All language subtitles for Forbidden History S02E06 1080p AMZN WEB-DL DD+2 0 x264-Absinth_track3_[eng]

Narrator: NIKOLA TESLA
WAS ONE OF THE MOST ENIGMATIC,

BUT LEAST-KNOWN, SCIENTISTS
OF THE PAST CENTURY.

HE WAS A PIONEER
OF BOTH ELECTRICITY AND RADIO

AND CREATOR OF ONE
OF THE FIRST ELECTRICAL MOTORS.

SO WHY DID HE DIE IN POVERTY
AND UNDER SUSPICION BY THE FBI?

Gough:
NIKOLA TESLA CREATED SOME OF
THE MOST INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS

THE MODERN WORLD
HAS EVER KNOWN...

A.C. POWER, X-RAY TECHNOLOGY,

RADIO, AND, MOST CONTROVERSIAL,
FREE ENERGY.

WHAT SORT OF VOLTAGE
IS THIS ONE?

IT'S 1 MILLION VOLTS.
WHOA.

ALTHOUGH TESLA WAS NAIVE
IN LOTS OF WAYS,

I THINK HE GENUINELY
WAS A GENIUS.

TESLA WAS ONE OF THE MOST
AMAZING ENGINEERING INVENTORS

OF HIS CENTURY.

SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE
IS A CAGE OF DEATH.

WHY DO I NOT LIKE THE SOUND
OF THIS?

Tutt:
HE SOWED THE SEEDS FOR RADIO.

HE HAD THE MAJOR PATENTS.
HE SOWED THE SEEDS FOR RADAR.

IF YOU LOOK AT HIS LIST
ABOUT WHAT HE CALLED

THE "WORLD SYSTEM," YOU'LL GO,
"HANG ON. THAT'S OUR WORLD NOW."

Picknett: HE WAS BRILLIANT
IN HIS IMAGINATION.

HE THOUGHT OUTSIDE THE BOX
ALL THE TIME.

PROBABLY WHAT TESLA DIDN'T HAVE
WAS THE FOLLOW-THROUGH.

Theakston: IT'S LIKE BEING IN
THE EYE OF THE STORM,

SEEING THE LIGHTNING
BLASTING OFF IN YOUR FACE.

IT'S EXTRAORDINARY.

THAT'S THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY
THING I'VE EVER DONE.

Captions by VITAC...
www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator:
THE HISTORY OF NIKOLA TESLA
IS AN EXTRAORDINARY TALE

OF GENIUS, INVENTION, TRAGEDY,
AND DEFEAT.

BUT THERE WAS
A SINISTER SIDE, TOO.

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT HE
WAS HAMPERED, SHUT DOWN,

AND MAYBE EVEN KILLED
BY FORCES IN AMERICA

WHO WERE OPPOSED TO HIS PLANS
FOR FREE ELECTRICITY.

AND WHEN YOU CONSIDER
THAT THIS INDUSTRY

HAS MADE SEVERAL TRILLION
DOLLARS OVER THE PAST CENTURY,

YOU CAN BEGIN TO SEE A MOTIVE
FOR STOPPING HIM AT ALL COSTS.

JOURNALIST JAMIE THEAKSTON
IS ON A MISSION TO UNRAVEL

THE FACTS FROM THE FICTION
ABOUT TESLA'S REMARKABLE LIFE.

Gough: TESLA'S BIGGEST,
MOST FAMOUS DISCOVERY

WAS THE SIMPLEST...

HARNESSED NATURAL RESOURCES

AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE
AS ENERGY FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD.

BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE,
THAT NEVER GOT OFF THE GROUND.

WHY WOULD SOMEONE
LET FREE PRODUCT GET PRODUCED

WHEN THE LIKES
OF GENERAL ELECTRIC

AND OTHER COMPANIES
HAVE ONE OBJECTIVE... PROFIT?

Narrator:
NIKOLA TESLA WAS BORN IN 1856
IN WHAT IS TODAY'S CROATIA.

AS A YOUNG MAN, HE BEGAN WORKING

FOR THE EDISON COMPANY
IN FRANCE,

DESIGNING AND MAKING
IMPROVEMENTS

TO ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.

THEN, IN JUNE 1884, TESLA
RELOCATED TO NEW YORK CITY,

REPUTEDLY ARRIVING
WITH ONLY 4 CENTS IN HIS POCKET.

AND NOT QUITE 30 YEARS OLD,

HE WAS GIVEN THE TASK
OF REDESIGNING

THE EDISON COMPANY'S
DIRECT CURRENT GENERATORS.

HE WAS,
AS SOME REMARKED AT THE TIME,

A BONA FIDE GENIUS,
BUT A STRANGE ONE.

Butler: TESLA WAS A VERY STRANGE
MAN IN ALL SORTS OF WAYS.

HE WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY
AUTISTIC.

HIS BRAIN WAS WIRED UP
DIFFERENTLY

THAN MOST OF OUR BRAINS ARE.

HE HAD A...
AN INCREDIBLE MEMORY, I MEAN,

TOTALLY PHOTOGRAPHIC,

COULD REMEMBER AN ENTIRE BOOK,
NO PROBLEM.

HE WAS A MAN
WHO RARELY SLEPT AT ALL.

HE WAS A MAN WHO WAS
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE, UH,

IN ALL MANNER OF WAYS.

HE COULD NOT SIT DOWN AT A MEAL

WITHOUT WORKING
OUT THE VOLUMETRIC CAPACITY

OF THE BOWL OR PLATE
FROM WHICH HE WAS EATING.

AND HE HAD STRANGE PHOBIAS.

HE COULD GET HIMSELF
INTO A LITERAL FEVER

IF HE SAW A PEACH.

HE COULDN'T TOUCH HUMAN HAIR.

HE... HE WAS AN ODDITY.

Gough: HE WOULD CRUNCH
EACH OF HIS TOES 100 TIMES

BEFORE HE WENT TO BED

BECAUSE IT WOULD STIMULATE
THOUGHTS SO HE WOULD BE...

HE WOULD BE PRODUCTIVE
IN THE MORNING.

HE REFUSED TO SHAKE HANDS.

AND ALTHOUGH HE WAS A GENTLEMAN,

HE WOULD JUST TURN AND GET
REALLY NASTY WITH PEOPLE.

AND NO ONE WAS QUITE SURE WHY.

HE HAD A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY,
BUT WAS REALLY, REALLY PECULIAR.

HE WORKED PRECISELY FROM
9:00 A.M. TO 6:00 P.M. EVERY DAY

AND THEN ORDERED HIS DINNER
FROM THE SAME GENTLEMAN.

AND THAT GENTLEMAN HAD TO CLEAN
HIS SILVERWARE WITH 18 NAPKINS.

I MEAN, HE HAD MANY...

MANY OF THE SYMPTOMS TODAY
THAT WE KNOW ABOUT AS BEING OCD.

AND THIS IS WHAT MADE
HIM THE QUIRKY MAD SCIENTIST

THAT EVERYONE THOUGHT HE WAS.

Narrator: TESLA BELIEVED
IN ALTERNATING CURRENT, OR A.C.,

WHICH HE THOUGHT
WAS FAR SUPERIOR TO EDISON'S DC,

OR DIRECT CURRENT.

SO IN 1887, HE SET UP
HIS OWN TESLA ELECTRIC COMPANY

WITH A LABORATORY
AT 89 LIBERTY STREET

IN MANHATTAN,

WHERE HE CONSTRUCTED

HIS FAMOUS ALTERNATING CURRENT
INDUCTION MOTOR.

IT WAS REVOLUTIONARY AND WAY
AHEAD OF ITS TIME.

Butler:
HE HAD A MIND VERY SIMILAR
TO THAT OF LEONARDO da VINCI

IN THAT IT WORKED IN MANY
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS

SIMULTANEOUSLY.

