Tesla vs. Edison: An nth Solutions Cage Match

n^th Solutions combines a whole lot of research and innovation, a dash of logistics and a smidgen mad scientist. But with eyes firmly fixed on the future, we tip our hat to the past. And two names provide constant fuel for debate: Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. 

For a quick introduction to the two pioneers, please see these articles. But who would win in a cage match? We polled some of the staff, and here are their responses:

Scott: What? It’s a toss-up.

Bob A.: You’ve got two opposite geniuses. On a physical level, Edison was kind of a wiry guy, and Tesla… well, a lot of people don’t know about him as much. I’d be glad to meet either one of them.
 

Ernie: Tesla, because Edison had to hire him.
 

Laura: Tesla. In a heartbeat. Because he’s better looking, and looks like a boxer. (She had to take a minute to look at the two pictures and decide.) 

Eric: For business, Edison. Technology? Tesla. Tesla was a flat-out genius. And when it comes to integrity, Tesla. In terms of business and self-promotion? Edison. 

A.J.: My uneducated decision would be that the fight would be unbelievably pathetic because neither of them are actually trained fighters – unless weapons are permitted in the fight, in which case I think Tesla would win with some sort of weapon that emitted a deadly amount of voltage.

Which inventor do you think would win in a cage match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.

Behind The Scenes at nth Solutions: The Secret Weapon

(Blogger’s note: n^th Solutions boasts a crop of resourceful, skilled personnel.  Here’s a glimpse of one of our many talented staffers.)

He sits with magnifiers perched on his head, tweezers clutched in his hand, working on minuscule electronics.  He’s quiet except for the occasional journey to the kitchen for military-grade coffee – that is, coffee that could stand without a cup.

His name is Jim, and he’s n^th’s secret weapon.

Jim grew up in rural northeastern Pennsylvania, near Stroudsburg.  A family friend who taught at MIT suggested Jim study engineering.  Off he went to Drexel University, and worked for Westinghouse in South Philadelphia as part of his co-op program.

His first brush with the military came when he was drafted in 1952, the year before he graduated.  So he signed up for the Air Force.

“I spent three whole days in the military,” he says, smiling.  He failed the physical exam due to football injuries and was discharged.  But there would be time enough for Jim’s work with the U.S. military.

After college Westinghouse offered him a job and transferred him to Kansas City, KS, where he met his wife, Julie.  Little did she know that she was in for a life of intrigue.

What was he working on? The afterburner section of the jet engine was his specialty when he was at Westinghouse.  Around the time Westinghouse was getting out of the jet engine industry, they sent him to North American Aviation in Columbus, Ohio. His project?  The F-4 Phantom.  The engineers were having problems with thermal aspects of the engine, so Jim served in an advisory role and taught the machinists.  “Have you ever gotten to ride in a Phantom?” he asks, interrupting his own story. “I have – I knew the test pilots really well, and I got to ride in the Phantom.”

Jim soon left Westinghouse for General Electric, where he became a third-level manager, and worked on more hush-hush projects.

“I used to get calls in the middle of the night,” he said. “Julie got used to it – I’d be on the phone and she’d make me coffee.  But it really bothered me that I’d have to go somewhere and I couldn’t tell her where I was…” Jim pauses, takes a breath. “I’ve worked in the missile fields in North Dakota…Montana…at Cape Canaveral…”

He worked on Minuteman 3 missiles, bio-satellites and what he blithely describes as “military stuff,” with a small chuckle.  “Remember when we were sending monkeys and men into space?  A lot of that was moving missiles around.  We were fooling people.”

But he did work on the space program, though he remains coy about his role.  “I was involved in solving problems, especially as it pertained to materials. We were behind other countries – especially the Soviet Union – in procuring and using materials in space.”

But over the years, he’s changed his mind about countries using missiles. “It didn’t bother me at first – but it bothered me toward the end,” he says.  “It scares me that we have the power to annihilate – really.  Back during the Cold War, we didn’t have much of a choice.  You had to have the power so that people wouldn’t mess with us.  Now, it’s different.  With this Iran thing, we could make it so there wouldn’t be an Iran. Do we want to do that? Do they know that we could? I hope they do.”

Why U.S. Manufacturing?

In his third State of the Union address, President Obama emphasized the importance of American manufacturing.  Political affiliations and ideologies aside, the topic of American innovation and manufacturing is especially important to us at n^th Solutions.

“Proudly and 100% Made in the USA” isn’t a tagline we toss around lightly.  It’s the core of our business.  Because we manufacture all of our products at our Exton, Pa., facility, we can deliver product into the marketplace quickly.  (No waiting for the slow boat from Asia!)  We can maintain tight quality control, and best of all, employ American workers and keep jobs here.  We’d rather hire several workers at a fair wage than produce a lower-cost item in a foreign factory with dubious working conditions.  And it’s better for the environment to source and ship material domestically.  Check out our Made in the USA video on Youtube!

Some say that shifting manufacturing overseas would be more cost-effective.  Yes, it would be cheaper, but the long term benefits of retaining domestic manufacturing can’t be denied.

What do you think about manufacturing in the United States?  If you were president, how would you go about improving the economy?  Let us know in the comments, or catch up with us on Twitter.

Easy Stink Bug Trap Setup

 It's a snap to set up our Original Indoor Stink Bug Trap! 

See how easy it is to combat the spring stink bug indoor infestation season.

Relax With Stink Bug Yoga

Think stink bugs only stink? Think again!

Spring Stink Bug Infestation Facts

In September 2011, after several years of research and development, n^th Solutions introduced The Original Indoor Stink Bug Trap – the first in its line of stink bug control products.

Pennsylvania is ground zero for the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, an invasive species from Asia.  But stink bugs aren’t just hanging out in Pennsylvania.  Instead, stink bugs are rapidly migrating across the country, eager to snack on the country’s rich agriculture.  They become an indoor pest as they invade homes and businesses first in the fall when they look to overwinter (sort of like hibernating), and again in the spring when they trek back outside.

In the last few weeks, stink bugs have started to come out of overwintering in the Mid-Atlantic region.  They’ve become a nuisance to homeowners as they make their way outside to feed, mate and lay eggs.  And the media have increasingly covered the stink bug infestation as consumers get more irritated by the invasive pest.

What’s a homeowner to do?  The easiest, no-gimmick way to get rid of stink bugs is to place an Original Indoor Stink Bug Trap where you see the most stink bugs inside.  Attics are often a prime hiding place for the bugs, too.  You can see our easy setup video here.

Of course, if you prefer communing with the smelly, shield-shaped intruders, feel free to “be one with nature” and practice stink bug yoga.