After coming to America and working with Edison, Nikola quickly
realized that direct current was not the way of future. His newly created
device that included a rotating electric field to generated electricty was
going to be the future.
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http://www.pbs.org/tesla/
Shortly after the invention of alternating current a commission was formed
to select a company to install power generation
at Niagara Falls. Nikola Tesla and Alternating Current were chosen.
The future of electricty as we know it today stemmed from Tesla's invention of the two-phase induction motor seen above Niagara Falls.