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Science Not Fiction

Tesla's Lost Death Ray: Found?

By Kevin Grazier | October 27, 2010 7:36 pm

It’s understatement to say that Nikola Tesla was one of America’s greatest inveltors. The man had a gift for creativity, physical intuition, and inventiveness that was truly otherworldly. Among other things, Tesla is responsible for the AC power we currently enjoy; his contemporary Thomas Edison was a stauch proponent of DC.

In the early 1930’s, Tesla claimed that he had invented a death ray that would benefit the military in battle—one capable of destroying up to 10,000 enemy aircraft at distances of up to 250 miles. It was so lethal that it would end the spectacle of war.

Tesla died before he could build this death ray, and he had no documentation hinting at its design in his personal effects. Nobody (not even the FBI) knows what happens to the death ray plans, if any existed.

Now it seems that Tesla’s missing death ray has been found, and it’s working, operational, and frying guests at the Vdara Hotel in Las Vegas.

CATEGORIZED UNDER: Physics, Utter Nerd, Weapons

MORE ABOUT: Death Ray, Tesla, Vdara

Comments (7)

ChH

They must have hired the architectural firm Archimedes & Son

October 27, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Brian Too

They hid it in plain sight, pure genius! Just like National Treasure, or the Da Vinci Code!

And let’s be honest, if a couple of Vegas tourists disappear, that’s acceptable losses. Those are table stakes (steaks?) for a good death ray. Ah the death ray, the historical antecedent for the BFG 9000.

October 27, 2010 at 8:58 pm
ChH

check out the description of the death ray at:
http://www.teslasociety.com/deathray.htm
You’d think a fan of Tesla would know the difference between a particle beam and a laser:

“… a concentrated beam of sub-microscopic particles flying at velocities approaching that of light. … Particle beams are special sorts of electro-magnetic waves, a special sort of light. … Not only are all the waves the same length, but they are lined up so that the tops (peaks) of the waves coincide with each other.”

October 27, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Georg

The man had a gift for creativity, physical intuition, and inventiveness that was truly otherworldly.

Whipped Hagiography!
This man invented the use of three phasees for
AC systems, that is all.
He was a genius indeed with respect to propaganda,
especially his “showmanship” in lectures was outstanding.
“Death Ray” tales are either a total invention
by writers or fueled by the problem that Tesla
had wasted/lost all his fortune.
Georg

October 28, 2010 at 5:49 am
Bigby

Clearly Tesla was an extra-terrestrial. They are among us. Stop denying it.

October 28, 2010 at 8:56 am
vel

time for Jamie and Adam to get on the case!

October 28, 2010 at 2:23 pm
ChH

Jamie & Adam already did this one (skip a few minutes in):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKqRhfNtOrk&feature=related

October 28, 2010 at 5:45 pm