The Odd Genius And Fish That Helped Create Our Current Electric Infrastructure
The tale of a torpedo and a weirdo
This morning I harnessed a force of nature so powerful, its very understanding was thought the domain of the gods throughout most of humanity’s existence. Honestly, it was easy. With the flick of a finger, electricity traveled to an LED light illuminating my room.
And that is how we see it: easy. In fact, electricity and our power to control it falls into the background. It’s something we don’t think about; more ordinary than extraordinary.
However, our control of this force of nature is a relatively new development. In the turn of the nineteenth century, electricity baffled the greatest minds on our planet. To them, it was a toy.
In fact, electricity helped Ben Franklin give the best parties in America’s young history. According to the American Physical Society, Franklin hosted a shindig where he barbequed a turkey with electricity, also electrified wine glasses, and shot sparks across a river to the delight of viewers.
Although soon this would all change with the strangest of circumstances.
It involved a fish with a special skill. And if this isn’t weird enough, one of the most eccentric geniuses who ever lived got caught up in…
