Discoveries and Inventions

Genius is „One percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration”. The man who said that ought to know. There are more patents – over 1,000 – attributed to Thomas Edison than to any other individual.

It is hard to believe that a man of Edison’s accomplishments could have had no more than a few months of formal education. But it’s true. He was mostly taught at home by his mother, and showed an early interest in science.

One of Edison’s first jobs was as a telegraph operator. Realizing that there was room for improvement, he devised a telegraph system that could transmit and receive several messages at the same time. Another idea was for an improved stock ticker system. It became his first commercially successful invention and earned him a small fortune.  He was only twenty-three at the time but wisely used the money to start his first factory.

The, in 1879, came what is probably Edison’s best-known invention, the incandescent light bulb. It reliably produce forty hours of light. Edison went on to develop a complete electric generating system which, by 1882 was put to use in his New York City power plant, the first of its kin din the world.

In 1889 Edison developed the Kinetoscope, the forerunner of the movie camera.  By taking a series of photos and projecting them onto a screen in rapid succession, it gave the illusion of movement. He also devised a way to synchronize these motion pictures with sound „Taking pictures” were based on this work.