Tesla & running experiments in the imagination

[student123]

This might be off the wall but here goes:
There's a lot on the web about Nikolai Tesla, the inventor, some true, some exaggerated, to a point where its not always easy to sort the wood from the chaff.

Heres his autobio online:
http://www.tfcbooks.com/tesla/my_inventions.htm

The 13th paragraph, starting
"My method is different. I do not rush into actual work. When I get an idea I start at once building it up in my imagination. I change the construction, make improvements and operate the device in my mind. It is absolutely immaterial to me whether I run my turbine in thought or test it in my shop." etc

Caught my curiosity.

I also vaguely recall reading that when asleep he would dream
experiments , wake up with the results of the experiments.
(I cant find anything to substantiate the dreaming bit, so that might be chaff rather than wheat).

Anyway, as I'm interested in how the mind works, I'd be interested to know what you think, if true & how far engines etc can be run in the imagination? Is the Tesla dream bit likely to be true?
Any of you guys design/run engines in your imagination first ? If yes how detailed can it get? & can the faculty be developed to some degree?

Mike

(...looks over shoulder for men in white coats approaching...)

 

[Noitoen]

Can't say about engines but, I do some automation and when I need to "create" a algorithm for a system, it usually "pops" into my mind in the most complicated form. I start to "visualize" it and testing the possibilities, simplifying it, simulating the system until it's almost ready. Only then I sketch something on paper and chose the parts to build the system. When I'm in this period, even my wife says the when she looks at me, that I'm not there. : : In simulating all the possibilities in my mind, gets a better system in my opinion.

The same when you design a software for a system for anybody to use. You must "predict" all the wrong ways to operate it so that it's dummy proof ;D

 

[Blogwitch]

Mike,

No men in white coats here.

I think you will find that a lot of model engineers do exactly the same thing, it is a logical step when you start to get a lot of experience.

Most start in the hobby by working from someone else's plans, then start to modify other peoples plans. To do that, you have to imagine what it will end up like. The next logical step is designing and making your own.

Myself, I can usually go thru a whole maching operation on a part in my mind, normally, I just sit at my bench, and visualise how the part is to be held and machined. Then when I have done it a couple of times, I write down the procedure, and get on with making the part. It usually goes smooth as silk, because it is like you have already made dozens of them.

I designed and made the Paddleducks engine, on the run, make the first bit, imagine what needs to be done next the get that bit made. In the end, I ended up with a running engine that has become very popular amongst people new to machining, because I took the time to write down all the tiny details of how it was done and they could follow along.

What you have to think about, is that there is very little new in the art of model engineering, in fact almost anything you can think of, it has been a natural progression over many centuries and there are very few 'new' techniques, just old ones that have been rediscovered and modified a bit, many because of the natural progression of having the materials to be able to achieve now what wasn't achievable before.

I am sure Tesla had read up on all the bits and pieces that were flying around during his time, and maybe older untried or unproved techniques from previous times, and you could put a bet on it that they all came together in his mind to start a spark that sent him along another path of invention. There have been great minds throughout time, but I personally don't think they just popped up out of nowhere, they had to trained in the basics first, only then could they start their journey of discovery.

What if?

The best example of all that in action at this time on here is Cedge and his Poppet valve engine. He has looked at pictures, thought about it a little and just got on with making it.

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=8977.0

I think it is called imagination and artistic flair, and in Steve's case, a bit of bullsh as well. :


Bogs

 

[Richard1]

You may also find a bit more about how the mind works in a book called "The gift of dyslexia" If I remember correctly this suggests that some people only think in images and can see everything, always from all possible directions. An ability like that would make visualising engines easy but might make it impossible to read the instructions.

Richard

 

[kcmillin]

Mike, I have designed and built 5 engines in my few years of model machining. And all of them started as images in my head. Seeing how the valves can work, and all the small details are easy. The hard part is taking those thoughts and turning them into working dimensions. Making sure there is enough room for all the bits and pieces. That's tough.

My biggest challenge was not trying to create an original design, but trying to copy an old design. When I made my Stephenson link vertical steam engine, I had no idea how they worked. I did not have access to anything more than tiny little pictures on my phone. Figuring out exactly what was going on with the linkage was all done in my head. The first time I had ever seen this linkage working was only once I completed my engine. But I was confident it would work, because I covered all bases in my imagination.

I figure this is how ALL designing is done, right? It seems easy for me to visualize in my head, and Ill bet most of us can do this. If you cant see it in your head, how can you put it on paper?


Bogs, You say most of us start by using someone elses plans and then work from there. Well, when I got into machining I had no idea there were people out there who were into making model engines. I though I was alone, and my first engine was designed by myself, in my head. It was only about three months after I got into this hobby that I discovered this is a very old art, and many people are doing it.


When I purchased my mini lathe, there were ideas just popping in and out of my head, this was just from looking at the box, I did no know there was such a thing as a metal lathe until I bought one. But I was able to see in my head what its potential was.

Kel