Talk:Thomas Edison

Template:OhioSB

Assessment comments

These have been moved here from a subpage as part of a cleanup process. See Wikipedia:Discontinuation of comments subpages.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_edison

Please! This is one of the worst pages on wikipedia! At least tell the truth! It is historical fact Edison DID NOT invent the lightbulb. Along with being an crook without a conscience, he was a selfish low-life in general: Read what he did to one of the greatest minds of the 20th Century: NOTE: This is even referenced from a wikipedia source! ! ! (ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla )

United States

On 6 June 1884, Tesla first arrived in the US in New York City[28] with little besides a letter of recommendation from Charles Batchelor, a former employer. In the letter of recommendation to Thomas Edison, Batchelor wrote, "I know two great men and you are one of them; the other is this young man." Ediso9999999iiiiiiiiiiill;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;n hired Tesla to work for his Edison Machine Works. Tesla's work for Edison began with simple electrical engineering and quickly progressed to solving some of the company's most difficult problems. Tesla was even offered the task of completely redesigning the Edison company's direct current generators.[29]

Tesla claims he was offered US$50,000 (~ US$1.1 million in 2007, adjusted for inflation)[30] if he redesigned Edison's inefficient motor and generators, making an improvement in both service and economy.[24]:54-57 Tesla said he worked night and day on the project and gave the Edison Company several profitable new patents in the process. In 1885 when Tesla inquired about the payment for his work, Edison replied, "Tesla, you don't understand our American humor," thus breaking his word.[31][32] Earning a mere US$18 per week, Tesla would have had to work for 53 years to earn the amount he was promised. The offer was equal to the initial capital of the company. Tesla resigned when he was refused a raise to US$25 per week.[33]

Tesla eventually found himself digging ditches for a short period of time – coincidentally for the Edison company. Tesla even used this time to focus on his AC polyphase system,[24;;;];] which Edison (believing DC electricity was the future) had never wanted to hear about.[c]

the truth from WIKIPEDIA readers?!?!?!? Shame on you. you are dumb jerks. We will NO LONGER DONATE to WIKIPEDIA as long as you hide the truth from the public / wikipedia readers / users. gggggdfhgjh fuck him

It should be noted that Edison didn't invent the motion picture camera as is popularly believed.

WIlliam Friese-Greene from England invented the motion picture camera. "On June 21, 1889, Friese-Greene was issued patent no. 10131 for his 'chronophotographic' camera." He sent Edison a letter about it and it was in published trade magazines as well.99.177.118.220 (talk) 03:42, 18 November 2010 (UTC)AD source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Friese-Greene

Edisons kinetiscope wasn't invented until 189299.177.118.220 (talk) 03:42, 18 November 2010 (UTC)AD source http://edison.rutgers.edu/pictures.htm —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.177.118.220 (talk) 05:00, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

wrong the Lumiere Brothers were the ones to make a motion picture camera —Preceding unsigned comment added by 158.158.240.230 (talk) 19:28, 10 November 2010 (UTC) where is the source for this comment, you have no proof so why add it when I clearly listed sources for my statements99.177.118.220 (talk) 03:42, 18 November 2010 (UTC)AD

To continue the point: Edison also stole the Nickel-iron battery (experimented with 2 years earlier by the Swede Waldemar Jungner as an alternative to his Nickel Cadmium - and found to be inferior to the Nickel Cadmium).

Edison also stole the phonograph which was based on a machine by the Frenchman Leon Schott. In fact, most of the features that appeared in the final patent for the phonograph were in fact refinements to the original by one Edward Guilliard - something that was to land Edison in the patent courts for the next 26 years.

Yes, sorry I don't have a source for this but I saw recently somewhere he actually got to look at the SChott patent in the patent office.99.177.118.220 (talk) 03:42, 18 November 2010 (UTC)AD

The only people who got rich out of Edison's 'inventions' were, as ever, the lawyers. 86.178.181.182 (talk) 14:05, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

AC? DC?

