Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Remarkable Life and Work of Thomas Alva Edison



Often quoted saying “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration”, Thomas Alva Edison was one of the greatest and most hard working scientists ever. With his 1,093 inventions this American genius holds a world-wide record. Even though during his early years he quit school because he was considered to be a misfit, the passion, intelligence, and persistency of Edison changed the world forever.
The passion towards science that the inventor had was present almost since he was born. Thomas Alva Edison has been a very curious child. At the age of six he has started a fire at his parents’ barn and burned it totally. Even though he was not appreciated by his teachers at school who thought he was stupid, Thomas Edison started studying with his mother at home. By the age of ten, the inventor has already read literary works such as The Decline of the Roman Empire, History of England, History of the World, and The Age of Reason. When Edison was eleven, he constructed his own telegraph by using only a picture from a book. It was then when he decided that he wanted to be a telegrapher. It is clear that the early life of the scientist was marked by a constant interest in the surrounding world, and in the sphere of science and it was this curiosity that made the American inventor so admired for his work.
Intelligence and independent approach towards the problems Edison faced were other characteristics that became crucial for his development as one of the greatest scientist globally. The achievements that brought him fame and utmost respect started in 1872. From 1872 to 1877 Edison made invented the motograph, automatic telegraphs systems, and the carbon telephone transmitted “button” which made telephony a commercial success and lead to the development of microphone and transistor which makes so many modern devices possible. However, his most important invention is the incandescent electric lamp in 1879. This unbelievable achievement won Thomas Edison the name “Wizard of Menlo Park”. There are numerous great inventions that did not just make the American scientist famous, but also changed the world forever.
The effect of the dedication of Edison to his work made the lives of billion people totally different and new. The electric bulb was and is still used in almost every household. If it was not for the storage battery it would not be possible for people to start their cars, and without his perfecting the motion picture camera and projector there would be no movies now. The carbon telephone transmitter on the other side improved the telephones that are used nowadays in one’s home or office. All of the inventions made have reflected on a certain area of people’s life and have altered human’s existence.
The life of Thomas Edison is a proof of his unstoppable and everlasting ambition, enormous talent, curiosity and firmness which made him a living example of how the work of one man can shift the course of history. Many of the best science and technology historians believe that Thomas Alva Edison was indeed “The most influential figure of our millennium.”

Note: This essay was written recently after I read a very interesting online article about Thomas Alva Edison. Before that I knew almost nothing about him, but after reading further and looking into his biography and achievements, I realized how much he has influenced the life we live today. I consider him a true genius and an inspiration for me and the generations to come.

Information Sources:
http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/inventor/edison.html
http://www.mccsc.edu/~jcmslib/mlk/edison/biography.htm
http://www.elkpointhistory.ab.ca/Steve/Inter.%20People/thomas_edison.html

Image Source: http://www.electronicsandyou.com/electronics-history/Thomas%20Alva%20Edison.jpg

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