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NEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCE I have every reason for congratulating myself that throughout —_ for me to think of them as having been entirely accidental. The these experiments, many of which were exceedingly delicate and _ feeling is constantly growing on me that I had been the first to hear hazardous, neither myself nor any of my assistants received any __ the greeting of one planet to another. A purpose was behind these injury. When working with these powerful electrical oscillations, electrical signals; and it was with this conviction that I announced the most extraordinary phenomena take place at times. Owing to to the Red Cross Society, when it asked me to indicate one of the some interference of the oscillations, veritable balls of fire are apt great possible achievements of the next hundred years, that it to leap out to a great distance, and if any one were within or near would probably be the confirmation and interpretation of this their paths, he would be instantly destroyed. A machine such asI __ planetary challenge to us. have used could easily kill, in an instant, three hundred thousand Since my return to New York, more urgent work has consumed persons. I observed that the strain upon my assistants was telling, all my attention; but I have never ceased to think of those experi- and some of them could not endure the extreme tension of the — ences and of the observations made in Colorado. I am constantly nerves. But these perils are now entirely overcome, and the opera- _ endeavoring to improve and perfect my apparatus, and just as soon tion of such apparatus, however powerful, involves no risk what- as practicable I shall again take up the thread of my investigations ever. at the point where I have been forced to lay it down for a time. tha n. ever. As I was improving my machines for the production of intense electrical actions, I was also perfecting the means for observing feeble effects. One of the most interesting results, and also one of great practical importance, was the development of certain con- trivances for indicating at a distance of many hundred miles an approaching storm, its direction, speed and distance travelled. These appliances are likely to be valuable in future meteorological observations and surveying, and will lend themselves particularly to many naval uses. It was in carrying on this work that for the first time I discovered those mysterious effects which have elicited such unusual interest. I had perfected the apparatus referred to so far that from my labo- ratory in the Colorado mountains I could feel the pulse of the globe, as it were, noting every electrical change that occurred with- in a radius of eleven hundred miles. Communicating with the Martians At the present stage of progress, there would be no insurmount- able obstacle in constructing a machine capable of conveying a message to Mars, nor would there be any great difficulty in record- ing signals transmitted to us by the inhabitants of that planet, if they be skilled electricians. Communication once established, even in the simplest way, as by a mere interchange of numbers, the progress toward more intelligible communication would be rapid. Absolute certitude as to the receipt and interchange of messages would be reached as soon as we could respond with the number "four", say, in reply to the signal "one, two, three". The Martians, or the inhabitants of whatever planet had signalled to us, would understand at once that we had caught their message across the gulf of space and had sent back a response. To convey a knowl- edge of form by such means is, while very difficult, not impossi- ble, and I have already found a way of doing it. What a tremendous stir this would make in the world! How soon will it come? For that it will some time be accomplished must be clear to every thoughtful being. Something, at least, science has gained. But I hope that it will also be demonstrated soon that in my experiments in the West I was not merely beholding a vision, but had caught sight of a great and profound truth. oo Terrified by Success ble, and I have already found a way of doing it. I can never forget the first sensations I experienced when it What a tremendous stir this would make in the world! How dawned upon me that I had observed something possibly of incal- soon will it come? For that it will some time be accomplished culable consequences to mankind. I felt as though I were present must be clear to every thoughtful being. at the birth of a new knowledge or the revelation of a great truth. Something, at least, science has gained. But I hope that it will Even now, at times, I can vividly recall the incident, and see my also be demonstrated soon that in my experiments in the West I apparatus as though it were actually before me. My first observa- was not merely beholding a vision, but had caught sight of a great tions positively terrified me, as there was present in them some- and profound truth. oo thing mysterious, not to say supernatural, and I was alone in my laboratory at night; but at that time the idea of these disturbances (Source: United States Early Radio History website, being intelligently controlled signals did not yet present itself to ttp://earlyradiohistory.us/190Italk.htm) me. aa The changes I noted were taking place periodically, and with such a clear sugges- tion of number and order that they were not traceable to any cause then known to me. I was familiar, of course, with such electrical disturbances as are produced by the Sun, Aurora Borealis and Earth currents, and I was as sure as I could be of any fact that these variations were due to none of these causes. The nature of my experiments pre- cluded the possibility of the changes being produced by atmospheric disturbances, as has been rashly asserted by some. It was some time afterward when the thought flashed upon my mind that the disturbances I had observed might be due to : an intelligent control. Although I could not Photographic view of the essential parts of the electrical oscillator used in decipher their meaning, it was impossible Mr Tesla's experiments. (From Collier's Weekly, February 19, 1901) (Source: United States Early Radio History website, http-//earlyradiohistory.us/1901talk.htm) JUNE — JULY 2003 NEXUS = 39 www.nexusmagazine.com