The story goes that an interviewer asked Albert Einstein, "What does it feel like to be the smartest person?" Einstein's rely, "I don't know; you will have to ask Nicola Tesla."
The tragedy though, was that Tesla ended up in his own thoughts, and feeding the pigeons in Central Park.
Good thing Einstein was asked and not Edison. You would get two very different opinions about Tesla.
I do not know it all--- if I did, I would be delusional! That is a hands down! What I have read is that Edison, with a DC electrical system, stole from Tesla the idea of a AC electrical system. If there is any truth to this story, Tommy was an ass hole.
@Diogenes Edison did not steal the AC system. He was totally against it. He saw that it was dangerous and could kill (which it can). Unfortunately DC is not viable for long distance transmission so Edison's system lost out.
The dividing line is very thin, and delicately balanced, between genius and madness.
Strangely when Tesla died, all his papers were stolen by the US government and passed in to the hands of Government appointed scientist John George Trump for assessment and testing.
Incidental fact John George Trump was the late uncle of the incumbent president of the USA
Gotta do more reading!
There is a long established history of mental illness accompanying genius.
I can imagine that being unique, and correct, could be viewed in many different ways.
Is there an explanation for a huge portion of the world not believing in science? The Christian portion believe that some mythical dude fornicated with the "Virgin Mary". Is one supposed to laugh? The self- centered bastard probably didn't even do a little 'lingus. Selfish bastard!
@Diogenes I was speaking more specifically to his actual mental illness, OCD. Not in a derogatory way or in that his ideas were not relevant but only way ahead of his time. This alone could have made people think he was 'crazy' for sure, but I am of a mindset that true genius often comes with a bit of insanity. We see it in many of the great creative minds of our earthly time.
[mentalfloss.com]