Nikola Tesla, Serbian American inventor and engineer who discovered and patented the rotating magnetic field used in alternating-current machinery. Tesla used his eponymous Tesla coil, a high frequency transformer, as the basis for experiments in electrical lighting, x-rays, phosphorescence, electrotherapy, and the wireless transmission of electric energy. He is credited with inventing the fluorescent bulb and neon light, as well as the spark plug for internal combustion engines. He provided the basis for radar, the electron microscope, and microwave ovens. He even dabbled in robotics, far ahead of his time.  He believed that his system could not only distribute electricity around the globe but also provide for worldwide wireless communication.