Tesla's Death Ray question

I saw on a video that Tesla try ed to sell his death ray weapon idea to several nations. Does anyone know if this was just an idea that tesla had and sketched a basic idea or did he actually do the math and figure out how much energy it would take , the range it could fire and how to effectively aim the weapon? If he did I was just curious about the power requirements of such a weapon and the range. I am assuming that if it did in fact work these would be what would limit the weapon and probably the reason it was not built.

Well, to begin with, this device would have to actually exist. Then it would have to actually work without violating the know laws of the universe.

Once those parts get worked out, maybe someone could answer your questions.

Why would it have to actually exist? My question is if it was just an idea that tesla sketched a basic design. Or if tesla actually calculated what he thought that it would take to make the thing work drawing up advanced plans and calculations. Like I said "assuming that it did in fact work" (or maybe I should have said that assuming it did not

actually work without violating the know laws of the universe

) then what would be the theoretical power requirements of such a device. And what theoretical range would it have.



[edit on 20-12-2005 by Heckman]

From the reading I've done on Tesla, only one invention he designed failed to work.

That, a perpetual motion machine he made as a boy.
It turned about half a revolution or so before stopping.

teslas death ray was a mircowave gun. a really big microwave gun. think about it.

He is also said to have been able to construct things in his mind, actually operate them and be able to dismantle them and rate things like wear. Who knows but he was definitely quite a thinker but not much of a marketer. He wanted to send free energy through the air and his principal investor, one J.P. Morgan asked "where do we put the meter"? The opposing camp (Westinghouse) put it to him pretty good too. I'd say there is a real good chance we lost some very good ideas although the deathray might not have been one of them.

[edit on 12/20/2005 by beezwaxes]

I've heard of the Americans knowing of a Soviet Death ray inspired by the works of Tesla - It is even rumored to have been the weapon used against the spy plane that was shot down over Russia that implicated the US of spying.

Some have tried to prove this through logic and actual scientific research. It was said that at the time, there was no existing soviet ground to air missile with a long enough range to hit the U2 Spy Plane, and the pilot reported seeing a bright flash before he lost complete control of his aircraft and had to bail.

I'll try and find the links that I read this on!

In his last years he made increasingly wild claims which were given less and less credence in the press. He said he’d invented a death ray and he spent his nights communing with the pigeons in Central Park. When he died, the FBI seized his papers and he entered our folklore as the quintessential nutty professor.

As one of the witnesses said in the Tesla vs Marconi cases, ‘I think we all misunderstood Tesla. He was so far ahead of his time that the best of us mistook him for a dreamer.’

A small excerpt from www.abc.net.au...

[edit on 20-12-2005 by Conquistadork]

Beeswax, I dont think that his ideas were lost to us. As I recall, when watching a special on him on the Discovery Channel (I believe), towards the end it was said that when he died he had a notebook with all of his inventions. His nephew went to retrieve it along with Tesla's other possesions and found the room had been cleared by government agents. when he searched, no notebook or anything else scientific was found.
I believe the government developed the HAARP from Tesla's work.

Well, to begin with, this device would have to actually exist. Then it would have to actually work without violating the know laws of the universe.

Howard, if you know it doesn't exsist, how do you know it defies the laws of the universe ? Why should we accept your opinion a priori ?

Maybe you should do a podcast about it ?

Thanks for the info IR, I missed that. He and his work has always fascinated me. Some of his idiosyncrasies are as interesting as his work.

I just remembered a funny little tidbit of info. In Command and Conquer Red Alert 2, a Soviet armored unit was the "Tesla Tank". It shot bolts of high powered electricity, and could even ark it over walls. I know it's not a death ray per say, but it goes to show you that Teslas influence on science has infiltrated farther than most recognize him for.

It was always fun lighting American GIs up with them tanks

[edit on 20-12-2005 by Conquistadork]

Conquistadork sounds like an interesting theory about the u2 plane. Please post a link if you find it. Wow sounds like tesla had quite an invisioning mind!

