Various Tesla book cover images

Nikola Tesla Books

Books written by or about Nikola Tesla
Phot. LXII. Discharge issuing from the base of a cone upon which a ball of 30quot; diameter is resting.

390

January 7

This is the last entry in the diary. Apart from the usual description of photographs, Tesla writes about experiments he intends to carry out on his return (where?). He qualifies the experiments to date as satisfactory, considering that his aim was “to perfect the apparatus and make general observations”. The apparatus which he was then envisaging for future experiments was to be an improved oscillator which would enable better results than any he had so far obtained.


January 7

Last day, along with the usual descriptions of photographs, he talks about future experiments after returning (where?).

About experiments performed until then, he says they were satisfactory based on the fact that his goal was the "apparatus improvement and the achievement of a general picture". Future apparatus about this he now thinks, will be an improved oscillator and it will enable the achievement of results better than all those until then. It is known that immediately after returning to New York (and according to news media he arrived in Feb., 1900), Tesla started to materialize the idea on "world radio station" and its construction started in 1901 on Long Island in the vicinity of New York. Tesla lacked the financial means, and the help of Morgan and others was not sufficient, and therefore Tesla was forced to discontinue the construction of such a station in 1905.
 

Glossary

Lowercase tau - an irrational constant defined as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its radius, equal to the radian measure of a full turn; approximately 6.283185307 (equal to 2π, or twice the value of π).
A natural rubber material obtained from Palaquium trees, native to South-east Asia. Gutta-percha made possible practical submarine telegraph cables because it was both waterproof and resistant to seawater as well as being thermoplastic. Gutta-percha's use as an electrical insulator was first suggested by Michael Faraday.
The Habirshaw Electric Cable Company, founded in 1886 by William M. Habirshaw in New York City, New York.
The Brown & Sharpe (B & S) Gauge, also known as the American Wire Gauge (AWG), is the American standard for making/ordering metal sheet and wire sizes.
A traditional general-purpose dry cell battery. Invented by the French engineer Georges Leclanché in 1866.
Refers to Manitou Springs, a small town just six miles west of Colorado Springs, and during Tesla's time there, producer of world-renown bottled water from its natural springs.
A French mineral water bottler.
Lowercase delta letter - used to denote: A change in the value of a variable in calculus. A functional derivative in functional calculus. An auxiliary function in calculus, used to rigorously define the limit or continuity of a given function.
America's oldest existing independent manufacturer of wire and cable, founded in 1878.
Lowercase lambda letter which, in physics and engineering, normally represents wavelength.
The lowercase omega letter, which represents angular velocity in physics.