was..when really, this guys was incredible I never even HEARD of him until this, which is kind of weird seeing as how much he is involved with electricity and how obsessed with it he is. He was able to take a simple invention and make it into something incredible (ie; neon signs) How could something that seems so simple be such a life necessity. It’s kind of inspiring that he made all of these discoveries/inventions/getting a unit of measurment named after hiim/etc… and even though I’ve never heard of him (and they don’t teach about him like they do Edison) yet he still kept going.
Good Program. Well worth it, again.
21.
Reece Mayer | November 13, 2008 at 9:10 pm
In a word : wow. Not so much “wow” because of the absolute genius that was Nikola (which my Russian friend once corrected me is pronounced “Knee-cola”) Tesla, but more “wow” because that was one corny show. Waffles and maniacal laughter? The show lost a lot of validity for me when that MIT student showed up who had trouble talking around his piercings…
Still, an excellent representation of the work of Tesla. I once read a lengthy and fascinating book about Tesla, and it has made me appreciate his achievements ever since. I already knew about all his inventions that the guy showed, but it was cool to see some of them in action. Which reminds me, scroll through this little gallery:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/1055551/
I appreciate you letting us know about this episode. If I had to name one of the greatest inventor of all times, Nikola Tesla would be at the top of the list. Even Einstein would find a Tesla coil friggin’ sweet. I wonder what that would do to his hair…
Man, Bill Nye had it right: Science ruuules, lol.
22.
Leslie Oliver | November 13, 2008 at 9:10 pm
I was kinda confused at first because I think it was the history of…hacking? Well, it was still entertaining to watch. I mainly learned about science which was pretty nice because, I learned a couple of things! I learned that Edison wasn’t as cool as people thought, how to make a neon tube, and how to power a GPS on a bike. I guess, more knowledge wouldnt hurt. I found the bike thing so interesting because I saw someone power their laptop in a stationary bike thingy like that. I never really understood why a bike was there but I just found out.
I’m not much of a science person but I felt like I was watching Bill Nye in the 3rd grade again, it was cool!
23.
Jessica Weot | November 14, 2008 at 1:50 am
its funny to see what a transistion there is between the daily things we use today and how they were used and made in the earlier days. I can remember doing an oral report in my 7th grade class about Edison (i even had to dress up) and i thought he was so fasinating because he invented such a necessary item we use still today, need i remind u i was in 7th grade. However, history hackers brings up some interesting facits of information i wish i couldve elaborated on way back in middle school, when giving my report. It was always understood that Edison was the inventor of the electricity and its strange to me that noone ever mentioned anyhting about Telsa.
I’ve always been a sucker for the history channel and expecailly the show how things are made, i find them much easier to watch then the garbage they have on mtv and channels alike. History hackers, explained that Edison wasnt the only man of his kind in that age and that telsa was right up his ally. They talked about telsa’s invention of the telsa coil which he used to conduct innovative experiments in electrical lighting, fluorescence, and electric power transmission. I loved the fight between the opposing men in regaurds to the direct current and the alternating current telsa was promoting. I found that while working under edison telsa tried to tell edison to use th AC but he stubbornly refused, which would led to telsa victor in the war of currents. There were many interesting facts i wouldve never known if it hadnet been for this episode.
Also, i cant ephasize enough how much i like the diy’s throughout the show. I would love to try the bike powered gps system but i’d probablly hurt myself, knowing my luck and my expertise.However on a numberof occastions ive tried to experiment because im always watching those homemakover shows which do the renovations that they say you can do at home, but are really impossible. well atleast i tried. Histroy hackers was show worth watching in my eyes, i just wish there were more things like it on tv!
24.
Greg Pardo | November 15, 2008 at 3:38 am
History hackers was an interesting show. I really like how he makes everything so interesting. I reminds me of Bill Nye.
It’s a shame that Edison get’s most of the credit for power and electricity. It appears that he was very stubborn and closed minded to the idea of AC current. If he would have only seen that most everything runs off AC current these days. It’s very ironic that Tesla was OCD and lived in a building that was powered by DC current. DC current had kind of become his enemy because that was what Edison supported.
