The man that invented the future

Our machinery will be driven by a power obtainable at any point of the Universe. Throughout space there is energy.

Nikola Tesla 1892

In case you didn't know this already, Professor Kompressor is an entirely fictional character. The invention of this excellent inventor was just one of those things that seem to happen for no apparent reason. A few whimsical bedtime stories, involving some crazy inventing antics, and the Professor was off. He was not modelled on a real life character. No way!

            Imagine my surprise the other day when, trying to finish a story intended for the Professor's sequel, I stumbled upon his real world alter ego. An individual that made such a massive difference to the world that the genius label is inevitable. The man that "invented the 20th century", Nikola Tesla. Of course, you think. Jump on the bandwagon by dragging old Tesla out of the cupboard. How predictable.

            Maybe so. But if you are looking for a role model for the "greatest inventor ever" somewhere in the borderland between reality and fiction (with the potential of some fun thrown in for good measure) then Tesla is your man, for sure.

            Let's take a look at the evidence.

            If it hadn't been for Nikola Tesla's inventions, the world would have been a very different place. You may not appreciate it, few people do, but Tesla's ideas laid the foundation for many things electric and electronic, from the power supply in your house to the TV remote control and the wireless network you might be using to access the internet.

            Nikola Tesla was born in what is today Croatia. His imaginative brain was in evidence already when he was a young man, but his rise to fame did not truly start until he immigrated to the United States. Pretty much without a penny in his pocket. He found a job as assistant to Thomas Edison (of obvious lightbulb fame). This turned out not to be a marriage made in heaven, however, and it was not long before the two inventors fell out.

            The two were soon engaged in an all out battle for electric supremacy. Tesla's new system emerged as the winner when it was used to light up the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. His Alternating Current is still used to bring power to homes around the world today. Following on from this success, Tesla designed the first hydro power plant at Niagara Falls, thus bringing practical energy to the people. This idea, to provide everyone with cheap (or indeed, free!) energy is a key theme of Tesla's career. His vision ranged from wireless transmission of energy straight into people's homes and extraction of this energy from medium that surrounds us. Awesome! Of course, it never happened. Big business was not prepared to support someone that wanted to simply give the product away. There was too much money to be made in selling the stuff.

            Nikola Tesla can stake a claim to many other inventions as well. In fact, he was the first to come up with the lightbulb. Edison was the genius behind the mass market, but the thing itself was Tesla's idea. He invented the radio. Wasn't that Marconi? you ask. Well, no. Tesla got there first. This was even recognized by the US Supreme Court in 1943 when they overturned Marconi's patent. X-rays? Yep, Tesla fiddled with those too. Time to rewrite the history books!

            What about the fiction side to this? Not surprisingly, someone of Tesla's immense creativity provides inspiration for speculation. He predicted microwaves, TV and interplanetary communication. It also doesn't hurt that many of his claimed inventions remain "lost". This involves his death ray, an extension of the wireless energy idea. Rumour has it that when Tesla died in 1943, alone and destitute in a New York hotel room, government representatives raided his laboratory and seized all notes and paraphernalia. None of this material has yet been made public. Excellent material for a conspiracy theory.

            The larger than life character of Tesla and his amazing ideas have often been called on by authors and moviemakers. Powerful Tesla coils were used to spectacular effect in The Sorcerer's Apprentice and the inventor himself played a role in The Prestige. Death rays are of course staple diet of science fiction. How about the main weapon of the Death Star in the first installment of the Star Wars saga?

            Allowing for a slight revision of history, it is obvious that Professor Kompressor draws on Nikola Tesla in many ways. Each individual a singular genius with more than a bit of eccentricity to the character. Their inventions draw on real science but often stretch the ideas beyond what might seem possible. The Professor's intentions are good and honourable, just like Tesla's, but things don't always end well. A real shame, isn't it?