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Comment by Rhapso | Hacker News Reader

Edison was not as wonderful as common history proclaims him to be. None of his inventions worked well, and most of them were invented by his staff but accredited to him, he was an arsonist and he unfairly slandered his competitors. I really hope people today avoid him as a role model.

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And Alexander Graham Bell fought a patent battle against Elisha Gray, who is arguably an independent inventor of the telephone. There were even allegation that Bell stole the invention from Gray.

James Watt is a monopolist who managed to get the government to extend his patent privileges. He waste his time enforcing his monopoly instead of using his brain to invent better steam engines.

Yeah, the heroic inventors are not what they seem to be.

Tesla was ;p Although I admit to be a biased worshiper. He designed all his inventions in his head, then drafted and assembled them (they all worked the 1st time). He was so unaggressive in attacking other people financially he got screwed over. It is unlikely you have used a direct invention (not a derivative/improvement) of Bell's nor Edison's but I can be certain you are typing on a computer that uses an AC power supply or charger and thus know you have use one of Tesla's.

Tesla didn't like fat people and once fired a woman for being overweight. He believed in eugenics. Tesla was critical of Einstein work, calling it Mathematical garb. Everybody have their faults. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla#Personal_life

Dean Kamen looks like he could be on the way to being a proper heroic inventor. Although people will always make fun of him for Segway. :)

I have to agree there. He designs revolutionary things, focuses on things that allow people with disabilities to be empowered. I must also admit I was heavily influenced by my time in FIRST. (if you have a kid 5th grade or higher, then mention it to them, seriously what techie kid does not want to make robots!)

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