I think bike’s with power is actually a really great idea. If you think about it, we waste a lot of power throughout the day. We could have generators attached to a lot of things we do to capture the energy.
I never realized that Tesla also created the neon light bulb and that it was used in regular items we use throughout the day. Tesla coils are also very useful in our life.
Altogether, this was a great show and I look forward to watching future shows.
25.
Joe ROSA | November 15, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Tesla was an inventor that was ahead of his time. It was very intereting to see that Tesla was always taking what Edison did and took it a step further to the extreme. I had no clue that Tesla was responsible for neon lights. As stated in the T.V. broadcast, I do think that that is one of his most under publisied and under appreciated inventions that he created. I blow glass myself so it peaked my curiousity to see just how they made neon tubes and filled them with the gas.
There was an episode on Myth Busters that tested the theroy of Tesla’s earthquake machine that he built. They actually tested it out on a bridge with some astuding results. Alot of people think that his invention was a hoax, but on that episode they proved that it was quit possible to cause disturbance with a tiny hydrolic plundger.
One of Tesla’s last inventions, wireless electricity, seems to be a good concept, but in reality may prove to be harder to accomplish and very dangerous. The host of the show had to go into a special cage so that he wouldn’t accidentally be electricuted. This would be one of the greatest obsticles to overcome.
26.
Wilson Sue | November 16, 2008 at 7:10 am
The show had some really cool aspects to it. First the power generating bicycle that Bre developed. Getting it to produce enough energy to run a GPS was amazing. Then adding a capacitor so the GPS can run without pedaling was even better. It would be cool if you could charge rechargeable batteries by riding your bike. The second neat thing in my opinion was the process of creating a neon tube. The process of making one looked like an art.
As for the history part of the show, my high school physics teacher always emphasized his like of Tesla over Edison. The show helped to elucidate his reasoning. Tesla has helped improved the world in many ways, especially through the method of alternating current, as opposed to Edison’s direct current. It’s a shame Edison and Tesla couldn’t work together more and improve upon their inventions.
The Tesla Effect is intriguing. Having the wireless transfer of electricity would allow more free space, as opposed to wires and cables. Here’s an article that I read. Link.
27.
Brian Nuzum | November 16, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I really liked watching this show, even though im not usually big on shows that air on the history channel. This show really held my attention in many ways. First off, the whole concept was really interesting, testing different theories and experimenting with them. The whole turning a bicycle into a generator was really neat. I also had no idea that in many ways than one, Tesla seemed much more qualified than Edison. From what I got out of the show, His A/C current was far more efficient. He also was experimenting with trying to figure out how to make wireless electricity using his Tesla coil, something we havent exactly been able to do til this day. I really believe that Tesla paved a major way for our future in electricity distrubution.
28.
Heather Knott | November 17, 2008 at 10:47 pm
I once watched a show on History Channel about the battle between Tesla and Edison, but it didn’t even come close to covering what this show did. What I really like was the fact that not only did he go over the historical information, but he also broke each element down to where anyone could understand it. I had no idea that Tesla was responsible for all these things (mostly I just knew about the coil and his advent of AC). What really got me was his interest in wireless electricity. It’s an interesting concept, the ability to transmit electricity through the air, but there are sooooo many issues that we’d have to overcome first (like not frying anyone who accidentally got in the way).
Also, I was really intrigued by the bike experiment. The fact that he used simple materials that are relatively easy to access to build it is a fun experiment that any of us can do. And the explanation of AC adapters was great. Honestly, I knew they prevented your electronics from blowing, but I didn’t know that they transformed AC to DC or that they constantly ‘ran’ even if the device wasn’t plugged in/on. This seems like a really interesting show that would get all sorts of people interested in not only science but history as well. I hope the History Channel keeps it.
29.
Heather Knott | November 17, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Oh, and I found the video for free if anyone needs it:
http://fenopy.com/torrent/history_hacker_pilot_mp4/MTQ2OTIwMg==/index.html
Just hit the download .torrent file box. If you don’t have a torrent downloader, I used BitTorrent.
30.
