January 4, 2007 - Shocking Trivia!

Oh, man! I should have come up with a better trivia question to start out the new year. I'm sorry to be kind of morbid, but here's the question I came up with tonight...

At the beginning of the 20th century, Thomas Edison was battling George Westinghouse for control of America's electric infrastructure. It was Edison's direct current system versus Westinghouse's alternating current.


Trivia Question:

To prove that AC was a deadly menace, on January 4th 1903, Edison publicly electrocuted who or what with 6,600 volts of alternating current?


Trivia Answer:

An elephant named Topsy.

Topsy, an attraction at Coney Island, was being destroyed by its owners because she had killed 3 people in 3 years. The event was a public spectacle to a paying audience of 1500 people. Edison was the consultant chosen to arrange the electrocution which he had a movie crew film.



He showed the film around the country as part of his unsuccessful effort to discredit the "dangerous" alternating current of George Westinghouse, and promote Edison's direct current electricity system. Eventually, A.C. was universally adopted, however, as more practical for long-distance transmission.

For more about Topsy, visit

http://www.todayinsci.com/cgi-bin/indexpage.pl?http://www.todayinsci.com/1/1_04.htm



* * * * * * * * * * NET CHECK-In's * * * * * * * * * *

The following folks checked in to tonight's net, along with their answers to tonight's trivia question.

* WB6A - Pat - No Answer
* WB6ATV - Ron - A Convict
* KE6CZH - Robert - No Answer
* KG6DBL - Bill - No Answer
* K6FCC - Khalil - Niagra Falls
* N6GXS - Ralph - A Frog
* N6HY - Ernie - A Cat
* KB6IS - Madeline - No Answer
* KD6JEV - John - No Answer
* KG6KTC - Leon - A Dog
* NY6L - Jay - No Answer
* K6LMN - Roger - Cow
* KE6MSS - Thomas - No Answer
* KD6NIW - Oliver - The Neighbor's Dog
* W6NVY - Gary - The Neighbor!
* KG6NWJ - Barry - A Pidgeon
* KD6OBM - Jason - A Dog
* KF6PIH - Scott - A Pig
* K6QVZ - Joe - No Answer
* KG6RDA - Sidney - Checked in by KF6ZQM
* AD6UP - Louie - A House
* KF6YBM - Henry - No Answer
* KF6ZQM - Harry - No Answer
* N6ZZK - Theo - A Turkey
* AC6AJ - Lee - Dogs
* N6NGU - Lee - CEO of Westinghouse
* KG6TRR - Bob - Bull or Cow
* KE6HER - Justin - Cow
* KD6DKH - Too noisy from Riverside to hear more

I'll try to come up with a more "upbeat" question next week!

73!

de N6CIZ