I helped fact-check this podcast for The History Channel. One of the particular nuances to this one was to figure out how to help the script to succinctly describe electrical phenomena in a way that was both in keeping with contemporary understandings of physics and with how Tesla himself described them in his popular writing. I found it helpful to have a little dialogue with Claude about how best to bridge the possible gap:
{Claude}
{Q} He later says this: “The streams of light which you have observed issuing from my hand are due to a potential of about 200,000 volts, alternating in rather irregular intervals, sometimes like a million times a second. A vibration of the same amplitude, but four times as fast, to maintain which over 3,000,000 volts would be required, would be mare than sufficient to envelop my body in a complete sheet of flame. But this flame would not burn me up; quite contrarily, the probability is ,that I would not be injured in the least. Yet a hundredth part of that energy, otherwise directed; would be amply sufficient to kill a person.” In terms of his own explanation, how would I revise the starting phrase “Now, he explains: 200,000 volts of electricity are passing through his body.” in light of what he’s actually explaining about the potentialEditBased on Tesla’s own explanation, he’s specifically describing a voltage potential - an electrical state or condition - rather than electricity “passing through” his body. He’s quite precise about this, referring to “a potential of about 200,000 volts” that creates visible effects.
{A} You might revise the phrase to something like: “Now, he explains: his body is charged to a potential of 200,000 volts”
February 24, 1893. Most homes don’t have electricity. And yet, one of the technology’s pioneers, Nikola Tesla, is about to give the world a glimpse into a fully electrified future.
He takes the stage at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, and begins a demonstration. He shoots sparks out of his hands, makes himself glow, and turns on some lightbulbs. The lightbulb part doesn’t sound that impressive, until you realize… they’re not plugged into anything. He’s holding these bulbs in his hands, and they’re still radiating light. This is the promise of Tesla’s future.
Today, Nikola Tesla’s pursuit of wireless power. How did his relentless quest shape our world? And how did it lead to his downfall?