Edison Bashing
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 1:55 pm
I looked over the List Universe site today -- http://listverse.com and noted that they had posted another "top ten" list of influential scientists, this time, including Thomas Edison.
http://listverse.com/science/another-10 ... cientists/
I couldn't believe some of the comments posted:
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"Edison stole all his inventions."
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"count me amongst the people who want edison off the list!"
"I have no doubt Edison was a brilliant entrepreneur & quite possibly a good scientist in his own right.
But, the very fact that he can go around electrocuting animals, just to run a malicious campaign to discredit someone else’s work (when his own current was equally, if not more lethal) makes him lose respect in my mind.
An interesting article on Edison’s alleged inventions.
http://jawadonweb.com/?page_id=900"
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"Thomas Edison was not a scientist.
Becoming a scientist requires a lot more than holding a bunch of patents.
By this rationale, Ron Popeil is also a scientist."
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"Thomas Edison does NOT belong here. He was most definitely NOT a scientist either by our definition today and barely by the definition then."
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"Edison was a communist."
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"Edison was an intellectual thief and a glory-hunting conman. Having many patents to one’s name does not make one an inventor any more than it does a scientist."
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Personally, I've always felt that Edison was a pioneer in the field of science, if for no other reason than the fact that he combined scientific pursuits with capitalistic ventures. I don't think it's far off base to say that Edison established what would become the prototype for the modern (commercial or independent) research laboratory.
Just my two cents.
http://listverse.com/science/another-10 ... cientists/
I couldn't believe some of the comments posted:
----------------------------
"Edison stole all his inventions."
----------------------------
"count me amongst the people who want edison off the list!"
"I have no doubt Edison was a brilliant entrepreneur & quite possibly a good scientist in his own right.
But, the very fact that he can go around electrocuting animals, just to run a malicious campaign to discredit someone else’s work (when his own current was equally, if not more lethal) makes him lose respect in my mind.
An interesting article on Edison’s alleged inventions.
http://jawadonweb.com/?page_id=900"
----------------------------
"Thomas Edison was not a scientist.
Becoming a scientist requires a lot more than holding a bunch of patents.
By this rationale, Ron Popeil is also a scientist."
------------------------------
"Thomas Edison does NOT belong here. He was most definitely NOT a scientist either by our definition today and barely by the definition then."
------------------------------
"Edison was a communist."
-------------------------------
"Edison was an intellectual thief and a glory-hunting conman. Having many patents to one’s name does not make one an inventor any more than it does a scientist."
----------------------------------------
Personally, I've always felt that Edison was a pioneer in the field of science, if for no other reason than the fact that he combined scientific pursuits with capitalistic ventures. I don't think it's far off base to say that Edison established what would become the prototype for the modern (commercial or independent) research laboratory.
Just my two cents.