David Colquitt | November 18, 2008 at 8:56 am
This was a pretty cool tv show, It went into the history of electrocity and explained some of the obstacles involved in creating and channeling it. I always thought it was edison’s idea and he was the only one responsible for it, just like the light bulb. I think that it is pretty ironic and sad that Tesla had some major contributions as well but never really got as much recognition as Edison did and then to add to it, he dies in a hotel room that was powered by DC unit that edison built.
I also wonder if anyone else has continued his research about wireless electricity and how soon will it or can it become a possibility in the future.
31.
Terrance Rogers | November 18, 2008 at 5:46 pm
The show was amazing, imaginative, as well as informative! I never knew Tesla invented neon signs. He must be the most underrated inventor. I knew of only a few of his contributions. Who would’ve thought that so many of two men’s inventions would shape the world in which we live. Tesla was so far ahead of his time. Also, I never thought that creating your own generator of electricity could be a DIY project. I ought to make myself a bike like that. I learned of Tesla’s wireless electricity experiments from that movie “Prestige”. Tesla was one the character’s in it.
32.
Spencer Smith | November 18, 2008 at 8:04 pm
The show its self confused me when i first started watching it, i thought it was going to have something to do with computers and the history of famous hackers, but was suprised to see what the show was all about. The premis of the show was very interesting having him go and find an interesting concept and try to “Hack” it into his own invention to help explain the concept to the veiwers.
Edison vs Telsa, i must admit i knew who Edison was but didnt reallly have any idea on who telsa was when he was firs mentioned. After watching the show it seems the Telsa was actually the one who should have recieved more attention then Edison, but i dont think the modern age we live in know would be anywhere near the same with out both of them and their rivalry. Either the slf powered GPS bike or Telsa neon lights were prob the coolest thing he hacked, the way that he was able to show and demonstrate the wireless current was amazing.
33.
Jamauan Washington | November 18, 2008 at 9:07 pm
This show was very interest about the history of electrocity. In the beginning i didn’t understand but as i continue watching it made sense. It was very interest how an inventor name Telsa never got much popularity of his work. One his work was the neon signs which I think is very amazing. However, Edison was an inventor but I think Telsa didn’t alot more than him. Meanwhile, the question that I have is how far can we take wireless electrocity and how well can we use it.
34.
Eddie Oakes | November 18, 2008 at 11:12 pm
So I guess I read the assignment wrong and thought it was a history of hackers until I actually started watching the show. But it was really interesting. I had heard of Tesla in regards to tesla coils but didn’t really have a clear picture of one was. I had absolutely no idea that there was all of that competition in the early days of electricity. I really didnt know much about electricity at all really. I knew there was AC and DC but not what the difference was.
Wireless electricity was a pretty new concept for me as well. I guess i knew it was a possibility because i’ve heard stories of fluorescent bulbs being lit but simply being beneath high voltage lines, but not that i was something being actively looked into as a means of powering homes. I’m not really sure how i feel about that though. The idea of lots of electricity floating around the air kind of worries me. We run off of electricity too in a way so i feel like it could be not such a healthy thing. I found the show very interesting though.
35.
Ashley Garrett | November 18, 2008 at 11:28 pm
I definitely learned some new things from watching this episode. This was a lot more informative and interesting than my science teacher ever was. Throughout this episode the host showed us creative ways to create energy through simple things anyone can get their hands on. For example him riding the bike (mechanical energy) and using his legs to create electrical energy. I also found it interesting how he put a generator on the bike with a GPS and also added a rechargable batery so he he stoped riding the bike (creating energy), the bike would store the energy he created to keep the GPS running.
Cool graphics, interesting history facts, and cheesy jokes also kept me interested (he sounds like Napoleon Dynamite too haha). He also put his own twists on recreating popular inventions like the neon like bulb. I never knew that they created the glass for neon’s through heating a blowing and thanks to this show you have to see it to believe it. He also came up with a cool idea of lighting up a bunch of neon lights wirelessly through a magnetic field generator (copying Telsa’s electromagnetic coil). I also have never even heard of Telsa or any of his inventions before this show which surprised me (and again was more informative than any science teacher) becuase wireless electricity is possible in the future and would be nice to have one day!
36.
