Undaunted, in 1882 Edison opened the first power plant at Pearl Street Station in Manhattan, initially serving 82 customers and powering 400 lamps via a coal-fired generator. But in the countryside it wasn’t practical at all as the distances were too large. In cities this was vaguely feasible, albeit expensive, dirty and noisy. For DC to catch on, everyone would need local power plants. The problem with a DC system was that the power losses (and voltage drops) along a cable meant power plants had to be stationed within a kilometre or so of customers. However, Edison faced growing competition, particularly from the alternating-current (AC) system developed by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. There being no electrical infrastructure at the time, he designed his bulb so it could be used with an available direct-current (DC) system, making it suitable for large installations as the market grew. Things, at first, seemed to go well for Edison. His system used longer-lasting bulbs and higher resistance filaments, which could therefore be used in parallel circuits and avoid the all-lights-out-if-one-bulb-pops scenario. I left the tale with Edison having won thanks to superior technology. Now I know I told the Physics World editor that I wouldn’t write too often about the history of physics, but the story is so interesting I couldn’t resist taking it further. In passing, I also referred to the “battle of the currents” that resulted from the revolution in electric lighting from the 1880s onwards. James McKenzie reveals what we can learn from the “current wars” between Nikola Tesla and Thomas EdisonĪ few months ago I wrote about the battle in the late 19th century between Joseph Swan and Thomas Edison to build a commercially successful light bulb. Webinars Tune into online presentations that allow expert speakers to explain novel tools and applications.Video Watch our specially filmed videos to get a different slant on the latest science.Podcasts Our regular conversations with inspiring figures from the scientific community.Audio and video Explore the sights and sounds of the scientific world.Supercool physics Experiments that probe the exotic behaviour of matter at ultralow temperatures depend on the latest cryogenics technology.The science and business of space Explore the latest trends and opportunities associated with designing, building, launching and exploiting space-based technologies.Revolutions in computing Find out how scientists are exploiting digital technologies to understand online behaviour and drive research progress.Nanotechnology in action The challenges and opportunities of turning advances in nanotechnology into commercial products.
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