Nikola Tesla Shadowgram

Heroes of Computational Physics

Tesla was an electrical engineer extraordinaire, and though largely forgotten in the mid-20th century, his contributions provide most of the electrical power generated in the world today. He performed early work in alternating-current electricity, x-rays, wireless radio control, and wireless power transmission. And he notably has the first patent for a tilt-rotor aircraft.

This model is a shadowgram of the famous portrait of Nikola Tesla. From the back, it looks completely flat, but the front is raised such that light traveling through the piece generates an image of Tesla. There is a convenient hole at the top of the plate from which to hang this piece, placed so that it will be perfectly level.