Tim Nethers | November 18, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I found the show overall very interesting, Bre Pettis was very knowledgeable and easy to understand. This particular episode was going over the battle between Thomas Edison and Nikola Telsa and their different opinions over the overall effectiveness between AC and DC currents. While Edison was the more famous of the two inventors for his invention of the light bulb, Telsa’s inventions seem to be much more effective. Telsa’s Neon light bulb was way more energy efficient and would be able to outlast the light bulb by a long shot. Some of the Neon lights in Vegas have been lit up on the same bulbs for decades. Bre’s modernized invention of the AC currents by the use of his magnets and bicycle was very inventive. With his fairly simple invention he was able to demonstrate to the average person who has very little knowledge in the field and accurately describe/depict just how it works, and to think he was able to get his GPS to be powered just by his pedaling alone was pretty amazing.
37.
Derek P Leiba | November 19, 2008 at 2:56 am
“Tesla”, now that’s a name I’ve heard on a few occasions, but never did I notice the influence that a name like this has made. From what I can understand, Serbian Inventor Nikola Tesla took Thomas Edison’s concept of electricity, and improve it by make electricity more resourceful; I’m familiar with improving existing concepts, if the Apple products over Microsoft’s taught me anything. I admit, I’m still not sure about the difference between AlternatIng Current and Direct Current, since you still have to depend on a electrical source to get all the electronic needs either way; the show suggests that AC is more efficient because of the “recycling” effect, so I presume that to be a better alternate. Too bad AC has yet to be utilized to fully comprehend the concept, and the Tesla coils are nothing more than entertainment values that you can but for 10 bucks in a store to touch with your fingers (or am I thinking of the wrong item).
As for the show itself, Bre Pettis may be trying too hard to be wacky for the casual, but I do see the enthusiasm, or the impression of an enthusiast inventor, he has for creating new things from old stuff. I, too, was impress by what he did with the bicycle, using magnets, a battery, some wires, and a bit of manual labor to turn on a GPS attached on a bike by simply riding on it. He said that it cost nothing to build a bike-powered GPS, but that’s probably a hyperbole, since you do have to pay some scraps for magnets, wires, and hot glue to put the magnets in place. Also, I doubt you can find a GPS lying off the street, and those certainly costs a lot more than the tools themselves; if I have a workable car, I might as well just stick the GPS in the car and not deal with the effort. Although, a bike-powered GPS is beneficial for working the glutes.
38.
Monica Espinoza | November 19, 2008 at 3:10 am
I’ve got to admit that the show was quite interesting. And clearly I had no idea what a hacker was; I thought it applied to computer software and networking but clearly it entitles so much more. I actually think the things he did were pretty awesome. I mean I never thought it was possible to power a GPS device just with the energy generated from a bicycle. And what about the neon lights; I had no idea it require such art and complex process. It was amazing to see him do all those light, and even better watch him light them up wirelessly with Tesla’s technology, which was by far the most incredible thing of all the show. And I definitely agree, wireless energy has to be the future. Hopefully someday Tesla will get the credit he deserves, because right now, his mentor is one known by everyone.
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Poonam Khatri | November 19, 2008 at 3:22 am
This program was very interesting. I enjoyed learning about the war of currents which went on between Edison and Tesla. The program also discussed the difference between AC and DC current. It was interesting to see the example where he powered the GPS with the bicycle. I was not very familiar with Tesla idea of wireless electricity. The idea seems both scary and fascinating. I was not aware that neon lights actually last so long. This program really inspired me to think that there must definitely be more environmentally friendly and energy efficient ways to power our homes and vehicles.
40.
Katelyn Spicer | November 19, 2008 at 4:06 am
I found this show to be quite interesting. Before watching the show, I don’t really remember ever hearing about Tesla before. I think it was cool to see that even though Edison didn’t agree with Tesla’s ideas about alternative currents being more effective, that didn’t stop Tesla from experimenting and perfecting the AC method. I liked how the host of the show took things apart to see how they work and then put them back together to create something entirely different. It was really neat to see him make the GPS work on the bike after hooking up a rechargeable battery to it.
I didn’t know that the New Yorker Hotel has their own DC generator and that is what kept the electricity on for the entire hotel during the blackout in the 60s. It was also amazing to see how a neon tube is created; I can only imagine how long it takes to create a large neon sign since it seems like it is a very slow process making the tubes while being cautious to not break any in the process.
