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While reading up on the movie Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, I read a reference to the scientist Tesla, who in the 1930s claimed he developed a “death ray” which could bring down thousands of planes within a couple hundred miles. I then found some interesting information on the man and his scheme and his plans for securing financing for his weapon. Actually, he wanted to put an end to war and thought that his death ray would do just the trick. Unfortunately, financing was not made available, and aside from some minor interest by the Soviets (before WWII), Telsa’s invention did not materialize.
This is an interesting, but little-known chapter in American military/cultural history.Okay, Phidippides, I found this post and am very upset at the lack of response to it.Let me clear up a few things about Tesla. He was the all time greatest inventer of all time, eclipsing Edison and Bell. For one thing, he invented radio. Marconi was a greedy, grasping little man, of whom Peter Wright, author of Spycatcher wrote was an unlikeable character. Wright was the first Scientist/spy in MI6 - the real life "Q" who supplied James Bond with all his technological marvels. In his autobiography, Wright explained that his father worked in Marconi's lab, and both he and his father would cross the street rather than have to acknowledge his presence. Marconi popularized Tesla's patents and claimed they were his. It took the Supreme Court to award the actual ownership of the creation of the Radio to Tesla, years after Tesla died in ignominy. To this day, there are still radio award shows giving "The Marconi Award" to celebrated broadcasters. Reminds me of Al Gore's misinformation about his minor part in lobbying for the "Internet II" project designed as an intranet in Education, which his speechwriters spun into his fathering the entire Internet.A teacher taught his Junior High School (or elementary school) class all about Tesla, and they went to the Smithsonian museum to see the Tesla exhibit. What they found was no mention of Tesla at all, and most of his inventions and discoveries placed in Edison's exhibit, and misidentified as being Edison's inventions. The kids looked at the exhibits, and saw Tesla's patent numbers attached to them. In an era of revisionism, when the Smithsonian was calling Nagasaki and Hiroshima war crimes, these kids took on the museum and forced them to recognize Tesla and fix their errors.Everytime you take a drink of water from a drinking fountain, think of Tesla. He invented it.
That is an interesting example of “credit shafting” when one inventor gets credit for another's work.But how did Tesla invent the water fountain? There were similar water machines going back to the time of the Greeks.Actually, you have given me an idea for a new poll.
Alright, I just read this story, Flying robot attack “unstoppable”: experts, which says that UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are becoming a real threat, particularly if they are used by terrorists:
It may sound like science fiction, but the prospect that suicide bombers and hijackers could be made redundant by flying robots is a real one, according to experts. The technology for remote-controlled light aircraft is now highly advanced, widely available -- and, experts say, virtually unstoppable.
Too small for radar detections, they can sneak in and destroy before anyone knows what's going on.? This is where I say Tesla's Death Ray ought to be revived; if it could take out planes for hundreds of miles, it should be able to take out a few UAVs.? Put a few around the White House, tweak them for range (wouldn't want to overshoot your target and take out any plane within 200 miles!), and you've got yourself a winning defense.? What do you all think?
I think the Strategic Defense Initiative was supposed to eventually have a network of nuclear lasers that could sweep a descending field of nuclear warheads. It's plausible, but just now getting to be practical. Reagan was ahead of his time here.
I think the Strategic Defense Initiative was supposed to eventually have a network of nuclear lasers that could sweep a descending field of nuclear warheads. It's plausible, but just now getting to be practical. Reagan was ahead of his time here.
What's a "nuclear laser"? Actually, wasn't SDI more like a missile response system (like we are building now) but based in space, rather than on earth?
What's a "nuclear laser"? Actually, wasn't SDI more like a missile response system (like we are building now) but based in space, rather than on earth?
Yes it was initally to be an "umbrella" of protection from raining MIRV's. The latter stages of SDI were eventually to incorporate the use of nuclear powered particle beam lasers mounted on satellite platforms in synchronous orbit and on mobile platforms in strategic locations in North America and Europe. The laser technology was nowhere near what Reagan envisioned at the time (and some have said Reagan used this idea as a bluff to scare Gorbachev), but now the technology is actually becoming more and more feasible. Still, particle beam lasers are inefficient, costly, and not accurate enough to be employed at this time. However, the rapid improvements in anti-missile missiles like the Patriot platform, is making SDI a liklihood in the very near future.
Here's an image of the Predator RQ-1 for notation purposes (freely available under GPL licensing). I wonder, though, if SDI merely pushes attack tactics to new and unique levels. It's good, though, to cut down on the ways an attack can be made. How would the U.S. defend itself against a hundred UAVs flying over NYC with cannisters of biological agents attached?
Speaking of Tesla, the man's name lives on! Check this out:http://autos.msn.com/as/minishow/article.aspx?contentID=4024172&s=Pebble2006
Ha ha very funny. I'm surprised you didn't refer to this one instead. Somehow I don't quite think they were doing the scientist an honor.
