【毎朝速読ドリル】2026-08-01 過去の偉人・歴史トリビア

本日のテーマ: 過去の偉人・歴史トリビア

Level: CEFR B2

The Unsung Pioneer of Modern Electricity

In the late nineteenth century, a fierce rivalry known as the War of the Currents unfolded between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, two monumental figures in industrial history. While Edison championed direct current (DC), Tesla envisioned alternating current (AC) as a far more efficient method for distributing electricity safely over long distances. Tesla, a brilliant Serbian-American inventor, had worked briefly for Edison before resigning due to bitter financial disputes and conflicting technical philosophies. Undeterred by Edison's aggressive smear campaigns, which deliberately sought to convince the public that AC was inherently dangerous, Tesla forged a crucial partnership with George Westinghouse. Westinghouse quickly recognized the immense commercial potential of Tesla's patents, particularly his revolutionary induction motor, and financed the widespread deployment of AC systems across North America. The decisive turning point arrived at the prestigious 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where Tesla illuminated the entire fairgrounds using thousands of AC-powered bulbs without a single technical breakdown. This spectacular public demonstration effectively silenced skeptics and paved the way for AC to become the dominant global standard for electrical power distribution. Although Tesla subsequently made groundbreaking contributions to radio technology, wireless power transmission, and early robotics, he lacked strategic commercial acumen and ultimately died nearly bankrupt in New York City. Nevertheless, his extraordinary visionary ideas permanently transformed modern society, demonstrating how persistence and technological innovation can eventually triumph over short-term monopolistic interests.