American Genius

Edison vs. Tesla (1x8)

Air date: Jun 22, 2015

Delve into a battle of wills between two brilliant minds: Eccentric genius Nikola Tesla enters a rivalry with Thomas Edison that will forever change the world. Edison is one of the world’s most prolific and well-known inventors, developing the phonograph, the motion picture camera and the commercially viable electric lightbulb. With backing from some of the world’s wealthiest financiers, he sets out to one-up his invention by building an electric empire, using the power of direct current. But when his former assistant Tesla advocates for the use of a different kind of electric current, the two inventors go to war to determine who will power the world’s future. Experts and authors, including famed theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, offer insight into the inventors’ dramatic struggle.