There is a serious error here in this article. it says that Thomas Edison was a proponent of DC electricity. this is not true. it was Tesla who favored DC. Dc drops in power over a few short miles, and that is the reason why Tesla never became famous because it was too dangerous. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 158.158.240.230 (talk) 19:35, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

Wow. The comment above is totally incorrect re: Tesla's and Edison's positions. This is well documented and correctly reflected in the article. B Pete (talk) 20:28, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

Thomas was born in mexico

Thomas was born in mexico In the state of Zacatecas in a town called Sombrerete. http://aztlanjournal.metapress.com/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0005-2604&volume=9&issue=1&spage=151 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.152.159.163 (talk) 03:36, 28 November 2010 (UTC)

Absolute nonsense. Edison (talk) 04:35, 28 November 2010 (UTC)

Speaking from the grave?

The quote attributed to Edison under his picture indicates a date of 1932, yet the date of death is listed as 1931. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.44.92.46 (talk) 20:38, 10 January 2011 (UTC)

Pedophile ?

Isn't the U.S. age of consent 18 ? (Although, isn't it 14 in Texas ?) So, as he married a 16 year old woman, by present day definitions he is a pedophile ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 116.30.192.25 (talk) 13:52, 30 January 2011 (UTC)

"Isn't the U.S. age of consent 18?" Hey IDIOT, this was the NINETEENTH CENTURY!!! Thoughout the western world, females marrying at the age of 16 were common. Never raising as much as an eyebrow from the emerging Victoian era. Actually, a young girl marrying a man who was middle-aged and still in the prime of life was applauded AND encouraged, as well as her parents for matching her with any man who had established means. What was frowned upon at that time (and still very-much today,)was if the man were eighteen to her, say sixteen, or both were the same teen age (Though today, as was true then, a parent could get a waiver, and consent to the union). A young marriage was mightily discouraged by society AND the girl's parents in that bygone era, as they saw "young love" as impetuous, irrational, and especially IMMATURE. Unless the man was shown to be of more than sufficient means, maturity and responsibility; that he came from a respected family, the whole idea was nixed. Also, remember that arranged marriages were still quite common in turn-of-the-century America. (And too, fathers were eager to get their daughters "married off" as soon as possible, so they wouldn't get "radical" ideas of "independence" floating in their heads.) Not like the "mail-order brides" of the rambling Old West! (Actually, would it surprise you that arranged unions are still widely carried out today accross every interested section and spectrum of society in the West. It's just more informal, as the female ESPECIALLY is tasked by parents and relatives to choose a mate within the liking of the parents, and often-times, relatives. "Gotta please Mom and Dad, my grandparents AND priest, ya know?" You should also study more about Edison's life before making moronic and scurrilous accusations. If you did delve further, you would find that Edison's second marriage was more a "politcal" arrangement than anything else, as little Mina was a neice of Thomas Alva's principal enemy and competitor JUPITER PIERPONT MORGAN. Struggling as the latter was to keep his floundering gas-light industry afloat against the inevitability of the electric street lamp. So, the marrige was a very strategically diabolic "investment" on Morgan's part to overtake Edison' business, which eventually happened. (We are reminded that Morgan a a ROBBER BARON: This is what they do.)It is strange that you'd call Alva Edison a pedophile. Why, unless you seek to marr his reputation? |talk]]) 03:44, 4 February 2011 (UTC)Veryverser

I've done some genealogical research, and the 19th century marriage records for a woman under 21 usually included consent of her parent or guardian. Did that happen in this case, when he was 24 and she was 16? If consent was lacking, in some cases the marriage occurred on the woman's 21st birthday. Edison (talk) 02:57, 5 February 2011 (UTC)

