The Ideal Scientist

This picture is one of the most iconic pictures of the famous inventor and engineer Nikola Telsa in front of his high frequency transformer in New York City. During his time, Tesla went mostly unnoticed, his inventions were discredited or stolen, and he faced tremendous rivalry with Thomas Edison. But, Tesla paved the road to the way we use electricity and mechanics today and had a much larger influence on the future of electricity than any other scientist. While Edison was making the light bulb, Tesla was transmitting the alternating current wirelessly across vast distances in hopes to achieve his lifetime goal, free energy. He made multiple contributions to science including the alternating current, wireless energy, and even the radio. Unfortunately, his competitors were able to convince the masses that Tesla's works were dangerous and harmful causing Tesla to die alone, poor, and without his patents. It wouldn't be until after his death that the U.S Supreme Court would uphold his patents on the radio.

This picture depicts Tesla in front of his own invention reading a book by the scientist Rudjer Boscovich. In his days, this picture showed people what it shows me today, a symbol for integrity, intelligence, and a natural curiosity for the scientific world. It is of a man who continued experimentation in the field of science despite being ridiculed and degraded by his peers. It is of a man who went into the field of science because he had natural curiosity for the way things worked, not because he could make a living. And despite losing every penny he owned and falling into extreme debt, he continued to work on his projects for the sake of science. He didn't need the appreciation of his peers, the glamor of fame, or the shine of money to keep himself motivated; all he had to keep him motivated was a desire to know and discover more. When we look at this picture, we are not just reminded of who the ideal scientist is, but also of the kind of person we would all like to be.