Thomas Edison vs. Nikola Tesla Quiz

Edison challenged Tesla to revolutionize electric generators and promised him $50,000 if he could pull it off. To Edison's surprise, Tesla succeeded and then demanded payment - which Edison laughed off. Tesla stormed out of the company, becoming one of Edison's primary rivals.

The so-called "War of the Currents" was a very public feud over AC and DC electrical power transmission. Tesla had developed alternating current (AC) while Edison had developed direct current (DC). Both were competing to be the standard electrical system in the U.S.

Edison had invested heavily in DC patents but Westinghouse preferred AC as it was cheaper and could handle both high and low voltage, thanks to a transformer. Edison had an elephant electrocuted on film to show the "dangers" of using AC.

At the height of his powers, Tesla was known to be a stylish dresser and witty conversationalist. Meanwhile, Edison was a bit of a slob who had few friends. As time went on though, Tesla developed several personality quirks, like being obsessed with personal hygiene and the number 3.

Thanks to these inventions, and his business savvy, Edison became one of the most famous men in the world.

Many of Edison's inventions, like the light bulb and the motion picture camera, were extensions of projects that other researchers were already working on. Tesla, on the other hand, had wild visions for things like wireless power transmission, which no one else had thought of.

Tesla was known for his eidetic (photographic) memory. He was able remember objects in a way that helped him visualize many of his greatest technological triumphs. He often used only his mind (instead of tedious note-taking, like Edison) to conjure his ideas.

Thomas Edison offered up a lot of memorable quotes in his lifetime, but, "Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration" might be his most famous. It's also a succinct summary of his philosophy that hard work trumps inspiration in most situations.

Both Edison and Tesla worked constantly on their ideas. At the end of his life, Tesla had about 300 patents, but Edison had nearly 1,100 (thanks in large part to his assistants who helped him along the way). Tesla sadly died penniless while Edison died a multimillionaire.