BUT HE WAS, IN ESSENCE,
AN ENGINEER.

HE THOUGHT LIKE A PHYSICIST,
BUT ACTED LIKE AN ENGINEER.

UM, THE GREATEST LEGACIES
HE LEFT TO THE WORLD,

ALMOST CERTAINLY,

ALTERNATING CURRENT IS ONE
OF THOSE,

AS OPPOSED
TO WHAT EXISTED BEFORE,

WHICH WAS THE PRODUCTION
OF ELECTRICITY

THROUGH DIRECT CURRENT.

UM, THAT WAS COMPLICATED
BECAUSE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT

TO PUSH DIRECT CURRENT
A LONG WAY.

SO IF YOU LIVED A LONG WAY
FROM THE POWER STATION,

IT WAS DIFFICULT
FOR YOU TO GET YOUR ELECTRIC.

ALTERNATING CURRENT WORKS
IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

AND SO THEREFORE,
IT CAN BE PUSHED MUCH FURTHER.

SO THAT'S CLEARLY ONE
OF THE GREATEST THINGS

THAT TESLA DID.

Narrator:
KEITH TUTT IS AN AUTHOR
WHO'S RESEARCHED AND WRITTEN

ABOUT THE CURIOUS GENIUS
THAT WAS NIKOLA TESLA.

Tutt: HE MOVED TO NEW YORK
WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 26.

HE HAD ALREADY BEEN
WORKING IN PARIS

FOR EDISON'S COMPANY IN PARIS.

AND HE WANTED TO HIT
THE BIG TIME IN AMERICA.

AMERICA WAS
WHERE EVERYTHING WAS HAPPENING.

THE POTENTIAL FOR BIG MONEY

TO BE SPENT
ON BIG PROJECTS WAS THERE.

I GUESS HE FELT THAT HE COULD

NOT JUST MAKE HIS FORTUNE,
ACTUALLY,

BECAUSE HE WAS MORE OF AN
IDEALISTIC PERSON THAN THAT.

HE WANTED TO TRANSFORM
THE WORLD.

HE WANTED TO BRING ELECTRICITY
TO THE WORLD,

AND AMERICA WAS THE PLACE
WHERE IT WAS HAPPENING.

Theakston: SO, TELL ME
A LITTLE BIT MORE

ABOUT SOME OF THE EXPERIMENTS
THAT HE WAS DOING AT THE TIME.

HIS... HIS BIG THING,

HIS FIRST BIG THING WAS A.C.,

ALTERNATING CURRENT,
ELECTRICITY.

AND HE HAD AN EXPERIENCE
IN 1882

IN A PARK WHERE HE CLAIMED
TO HAVE SEEN THIS IDEA

OF HOW ALTERNATING CURRENT
COULD WORK IN MOTORS.

AND THIS WAS
A HUGE ADVANCE.

AT THE TIME, IT WAS THOUGHT
THAT THE FUTURE OF ELECTRICITY

WAS IN DC, DIRECT CURRENT,
BUT TESLA FIRMLY BELIEVED

THAT A.C. WAS WHAT WAS GOING
TO MAKE ELECTRICITY

REALLY LIBERATE PEOPLE,
ACTUALLY,

AND... AND MAKE
COMMERCE INDUSTRY POSSIBLE,

WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE
AND IS ACTUALLY WHAT HAPPENED.

Narrator:
NEEDLESS TO SAY, TESLA'S
INVENTION OF AN A.C. MOTOR

AND HIS AMBITIOUS PLANS
FOR FREE ENERGY

MADE HIM AN ARCHRIVAL OF
HIS FORMER BOSS, THOMAS EDISON,

WHO WAS CHAMPIONING DC.

THEY CALLED IT THE BATTLE
OF THE CURRENTS.

Fanthorpe: EDISON AND TESLA
WERE TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT TYPES

OF PERSONALITY.

EDISON, TO SOME EXTENT,

WAS IN THE POCKET OF
THE BIG BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

THAT WERE BUYING HIS WORK,
BUYING HIS INVENTIONS,

BUYING HIS TECHNOLOGY,

WHEREAS TESLA WAS AN IDEALIST
AND A DREAMER.

AND THOSE TWO PERSONALITIES
CLASHED.

AND NOW, WE PAY QUARTERLY
OR MONTHLY

OR EVEN BY PUTTING A COIN
IN THE SLOT

FOR WHAT EDISON
WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR,

WHEREAS, HAD TESLA SUCCEEDED,

WE WOULD BE ABLE
TO ENJOY FREE ELECTRICITY.

HE WAS WORKING ON WAYS
IN WHICH ELECTRICITY

COULD BE MOVED WIRELESSLY,
IS THAT RIGHT?

YES, HE WAS.
HE'D BEEN GIVEN THE CONTRACT

TO ELECTRIFY NIAGARA FALLS,
A MASSIVE PROJECT.

AND, UM, HE HAD SUCCESSFULLY
ACHIEVED THAT.

AND THIS GAVE HIM A PLATFORM
TO DO THINGS

THAT HE REALLY WANTED TO DO.

AND HIS BIG DREAM
WAS TO MAKE ELECTRICITY

FREELY AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE
AT ANY POINT ON THE PLANET.

AND HE HAD TWO MAIN IDEAS
FOR DOING THIS.

ONE OF THEM WAS ELECTRICITY
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE.

AND THE OTHER WAS ACTUALLY
ELECTRICITY THROUGH THE GROUND

SO THAT ONE
COULD SIMPLY STICK A POLE IN,

IF YOU LIKE, A RECEIVER,
AND RECEIVE LIMITLESS AMOUNTS

OF ELECTRICITY
ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET.

[ THUNDER CRASHING ]

Narrator:
TESLA WAS A FANTASTIC SHOWMAN,

TRAVELING ACROSS THE STATES,

DAZZLING HIS AUDIENCES
WITH HIS MILLION-VOLT COILS.

AND TODAY,

PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD
RECREATE HIS EXPERIMENTS,

INCLUDING A SPECIAL-EFFECTS
COMPANY IN GLOUCESTER IN ENGLAND

THAT JAMIE
HAD ARRANGED TO VISIT.

HI. HI, THERE.

MARK. THE TESLA KING.

WELCOME TO
A HIGH-VOLTAGE WORLD.

NICE TO SEE YOU.
THIS IS IT, RIGHT?

THIS IS
THE TESLA COIL, YES.

OKAY. CAN WE SEE?
FIRE IT UP?

OF COURSE YOU CAN.
THIS IS THE SOLID STATE ONE,

SO THIS USES SWITCHES
TO TURN IT ON AND OFF.

OKAY.
LET ME TURN IT ON FOR YOU.

YEAH, GO ON.

Fanthorpe:
HE CAME UP WITH A WONDERFUL IDEA

OF PUTTING AN ENORMOUS COPPER
BALL ON TOP OF A 200-FOOT TOWER

AND THEN CHARGING IT.

AND HE DID.
AND HE PRODUCED CHARGES...

DISCHARGES LIKE LIGHTNING,
WHICH WAS 130 FEET LONG.

AND THEN, THE WHOLE THING
BLEW UP,

AND HIS EXPERIMENT
CAME TO AN END.

SO, IS IT DANGEROUS?
IT IS DANGEROUS.

IT'S ABOUT HALF A MILLION VOLTS,
400,000, 500,000.

IF YOU CAN JUST STEP BACK,
PLEASE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

OKAY.
I'M GOING TO STAY WITH YOU.

SO WHAT WE DO...

[ ELECTRICITY SNAPPING ]
WHOA.

THAT'S IT IN TEST MODE.

SO WE'RE TESTING THE SYSTEM
TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS.

OKAY.

AND NOW,
IF WE GIVE IT FULL POWER...

RIGHT.

