Who discovered the first artificial earthquake machine ?Explain its principle. Why was it closed ?
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28,641 views|Jan 7, 2020,07:58am EST
Nikola Tesla's Earthquake Machine
David BressanContributor
Science
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Nikola Tesla is today famous for his work on electricity and energy. He developed the alternating current system, making it possible to transmit electricity over large distances, and worked also on wireless communication and energy transfer. He was a brilliant thinker, but also very eccentric. Maybe the more enigmatic parts of his personality make him such an interesting subject for conspiracists. Tesla is credited to have worked on unknown energy-sources, to be contacted by UFOs, caused the Tunguska explosion by a death-ray, and even worked on an earthquake-generator.
In 1896 Tesla was working on oscillations to be used for energy transfer. The idea was to create a steam-powered oscillator, able to create various frequencies. If the frequency matched the resonance frequency, a receiving device should transform the mechanical oscillations back into an electric current.
Tesla is credited to have worked on unknown energy-sources, to be contacted by UFOs, caused the Tunguska explosion by a death-ray, and even worked on an earthquake-generator. In 1896 Tesla was working on oscillations to be used for energy transfer. The idea was to create a steam-powered oscillator, able to create various frequencies.
Tesla (the person) was a notable inventor of the early 20th century, responsible for all kinds of fascinating devices and principles. To a large extent, he was responsible for inventing the concept of alternating current used for long distance transport of energy. This forms the basis of the familiar electrical grid upon which we all depend.
One of his inventions was the so-called “Earthquake Machine”, which was in fact an electro-mechanical oscillator. An oscillator that could be scaled to enormous sizes.
Basically the machine accepts input of a pressurized gas and uses a system of valves to increasingly oscillate a weighted object back and forth. Tesla’s own versions used steam from boilers, but the principle of the device can be used with any source of gas pressure.
In one of his interview, he said that,
“I was experimenting with vibrations. I had one of my machines going and I wanted to see if I could get it in tune with the vibration of the building. I put it up notch after notch. There was a peculiar cracking sound. I asked my assistants where did the sound come from. They did not know. I put the machine up a few more notches. There was a louder cracking sound. I knew I was approaching the vibration of the steel building. I pushed the machine a little higher. “Suddenly all the heavy machinery in the place was flying around. I grabbed a hammer and broke the machine. The building would have been about our ears in another few minutes. Outside in the street there was pandemonium. The police and ambulances arrived. I told my assistants to say nothing. We told the police it must have been an earthquake. That’s all they ever knew about it.”
Some shrewd reporter asked Dr. Tesla at this point what he would need to destroy the Empire State Building and the doctor replied:
“Vibration will do anything. It would only be necessary to step up the vibrations of the machine to fit the natural vibration of the building and the building would come crashing down. That’s why soldiers break step crossing a bridge."
