Psychologist Dr. Alfred Barrios conducted research on the nature of genius in the seventies. He set out to answer the same basic question I posed just a page ago: why do some people rise to greatness...
One of Morgan’s managers, Charles Coffin, gloated to Westinghouse about how easily Morgan had established Edison’s monopoly by bribing local politicians and installing systems that
Niagara Falls Commission, which had been charged with developing a power plant that would harness the force of the falls. The commission had solicited and rejected proposals from around the world, rev...
Marconi was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1911 for his achievements in radio, and was hailed as the father of radio. Tesla was infuriated and, in 1915, sued Marconi for infringement on his patents. He didn...
Joseph Campbell said, deep down inside, we don’t seek the meaning of life, but the experience of being alive. And that’s what the nature of genius is ultimately about.
James Clerk Maxwell had proven mathematically that light was electromagnetic radiation—electricity that was vibrating at an extremely high frequency.
It’s an essential part of becoming more creative. Expand your interests in life. Seek out new, interesting experiences, no matter how mundane or inconsequential they might seem to others. Read books,...
It takes a special strength to be willing to scrap the life that others have planned for us—safe, beaten trails walked by millions—and embrace one fraught with uncertainty, danger, and the unknown.
In 1891, in his New York City lab, Tesla proved that energy could be transmitted through the air by wirelessly lighting lamps. This discovery fascinated Tesla, sparking his lifelong obsession with wir...
Imagination is the life force of the genius code. This force amplifies and colors every other piece of the code, and unlocks our potential for understanding and ability.
If you’ve ever dreamed of playing a hand in the development of humankind, or if you just have a burning desire to improve one small aspect of it, then you have an adventure waiting. Will you take it?
Author Philip Dick once wrote, The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.
Andrew Carnegie is thirteen years old and changing spools of thread in a cotton mill twelve hours per day, six days per week. Two years later, he gets a job as a telegraph messenger for $2.50 per week...
All great geniuses are incredibly creative in their own ways. They’re able to take what is known, dream of new possibilities, and bring them into the world. Every mathematical enigma solved, every mas...
Alexander’s adamantine will and belief in himself stemmed from the fact that he was willing to out-plan, out-work, and outlast anyone. He didn’t chase dubious shortcuts, and in some cases, purposely a...
10,000 hour rule. The rule’s premise is that, regardless of whether one has an innate aptitude for an activity or not, mastery of it takes around ten thousand hours of focused, intentional practice.
This we can see the necessity of being willing to fight for your creations. Morgan and Edison weren’t satisfied with trying to ruin Tesla through capitalistic competition—they were resorting to outrig...
Genius code: curiosity. It’s an essential part of becoming more creative. Expand your interests in life. Seek out new, interesting experiences, no matter how mundane or inconsequential they might seem...
Westinghouse owed Tesla over $1 million in royalties, an amount that grew daily. When Westinghouse described to Tesla the desperate situation, Tesla replied with the following: Mr. Westinghouse, you h...
Well, as the preeminent mythologist Joseph Campbell said, deep down inside, we don’t seek the meaning of life, but the experience of being alive.