Throughout history, the work of a select few has paved the way for the modern-day technological conveniences that we currently enjoy. These inventors—be they electrical engineers, physicists or all of the above—essentially discovered the science and technology that formed the basis from which modern advancements occur. They also set the stage for some more recognizable faces to develop and patent technologies that may just end up saving the world.
So, who were they? What did they do?
Luckily for you, we’ve got some answers. Here are some of the most influential electrical inventors and intellectual minds to date.
All information courtesy of Brittanica Encyclopedia and The University of Adelaide School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
1. Volta; 2. Joule; 3.Tesla; 4. Norton; 5. Musk
Main photo by Web Summit., CC BY 2.0
Lead photo courtesy of Mohamed Jahangeer., CC BY-SA 2.0
Natalie Wickstrom is a freelance writer based in Athens, Georgia.
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Alessandro Guiseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta:
Born in Como, Italy in 1745, Alessandro Volta was essentially a pioneer in the field of electricity. Volta invented the electric battery which then provided the first source of continuous electric current that didn't need to be recharged in any manner similar to previously-existing inventions. Other noteworthy achievements include his improvement of the electrophorus, which is used to generate static electricity, as well as his discovery and isolation of methane gas in 1776. His namesake also went on to be used in coining the term "volt," which is the SI unit of electric potential. All in all, Volta's battery and subsequent inventions led an entirely new generation to utilize and experiment with isolated electrical energy.
Photo by Wikipedia Creative Commons, CC0
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James Prescott Joule:
James Prescott Joule was an English physicist born in 1818 whose main focus of study centered on how various forms of energy can be manipulated and changed into one another. His work with mechanical, electrical and heat energy led him to form the basis of the first law of thermodynamics, otherwise known as The Law of Conservation Energy, which essentially revolves around the idea that interacting bodies of energy in isolated environments are constantly in motion. Joules' work would go on to become quintessential in the development of heat technologies, as he determined that heat produced in a wire is proportional to the amount of resistance of the wire generating the electric current. Joule, his namesake, is now used to describe the value of the mechanical equivalent of heat.
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Nikola Tesla:
Born in 1856, the Croatian Tesla was most well-known for having discovered and patented the rotating magnetic field, which is the basis of most alternating-current machinery. In addition, he also invented the electric power transmission, the "Tesla coil"—which is still widely used in radio technology—and the technology from which X-ray screenings were developed. Despite the fact that Tesla is considered the "father" of the magnetic field—and radio, in many regards—his work was widely-contested and controversial at the time of its invention due to a massive struggle between Thomas Edison's direct-current systems and the Tesla-Westinghouse (the name of his patent-holder). Though Tesla would continue to be riddled with such controversy for the remainder of his life regarding one invention or another, he would go on to be considered one of the world's greatest intellectuals who paved the way for modern technological advancements to be made.
Photo by Napoleon Sarony
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Edward Lawry Norton:
Born in Rockland, Maine in 1898, Edward Norton was an electrical engineer for whom the Norton equivalent circuit is named. The Norton circuit, which essentially theorizes the ideal paths for current sources and resistors in battery circuits, is still widely regarded as one of the most efficient electrical circuits used to date, and it also paved the way for a variety of off-shoot circuits to be theorized and developed in its stead. His extensive knowledge of circuit analyses would go on to be applied to a variety of engineering fields, including the building and development of a substantial amount of military technology.
Photo by Wikipedia Creative Commons, CC0
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Elon Musk:
The South African-born Musk has made a name for himself as an American entrepreneur who has turned the modern energy community on its head. Musk co-founded the electronic-payment firm PayPal and formed SpaceX, a company that develops spacecraft and launch vehicles. In addition—and, perhaps, of most note—Musk is the chairman and CEO of Tesla Motors, a luxury electric car manufacturer named after the aforementioned Nikola Tesla. Not only does Musk desire to make the "space race" a more affordable and accessible venture, but he also seeks to revolutionize the electrical energy movement to make it the most desirable and widely-used form of energy in the world. Should he be successful, Musk's Gigafactories—the world's largest self-sustaining clean energy manufacturing plant—could potentially pave the way for enough coal-free electricity to be generated to power the entirety of the world's population.
Photo by Web Summit, CC BY 2.0