WHOA!

SO, THAT'S 400,000 VOLTS.

IT'S VERY NOISY.

IT IS NOISY.
YOU'VE NOTICED, HAVEN'T YOU?

I'VE NOTICED.

AND WHY IS IT NOW
KIND OF PURPLE COLOR?

[ LOUD BUZZING ]
WHY IS THAT?

SO THE AIR IS MADE UP
MOSTLY OF NITROGEN.

WHEN YOU EXCITE NITROGEN
AND GIVE IT POWER,

THE ELECTRONS
JUMP UP A STATE.

AND AS THEY COME BACK AGAIN,
IT GIVES YOU A LITTLE FLASH.

AND THAT FLASH OF LIGHT
IS ALWAYS PURPLE.

IF WE HAD AN ARGON ATMOSPHERE
OR ANOTHER GAS,

IT'D BE A DIFFERENT COLOR.

ALL RIGHT.
I UNDERSTAND.

CAN WE JUST
SHUT THAT ONE DOWN A SEC?

WOW. OKAY. AH.

AND THIS IS HIS BIG BROTHER,
RIGHT?

THIS IS
THE BIG BROTHER, YEAH.

OKAY. WHAT SORT OF VOLTAGE
IS THIS ONE?

IT'S 1 MILLION VOLTS.

WHOA. SO, MAIN'S VOLTAGE IS,
WHAT, 220 VOLTS?

YEP.

THAT'S A MILLION.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?

WOULD I GET
A SHOCK OFF THAT?

YEAH, YOU WOULD DIE.

YOU DON'T WANT
TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR THAT.

AND THAT'S A 3-METER SPARK,
SO IT'S QUITE A BEAST.

Narrator: WOULD TESLA'S PLAN
TO PROVIDE FREE ELECTRICITY

FOR ALL ACTUALLY HAVE WORKED?

AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU
UNLEASH THE AWESOME POWER

OF A MILLION-VOLT TESLA COIL?

MORE DRAMATIC REVELATIONS WHEN
"FORBIDDEN HISTORY" RETURNS.

Narrator:
JOURNALIST JAMIE THEAKSTON

IS INVESTIGATING THE LIFE
OF ONE OF THE 20th CENTURY'S

MOST ENIGMATIC AND MYSTERIOUS
SCIENTISTS, NIKOLA TESLA.

FOR SOME, HE WAS A GENIUS,

PIONEERING DEVELOPMENTS
IN ELECTRICITY,

RADAR AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS.

BUT TO OTHERS, HE WAS A DREAMER,

A MAD SCIENTIST
WITH NO HEAD FOR BUSINESS.

THERE ARE RUMORS
THAT HE WAS, IN FACT,

THE VICTIM OF HIS OWN SUCCESS

AND THAT HE WAS SHUT DOWN
BY THE BIG CORPORATIONS

PRECISELY BECAUSE HIS PLAN
FOR FREE ELECTRICITY FOR ALL

DID WORK.

AND NOW JAMIE HAS COME
TO A SPECIAL-EFFECTS COMPANY

IN ENGLAND

WHO HAVE AGREED TO DEMONSTRATE

A LARGE,
MILLION-VOLT TESLA COIL.

WHAT I WANT TO
DEMONSTRATE TO YOU

IS THAT LIGHTNING
THROUGH THAT AIR,

IT ACTUALLY
PUSHES ELECTRICITY OUT.

AND WE'RE GOING TO
DEMONSTRATE THAT

BY HAVING SOME FLUORESCENT TUBES
THERE WHICH SUCK UP THAT POWER

WITHOUT BEING
CONNECTED TO IT.

HANG ON. I DON'T...
JUST EXPLAIN THAT TO ME AGAIN.

SO, THIS IS, LIKE,
YOU'RE TALKING THE WIRELESS?

A WIRELESS SYSTEM, THIS WAS
WIRELESS BACK IN TESLA'S DAY.

SO HE WAS TRYING TO SET UP
SYSTEMS

WHICH ACTUALLY
GAVE YOU WIRELESS POWER.

Theakston:
WAS THERE ANY TRUTH

THAT HE WAS WORKING ON BUILDING
A NETWORK OF THESE COILS

THAT WOULD ALLOW ELECTRICITY
TO BE PASSED

ESSENTIALLY
FROM PLACE TO PLACE?

WELL, THE COIL WOULD HAVE BEEN,
GENERALLY SPEAKING,

THE GENERATOR...
RIGHT.

THAT WOULD BE SENDING
THE POWER OUT

TO THESE DIFFERENT RECEIVING
STATIONS.

AND WAS HE SUCCESSFUL
IN... IN DOING THIS?

WELL, IT'S REALLY
QUESTIONABLE,

THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS THAT
HE HAD WITH THIS GREAT PLAN.

HE HAD SOME SUCCESS,
HE CLAIMED SUCCESS,

AND HE HAD PATENTS
WHICH COVER THIS ACTIVITY.

SO WE NEED TO TALK
ABOUT SOME SAFETY FEATURES.

THE HAZARDS WE HAVE HERE

ARE HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY
GOING THROUGH THE AIR.

IF YOU'VE GOT A PACEMAKER
OR ANY IMPLANTS,

ELECTRONIC IMPLANTS,
THEY CAN GET MIXED UP WITH IT.

Theakston: OKAY.

IT GIVES OFF
A LOT OF NITROGEN OXIDE

AND THINGS
LIKE THAT INTO THE AIR.

SO AFTER A WHILE,
WE'LL VENT THE PLACE

AND GET RID OF SOME
OF THE NASTY FUMES AND DO THAT.

RIGHT. OKAY.

SAFETY DISTANCE FOR A PIECE LIKE
THIS IS AROUND ABOUT 5 METERS.

RIGHT. OKAY. WELL, I'M GOING TO
GO AND STAND...

YOU STAND OVER THERE.
I'M GOING TO SET THESE TUBES UP

SO YOU CAN SEE
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

YOU SAID
THIS IS A MILLION VOLTS?

YES.
NOW, I KNOW

BECAUSE I HAD TO CHANGE
MY CAR BATTERY THE OTHER DAY,

AND THAT'S SIX VOLTS.
YES.

SO THIS IS
QUITE A BIT MORE.

I'M GOING TO TURN THE POWER
ON SLOWLY.

SO WE'RE COMING ON.

[ BUZZING ]

SO, YOU SEE THAT?

THEY'RE NOT CONNECTED
TO ANY PART OF THE POWER.

IT'S SOAKING UP POWER
FROM THE AIR,

AND THEY'RE TURNING ON.

WIRELESS
POWER TRANSMISSION.

SO HE REALLY
WAS ON TO SOMETHING... TESLA.

HE WAS.
TESLA KNEW WHAT HE WAS...

SO THEN,
AS WE BRING THE POWER UP...

[ BUZZING INTENSIFIES ]

THAT IS SO NOISY.

IT'S SORT OF LIKE
WE'RE MANUFACTURING LIGHTNING.

Turner: WE'RE LITERALLY PUTTING
A MILLION VOLTS IN THE AIR.

OH. THAT IS AMAZING.
I'VE GOT A BIG GOO...

THAT WAS JUST MY...
ME REACTING NORMALLY.

THAT'S FEAR, ISN'T IT?
YEAH, IT IS PARTLY FEAR,

BUT THERE IS LOADS OF STATIC
IN THE AIR,

LOADS OF POWER
IN THE AIR.

'CAUSE I'M FEELING LIKE
I'M GETTING GOOSEBUMPS.

LIKE, I FEEL MY HAIR ON THE BACK
OF MY NECK STANDING UP.

THAT IS AMAZING.

Fanthorpe: THERE WERE TWO SIDES
TO TESLA'S MIND.