We are talking SOCIAL CONVENTIONS here, of course. Naturally long before the 1960sA.D. "women's liberation", all females needed their parents or guardian(s)'s consent, whether they were co-habitating with them, or the women were apart from them and\or had indepenent means. This was common all over the world, with this tradition being broken, beginingin in North America by enforced emigration(for example)of Irish and other European refugees in the nineteenth, and then again in the early twentieth centuries. Even women who were twenty-one years old in the turn-of-the nineteenth, and early twentieth century's "middle-class" strata were required to seek a respectable, well-heeled sponsor, to give consent to a bethrotal if these females ever were to hope to enter what was then regarded as "respectable" society". This all seemed to chagge in America after World War I, as there seemed to have been a definite "cultural shift", throwing-off those old traditions of a previous generation and epoch. Edison's age difference is a non-issue. Even in most parts of Asia and Europe today, age in a marriage of an older man to a (well, sometimes much) younger woman is revered. Here, in the States, various wealthly and powerful men, among them old Hollywood and media types flaunt their marriage to virtual child-brides(Woody Allen, Rupert Murdock as obvious examples. Curious-wouldn't you agree-that in both cases cited, these men chose YOUNG, ORIENTAL WOMEN, rather than western ones for their "sunset years"). In Alva Edison's case, this was sort of a "wirlwind romance" manipulated by the girl's uncle, as I cited above, to get at Edison and control of his company. Think Napolean Bonaparte's divorce of Josephine to marry a Hapsburgh princess, and the world-shattering events that ensued from such a "political" union. Special:Contributions/ (talk) 08:45, 7 February 2011 (UTC)Veryverser

Could we add a simple sentance to Places named for Edison?

I grew up in Sacramento, California, and my elementary school was named after Thomas Edison...

I don't believe it would burden or discredit this article to add a simple "...as well as numerous elementary schools throughout the United States" to the end of the places that are named after him.

I know it's trivial to most people... but it's still relevant. if you would like a reference, just search Google, Yahoo, or MSN maps for "Thomas Edison Elementary" and see what pops up.

I appreciate you considering my inconsequential request regarding this article. Cheers, Danny

Afterfreeze (talk) 08:10, 11 February 2011 (UTC)

Edit request from Droblag, 11 February 2011

I think it is important to establish and verify exactly what Edison invented. For example Swan was selling light bulbs in UK at least eight years before Edison took up the idea. While the current article hints that Edison didn't actually invent the light bulb it obfuscates the issue. Until the facts are verified by someone more learned than I, I suggest the reference is omitted.

Droblag (talk) 09:09, 11 February 2011 (UTC)

What about Lewis Latimer?

What about Lewis Latimer? If you're going to talk about the light bulb, you can't simply talk about Thomas Edison and Joseph swan. Even when Edison took the reins of the light bulb, it was still extremely inefficient and too expensive for most people. The carbon wire filament, (generally made of bamboo, paper or thread) inside the bulb burned out quickly causing a need for constant replacement (generally after only a few days). Latimer, a Black inventor and draftsman, developed a way of enclosing the filament in a small cardboard envelope thus preventing the carbon filament from breaking. This gave the light bulb a much longer life making it less expensive and more efficient. As a result of Latimer's invention, electric lighting could now be installed within most homes and throughout most streets. To conclude, even though it's Edison's birthday, it's also Black History Month so give credit where credit is due. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Drewrasta (talk • contribs) 13:56, 11 February 2011 (UTC)

Incandescent light bulb provides an extensive history, including the contributions of Lewis Latimer. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 15:52, 11 February 2011 (UTC)

American Myth

It saddens me to see that this article perpetuates the myth of Edison, instead of revealing the truth. That there is no mention of the fraudulent patent practices that led to the revocation of a number of his patents and the controversy associated with many of the most famous inventions allegedly developed by Edison, can only lead me to believe that the people contributing and editing this article are content to disseminate the feel good, hero mythology of Edison over the less complimentary, but truthful, history. The court cases and patent reassignments, revocations and annulments are all in the public record yet some would ignore these so that they may set Edison on the pedestal of American Idols. Ixionrex (talk) 16:13, 11 February 2011 (UTC)

So, fix it. Provide some reliable sources putting forward your position, and then put it in the appropriate place or places in the article. You'll need to wait a few days until you can edit the article -- it's been the subject of a lot of vandalism, so we have it semi-protected. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 16:23, 11 February 2011 (UTC)