Episode
Edison vs. Tesla | Prometheus’ Fire | 1
- Podcast
- American History Tellers
- Published
- May 6, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2417
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
In the 1870s, the age of artificial light was still in its infancy. Gas lamps cast a dim glow on city streets, and early arc lights were just beginning to appear in a handful of public spaces. But reliable, practical light for homes and businesses remained out of reach for most people. Then, in 1878, America’s most famous inventor, Thomas Edison, witnessed a demonstration of a novel electric generator and had a spark of inspiration. Edison was convinced that he would be the one to harness electricity to illuminate the world. He set his sights on an audacious goal: not just to improve the light bulb, but to build a system capable of lighting an entire city. It was a vision that would demand years of relentless experimentation and push him to the brink of failure. And just as his system flickered to life, a new rival would emerge — one with a radically different vision of electricity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .