Beefs.
Historical
A photograph image of Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) at age 34.Thomas Edison and his early phonograph. Cropped from U.S.A. Library of Congress copy. Edited Version. Dust removed by Arad.

Nikola TeslaThomas Edison

Photo — Nikola Tesla: postcard Tesla Museum, document no. MNT, VI/V 10, via RadioGraphics (Public domain) · Thomas Edison: Brady-Handy Photograph Collection (Library of Congress) - http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpbh.04044 (Public domain)

Historical·Historical·Since 1888
Beef Score measures the intensity and public prominence of a dispute. It does not indicate who is right.Factors considered·Heat·Public attention·Escalation·LongevityCurrently assigned editorially, not computed.

The Short Version

The current wars. In the sample scenario, a former employee's alternating-current system competes commercially with his ex-employer's direct-current system, and the dispute is fought through public demonstrations, press campaigns and patent litigation rather than personal insults. Historical accounts differ on how personal the animosity actually was, and this entry treats the more colourful anecdotes as contested. It matters because the commercial outcome determined how electricity is distributed to this day. AC prevailed.

Latest Development

AC selected for the World's Columbian Exposition

Sample record: The AC consortium won the contract to light the exposition, a decisive commercial result for the technology.

May 1, 1893 · Verified event

The Beef

Chronological, newest first. Every entry cites a source.

Beef timeline

  1. May 1, 1893

    AC selected for the World's Columbian Exposition

    Verified event

    Sample record: The AC consortium won the contract to light the exposition, a decisive commercial result for the technology.

    Sample Historical Archive ↗

  2. January 1, 1889

    Public demonstrations campaign against AC

    Reported

    Sample record: Edison's side promoted demonstrations intended to show AC was dangerous. Historians differ on how directly Edison was involved.

    Sample Historical Archive ↗

  3. May 16, 1888

    Alternating-current system presented publicly

    Verified event

    Sample record: Tesla presented his AC motor and system to an engineering institute, providing a commercial alternative to DC distribution.

    Sample Historical Archive ↗

Where It Stands

Historical. Settled by history: alternating current became the standard for long-distance power distribution.

Compare these two Beef networks →

Sources

  1. 1.Sample Historical ArchiveAC selected for the World's Columbian Exposition · May 1, 1893
  2. 2.Sample Historical ArchivePublic demonstrations campaign against AC · Jan 1, 1889
  3. 3.Sample Historical ArchiveAlternating-current system presented publicly · May 16, 1888

Allegations are attributed to the party that made them and are not statements of fact.