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The Oatmeal, Elon Musk and a Tesla museum

Updated 5:17 PM EDT, Thu July 10, 2014
Link Copied!
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was a Serbian-American engineer and unsung inventor who helped pioneer the use of electricity, among other achievements. A campaign is underway, aided by entrepreneur Elon Musk, to turn Tesla's last remaining laboratory into a museum.
The Oatmeal, Elon Musk and a Tesla museum —
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was a Serbian-American engineer and unsung inventor who helped pioneer the use of electricity, among other achievements. A campaign is underway, aided by entrepreneur Elon Musk, to turn Tesla's last remaining laboratory into a museum.
Herbert Barraud/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Cartoonist Matthew Inman, founder of humor website <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheoatmeal.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">The Oatmeal</a>, has celebrated Tesla online and in 2012 launched a <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiegogo.com%2Fprojects%2Flet-s-build-a-goddamn-tesla-museum--5" target="_blank" target="_blank">crowdfunded effort</a> to save Tesla's last remaining laboratory.
The Oatmeal, Elon Musk and a Tesla museum —
Cartoonist Matthew Inman, founder of humor website The Oatmeal, has celebrated Tesla online and in 2012 launched a crowdfunded effort to save Tesla's last remaining laboratory.
Amy E. Price/Getty Images for SXSW
Inman's <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheoatmeal.com%2Fcomics%2Ftesla" target="_blank" target="_blank">online paean to Tesla</a> praised him for inventing an alternating-current electrical system but claimed he was overshadowed by rival Thomas Edison, who received credit for inventing the light bulb. "Without question, Tesla was a genius," he wrote.
The Oatmeal, Elon Musk and a Tesla museum —
Inman's online paean to Tesla praised him for inventing an alternating-current electrical system but claimed he was overshadowed by rival Thomas Edison, who received credit for inventing the light bulb. "Without question, Tesla was a genius," he wrote.
From The Oatmeal
Inman's campaign raised more than $1.3 million to buy the site of <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2012%2F08%2F21%2Ftech%2Finnovation%2Ftesla-museum-campaign%2F">Tesla's former Wardenclyffe laboratory</a> in Shoreham, New York, on the north coast of Long Island.
The Oatmeal, Elon Musk and a Tesla museum —
Inman's campaign raised more than $1.3 million to buy the site of Tesla's former Wardenclyffe laboratory in Shoreham, New York, on the north coast of Long Island.
Courtesy of Tesla Science Center
Now Inman is trying to raise money to renovate the old Tesla lab and turn it into a museum. In a comic strip earlier this year, he made a plea to Elon Musk, founder of Tesla Motors, which is named for Nikola Tesla. Musk is seen here with then-California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at a Tesla Motors event in 2008.
The Oatmeal, Elon Musk and a Tesla museum —
Now Inman is trying to raise money to renovate the old Tesla lab and turn it into a museum. In a comic strip earlier this year, he made a plea to Elon Musk, founder of Tesla Motors, which is named for Nikola Tesla. Musk is seen here with then-California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at a Tesla Motors event in 2008.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
On Thursday, Tesla's birthday, Inman wrote that Musk, who is also CEO of private spaceflight company SpaceX, pledged $1 million to the cause.
The Oatmeal, Elon Musk and a Tesla museum —
On Thursday, Tesla's birthday, Inman wrote that Musk, who is also CEO of private spaceflight company SpaceX, pledged $1 million to the cause.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Hours after Inman's Tesla S review and plea, Musk sent a Twitter message saying he would "would be happy to help." Thursday, Inman said he made good on the promise.
The Oatmeal, Elon Musk and a Tesla museum —
Hours after Inman's Tesla S review and plea, Musk sent a Twitter message saying he would "would be happy to help." Thursday, Inman said he made good on the promise.
@Oatmeal

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