Tesla's 1901 vision for wireless power transmission is reborn

[eppur_se_muova]

15. Ignoring the snark, you should be aware that many on the woo side ...

have the idea that Tesla had tapped into some secret source of energy, and that if we only knew his secrets, the world would be awash in cheap (or free) energy. The mindset that worships the idea of lost/suppressed Secret Knowledge is closely akin to the one that accepts conspiracy theories unquestioningly.

More specifically, by "expenditure" of energy I was implying that Tesla's often spectacular demonstrations -- involving huge spark discharges, glowing lamps with no direct power connection, etc. -- consumed energy with such inefficiency that they were not practical as anything beyond demonstrations, and would lead to huge power bills for anyone who wants to repeat them. The problem is, many people get the impression that because he was throwing such large amounts of energy around with abandon, he must have had some access to great amounts of energy. He did -- through the local power grid. Tesla's lab in CO consumed so much power that he caused blackouts in the neighboring town when he ran his experiments. Tesla was not PRODUCING energy -- he was CONSUMING it, but the sound-and-light show impressed the rubes so thoroughly they didn't often think about the difference.