Who do you think is more intelligent : Hawking or Tesla?

[annoyinggirl]

Ok, I admit i am comparing apples to oranges - cosmologist to engineer. But if you were to choose one based on intelligence, who would it be? If you regard neither of these two men as the most intelligent man who has ever lived, who do you regard as such?

 

[Bandersnatch]

Intelligence criterion poorly defined. Body of data insufficient. Range of solutions arbitrary.
Example follows:

 

[Vanadium 50]

Who is stronger? Superman or the Hulk?

These threads never go anywhere.

 

[Enigman]

Who is stronger? Superman or the Hulk?

Obviously Batman.

 

[ZapperZ]

I agree with Vanadium. This is an utterly pointless topic. You might as well have a beauty contest.

Zz.

 

[zoobyshoe]

If you regard neither of these two men as the most intelligent man who has ever lived, who do you regard as such?

A concept I first ran across somewhere in the writings of Henry Miller is that the greatest men are always anonymous. We'll never know the most intelligent person who has ever lived because they would have had the intelligence to stay out of the history books. I would also like to point out that Superman was more intelligent than the Hulk, but it's not clear that he was more intelligent than Batman.

 

[jedishrfu]

There is a Chinese parable about three brothers who are all doctors. The most famous is the youngest brother for his skill of healing even the most deadly of diseases and when people ask about it. He says his fame is because his skill is inferior to his brothers saying:

My oldest brother's knowledge is so great that he can can vanquish disease before it occurs and my older brother can cure disease in its earliest stages whereas I must deal with diseases when they are most serious.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Ok, I admit i am comparing apples to oranges - cosmologist to engineer. But if you were to choose one based on intelligence, who would it be? If you regard neither of these two men as the most intelligent man who has ever lived, who do you regard as such?

I have to agree with everyone else here that discussions like this are pointless. To expand on why: intelligence is not great metric at all. It's not one characteristic but, I would argue, a reification of a range of different abilities. IMO it's ultimately pointless trying to judge and compare someone's intelligence versus their capability at a relevant subject.

 

[dipole]

annoyinggirl asks an annoying question...

Someone should really do a write-up dispelling the Tesla myth. Fact is Tesla was his own biggest promoter and he really isn't that significant of a figure. Toward the end of his life he became a total kook and recluse and died alone living in a Hotel. He's not even worth mentioning in the same breath as the great Physicists of his era.

 

[phinds]

annoyinggirl asks an annoying question...

Someone should really do a write-up dispelling the Tesla myth. Fact is Tesla was his own biggest promoter and he really isn't that significant of a figure. Toward the end of his life he became a total kook and recluse and died alone living in a Hotel. He's not even worth mentioning in the same breath as the great Physicists of his era.

+1 on that !

 

[RonL]

annoyinggirl asks an annoying question...

Someone should really do a write-up dispelling the Tesla myth. Fact is Tesla was his own biggest promoter and he really isn't that significant of a figure. Toward the end of his life he became a total kook and recluse and died alone living in a Hotel. He's not even worth mentioning in the same breath as the great Physicists of his era.

I suspect Tesla would not have lasted for a "New York Minute" on PF, but looking past his personality, his accomplishments ( documented ) show a very brilliant man. IMHO Tesla is not a myth.
Does Howard Hughes fall in your list of overrated people ? just curious :)

 

[russ_watters]

I suspect Tesla would not have lasted for a "New York Minute" on PF, but looking past his personality, his accomplishments ( documented ) show a very brilliant man. IMHO Tesla is not a myth.

There are two Teslas:
-The Tesla who was a real person and a reasonably successful inventor -- having one big, successful invention -- is rarely ever discussed on the internet that I've seen.
-The Tesla people bring up is the mythical mad scientist who had tons of great but never fully realized inventions, because, conspiracy theory, conspiracy theory.

Given that the OP believes Tesla was one of the most intelligent people ever to exist, she most definitely is talking about Tesla, the mythical mad scientist, not Tesla, the real person.

Does Howard Hughes fall in your list of overrated people ? just curious :)

No. Mostly because Hughes was much more accomplished than Tesla.

 

[russ_watters]

Obviously Batman.

There may not be a right answer to that question, but there couldn't be one more wrong! Batman has no superpowers!

 

[Drakkith]

I agree with Vanadium. This is an utterly pointless topic. You might as well have a beauty contest.

