Topsy – the death sentenced elephant
Thomas Edison is obviously not much of an animal lover. Read this story on the WIRED blog.
On 4 Jan, 1903, Thomas Edison staged his highly publicized electrocution of an elephant in order to demonstrate the dangers of alternating current (AC).
This was because he had established direct current as the standard for electricity distribution and was living largely off the patent royalties. When another two punk scientists showed up with AC, he felt his livelihood threatened.
Here’s the elephant electrocution video (WARNING: Not suitable for viewing by animal lovers):
Can Edison’s actions here be considered as necessary animal testings for the advancement of science? It seems to be more for his personal gain… my respect for Edison has just gone down a notch.
Be kind to animals please.
Technorati Tags: elephant, animal electrocution, thomas edison, alternating current, direct current, electricity, topsy, animal abuse, animal testing, science experiment, animal cruelty
Get ready for a shopping extravaganza as Metro’s Everything Must Go! Suntec Mega Sale storms…
This National Day, Toy Factory Productions marks Singapore’s 60th birthday and its own 35th anniversary…
Violet Oon Singapore has officially opened a sophisticated new restaurant on Level 4 of ION…
Zouk Group is adding a bold new flavour to Singapore’s dining scene with the launch…
What started as an April Fool’s prank has now become a full-fledged snack revolution for…
HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 11 June 2025 - Vinmec Healthcare System has…
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="200px" width="250px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="472px" width="870px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
View Comments
Neat post, I will visit once more.
"He who establishes his arguments by noise and command shows that reason is weak."