Speaking of scientists whose contributions don't match their fame, many people might immediately think of one name:

Tesla.

But in reality,

although Tesla was highly capable, he was nowhere near as absurdly divine as the rumors suggest.

For instance, the saying "Einstein represents the upper limit of humanity, while Tesla is the lower limit of divinity" is completely unfounded.

Today's Tesla has actually been heavily embellished, mythologized, and even demonized.

To put it simply, he has been deified.

Tesla first appeared in the public eye, probably due to a 2009 documentary on the Science Channel:

"Scientific Superman: Nikola Tesla."

This documentary could be called the source of all evil, backing various rumors about Tesla in a serious tone, leaving many with a fixed stereotype.

Then, in 2015, the director, writer, and producer of this film all emigrated.

Up to now,

these rumors have become so numerous that we can no longer debunk them all.

Such a situation has far exceeded what the term 'ignorance tax' can describe. Some—note, just some—descriptions of Tesla can even be considered anti-intellectual.

Let's put it this way.

More than half of the Baidu entries related to Tesla are rumors.

For example, the rumor that in 1912 (or 1915 in other versions), due to their contributions in electricity, Tesla and Edison were both awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

But both refused to accept it.

The reason being they couldn't stand sharing the honor with the other.

Some marketing accounts use this rumor as a template, claiming that in the first thirty years since the establishment of the Nobel Prize in Physics, Tesla alone was selected as a winner nine times, and twice together with Edison.

And he gave up all eleven Nobel Prizes, as divinity scorns mortal honors.

But in fact, it's not just the last eleven times; even the initial one is fabricated:

The Nobel Prize in Physics in 1912 was awarded to Niels Gustav Dalén, and in 1915 to William Henry Bragg and William Lawrence Bragg.

Throughout Tesla's life,

he was only nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics once in 1937.

This was his only nomination in his life, and he did not win the prize, let alone reject it.

Similar rumors are as numerous as cattle, too many to count clearly.

They are completely fabricated falsehoods or attributing others' contributions to Tesla.

Due to the problem of information barriers, these stitched-together sayings have been believed by many who don't know the truth and continue to this day.

Another reason for Tesla's deification is Edison, because this great inventor once did two very unscrupulous things:

First, he electrocuted an elephant with alternating current and filmed it with his own invention of the camera, flaunting it everywhere. This video can still be found online today.

Second, he specifically invented the electric chair powered by alternating current and persuaded the government to use it as a tool for executions.

The killing process with this thing is extremely brutal, basically tying people up with coils and electrocuting them alive.

With these two indelible stains, the reverse promotional effect for Tesla is particularly good.

Objectively speaking,

Tesla cannot be considered a top-tier basic scientist, but he can be considered a top-tier applied scientist or engineer.

The biggest difference between basic scientists and applied scientists is that basic scientists discover the natural laws of the universe, which are the most original discoveries and research results.

They are the foundation of all inventions and creations, like Little Niu, Einstein, and today's Elder Yang.

Applied scientists or engineers, on the other hand, turn basic scientific theories into practical technologies.

Their goal is to invent new tools or enhance production levels for social production and life.

In short.

Tesla's position in the history of human physics cannot be ignored, and it's not necessary to demean him as worthless; in today's context, winning one or two Nobel Prizes would certainly be achievable.

But he should never be made into a deity, as this is unfair to many truly contributing predecessors and harmful to the scientific community.

And compared to Tesla,

there's someone who better fits the definition of 'being overlooked.'

This person is...

Cavendish.

Cavendish, a name that's familiar, yet somewhat unfamiliar to people.

Often,

the popularity of the character of the same name in the anime "One Piece" is much higher than this real-life figure.

Most people's impression of him is usually limited to his measurement of the gravitational constant using a torsion balance, and even some classmates like Xian Weiren have long forgotten about it.

But in fact,

this outstanding person hides far deeper than anyone can imagine.

And here's a question:

If you had the chance to discover Ohm's Law, Coulomb's Law, and other achievements worthy of being recorded in history, what would you do?

Presumably, most people would choose to publish them and enjoy this fame until their death, right?

But Cavendish was different, his approach was...

to let these theories rot in his manuscripts, never publishing them till death, can you believe it?

Honestly speaking,

even when Xu Yun himself learned about this during his doctoral studies, a trace of doubt arose in his heart.

However, the people testifying to this matter are extremely influential, so much so that they can be called one of the most top-tier bosses in human history:

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