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Ellen Henderson | November 19, 2008 at 4:07 am
This show gets five stars from me if only because it is so wonderful to see Tesla get some of the recognition and praise he so richly deserves. He was ahead of his time, indeed, ahead of ours, and one of the most brilliant men to ever live–and his inventions are the foundation of modern life. That he is largely unknown today is both a tragedy and a travesty.
I feel like the general concept of the show was good, but I’m not sure about the implementation. The show was too cheesy in places and too stiff in others. The first ‘hack’ wasn’t really that useful–or a hack, really. The second was neat, but I would have liked a little more detail. The last one, again, wasn’t a hack. It was pretty neat though.
Thanks for telling us about this show–I wouldn’t have known about it otherwise.
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imachado | November 19, 2008 at 4:15 am
One thing is for sure, I’ll never think of electricity the same way anymore. I really enjoyed the show. It really helped to put electricity, as a whole, into perspective. The entire concept it’s technologically engenious; but presented in simple enough terms where the typical person can understand it’s ins-and-outs. Using the bicycle, several magnets, and the coiler in order to generate and store electricity, to be used to power the GPS and the Neon tube, was awsome! Just as it was stated: “you don’t need a bunch of fancy gear to make things happen.”
It’s really funny how Tesla was first hired by Edson to work under him. Who would ever guess: Edson’s DC theory Vs. Tesla’s AC theory would become such an issue of great proportion; “The War of The Currents,” as they called it.
The fact that Tesla wanted to prove tha his AC current theory is way far better tha Edson’s DC current theory really drove him to keep striving for bigger and better technological advances to the use of electrical currents. Trully, in reality, “without Tesla there would be no wireless communication, robotics, nor television.” In reality, life as we know woud have not been made possible without Tesla’s envisions and accomplishments.
Interesting fact: I would have never guessed that some neon signs have been lit for over half a century; that’s a very long time. Without a doubt, I don’t think my lightbulbs can ever accomplish that. Also, why was Tesla so obsessed with the number 3? Next time I’m in New York I’ll make sure to visit Nikola Tesla Corner.
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Linsey Gasiewicz | November 19, 2008 at 4:44 am
I just want to say, wow! This video showed me so much I never knew. Learning nothing about Tesla in grade school, I have always been taught that Thomas Edison was the true genius behind electricity. I was proven wrong after so long by just watching this video.
All of this makes me really think, why do we still use the light bulbs today? If neon signs are more efficient and use less power, why can’t we light our house more with the neon bulb?
I also never knew that keeping an ac adapter plugged in while the utility is turned off uses 40% of the power. If I knew this earlier, i would of unplugged a majority of the appliances I have at home this morning. Just think, if more people knew about this, how much energy would we save in the world?
Maybe our next accomplishment will be to fulfill Tesla’s invention on wireless electricity. Soon we will be able to turn on our x-box and play halo while being unplugged.
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Brent Miller | November 19, 2008 at 4:58 am
I have taken a lot of physics classes in my schooling, so I am very familiar with the name Telsa. I assumed he made significant contributions to understanding of electricity, but I didn’t know about his conflict with Edison. But, it’s obvious that, in the end, Tesla came out of top, as we now use primarily AC circuits and “Tesla” is a unit of measurement (for magnetic induction). I honestly can’t imagine what it’d be like to not have at least a fundamental understanding of electricity, so the process of discovering all of this on your own seems impossible. I’m glad we have people like Tesla to discover things like that, because if it was up to me, I’m pretty sure we’d all still be in the Dark Ages.
As far as the show itself goes, I wasn’t enthralled. The guy was an interesting personality. And the experiments were processes that I have done, or are already familiar with. But, I imagine that if you don’t watch the Discovery Channel all day, and take 3 courses of college physics in high school, you’d probable not be as familiar with tesla coils or generating electricity with the use of magnets over coils of wire. But, all around, it was interesting, and I think I’ll check the show out again in the future, when it tackles issues that I’m a little less familiar with.
P.S. I watched this show at 6 on Wednesday, and I’m writing this now. This is the epitome of procrastination.