THE ONE SIDE,
THE SIDE WE REMEMBER BEST,

WAS OF THE BRILLIANT INVENTOR

THINKING OF STRANGE, NEW WAYS
OF USING ELECTRICAL POWER.

BUT THE OTHER SIDE
OF HIM WAS A GREAT HUMANITARIAN,

UM, AN IDEALIST,

A MAN WHO WANTED TO PROVIDE
FREE ENERGY FOR EVERYONE

SO THAT WE COULD USE IT,
ENJOY IT, MAKE THE MOST OF IT.

AND THAT DID NOT GO DOWN WELL
WITH THE BIG BUSINESSES,

WHO WERE SUPPLYING ELECTRICITY
AT A COST.

AND THEY FELT THREATENED.

THIS WAS WHY TESLA
NEVER SUCCEEDED FINANCIALLY.

Narrator: ALTHOUGH HE'S BEEN
DEAD FOR OVER HALF A CENTURY,

TESLA STILL HAS FANS AND
DEVOTEES AROUND THE WORLD TODAY

WHO LIKE TO REPLICATE
HIS EXPERIMENTS,

INCLUDING THE FARADAY CAGE.

THERE'S A MAN WHO CALLS
HIMSELF DR. ELECTRICITY.

HE'S A DOCTOR BY DAY,

BUT AT NIGHT
FIRES UP HIS TESLA COILS

AND PUTS ON A HUGE LIGHT SHOW
FOR HIS NEIGHBORS.

JAMIE CALLED HIM AT HIS HOME
IN AUSTRALIA.

Theakston: PETER, WHY
DO YOU DO THIS?

WHY DO YOU GO
INTO YOUR GARDEN

AND... AND UNLEASH
THE HALF A MILLION VOLTS?

IT'S LIKE A SIR EDMUND HILLARY
ANSWER

OF "BECAUSE IT WAS THERE,"
SORT OF SPRINGS TO MIND.

BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING
I'VE ENJOYED SINCE I WAS YOUNG.

AND AS I STARTED
DOING MY OWN STUFF, LIKE,

YOU KNOW,
THE INTERNET CAME ALONG,

AND I BEGAN TO PUT THAT ON
THE INTERNET AND FOUND,

"LOOK, I CAN DO THINGS
THAT OTHER PEOPLE AREN'T DOING."

SO IT SORT OF GREW
FROM THERE.

AND I SORT OF BECAME MORE
ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE WEBSITE

AND HAD OTHER PEOPLE
SEEING IT.

SO YEAH, IT'S BUILT UP,

AND I JUST ENJOY THAT SORT OF
POWER AND THE ENERGY OF IT ALL.

IN SOME WAY,
THE PEOPLE WHO ENJOY...

ENERGY IN OTHER FORMS,
RACING AND SO ON.

AND WHAT DO YOU PATIENTS
MAKE OF WHAT YOU DO?

WELL, A LOT OF THEM HAVE HEARD
OR SEEN OR ON TV

OR JUST IN PICTURES
OF MY WAITING ROOM.

THEIR RESPONSE IS,
UM, YOU KNOW, VARIES FROM,

"HE'S REALLY
A BIT CRAZY, YOU KNOW?"

THAT'S ONE PERSON...
ONE PERSON'S RESPONSE TO IT.

BUT YES, UH, IT VARIES
FROM INCREDULITY

TO SORT OF FROWNING
AND NODDING THE HEAD.

Listen, Peter.
It's been a real pleasure.

Thanks for talking to me.

NOT A PROBLEM.

Okay. You take care.

OKAY.
THANKS A LOT, THEN.

Bye, Peter. Bye.
SEE YA.

Narrator: WHAT HAD TESLA BUILT
IN HIS LABORATORY

IN COLORADO SPRINGS THAT BLEW UP
THE LOCAL POWER STATION

AND SENT BOLTS OF LIGHT

FLYING DOWN THE MAIN STREET
OF THE TOWN?

AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FIRE
A MILLION VOLTS OF ELECTRICITY

AT A JOURNALIST TRAPPED
IN A WIRE CAGE?

THE SPARKS FLY WHEN
"FORBIDDEN HISTORY" RETURNS.

Narrator:
JOURNALIST JAMIE THEAKSTON

IS ON THE TRAIL OF NIKOLA TESLA,
ONE OF THE 20th CENTURY'S

MOST ENIGMATIC AND MYSTERIOUS
SCIENTISTS.

HE WAS A GENIUS,

PIONEERING EARLY DISCOVERIES
IN ELECTRICITY,

REMOTE CONTROL,
AND COMMUNICATIONS,

BUT ALSO SOMETHING
OF A MAD SCIENTIST

WHOSE BEST INVENTIONS WERE
STOLEN AND DEVELOPED BY OTHERS.

SO FAR, JAMIE HAS SEEN
A LARGE, MILLION-VOLT TESLA COIL

IN OPERATION

AND TALKED TO A MAN IN AUSTRALIA
WHO SPENDS HIS NIGHTS

FIRING LARGE AMOUNTS OF SPARKING
ELECTRICITY AT HIS FACE.

Terren: I JUST ENJOY THAT POWER
AND THE ENERGY OF IT ALL.

Theakston: AND WHAT DO YOUR
PATIENTS MAKE OF WHAT YOU DO?

THEIR RESPONSE IS, "HE'S REALLY
A BIT CRAZY, YOU KNOW?"

Narrator: IN MAY 1899,

TESLA MOVED TO COLORADO SPRINGS

TO WORK ON THE HIGH-FREQUENCY,
HIGH-VOLTAGE EXPERIMENTS

FOR WHICH HE BECAME BEST KNOWN.

USING VAST TESLA COILS,
HE CREATED ARTIFICIAL LIGHTNING,

DISCHARGING MILLIONS OF VOLTS
OF ELECTRICITY UP TO 135 FEET.

AND UNDERSTANDABLY,

IT CAUSED QUITE A STIR
IN THE SURROUNDING AREA.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS
FROM THE TIME,

THE ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE
SOUNDED LIKE A HUGE THUNDERCLAP,

WHICH COULD BE HEARD
15 MILES AWAY.

AND PEOPLE CLAIMED TO HAVE SEEN
HUGE FLASHES AND SPARKS OF LIGHT

COMING FROM TESLA'S LABORATORY
HIGH ON A HILL.

IT WAS CRUDE,
AND IT WAS DRAMATIC.

BUT TESLA HAD CREATED WORKING,
WIRELESS ELECTRICITY.

Tutt: AT COLORADO SPRINGS, TESLA
FELT HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY

TO REALLY DEVELOP
THE MAGNIFYING TRANSMITTER,

THE EQUIPMENT
TO PRODUCE HUGE-VOLTAGE,

HIGH-FREQUENCY ELECTRICITY.

THIS WAS ALL A DEVELOPMENT
THAT HE EXPECTED TO TAKE FORWARD

INTO THE WIRELESS TRANSMISSION
OF ELECTRICITY,

AND HE CARRIED OUT
EXPERIMENTS THERE

THAT DID ENABLE THE WIRELESS
TRANSMISSION OF ELECTRICITY.

HE SET UP A FIELD
OF LIGHT BULBS,

JUST LIGHT BULBS
NOT CONNECTED TO ANYTHING,

JUST STUCK IN THE GROUND.

AND THE POWER
OF THE INDUCTION THAT...

THAT WAS COMING OUT OF HIS COILS

ACTUALLY LIT THESE...
THESE LIGHTS IN THE DARKNESS.

Theakston:
THAT'S A PRETTY COOL TRICK.

IT'S A GREAT TRICK.

EVEN TODAY,
THAT WOULD BE IMPRESSIVE.

IT WOULD BE.
IT WOULD BE.

SO, HE WAS PROVING
THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE

TO TRANSMIT
ELECTRICITY WIRELESSLY?

YES, THROUGH
ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION.

