Edison was the first person to use the laboratory of electrical engineering research to patent inventions, which had a far-reaching and significant impact on the world on the principle of mass production. The products he invented, such as the phonograph, movie camera and electric light, have a great influence on human life so far.
Some people have counted Edison's inventions in his life: there are about 1300 patents officially registered in the patent office. 188 1 is his peak period, and there are only 14 1 kinds of inventions for filing, with an average of three days for a new invention. He lived to be 84 years old and made 1 100 inventions in his life.
However, please note that these patents include some patents, which belong to the name of the American General Electric Company founded by Edison, that is, the patents of the company team. Because Edison is the boss of the company, it is recorded in his name, and he himself is not the real direct inventor of these patents.
Was the electric light invented by Edison?
Some of Edison's inventions were obtained through improvement and optimization, and did not belong to Edison. Take the most famous electric light as an example. Obviously, the electric light was not invented by Edison. The electric lamp was first discovered by British scientists, but because they all use carbon rods as filaments, the service life of this kind of electric lamp is extremely short, and the light is very dazzling, which is not conducive to civil use at all. Later, the patent was acquired by Edison.
Primary school textbooks clearly tell us that Edison experimented and improved the electric light. He experimented with more than 6,000 kinds of materials and made more than 7,000 experiments. Finally, he improved it into a filament made of cotton and lit it for 45 hours. So it was Edison who invented the first practical electric light. Edison's General Electric Company discovered the cheap tungsten lamp in 1906.
So Edison didn't invent the electric light, but he improved and optimized the electric light and actively developed its commercial value. Whether history exaggerates Edison's achievements or not, so many patented inventions are closely related to Edison. The inventions under his name have really played a very positive role in the development of human history, which is why Edison is called a great inventor and entrepreneur.
Edison had only primary school culture.
He had a strong thirst for knowledge since he was a child, but it was this thirst for knowledge that made him drop out of school after only three months, because he was tired of asking the teacher and thought he was an imbecile!
For example, Edison was curious in class 1+ 1=2, so he asked the teacher why it was not 4. Although the question is simple, Goldbach suspects that no one can solve it even in the present 2 1 century, and Edison's teacher can't answer it naturally.
For example, Edison wants to know why balloons can go to heaven. Can a balloon go to heaven when it is full of gas, and can a person fly when it is full of gas? I made a chemical liquid that can generate gas out of curiosity, and then let my father's friend's children drink it, and then Edison was naturally beaten by his parents.
When the students saw that Edison was drugged, they must stay away from him, so Edison was isolated. After staying at school for three months, the teacher couldn't satisfy his curiosity, and his classmates ignored him. The school had to persuade him to quit school, which is also the reason why Edison is recognized as having a low academic record.
Edison's mother is a teacher and has been studying with her since she was expelled from school, so all Edison's knowledge came from his mother when he was a child. It can be said that Edison's success should also be attributed to his mother's understanding and patient teaching, which made Edison, who was considered an imbecile by the world, become a world-famous person when he grew up? Inventor? .
An unacknowledged scientist
Edison invented many things in his life, but because of his low education level, he can't be considered a scientist. Strictly speaking, he is a businessman. He is the first businessman in the world to set up a business meeting, so his career of laying wires for light bulbs can show great prospects. He is also the most successful businessman in modern times, but this does not mean that he is a successful and capable inventor. His achievements in business are ignored in domestic textbooks.