The Oatmeal is Trying to Build a Gorram Tesla Museum
Matthew Inman, creator of The Oatmeal, is at it again. In conjunction with the non-profit Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe, Inman has started a fundraiser to raise $850,000 to purchase the land that includes Nikola Tesla’s Wardenclyffe laboratory in order to eventually turn it into a museum. The area is currently up for sale and there’s apparently a second offer on the table from someone that wants the land. This could mean that the lab would be torn down to make way for something else, because we don’t have enough shopping centers.
Granted, “could be torn down” doesn’t exactly equate to “will be torn down.” Even so, having the land where Tesla’s old laboratory sits fall into the lap of someone looking to build something else is kind of a scary prospect. The non-profit has a chance to give their own offer for the land, but doesn’t have the funds to do so. However, there is a bright light at the end of all this. The state of New York has offered a grant to match half of the $1.6 million total required.
Creators leveraging their audiences for the good of humanity is a great thing. Inman goes so far as to call out a variety of potential corporate sponsors, such as Google, in his comic on the fundraiser. This might not seem necessary, as $850,000 doesn’t seem to be too much to ask, but the money being raised right now is just for the land. To build a museum, and restore the grounds, they’re going to need a lot more cash.
(Indiegogo via The Oatmeal, image credit via The Oatmeal)
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