Here's some background on the Francis Gary Powers case for those who don't know what I was speaking of. I'm working on trying to find the link that offered the theory of a soviet death ray shooting down his U2 Spy Plane!

Edit 1: Nikola Tesla's weapon to end all war A great read on Teslas vision of a beam weapon being used to end war, and even some peace time uses for his "Death Ray" Here's a short excerpt from the article implicating Soviet interest in his Death Ray:

Of all the countries to receive Tesla's proposal, the greatest interest came from the Soviet Union. In 1937 Tesla presented a plan to the Amtorg Trading Corporation, an alleged Soviet arms front in New York City. Two years later, in 1939, one stage of the plan was tested in the USSR and Tesla received a check for $25,000

Edit 2:

[edit on 20-12-2005 by Conquistadork]Success, History of Teslas Wonder Weapon! Here is a very detailed outline of Teslas wonder weapon, going as far back as World War 2, and the eventual production and implentation by the Soviet Union.

This one's just for you Heckman

On May 1, 1960 Soviet defensive radars—rigged as prototype scalar EM beam weapons—probably downed Francis Gary Powers's high-flying U-2 reconnaissance plane over the Soviet Union, precipitating a major diplomatic incident. At the time, no Soviet surface to-air missile could reach the high-flying U-2, but of course it was extensively tracked on Soviet defense radars. Powers reported that a flash occurred behind his plane and persisted—almost certainly the signature of time reversed wave real-time holography. Eisenhower first denied, then was forced to admit, the photo-reconnaissance nature of Powers' mission when Khrushchev revealed that the Soviets had captured Powers alive. Khrushchev then cancelled a major summit meeting with President Eisenhower. Powers was imprisoned, and released in February 1962 in exchange for Rudolf Abel, a convicted Soviet spy.

Very good read, I suggest everyone check it out!

[edit on 20-12-2005 by Conquistadork]

Further soviet insanity being discussed here if anyone would like to check it out.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

It scares me that people would even consider these methods to achieve victory

Is it N. Tesla or Grindell "Death Ray" Matthews that is perhaps being thought of here?
www.forteantimes.com...

Definetely Tesla, read up on the links I've provided

Although I certainly wouldn't be shocked that others have tried to create/thought up of a death ray weapon!

Tesla never owned up to actually building a "Death Ray" he just had plans for it. It was most likely a Particle beam weapon and not a Microwave weapon. Rays tend to diffuse over distance its highly unlikely he would have been able to get the 200 mile distance he claimed with a microwave weapon.

Japan Invested in a Death Ray/Microwave weapon rather then a Atomic weapons program in WW2 and it turned out to be a horrible failure. They could kill "monkeys" (some people think it was tested on humans and monkeys was written down) at about 100 yards but the energy it needed to be of any practical use was more then the entire planet produced at the time. It turned out to be a bad investment for them.

[edit on 21-12-2005 by ShadowXIX]

Actually Tesla did confess to building/aiding the Soviets in their construction of a Death Ray weapon.

Doesn't anyone read the provided links? Took me a while to find those . I believe his confession is in the PBS link

All it says in the PBS article is

In 1937 Tesla presented a plan to the Amtorg Trading Corporation, an alleged Soviet arms front in New York City. Two years later, in 1939, one stage of the plan was tested in the USSR and Tesla received a check for $25,000.

He might have sold the plans but he never constructed one himself atleast he never claimed he did. I think he wanted to build one out in Colorado Springs but even Westinghouse company didnt think it was practical and would not advance him the money.

EXCELLENT LINKS!!!! thank you very much this is just the information that I was looking for!!



I find this part fascinating :

What set Tesla's proposal apart from the usual run of fantasy "death rays" was a unique vacuum chamber with one end open to the atmosphere. Tesla devised a unique vacuum seal by directing a high-velocity air stream at the tip of his gun to maintain "high vacuum." The necessary pumping action would be accomplished with a large Tesla turbine.

The drawings are very interesting as well


[edit on 21-12-2005 by Heckman]