Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla!!
 

July 10, 1856 - One of the truly great scientists was born, Nikola Tesla

Hey Nikola: nice coil

-- OMD

It gets very confusing when one of the great crackpots of all time was also a great mind. Kind of like Linus Pauling.

Oooh, a chance to link to my video of the huge Tesla coil at Coachella last year...

http://www.jenniegreg.com/Coachella/IMGP1663.htm

I don't know if he still goes but there used to be a guy with a gian Tesla coil mounted on top of a Ryder truck. After dark he'd drive around Black Rock City in his protective suit, standing on top of the truck playing with the electricity. It was pretty cool to watch.

Sounds both creative and dangerous. I'm sure it's been ruled illegal by now in the name of us all living together in a safer society.

There are no rules in Black Rock City (except don't offer your drugs outright to the police, they can only ignore so much). Actually it isn't all that dangerous unless something goes mechanically wrong and it explodes or something.

Oh, I see I failed to mention that Black Rock City is Burning Man, not a real city.

One of my favorite artists, Dave Archer, uses a Tesla Coil for his work. He starts with a piece of glass, places a smear of isopopyl alcohol on it in key places and patterns and then hits it with the Tesla Coil. He then fills in the rest of the painting, starting with details and then filling in the background behind it (reverse painting). I am fortunate enough to own an original, albeit a very small one.

This is one artist who's work you definitely have to see in person to appreciate.