I MEAN, THAT HAS A DIE-OFF
IN A SENSE

THAT HE WAS ONLY DOING IT
TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.

AND THEN, THE QUESTION COMES,

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRY
AND DO THAT ACROSS A HUGE AREA?

WELL, IN HIS CASE,
HE, UH, HE...

DID HE TRY AND DO THAT?
WELL, HE...

HE DID IT ACROSS A LARGE AREA,
PRETTY LARGE AREA.

AND HORSES STARTED
TO SKIP ABOUT

BECAUSE THEIR HORSESHOES
WERE ACTUALLY STARTING

TO REACT WITH THE GROUND.

SO IT WAS NOT ENTIRELY SAFE.

SO, HE CAUSED QUITE A STIR,
THEN, IN THE TOWN?

HE CAUSED A HUGE STIR.

THE GREAT THING FOR HIM
AT COLORADO SPRINGS

WAS THAT HE HAD UNLIMITED
AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY.

THAT'S WHY HE WENT THERE,
IN FACT.

HE HAD A DEAL
WITH THE LOCAL POWER SOURCE.

UNFORTUNATELY, HE BLEW OUT
THE POWER STATION AT LEAST ONCE.

Narrator:
AS WELL AS WIRELESS ELECTRICITY
EXPERIMENTS IN COLORADO,

TESLA WAS ALSO FASCINATED
BY X-RAY TECHNOLOGY

AND DEVELOPED
A COLD CATHODE TUBE TO TAKE

PRIMITIVE X-RAY PHOTOGRAPHS.

HE WAS ALSO AN EARLY PIONEER
IN RADIO WAVES BEFORE MARCONI,

SETTING UP A TEMPORARY LAB IN
THE GERLACH HOTEL IN MANHATTAN

TO TEST OUT HIS INVENTIONS.

AND IN 1898,

TESLA DEMONSTRATED THE WORLD'S
FIRST RADIO-CONTROLLED BOAT

AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
IN NEW YORK CITY.

THE CROWD THAT WITNESSED THE
DEMONSTRATION WAS ASTONISHED,

AND RUMORS
ABOUT HOW HE DID IT

RANGED FROM HIS USE
OF BLACK MAGIC AND TELEPATHY

TO THE BOAT BEING PILOTED BY
A TRAINED MONKEY HIDDEN INSIDE.

SO THE NEXT PART
FROM THIS,

WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING
A BIT MORE EXCITING.

SO, HOW ABOUT WE PUT YOU
IN A CAGE?

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE
TO FEEL THAT POWER?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

WELL, WE SET UP
A CAGE FOR YOU.

YOU CAN STAND
INSIDE THE CAGE,

AND WE'LL SHOOT
LIGHTNING AT YOU

SO YOU CAN SEE IT UP FRONT
AND PERSONAL.

DO YOU FANCY DOING THAT?

YOU'RE GOING
TO FIRE THAT AT ME?

YES.

WE'LL PUT YOU IN A CAGE.
IT'S PERFECTLY SAFE.

YOU SAID THAT
THAT COULD KILL YOU,

AND IT'S A MILLION VOLTS.

THERE'S SOMETHING
CALLED FARADAY'S PRINCIPLE.

FARADAY WAS A MAN
WHO DISCOVERED THE EFFECT

THAT IF YOU... ELECTRICITY
LIKES TO GO AROUND OBJECTS

RATHER THAN THROUGH THEM.

SO IF WE PUT YOU
IN A METAL CAGE,

THE METAL CAGE CONDUCTS
ELECTRICITY

MUCH BETTER THAN YOU DO.

AND THEREFORE, IT GOES AROUND
THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAGE

RATHER THAN ALL THE WAY
THROUGH YOU.

A BIT DOES GO THROUGH YOU,
BUT YOU DON'T DIE.

THAT'S THE THEORY.

THAT'S THEORY.
YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S WELL PROVED.

AND ONLY ONE PERSON'S EVER DIED
FROM IT, SO...

OKAY. I'M... I'M...
I MEAN, I'LL DO IT.

ARE YOU HEAVILY INSURED?

YEAH.

FOR ABOUT A MILLION.

GO ON. LET'S DO IT.
I'M IN.

SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE
IS A CAGE OF DEATH.

RIGHT, OKAY.

WHY DO I NOT LIKE THE SOUND
OF THIS?

DO YOU WANT TO TRY IT OUT
FOR SIZE?

I DON'T THINK I'M GOING
TO GET IN THAT, AM I?

YEAH,
WE'LL SQUEEZE YOU IN.

REALLY? OKAY.

LOOKS LIKE ONE
OF THOSE IRON MAIDENS.

YEAH. IT LOOKS LIKE A KIND OF
SPOOKY, MASSIVE JELLY BABY.

LET ME TAKE OUT
THE SAFETY FOAM.

OKAY.

THAT INSULATES YOU
FROM THE FLOOR.

I GOT A BAD FEELING
ABOUT THIS.

SO, HANDS BY YOUR SIDE.
RIGHT.

HEAD BACK.
OKAY.

AH!

IT'S QUITE TIGHT,
ISN'T IT?

WELL, ALL RIGHT.
NOT THAT TIGHT.

TRY NOT TO TOUCH
THE SIDES.

WELL, I CAN'T HELP...

I RECKON
THAT WILL WORK.

I CAN'T
NOT TOUCH THE SIDES.

I'M KIND OF SQUISHED IN NOW.

Fanthorpe:
HE WAS A BORN SHOWMAN.

HE WAS VERY MUCH
A BARNUM & BAILEY TYPE.

AND ONE OF HIS FAVORITE TRICKS

WAS TO GET
INSIDE A FARADAY CAGE,

AND THEN,
USING THE SAME PRINCIPLE

AS THOSE MACHINES THAT WE'VE
ALL SEEN IN THE PHYSICS LAB

WHEN WE WERE SCHOOLBOYS
AND GIRLS,

THAT THE ELECTRICITY...
STATIC ELECTRICITY,

COMPLETELY HARMLESS,

WOULD RADIATE FROM HIM
IN A MOST SPECTACULAR MANNER.

AND PEOPLE AT HIS PERIOD

WHO DIDN'T REALIZE
THAT IT WAS HARMLESS

AND WHO LIVED IN ERA

WHEN CRIMINALS WERE EXECUTED
WITH AN ELECTRIC CHAIR

WERE THINKING
THAT TESLA WAS SURVIVING

WHAT WOULD SEEM TO THEM TO BE
AN ABSOLUTELY FATAL PROCESS.

AND OF COURSE,
HE LOVED THE ACCLAIM.

AND HE LOVED TO MYSTIFY
HIS AUDIENCE.

AND YOU'RE SURE THIS IS GOING
TO PROTECT ME FROM THE...

IT'S A MILLION VOLTS.
A MILLION VOLTS.

SO FARADAY'S PRINCIPLE IS THAT
IT'S EASIER FOR THE ELECTRICITY

TO GO AROUND THE OUTSIDE,
THROUGH THE SKIN OF THIS,

RATHER THAN THROUGH YOU

BECAUSE THIS CONDUCTS
ELECTRICITY

MUCH BETTER THAN YOU DO.

OKAY. I'M AWARE
THAT I'M TOUCHING THE EDGES.

IS THAT... IS THAT GOING
TO BE A PROBLEM?

YEAH, THAT'S NOT IDEAL.

NO, WHAT I'LL DO, SERIOUSLY,
ANYTHING YOU'RE UNHAPPY WITH,

IF YOU'RE FEELING TINGLING
SENSATIONS, HANDS ON YOUR HEAD,

AND WE'LL STOP IMMEDIATELY.

HOW CAN I PUT MY HANDS
ON MY HEAD?

I CAN'T EVEN MOVE.

YOU'LL BE FINE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FILLINGS?

