Tesla Versus Edison: Myth and Style in Technological History

Thanks to movies, video games, novels, and Elon Musk, Nikola Tesla has, in the past few years, has become a prominent figure in American pop culture. At the same time, his rival Thomas Edison has come to be seen as a greedy villain. In this talk, we will explore both the myth and facts around the Tesla-Edison rivalry to understand how inventors develop distinct styles and how those different styles are critical to how societies create and manage disruptive innovation.