Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Shake it, shake it, shake it like a Tesla Oscillator

Many times has an older relation or land-lady complained that a younger person has been playing their music so loudly/otherwise do something believably anti-social they would bring the house down. This hyperbole has mostly passed into cliche, save when one adds Nikola Tesla to the mix.

Nikola Tesla, possibly the world's only real mad scientist, was Edison's rival and a multi-talented scientist. Though Tesla is famous for his alternating current electricity, which is still in use today, he also experimented with mechanical devices. One was an earthquake which, you guessed it, Gentle Reader, causes earthquakes. The machine uses resonance frequency to shake buildings and the earth. Though MythBusters says it is only a legend, Tesla allegedly caused a small earthquake in his lodging house and had to take a sledgehammer to his device before the police arrived.

I am sure it put the whole neighborhood into a quake thereafter.

2 comments:

  1. Have I mentioned previously how much I love your blog? Because I totally do. "Allegedly caused a small earthquake." I'm snickering just thinking about it.

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  2. Why thank you, Gentle Reader! It is always a delight to know other people than myself enjoy the absurdities of history! Tesla is a subject rife with hilarity. After all his scientific breakthroughs, for instance, he became obsessed with pigeons.

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