Background
Carlson was born on August 1, 1955 in Neptune, New Jersey, United States; the son of W. Bernard and Hildegard Kessler Carlson.
Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
College of Holy Cross
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
University of Pennsylvania
Houghton, Michigan, United States
Michigan Technological University
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
University of Virginia
Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
College of Holy Cross
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
University of Pennsylvania
Houghton, Michigan, United States
Michigan Technological University
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
University of Virginia
(Elihu Thomson was a major American inventor of electric l...)
Elihu Thomson was a major American inventor of electric light and power systems. A contemporary of Thomas Edison, Thomson performed the engineering and design work necessary to make electric lighting a common product. From the 1880s to the 1930s, Thomson was employed by the General Electric Company and its predecessors. Working within the corporation, Thomson reveals how successful inventions are based on explicit links among technological artifacts, marketing strategy, and the business organization needed for manufacturing and marketing.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521393175/?tag=2022091-20
1991
(Nikola Tesla was a major contributor to the electrical re...)
Nikola Tesla was a major contributor to the electrical revolution that transformed daily life at the turn of the twentieth century. His inventions, patents, and theoretical work formed the basis of modern AC electricity, and contributed to the development of radio and television. Like his competitor Thomas Edison, Tesla was one of America's first celebrity scientists, enjoying the company of New York high society and dazzling the likes of Mark Twain with his electrical demonstrations. An astute self-promoter and gifted showman, he cultivated a public image of the eccentric genius. Even at the end of his life when he was living in poverty, Tesla still attracted reporters to his annual birthday interview, regaling them with claims that he had invented a particle-beam weapon capable of bringing down enemy aircraft. Plenty of biographies glamorize Tesla and his eccentricities, but until now none has carefully examined what, how, and why he invented. In this groundbreaking book, W. Bernard Carlson demystifies the legendary inventor, placing him within the cultural and technological context of his time, and focusing on his inventions themselves as well as the creation and maintenance of his celebrity. Drawing on original documents from Tesla's private and public life, Carlson shows how he was an "idealist" inventor who sought the perfect experimental realization of a great idea or principle, and who skillfully sold his inventions to the public through mythmaking and illusion. This major biography sheds new light on Tesla's visionary approach to invention and the business strategies behind his most important technological breakthroughs.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CHRQ1C0/?tag=2022091-20
2013
Carlson was born on August 1, 1955 in Neptune, New Jersey, United States; the son of W. Bernard and Hildegard Kessler Carlson.
Carlson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from College of Holy Cross in 1977. Four years later he earned his Master of Arts degree in History and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in History in 1984 from the University of Pennsylvania.
Carlson began his career as an assistant professor at Michigan Technological University in 1983. Since 1986 he has been a professor of history at the University of Virginia. Also he is a Joseph L. Vaughan Professor of Humanities and chair of Engineering and Society Department at the same university. Carlson serves as a director of Engineering Business Programs at the University of Virginia.
Bernie studies the careers of inventors and entrepreneurs in order to educate future engineering leaders. He is committed to helping broad audiences understand the role of technology in society and this has led to projects such as the 36 lectures on "Great Inventions".
Carlson is known for his book about a biography of Nikola Tesla, which has been published in nine languages. He is a co-editor of a book series with MIT Press "Inside Technology", which has published over 60 books on the history and sociology of technology.
Also he received IEEE Life Members Prize in Electrical History from the Society for the History of Technology in 1989 and Long-listed for the Winton Prize for Popular Science Writing from Royal Society in 2014.
(Nikola Tesla was a major contributor to the electrical re...)
2013(Elihu Thomson was a major American inventor of electric l...)
1991Carlson is a member of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Business History Conference, American Society of Engineering Education and Society of History of Technology. He has served as the executive secretary for SHOT (Society for the History of Technology) as well as a consultant for Corning Incorporated and other organizations.
On August 24, 2002 Carlson married Jane E. Fewster. They have 2 children.
