Thomas Edison's Obit
Via Lenore Skenazy, here's the link from The New York Times:
Feb. 11, 1847 to Oct. 18, 1931Almost entirely self-educated, Thomas Alva Edison began experimenting in the cellar of his family home around the age of 10.
In 1914, it was announced that the patent records at Washington showed that Mr. Edison had patented new ideas at the rate of one every two weeks for nearly 40 years.
Many of his inventions were failures, some were good enough as inventions but not commercial success.
But some changed the world. In the 1870s, At his lab in Menlo Park, N.J., Mr. Edison experimented on incandescent electric lights. On Nov. 4, 1879, Patent 223,898 marked the official invention of the electric light bulb.
And the relevant bit vis a vis Steve Jobs, "almost entirely self-educated..."
Oh dear. Does no-one know (or maybe care) that the light bulb was invented by Sir Joseph Swan ?
Robbo at October 6, 2011 6:49 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/10/thomas-edisons.html#comment-2539452">comment from RobboSeems you're right:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Swan
Amy Alkon
at October 6, 2011 7:00 AM
Does it even matter anymore, now that they're being banned everywhere?
Martin at October 6, 2011 9:07 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/10/thomas-edisons.html#comment-2539754">comment from MartinGreat point, Martin.
Amy Alkon
at October 6, 2011 9:21 AM
They just don't build 'em like they used to...
http://www.snopes.com/science/lightbulb.asp
Eric at October 6, 2011 10:09 AM
Sorry I'm a Tesla devotee, Edison should have been shot. The guy was a thief and a plagerist.
The son of a bitch had animals tortured to death to win a propoganda war
lujlp at October 6, 2011 10:28 AM
I was going to bring that up, lujlp. He electrocuted an elephant as a publicity stunt to embarrass his rival Westinghouse, stole ideas and had them patented, and was pretty much an all around son-of-a-bitch.
Eric at October 6, 2011 12:51 PM
PS- I had an interesting (at least it was to me) dilemma the other day with my 7 year old boy. They had to write a small essay on who they admired the most, and he chose Thomas Edison. I chose at this point to not burst his bubble.
Eric at October 6, 2011 12:54 PM
A
lujlp at October 6, 2011 6:58 PM
Jobs is quoted as saying something like "good artists copy, great artists steal...and we have been shameless in stealing." That seems so true. I read how Apple invented this and that. And yet I am not sure they have really invented anything...improved stuff...sure...and of course there is value in that...made stuff seem cool... definitely.
The Former Banker at October 6, 2011 9:57 PM
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