Nikola Tesla's most important inventions
The top 3 according to 53 votes from people: The Tesla coil (1891) · The AC induction motor · The polyphase AC power system. (Updated Mar 10, 2019.)
Alternating current, the induction motor, the Tesla coil, radio-controlled boats: the inventions of the Serbian-American genius that lit up the modern world. Which one matters most?
Top 10
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1
The Tesla coil (1891)
The high-voltage transformer behind his famous sparks.
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2
The AC induction motor
Motion from alternating current; the principle is still in fans and washing machines.
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3
The polyphase AC power system
It made it possible to carry electricity over long distances and power whole cities.
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4
The Niagara Falls power plant (1895)
With Westinghouse, the first great hydroelectric plant.
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5
Fluorescent and neon lighting (1893)
Shown at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
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6
The Tesla turbine (1909)
A bladeless turbine with parallel discs.
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7
Radio (1897 patents)
His wireless patents came before Marconi's work.
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8
Shadowgraphs
His early experiments with X-rays.
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9
Remote control (1898)
A radio-controlled boat at Madison Square Garden.
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10
The "Teleforce"
The particle-beam weapon he described in the 1930s, never built.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (1)
The remote control boat in 1898 is wild. People at Madison Square Garden thought it was magic or a trained monkey inside.