NO.
EXCELLENT.

NO WATCHES?
WELL, YEAH.

PHONES?
YES.

ALL OF THESE THINGS...
A MICROPHONE, A WATCH.

WE TRY NOT TO HAVE
METALLIC THINGS

INSIDE THE CAGE
AT ANY STAGE.

OKAY.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO FIRE THAT
STRAIGHT AT ME.

WE'RE GOING TO FIRE IT, YEAH.
AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE...

COME ON.
HAVE A LITTLE LOOK.

THERE'S BURN MARKS
FROM WHERE WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE.

SO I'LL PUT TWO SAFETY EARTHS
ON YOU SO YOU'RE WELL-EARTHED.

GOOD.
AND WE'LL TURN IT ON.

[ BUZZING ]

COMING ON.
GOOD.

THE FIRST PERSON...
OH.

THE FIRST PERSON
TO TRY THIS WAS A BRAVE MAN.

OKAY.
THERE'S A LITTLE TINGLING.

SO FAR, SO GOOD.

AH! [ LAUGHS ]

KEEP IT UP. COME ON.
HIGHER. MORE.

OH! OH!

WHOA, THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE.

OH, MY WORD.

Fanthorpe: IF WE COULD IMAGINE
TESLA HIMSELF

INSIDE HIS FARADAY CAGE,

AND ON EITHER SIDE OF IT
THESE GIGANTIC TESLA COILS,

AND THEN, THE SPARK WOULD FLY
A DISTANCE OF MANY FEET

FROM ONE COIL TOWARDS THE OTHER

AND THE FARADAY CAGE
IN THE MIDDLE

WITH THE MAN IN THE CAGE LOOKING
AS IF HE WAS BEING COOKED ALIVE.

AND HE IS UNHARMED.

HE IS COMPLETELY UNTOUCHED
BY ALL OF THIS

THAT'S GOING ON AROUND HIM.

AND IT LOOKS IMPOSSIBLE.

OH.
HOW WAS THAT?

OH!
THAT WAS EXTRAORDINARY.

MY GOODNESS, YOU CAN FEEL,
LIKE, THAT...

YOU CAN THE HEAT SPARKING
OFF YOUR FACE.

YOU CAN FEEL THE HEAT,

AND YOU CAN SEE, LIKE,
LIGHTNING BOLTS COMING AT YOU.

IT'S LIKE A LITTLE TINGLINESS
ON YOUR SKIN?

YEAH, YEAH. I CAN STILL...
I'VE STILL GOT THAT.

IT'S LIKE BEING... IT'S LIKE
BEING IN THE EYE OF THE STORM,

SEEING THE LIGHTNING
BLASTING OFF IN YOUR FACE.

IT'S EXTRAORDINARY.

THAT'S THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY
THING I'VE EVER DONE.

Narrator: WHY DID TESLA PLAN
TO BUILD A TRANSMISSION TOWER

AT WARDENCLYFFE IN NEW YORK?

HAD HE REALLY INVENTED RADIO
COMMUNICATION BEFORE MARCONI,

DEVELOPING
AN EARLY WIRELESS CELLPHONE?

AND WHY DID THE FBI
SEIZE HIS RESEARCH WHEN HE DIED?

MORE REVELATIONS WHEN
"FORBIDDEN HISTORY" RETURNS.

Narrator: TO SOME,
NIKOLA TESLA WAS A GENIUS,

A PIONEER IN ELECTRICITY,
RADIO, AND MANY OTHER FIELDS.

TO OTHERS, HE WAS
THE ARCHETYPAL MAD SCIENTIST

WHOSE CRAZY INVENTIONS
NEVER REALLY WORKED.

JOURNALIST JAMIE THEAKSTON
IS ON A MISSION

TO TRY AND GET AT THE TRUTH
BEHIND THE TESLA STORY

AND TO SEPARATE THE FACTS
FROM THE FICTION.

SO FAR, JAMIE HAS LEARNED

ABOUT TESLA'S EXPLOSIVE
EXPERIMENTS IN COLORADO,

CONTACTED
A TESLA ENTHUSIAST IN AUSTRALIA,

AND EVEN REPLICATED ONE
OF TESLA'S EXPERIMENTS

IN A WIRE CAGE.

BUT THE NEXT CHAPTER
OF THE TESLA STORY

TAKES PLACE IN NEW YORK.

Theakston: YOU CAN FEEL THE HEAT
SPARKING OFF YOUR FACE,

AND YOU CAN SEE, LIKE,
LIGHTNING BOLTS COMING AT YOU.

IT'S LIKE BEING IN THE EYE
OF THE STORM.

TESLA'S GRANDEST PLAN
YET WAS TO BUILD A HUGE TOWER

IN WARDENCLYFFE
ON LONG ISLAND IN NEW YORK

THAT WAS TO TRANSMIT FREE,
WIRELESS ELECTRICITY

AROUND THE WORLD
USING OTHER HUGE TRANSMITTERS

THAT HE WAS GOING
TO BUILD IN OTHER COUNTRIES.

IT WAS A HUGELY
AMBITIOUS PROJECT,

AND HE STRUGGLED TO GET
THE FUNDING FOR IT.

Theakston: SO, WHAT WAS HE
WORKING ON AT WARDENCLYFFE?

Tutt: WARDENCLYFFE WAS THE SITE
THAT HE CHOSE ON LONG ISLAND,

ON THE EAST COAST OF AMERICA,
TO BUILD A 187-FOOT TOWER

WHICH HAD A MAGNIFYING
TRANSMITTER WITHIN IT.

AND HE WANTED TO SEND RADIO
SIGNALS ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.

HE HAD THIS HUGE DESIRE
TO MAKE RADIO AND TELEPHONY

AND COMMUNICATIONS
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WORLD.

AND HE MANAGED TO GET
SOME FUNDING TO DO THIS.

AND HE WAS SUCCESSFUL
UP TO A POINT.

AND THE POINT WAS MARCONI
MANAGED TO SEND

THE FIRST RADIO SIGNAL FROM
CORNWALL ACROSS TO NEWFOUNDLAND.

AND THAT REALLY ACTUALLY PUT
A BIG STOP ON TESLA'S FUNDING.

SO, WHEN IT COMES TO MARCONI
AND TO EDISON,

TESLA'S STANDING A BIT
LIKE A NEARLY MAN.

YOU KNOW,
HE WAS ALWAYS JUST THAT CLOSE.

HE WAS A NEARLY MAN
IN SOME WAYS.

I DON'T THINK YOU CAN SAY
THAT ABOUT AC ELECTRICITY.

HE WAS THE MAN WHO
ELECTRIFIED NIAGARA FALLS.

IN FACT, WITH RADIO,

HE HAD 17 PATENTS
PRIOR TO MARCONI.

AND MARCONI USED TESLA'S
17 RADIO PATENTS

TO ACHIEVE WHAT HE ACHIEVED.

IT WAS ONLY IN THE YEAR
OF TESLA'S DEATH IN 1943,

THAT IT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT
WAS ACTUALLY TESLA'S PATENTS

THAT HAD MADE RADIO
POSSIBLE.

Picknett: HE WAS BRILLIANT
IN HIS IMAGINATION.

HE WAS BRILLIANT AT, YOU KNOW,
PUTTING IDEAS TOGETHER,

HE THOUGHT OUTSIDE THE BOX
ALL THE TIME, MAYBE TOO MUCH.

UM, HE WASN'T A BUSINESSMAN.

HE WASN'T VERY PERSONABLE.
HE DIDN'T GET ON WITH PEOPLE.

HE DIDN'T, UH, FOLLOW THROUGH
ANY CONTACT HE MIGHT HAVE.

I MEAN, HE FELL OUT BIG TIME
WITH EDISON, FOR EXAMPLE.