Einstein. Ladies can't resist that hair.

 

[davenn]

L

There may not be a right answer to that question, but there couldn't be one more wrong! Batman has no superpowers!

LOL, good point :)

 

[Drakkith]

Someone should really do a write-up dispelling the Tesla myth. Fact is Tesla was his own biggest promoter and he really isn't that significant of a figure. Toward the end of his life he became a total kook and recluse and died alone living in a Hotel. He's not even worth mentioning in the same breath as the great Physicists of his era.

I suspect Tesla would not have lasted for a "New York Minute" on PF, but looking past his personality, his accomplishments ( documented ) show a very brilliant man. IMHO Tesla is not a myth.

Tesla was primarily an engineer, not a physicist, so of course you can't compare him to physicists of his era. It's important to distinguish between Tesla's contributions from his inventions, and the overblown status many people give him today. He was obviously a brilliant engineer and inventor, but he definitely wasn't a proverbial "god" who invented new physics that was squashed by the government and all that other conspiracy nonsense.

 

[zoki85]

My vote goes to mad Tesla, than to Superman. Hawking who?

 

[mfb]

Feynman not mentioned yet? :( "the most intelligent" is impossible to find out or even define, but some certainly belong in the top group.

 

[Danger]

Again, stupid question/stupid answer situation (no offense: see my half full/half empty thread for details).
It's obvious that Hawking is more intelligent than Tesla. Telsa's brain hasn't worked since 1943.

 

[jedishrfu]

You're all wrong it's Archimedes...

 

[symbolipoint]

Ok, I admit i am comparing apples to oranges - cosmologist to engineer. But if you were to choose one based on intelligence, who would it be? If you regard neither of these two men as the most intelligent man who has ever lived, who do you regard as such?

Like you said,...

...which do you like better: Apples, or Oranges?

 

[symbolipoint]

annoyinggirl asks an annoying question...

Someone should really do a write-up dispelling the Tesla myth. Fact is Tesla was his own biggest promoter and he really isn't that significant of a figure. Toward the end of his life he became a total kook and recluse and died alone living in a Hotel. He's not even worth mentioning in the same breath as the great Physicists of his era.

He was an extremely important contributor, and very productive.

 

[Evo]

He was an extremely important contributor, and very productive.

Citations?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Citations?

He argued and demonstrated that AC was superior to DC as the basis for a large scale electrical delivery system, and Westinghouse bought all his patents. He invented the now ubiquitous AC operated induction motor, which has a big advantage over the universal motor for long life and quiet operation. He also invented and demonstrated remote (wireless) control, which paved the way for today's drones. As an engineer, he was an important contributor.

 

[Evo]

He argued and demonstrated that AC was superior to DC as the basis for a large scale electrical delivery system, and Westinghouse bought all his patents. He invented the now ubiquitous AC operated induction motor, which has a big advantage over the universal motor for long life and quiet operation. He also invented and demonstrated remote (wireless) control, which paved the way for today's drones. As an engineer, he was an important contributor.

trut6h.

Tesla Didn’t Invent Alternating Current And He Wasn’t A Major Power In The War Of The Currents

Let’s start with the first thing the comic says: “In a time when the majority of the world was still lit by candle power, an electrical system known as alternating current and to this day is what powers every home on the planet. Who do we have to thank for this invention that ushered humanity into a second industrial revolution? Nikola Tesla.”

This is just wrong. Alternating current was developed in principle by Michael Faraday and in practice by Hippolyte Pixii in the early 19th century. Practical devices employing AC in the medical world were developed before Tesla was even born. Contemporaries of Tesla working for George Westinghouse developed practical methods of distributing AC power from power plants before Tesla came to work for Westinghouse. Tesla himself actually studied the use of AC in college – he had an electrical engineering degree. (For those interested, here’s a nice, concise timeline of the development of alternating current.)

Now, did Tesla help refine AC? Yes. Did he make some key innovations that made it even more practical? Absolutely. There’s no question about it. He had an intuitive understanding of electricity that I quite frankly envy. He could make it dance. But was he indispensable to getting AC in place as the dominant means of electric power transmission? Almost certainly not.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkna...-wasnt-god-and-thomas-edison-wasnt-the-devil/

 

[russ_watters]

He argued and demonstrated that AC was superior to DC as the basis for a large scale electrical delivery system, and Westinghouse bought all his patents. He invented the now ubiquitous AC operated induction motor, which has a big advantage over the universal motor for long life and quiet operation.

