Inventions of Thomas Edison - Essay Example

THOMAS ALVA EDISON Course: Date Thomas Alva Edison, a name that almost every person has heard at least once in his lifetime. The name is mostly associated with the invention of the light bulb even though Edison has also invented other equally remarkable things. However, it was the invention of the bulb that brought in a new dawn in the life of everyman on Earth. Light bulbs are today an indispensible part of our lives since we cannot even imagine a life in total darkness. The World has seen a number of inventors and Thomas Edison was one of the most prominent among them no doubt since he brought “light” into the world-an invention that is truly fascinating and remarkable. However, a closer look into his life, his achievements and his failures, one learns that Edison was not only a remarkable scientist but was an inspirational personality as well. The manner in which Edison faced his fears and his failures and turned each of his drawbacks into success is something that all of us should imbibe. THE LIFE OF EDISON Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in a middle class family in Milan and was the youngest of seven children. Edison’s mother was teacher while his father was a politician. When Edison was seven, the family moved to Michigan in hope of starting a whole new life. Edison was admitted to a school where he did not do well at all. Edison had an inquisitive mind because of which he appeared slow to others who did not understand the value of his constant questioning about the working mechanisms of almost everything around him. At the age of 12 he began working hard by selling food and newspaper in local trains which gave Al a chance to learn about the steam locomotives. He printed his own newspaper-the Grand Trunk Herald and sold them. During this time Edison started to lose his hearing ability however his determination to do something big was still strong. After a brief tryst with learning about telegraph and Morse code, in 1876 he successfully established Menlo Park-the invention factory. He hired staff that helped him turn his ideas into reality and it was in this factory that Edison invented the telegraph system, the phonograph, electronic pen, telephone transmitter and the electric bulb. Motion picture invention was another milestone in Edison’s career as an inventor. In 1887 he established another laboratory at West Orange. However not all of Edison’s ideas succeeded. He had to face failure in his life yet his life has been nothing short of success. Today he is known as the “Wizard of Menlo Park” and his success stories are an inspiration. Edison died on October 18, 1931 after prolonged suffering from health problems. Edison is considered one of greatest American and inventor. He has more than 1100 patented inventions, a number that no one could match up to even today (Johnson & Johnson, 1992). STARTING EARLY Edison started schooling however he was not a good student at all. In fact his teachers complained about his slow learning. Edison’s mother was so upset that she decided to teach Edison at home and hence that was the end of Edison’s school life. However, Edison was a very inquisitive child who wanted to know almost everything. His young mind was always full with awe, fascination and questions. His mother taught him to quench his own thirst for knowledge with the help of books and Edison followed her advice and stared reading voraciously to seek answers to his questions. It was at this early age that he set up his lab and started experimenting by referring to books that he read (Edison Papers). In fact this period of Edison’s life has a great deal to offer. Today, we rely so much on school and educational institutions to become educated however Edison through his life shows us that what schools give us is nothing but a “degree” or a “report card” but schools are not the measure of what our minds are capable of. In spite of being exempted from formal education Edison was determined to learn and understand. Simply attending school or giving exams cannot make us intelligent, they are nothing but mere supports .If an individual is determined to learn and seek knowledge and succeed in life, he need not depend on degrees and exams to make him eligible to do so. Determination and passion is enough for success. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES Edison’s life had not been a smooth run at all especially during his growing years. After Edison quit school his determination had increased however around the age of 12, Edison’s had to cope up with auditory problems since his hearing capability deteriorated. However, this little set back was not considered a set back at all. Somehow the loss of hearing helped Edison shape up his personality and determination even more. His sudden loss of hearing did prevent him from grasping the concepts while at school however he was determined to compensate for this. He dived deeper into his experiments and theories that helped him gain practical knowledge that could not be taught within the four walls of a classroom. In fact Edison considered loss of hearing a boon since his inability to hear much exempted him from unwanted disturbances owing to which he could focus and concentrate more on the job at hand. Physical problems and physical disabilities are not easy to bear and needs a great deal of courage to face and accept it and a greater deal of courage and determination to be able to use the disability and use it as a positive force in one’s life and Edison’s life teaches us this. From him, we can learn that a disability is a drawback only if you consider it one but if one chooses to look beyond it disabilities will not be obstacles at all (Thomas Alva Edison foundation,1950). Edison, at the age of 12 became a newspaper boy in order to earn money to help him to conduct his small experiments. He persuaded his reluctant parents to allow him to work and earn which shows his passion and commitment to his work. At such a tender age of 12 years Edison showed a lot of maturity which could only have been a product of his passion for experimentation and knowledge. We need to understand that commitment is a must have when we want to succeed. Sans passion and determination we cannot achieve anything in life. Edison’s Menlo Park was the hub of his experimentation and the complex was witness to Edison’s invention’s which turned out to be some of the greatest inventions if the history of mankind. However, Edison also had his share of failures as well. In science every negative result is actually beneficial and that was what had happened in case of Edison as well who tried 999 times before successfully inventing the light bulb. According to Edison himself the 999 times that he failed were not failures at all but were in fact 999 different ways of not making a light bulb (Chinsky, 2012). This simple approach has depth and exudes optimism. Edison did treat both success and failure equally. He had the courage to face both equally and hence his failures could not dishearten him at all. He learnt from his failures, from his mistakes and used them positively to help him succeed. Most people today are afraid of failures or mistakes and feel afraid to try but one needs to learn that mistakes are ways to learn something and are important as well. In order to achieve a goal one must understand and learn from the mistakes that one makes. Edison worked on a storage battery for over a decade (Baker, 1911). He failed a number of times in his attempts yet he persevered and at last produced a battery better than the old lead variety that could be used in an automobile. This shows his perseverance and courage to try and turn thoughts into reality. In spite of repeated attempts he never gave up. CONCLUSION Today whenever we look at a light bulb we are reminded of Edison. Edison’s life story is an inspirational one right from his childhood years. From the time he quit his school and tried to decipher the vast mysteries of the world on his own to the times he faced failures and tried again and again without giving up. His life teaches us to be inquisitive and determined. Edison’s life tells us to be passionate about the things we love. It also helps us understand the importance of mistakes and the role that mistakes play in the road to success. Edison who gave us the light bulb has also shown us the road to success. CITATION Chinsky, David. "Learning From Failure." The Institute for Leadership Fitness. Accessed March 4, 2014. http://instituteforleadershipfitness.com/2012/02/learning-from-failure/. Johnson, David E., Johnny Ray Johnson, and John L. Hilburn. Electric Circuit Analysis. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1992. The Thomas A. Edison Papers. "Thomas Alva Edison Biography - The Edison Papers." Accessed March 4, 2014. http://edison.rutgers.edu/biogrphy.htm. Thomas Alva Edison Foundation. A Brief Biography of Thomas Alva Edison. New York, N.Y.: Thomas Alva Edison Foundation, 1950. Read More