AND PROBABLY WHAT TESLA DIDN'T
HAVE WAS THE FOLLOW-THROUGH.

HE CAME UP
WITH BRILLIANT IDEAS ON PAPER.

HE CONCEIVED
OF AMAZING THINGS,

SOME OF WHICH HAVE YET TO BE,

INVE... FOLLOWED THROUGH,
INVENTED PROPERLY,

BUT HE JUST COULDN'T FOLLOW
THEM THROUGH HIMSELF.

HE COULDN'T BUILD THEM
OR IF HE DID, THEY FELL APART

OR SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THEM.

HE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH LUCK,
ACTUALLY.

Narrator: AFTER THE DISASTER
IN WARDENCLYFFE,

TESLA WAS A BROKEN MAN AND IN
SERIOUS FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY.

BUT HE CONTINUED INVENTING
WITH PLANS FOR A RADAR SYSTEM,

A VERTICAL TAKE-OFF BIPLANE,
AND EVEN A RAY GUN.

UNFORTUNATELY, NONE
OF THEM CAME TO FRUITION,

AND HE DIED IMPOVERISHED AND
ALONE IN THE NEW YORKER HOTEL

ON THE 7th OF JANUARY, 1943.

NEW YORK JOURNALIST KIM MANCE IS
A SELF-CONFESSED TESLA GROUPIE

AND TAKES PEOPLE ON TOURS

OF THE MAIN TESLA LANDMARKS
IN THE CITY,

INCLUDING THE ACTUAL SUITE
IN THE HOTEL WHERE HE DIED.

Mance: SO IT'S IN THESE
TWO ADJOINING ROOMS

THAT NIKOLA TESLA LIVED
THE LAST 10 YEARS OF HIS LIFE.

HE ACTUALLY DIED HERE, TOO,
IN THE NEW YORKER HOTEL.

AND UH, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL

BECAUSE HE ACTUALLY LIVED OUT
HIS ENTIRE ADULT LIFE

IN NEW YORK CITY HOTEL ROOMS.

SO IT WAS A KIND
OF INTERESTING EXISTENCE.

BUT HE DID A LOT OF EXPERIMENTS
AND CRAZY THINGS IN THERE

AND ALSO HAD
A BIG, MAN-SIZED SAFE

FULL OF ALL OF HIS DOCUMENTS

THAT ACTUALLY GOT SEIZED
BY THE FBI WHEN HE DIED

BECAUSE THEY WANTED
TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NATION

WOULD STAY SECURE WITH WHATEVER
SECRETS HE WAS COMING UP WITH.

SO THEY ACTUALLY WENT
THROUGH ALL OF HIS STUFF HERE

AND THEN BROUGHT IT OUT.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE
ANY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT TESLA.

HE WAS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD

WITH HOW OUT THERE HE
WAS WITH ALL HIS IDEAS,

AND HE WAS SO PROUD OF THEM.

YOU KNOW, EDISON ALWAYS SAID,

LIKE, "IF IT DOESN'T MAKE MONEY,
I WON'T INVENT IT."

AND TESLA SAID, "IF I EVER GET
AS MUCH MONEY COMING IN THE DOOR

AS I'M THROWING OUT THE WINDOW
ON NEW EXPERIMENTS AND IDEAS,

THEN I'LL BE A WEALTHY MAN."

SO HE... HE WAS FULLY OWNING
THE WHOLE THOR'S HAMMER THING

AND HIS... HIS PERSONA
THAT HE HAD BUILT UP.

UH, BUT HE ALSO REALLY BELIEVED
IN WHAT HE WAS SAYING,

SO HE WASN'T JUST DOING
IT TO BE ECCENTRIC.

BUT IF YOU CAN IMAGINE, IN 1906,

TESLA WAS DESCRIBING
A WIRELESS CELLPHONE

IN A TIME WHEN PEOPLE
USING HUGE SWITCHBOARDS

AND MULTIPLE OPERATORS
AND CRANKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT,

HE WAS TALKING ABOUT BEING ABLE
TO WIRELESSLY CARRY AROUND

A TELEPHONE DEVICE THAT AN
OPERATOR WOULDN'T NEED

ANY SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE
OF HOW TO USE THE DEVICE

FOR USING IT,
SO IT'S PRETTY COOL.

HE WAS SAYING STUFF
LIKE THAT BACK THEN.

YOU CAN SEE WHY THEY WOULD THINK
THAT HE WAS A LITTLE NUTTY.

Gough: THE LAST YEAR OR SO
OF TESLA'S LIFE WAS...

IT'S A HEARTBREAKING STORY.

HE'S LIVING IN A SMALL ROOM
IN A NEW YORK HOTEL.

KEEP IN MIND HE'S NEVER
HAD A LOVE OR WOMAN IN HIS LIFE,

AND THE HIGHLIGHT OF HIS DAY IS
GOING AND FEEDING THE PIGEONS.

NOT JUST ANY PIGEONS...
HE HAD PARTICULAR PIGEONS

THAT HE WAS FOND OF AND WOULD
SPEND LOTS OF MONEY ON.

SO IT WAS A VERY TRAGIC
SITUATION,

ESPECIALLY SINCE
THE FIRST WALL STREET,

THE FIRST CRASH
OF THE FINANCIAL MARKETS,

CAUSED HIS BIGGEST FUNDER
TO STOP

WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS MOST
REVOLUTIONARY PROJECT...

THE TOWER THAT WOULD HAVE GIVEN
THE WORLD FREE ENERGY.

SO HE DIED,
AND HARDLY ANYONE TOOK NOTICE.

Theakston: WHY DID
HE DIE IN POVERTY?

Tutt: YEAH. HE DIED IN POVERTY
AS A RESULT OF THESE BAD DEALS

THAT HE'D DONE.

HE ACCEPTED
TO GIVE UP ROYALTIES

ON ELECTRIC HORSEPOWER
PRODUCED ON HIS PATENTS.

HE WOULD HAVE BEEN
A MULTI-MULTI-MILLIONAIRE

AT THAT TIME, BUT HE GAVE IT
ALL UP FOR $200,000...

$216,000 AT A TIME WHEN HE
NEEDED ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY

TO DO THE RESEARCH
THAT HE WANTED TO DO.

Narrator:
WAS TESLA SHUT DOWN BY EDISON

BECAUSE HE KNEW HIS EXPERIMENTS

IN FREE ELECTRICITY
COULD ACTUALLY WORK?

DID MARCONI STEAL
TESLA'S RESEARCH

AND PATENTS INTO RADIO WAVES?

AND WHY DOES TESLA
REMAIN SO POPULAR TODAY?

THE DRAMATIC CONCLUSIONS
TO THIS FASCINATING STORY

WHEN "FORBIDDEN HISTORY"
RETURNS.

Narrator: NIKOLA TESLA...

GENIUS, PIONEER, AND VISIONARY.

SO, WHY DID OTHER PEOPLE
CLAIM THE CREDIT

FOR SOME OF HIS MOST
IMPORTANT INVENTIONS?

AND WHY DID TELSA HIMSELF
DIE IN POVERTY AND SHAME?

WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG
FOR HIM?

AND WHY DID THE FBI
SEIZE HIS PAPERS

AND RESEARCH NOTES
AFTER HIS DEATH?

HAD HE DEVELOPED
SUCCESSFUL PROTOTYPES

THAT HIS COMMERCIAL RIVALS
AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

WERE DETERMINED
TO GET THEIR HANDS ON?

JOURNALIST JAMIE THEAKSTON

HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING
TESLA'S INCREDIBLE STORY

IN A QUEST
THAT HAS TAKEN HIM FROM THE U.K.

TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW YORK.

Fanthorpe: IMAGINE TESLA HIMSELF
INSIDE HIS FARADAY CAGE.