Those two are basically the same contribution. It's a good one though.

He also invented and demonstrated remote (wireless) control, which paved the way for today's drones.

Agreed, kinda. As long as it took to get from there to here, I'm not sure it can be considered a direct connection.

As an engineer, he was an important contributor.

"Important" is a bit vague. He'd probably make a top 100 list of "important" engineers/inventors based on his one big invention, but I'm not sure it would be easy.

 

[Enigman]

There may not be a right answer to that question, but there couldn't be one more wrong! Batman has no superpowers!

P.S. no mention of Newton? (let alone the old ton)​

 

[RonL]

trut6h.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkna...-wasnt-god-and-thomas-edison-wasnt-the-devil/

Ruined my night of sleep...too much to study and can't get the image of comics as white papers out of my mind, do I throw my book of Tesla patents in the trash ?...worry,worry, worry :)

 

[Matterwave]

I am most offended by the comment that Batman is not the strongest one between Superman and the Hulk. The answer is always batman guys.

 

[ShayanJ]

Of course Tesla(the real!) was smart enough to have almost 300 inventions that at least a few of them were responsible for some technological leaps. But since I don't have enough information about other great inventors, I don't say he was the greatest inventor.(In no way, I would compare him to non-inventor scientists, the apple-orange stuff I mean!)
But about Stephen Hawking. I hope I won't bother his fans here(if there is any!), but his fame doesn't come from a really ground-breaking physical theory. Of course he had some good ideas and he is an important physicist but the things he did as a physicist don't imply such a world-wide fame! He's mostly famous because of his health situation and also because he's too much in media. Otherwise there are physicists with more important contributions than Hawking's, both dead and alive, but not as famous as him!

 

[zoobyshoe]

Those two are basically the same contribution. It's a good one though.

Agreed, kinda. As long as it took to get from there to here, I'm not sure it can be considered a direct connection.

"Important" is a bit vague. He'd probably make a top 100 list of "important" engineers/inventors based on his one big invention, but I'm not sure it would be easy.

I forgot to mention he engineered and oversaw the construction of the world's first hydroelectric plant at Niagra Falls. That paved the way for Hoover Dam, and the soon to be Three Gorges in China. It was an important proof of concept.

As for the drones, Tesla actually built and demonstrated a remote controlled submarine, which he tried to sell to the military. In the gap between, remote control was relegated to, and developed for, what are basically toys, but eventually the military did take it up, proving he had the right idea about what to do with it. Not always the case with his inventions.

 

[Danger]

I am most offended by the comment that Batman is not the strongest one between Superman and the Hulk. The answer is always batman guys.

I take it that you never read the collaborative Giant magazine of "Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man: The Battle of the Century." I have the version signed by Stan Lee and Carmine Infantino. Batman just ain't in the same universe...
I was unaware of the Superman/Hulk thing, but I'll sure read it if I ever get the chance.

 

[zoki85]

Citations?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743215362/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[phinds]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743215362/?tag=pfamazon01-20

That looks more like a puff-piece for Tesla, designed to sell books, than a serious discussion of his scientific merit

 

[zoki85]

That looks more like a puff-piece for Tesla, designed to sell books, than a serious discussion of his scientific merit

This is the best Tesla biography I read about him. In the end of a book there is actually a chapter where renowned experts in engineering and science evaluate Tesla's contribution. Also, this book has many references and citations and very few flaws.

 

[phinds]

This is the best Tesla biography I read about him. In the end of a book there is actually a chapter where renowned experts in engineering and science evaluate Tesla's contribution. Also, this book has many references and citations and very few flaws.

Well, I haven't read it so should hold judgement. It's hard because there's this sort of cult of mythology that has grown up around Tesla in the popular press that makes him out to be a FAR more influential figure than he actually was. There are a lot of threads on this forum that discuss this and the consensus is clearly that he is seriously overrated.

 

[zoobyshoe]

It's not Tesla's fault that he's seriously overrated. It's Tesla's own fault that he's overrated. He spent much effort in creating the myth of Tesla, and he was good at it. However, he actually did contribute much to the electrification of the world, and the electrified world is a very different place than the world before it.

It's hard to say what Hawking has contributed, but he functions as a poster boy for physics, much like Tesla was a poster boy for electrical invention.