Here in the south, it's that fun time of year when spring thunderstorms overlap hurricane season. Whenever a storm passes through and we emerge unscathed, one of my first thoughts is: hurray - the power didn't go out!
I can handle rough weather as long as I still have running water (we're on a well) and an Internet signal. Some day I may write a horror story based on a power outage. There is nothing so terrifying as punching the buttons on the microwave and nothing happens. Well, maybe one other thing: opening the fridge and no light comes on.
Being thankful for power puts me in mind of a great television program I saw about the genesis of the electrical power biz here in the U.S. If you have not seen it and you are a history nerd, give it a look. Inventors George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison were the original AC/DC duo.
I'm not going to pretend I understand the science here. But I have a good grasp of the publicity war these two birds engaged in. Both men were desperate to have their own technology perceived as the best, safest means of distributing electricity. In 1889 the Niagara Falls Power Commission (NFPC) was established to evaluate and select one for use at their plant. The NFPC was composed of experts in the field, and supported by wealth entrepreneurs who had a keen interest in the outcome. Whatever was chosen would likely be the foundation of the American electricity industry. Edison and his company, General Electric, held many patents on the DC (direct current) technology. The pressure was enormous to have DC selected. If a different technology such as Westinghouse's AC (alternating current) prevailed, obviously Edison would stand to lose money as well as prestige.
I wonder how this 'current war' would have played in the age of Facebook and Twitter. It was actually gruesome enough without the complication of Internet technology. Edison's main method of trolling Westinghouse was to paint AC power as dangerous. He documented the use of AC power to kill animals and even humans via electric chair. Let that sink in for a minute: He paid a guy to build and use an AC-powered electric chair at a New York prison to demonstrate how dangerous Westinghouse's product was.
I have a feeling Edison's antics backfired. The NFPC was not swayed by his tactics. As the Current Wars raged, the technology for safely transmitting and distributing AC power improved. Eventually AC proved to be easier, cheaper and safer to transmit and distribute over long distances. Westinghouse was awarded the NFPC contract in 1893. Edison and General Electric threw in the towel and made the switch, devoting their energies to AC research as well as DC. They did pretty well for themselves, didn't they? Both companies are still alive and kickin' even as we speak.
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