The debate between alternating current and direct current in the distribution of electricity is the subject of a new biopic starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon. The Current War, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), traces the professional rivalry between inventor Thomas Edison and engineer George Westinghouse in the late 1800s in the United States of America. Edison backed direct current while Westinghouse favoured alternating current, and both men go to war in the trailer. Nicholas Hoult stars as inventor Nikola Tesla, who, when asked what he does for a living, says, “I fix problems for idiots.” The movie will be premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9 and will be released in the US on November 24.
Reading
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How students of Calcutta’s Hindu College created an idea of ‘the people of India’ under British rule
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Power, privilege, peril: The many hues of Bangladesh’s green passport
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A new book recommends ways to create the best possible environment for emotional healing
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‘Election stunt’: Anger, confusion among Maharashtra women as Ladki Bahin payments falter
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BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticises Maha Kumbh coverage by Asianet News, in which he holds a stake
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Does Arambai Tenggol’s decision to surrender arms reflect a changed reality in Manipur?
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Indian woman executed in UAE for allegedly murdering infant
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‘The Lone Wolf’: A military biography of grit and fortitude during India’s 1971 war with Pakistan
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After 75 years of Constitution, police must understand freedom of speech: Supreme Court
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‘The earth / gashed open / flaming red and raw’: Poems about life in Sri Lanka between war and peace