“The Current War” is about the battle of technology and ideas between electrical pioneers Thomas Edison and Tesla/George Westinghouse, and their battle for control of the electricity supply in America in the late 1880s.  Edison championed direct current (DC) while Tesla/Westinghouse fought for alternating current (AC). Their campaigns, amidst safety and commercial concerns, became the subject of mass public and media debate, drawing supporters and objectors on both sides.

Full film here: https://athome.fandango.com/content/browse/details/The-Current-War-Director-s-Cut/1384572

While getting the above links I found this film, which elaborates more on the role Tesla played that was not well covered in the above film.

Fun fact I learned from the movie “The Current Wars” about Tesla, Edison and Westinghouse. Thomas Edison’s wife was a telegraph operator who died an untimely death from brain cancer. Her speech center was among her first symptoms… (I’m experiencing alot of the same issues she had.)

I fact checked and found this: 

“The New York World suggested that Mary had died of a morphine overdose, the drug having been prescribed to treat her “obstinate neuralgia” and “gastritis” and to ease the pain from the “uterine troubles” that had persisted over many years.”

Thomas Edison shares the same viewpoint that I do:   AC is dangerous and DC is a better choice.  Yes DC costs more and is less convenient.

Ultimately the end result was that we all sacrified safety for cost and efficiency by choosing AC.  The investors won.  That was the result of the “current war.”

Tesla Inventions and His Life

I found another documentary.  This one revealed some incredibly details that were nuanced and answered some extremely important questions that would have been otherwise hard to find.  Ask me about it if you have time for a deep conversation.