A cacophony of hissing Tesla coils and whirring remote control helicopters filled Thayer School of Engineering’s Glycofi Atrium on Thursday afternoon. Undergraduate students, professors and community members, including wide-eyed Boy Scouts, gathered around displays to learn about the inventions and legacy of Nikola Tesla at the Tesla Tech Fair.

A Tesla coil. Photo by Zachary Ingbretsen ’11

The event featured a panel discussion highlighting Tesla’s impact on modern society and exhibits by community members.

The panel focused primarily on the technical aspects of Tesla’s inventions and the life of the inventor...

...The event aimed to include multiple disciplines to highlight Tesla’s background and achievement, lead organizer and engineering professor Charles Sullivan said. At the event, exhibits displayed student applications of Tesla’s work, including wireless phone chargers, alternating current power systems and induction motors.

Kathryn Waychoff ’16 said she enjoyed the multidisciplinary environment.

“I think it’s really cool that we’re bringing history and art to engineering,” she said. “I think a lot of times engineers are downplayed. This makes it look really fun.”

The fair was scheduled to occur in conjunction with “Tesla in New York,” an opera that will premiere at the Hopkins Center this weekend. The opera focuses on Tesla’s genius and his struggle to distinguish between science and magic.

The fair was co-sponsored by the Hopkins Center and Thayer as part of Dartmouth’s Year of the Arts initiative.