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The Arc Transmitter and the Titanic
Between 1907 and 1920s most AM radio was sent out using something called an arc transmitter (or a Poulsen arc). In fact, the tragedy of the Titanic in 1912 was partially caused because they didn’t use the arc transmitter. But how does an arc transmitter work, why was it created and what does that have…
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Reginald Fessenden & the Physics of the First Radio Broadcast
In 1899, a temperamental Canadian scientist had a vision that speech and music could be sent by wireless. It took him seven years but in November of 1906, Reginald Fessenden sent wireless music and speech for over 10 miles where, “the sound was perfect”. Ready for the story of how modern radio began? Let’s go!…
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Nikola Tesla Facts and Fiction
What have you heard about Tesla? That he invented Alternating Current (AC)? That he and Edison fought the “War of the Currents” over AC vs. DC? That Edison hounded him? That he wanted to give everyone free electricity? That he was a Physics genius? That’s what I heard on YouTube and on websites and even…
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Tesla Fact vs. Fiction: Why the Public Perception is Wrong
What have you heard about Tesla? That he invented Alternating Current (AC)? That he and Edison fought the “War of the Currents” over AC vs. DC? That Edison hounded him? That he wanted to give everyone free electricity? That he was a Physics genius? That’s what I heard on YouTube and on websites and even…
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The Birth of a Wireless Telegraph Empire
According to many people, Guglielmo Marconi invented the wireless telegraph. In fact, his name was so joined with wireless telegraphs that for many years’ telegraphs were called Marconigrams. However, he wasn’t the first to make wireless transmissions nor did he invent most of the devices he used in his experiments. How did this basically uneducated…
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How Does a Tesla Coil Work
You might have seen the crazy cool demonstrations conducted with Tesla coils but how do they actually work? Well, to really answer that question I am going to go talk about how all the parts were discovered and why. Ready for a whirlwind study of electronics? Table Of Contents Electromagnet & Induction The Shocking Irish…
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How Does a Tesla Coil Work? A Historical Deep Dive
You might have seen the crazy cool demonstrations conducted with Tesla coils but how do they actually work? Well, to really answer that question I am going to go talk about how all the parts were discovered and why. Table of Content Start of the Tesla Coil Callan’s Invention Armand Fizau Nikola Tesla How a…
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How Heinrich Hertz Discovered Radio Waves to Validate Maxwell’s Equation
How was the first radio wave discovered and why? Well, it all had to do with a pessimistic young German scientist named Heinrich Hertz and a contest that he was too intimidated to try.This is one of the most influential experiments of all time. Table of Contents Hermann von Helmholtz Hertz’s Early Life How Hert’z…
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History of Maxwell’s Equation
In 1865, James Clerk Maxwell wrote his famous (or infamously difficult) Maxwells equations. These equations were to transform our world. For example, when Einstein was asked if he stood on the shoulders of Newton, he replied, “No, on the shoulders of Maxwell”. But who was James Maxwell, why are his equations important and why did…
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How the Idea of Electromagnetic Waves Was Invented
How did Michael Faraday make electricity with magnets? Hey, how does anyone make electricity with magnets? And what does that have to do with the creation of the idea of magnetic fields? Watch this short video and find out. Ready? Let’s go. In 1826, an English scientist named Michael Faraday had read that another Englishman…