THE SPARK WOULD FLY,

AND THE MAN IN THE CAGE LOOKING
AS IF HE WAS BEING COOKED ALIVE.

AND HE IS UNHARMED.

IT LOOKS IMPOSSIBLE.

Narrator:
ALTHOUGH HE DIED IN 1943,

THE SPIRIT AND INVENTIONS
OF TESLA LIVE ON.

TODAY, THERE ARE THOUSANDS
OF AMATEUR INVENTORS

AND TESLA ENTHUSIASTS
ALL OVER THE WORLD.

AND EVERY YEAR, A SMALL GROUP
MEETS IN NOTTINGHAM IN ENGLAND

TO ATTEND AN EVENT
CALLED GAUSSFEST,

WHERE THEY SWAP TIPS,
SHOW OFF THEIR COILS

AND SPARK UP ALL MANNER
OF TESLA-INSPIRED DEVICES.

Woodruff:
I BUILD TESLA COILS.

MY SPECIALITY
IS THE ELECTRONIC COILS.

UH, BUT WE ALSO GOT PEOPLE HERE
WHO HAVE BUILT

THE MORE CLASSIC SORT
OF TESLA COILS

THAT TESLA HIMSELF WOULD
PROBABLY RECOGNIZE

A LOT SIMILAR
TO WHAT HE WAS PLAYING WITH.

Smith: WHAT I'VE BROUGHT ALONG
TODAY IS A PLASMA BALL,

WHICH YOU CAN BUY FROM
A HOBBYIST OR NOVELTY SHOPS.

AND I USE THE PLASMA BALL

TO ILLUMINATE ORDINARY HOUSEHOLD
FLUORESCENT TUBES

IN THE NORMAL WAY...
IN AN UNUSUAL WAY, RATHER.

WHAT I DO IS I USE MYSELF
AS A HUMAN CONDUCTOR.

I PUT MY HAND
ON THE PLASMA BALL,

CHARGE MYSELF UP TO HIGH VOLTAGE

AND LIGHT PRESSURE TUBES
WITH MY BARE HANDS.

Bullimore: TESLA WAS A GENIUS.
HE WAS WAY AHEAD OF HIS TIME.

AND IT WOULDN'T BE
TOO MUCH OF AN EXAGGERATION

TO SAY HE MORE OR LESS INVENTED
THE MODERN WORLD.

HE DEVELOPED
THE AC ELECTRICITY CONCEPT,

AND THAT'S HOW MODERN WORLD
IS RUN.

HE HAD THIS IDEA FOR WHAT HE
CALLED THE "WORLD SYSTEM,"

WHICH WAS A SERIES

OF TRANSMITTING TOWERS
BUILT NEAR GENERATING STATIONS.

AND IT WOULD AVOID THE NEED

TO HAVE WIRES
GOING TO PEOPLE'S HOUSES.

THEY WOULD BASICALLY
TAP THE ENERGY

USING A JOINT RECEIVING AERIAL.

I THINK THE REASON IT FAILED WAS
THEY REALIZED

THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO CHARGE
THE CUSTOMERS

FOR THE ELECTRICITY.

ANYBODY COULD JUST HELP
THEMSELVES TO IT.

Narrator: BY COMMON CONSENT,
NIKOLA TESLA WAS A GENIUS,

BUT ALSO AN ENIGMA,

A SOCIALLY AWKWARD
AND DIFFICULT MAN

WHO WAS SAID TO HAVE PREFERRED
THE COMPANY OF PIGEONS

TO HUMANS.

THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT HE
WAS ALSO A PASSIONATE SCIENTIST

WHO WORKED NEARLY 20 HOURS A DAY

TO CREATE
HIS ELECTRICAL INVENTIONS.

AND YET, THE QUESTIONS
REMAIN ABOUT HIS LEGACY.

WAS HE DELIBERATELY HAMPERED
IN HIS PLANS TO OFFER THE WORLD

A NETWORK OF FREE ELECTRICITY?

DID THE BIG
AMERICAN CORPORATIONS

DECIDE THAT THIS IDEA WAS JUST
TOO DANGEROUS TO THEIR PROFITS

TO LET HIM SUCCEED?

OR WAS HE SIMPLY A VICTIM
OF HIS OWN HUBRIS AND AMBITION?

Gough: TESLA NEVER GOT
THE RECOGNITION HE DESERVED.

AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS CAREER,
HE WAS EXPLOITED BY EDISON.

AT THE END OF HIS CAREER,

IT WAS J.P. MORGAN
AND MANY OTHERS IN BETWEEN.

HE WOULD QUIP WHEN
NEW INVENTIONS WOULD COME OUT

ATTRIBUTED TO SOMEBODY ELSE,

"HEY, WAIT A SECOND,
THAT USED 17 OF MY PATENTS."

BUT IT DID NO GOOD.
NOBODY WANTED TO KNOW.

HE WAS THE MAD SCIENTIST,
NOT A BUSINESSMAN.

Tutt:
WHAT'S TESLA'S LEGACY?

WHAT WILL HISTORY
REMEMBER HIM FOR?

I THINK REALLY, PARTICULARLY,
FOR AC,

AN ALTERNATING
CURRENT POLYPHASE ELECTRICITY.

SOUNDS LIKE A COMPLICATED NAME,

BUT IT'S ACTUALLY
WHAT MAKES THE ELECTRIFICATION

OF THE CITY...
MAJOR CITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD,

THE TRANSMISSION OF POWER,
PLUS ALL THAT.

THAT IS WHAT TESLA DID.

HE DID A LOT
OF OTHER THINGS AS WELL.

HE WAS... HE SET...
SOWED THE SEEDS FOR RADIO.

HE HAD THE MAJOR PATENTS.

HE SOWED THE SEEDS FOR RADAR.
HE DID RADIO CONTROL.

IF YOU LOOK AT HIS LIST ABOUT
WHAT HE CALLED

THE "WORLD SYSTEM,"

HE WANTED TO CREATE THE WORLD
SYSTEM OF COMMUNICATION.

IF YOU READ THROUGH IT, YOU GO,
"HANG ON. THAT'S OUR WORLD NOW."

Gough:
I THINK YOU COULD SAFELY SAY

THAT TESLA
WAS A FANTASTIC SCIENTIST

AND JUST AN AWFUL BUSINESSMAN.

HE WAS EXPLOITED ALL THE TIME.

EDISON WAIVED A CARROT
OF, UH, I THINK IT WAS $50

IF HE DID THIS OR THAT

AND DISCOVERED THIS UNBELIEVABLE
SORT OF MACHINE

THAT HE NEEDED TO DO CERTAIN
THINGS IN HIS COMPANY.

AND TESLA DID,
AND HE NEVER GOT PAID.

AND THAT WAS THE STORY
THROUGHOUT HIS ENTIRE CAREER.

PEOPLE WERE NICKING HIS PATENTS

AND ABSOLUTELY JUST TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF EVERYTHING HE DID

BECAUSE THEY HAD MORE MONEY

AND A GREATER OPPORTUNITY
TO EXPLOIT IT.

Fanthorpe: IT ALMOST SEEMS AS IF
THERE WAS A CONSPIRACY

OF BIG BUSINESS WORKING AGAINST
HIM TO SHUT HIM DOWN

AND TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT HE

AND THOSE WHO HAD INVESTED
WITH HIM LOST EVERYTHING.

AND THAT IT WAS TO THE,

WHAT WE MIGHT CALL
EDISONIAN ANGLE

THAT THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
TURNED.

IT'S AN AWFUL TRAGEDY

WHEN WE THINK
THAT HIS IDEALISM WAS WASTED

AND HOW DIFFERENT OUR SOCIETY
COULD BE TODAY

IF PEOPLE HAD GONE WITH TESLA

INSTEAD OF WITH EDISON
AND THE BIG BUSINESS.