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《特斯拉自传·被遗忘的科学巨匠》
序言 遗落凡间的天才
——致我亲爱的尼古拉·特斯拉
你像一朵云，纯净无暇，悠然飘过天空。你如那误入凡间的精灵，用清澈的眼眸观望着世间纷扰，却不涉足其中。返璞归真是你永恒的注脚。发明带给你的快乐胜过那千千万万的名与利，你该是要笑那些为名利所累的世人吧。究竟是怎样一种炽热的情感与勤奋才能创造出1000多项发明的佳绩？又是怎样的勇气和决绝才能撕毁交流电的专利证书，让世人可免费享受这一福利？交流电、无线电、变压器、电能仪表、X光设备……这些，是你给世人最好的礼物。就连当下与世人生活紧密相关的移动电话、电视、网络的概念也是你首先提出来的。基于你对世界的贡献，对世人生活水平的提高，诺贝尔奖曾一次次授予你物理学奖这至高荣誉，而你都一一拒绝了。世间又有几人能像你这般不受名缰利锁的束缚，闲看花开花落，云卷云舒？神秘是你的又一层面纱。你像个有魔法的少年，每夜开启心灵之旅，游走于新的地区、城市和国家，同居住在那里的人们成为朋友，像与现实生活中的人一般与其相处。你能在脑海中准确勾勒出所要制造的机械的模型，甚至可以精确到某个零件。你异乎寻常的想象力不仅对你的发明起到了至关重要的作用，也曾在多个危难时刻挽救了你的性命。传奇如你，在经历了失踪、差点被淹死、险些被活埋、被冻死、遇到疯狗和野猪及其它很多野兽、被可怕的疾病缠身、卷入各种灾祸之后，而依然身康体健、神采奕奕。多么富有传奇色彩的人生啊！“无意苦争春，一任群芳妒。”偏偏那些同行和巨商要以世俗的眼光来看你，为维护自身的利益而对你进行肆意打压，令你经历人生坎坷。不是所有人都能如你一样拒绝同流合污。天才注定是孤独的。你终身未娶，将毕生的精力都奉献给了人类伟大的科学研究事业，用自身经历向世人证明了生命中总有些事情比爱情更重要。是你改变了世人的生活和生存环境，你与世人的生活这么贴近，而世人却将你遗忘在最深最冰凉的角落。即使是这样，你也毫无怨言，因为你能从发明创造的过程中感知光明，获得温暖，并沿着这条路一直走下去，任它是山花烂漫还是荆棘满地。尼古拉·特斯拉，你是唯一能与达·芬奇齐名的天才，你传奇的名字不该被遗忘，而你这个“创造出二十世纪的人”更值得永远铭记。9９lｉｂ.藏书网，因而我必须集中精力来调整我的发电机，以达到他们的要求。除此之外，我还要设计一种利用两根电线，依靠这种新频率能够运行的发电机，这可不是件容易的差事。
然而，1889年年底，我已经不必在匹兹堡工作了。我回到纽约，在格兰大街的实验室继续我的试验工作，并且立即进行高频机的设计。在这个未知的领域，我遇到了许多困难，因为设备构架是我之前从未接触过的课题。我由于担心感应发电机不会产生理想的正弦波而将它放弃了，毕竟正弦波对共振作用相当重要。若不是因为这样，我可以减少许多工作量。速度不稳定是高频交流发电机的另一个弊端，这可能会严重制约其在实际生活中的应用。在我向美国电气工程师学会演示之前，我已经注意到调谐出现了几次问题，需要进一步调整。在很久之后，我才找到一种解决的方法——这种电机在恒定速度和极限负载情况下运作时，将每一周期内的速度变化控制在极小的>范围内。
从其他许多方面考虑，发明一种更简单的设备来产生电流振荡是很有必要的。1856年，开尔文勋爵提出了电容器放电理论，但是实际生活中并未运用这一重要知识。我看到了它的潜在应用价值，开始利用这一原理进行感应式电机的研发。我的进展是如此之快，在1891年的一次讲座上，我展示了一只线圈能制造5英寸长的火花。当时，我坦白地将利用这种新方法传输电力会产生火花间隙损失这一缺陷告诉了在场的工程师们。随后的研究表明，无论介质是什么，空气、液体、水银蒸气、石油或是电子束，效果是相同的。这是自然规律，犹如机械能的转换也有类似的规律。我们可以让物体从一定高度垂直降落，也可以让它沿某一曲线滑落。就目前的情况而言，这一缺陷所造成的影响并不大。然而，幸运的是，这一缺陷不是致命的，当合理安排共振波时，电路的输电率有望达到85%。自从我最开始将自己的发明公诸于众起，它已被广泛应用，在许多领域掀起了一场革命，并且还有巨大的发展潜力。
1900年，我获得了1000英尺的强大放电，并制造了一场全球范围内的人工闪电。我不由得想起了在格兰大街的实验室里观察到第一个小火花时的情景，当时简直比我发现旋转磁场时还要激动。
第五篇 放大发射机的发明
当我回忆我过去的生活时，我意识到影响我们命运的因素是多么的微妙，这从我少年时期的一次经历可以看出。有一年冬天，我和小伙伴们计划去攀爬一座陡峭的高山。当时山上的积雪很深，但由于刮着温和的偏南风，十分利于我们爬山。我们开心地玩着扔雪球，雪球被扔出去之后会滚出一段距离，同时沾上地上的雪。在这个激动人心的游戏里，我们都试图超越其他人。突然，一个雪球越滚越大，大到不可思议，最后变得像房子那么大，雷鸣般地滚入山谷，力量巨大得使地面都震颤了。我吃惊地看着这一切，完全不知道发生了什么事。数周之后，当雪崩的照片出现在我眼前时，我很想知道何以这么小的东西能变得这样大。从此，放大微弱的力量这一课题令我着迷。几年后，我开始研究机电共振，起初我就对此有着浓厚的兴趣。也许，没有儿时那次雪崩事件的深刻印象，就不会有我对我的线圈出现的小火花深入的研究，那我最伟大的发明也就不会实现了。我将会在接下来为你讲述这段经历。
不少技术人员在自己的专业领域里是十分出色的，但是他们思想迂腐，鼠目寸光。他们认为我除了感应电动机，再没给世界留下任何有实际价值的东西。这是一个严重错误的观念，绝不能依据直接效果来判断一个新的想法。我的交流输电系统出现在一个绝佳的时机，解决了长久以来存在的工业问题。虽然还需克服很多的阻力，协调各方利益，但是正如其他发明一样，商业宣传刻不容缓。现在的情形和我发明涡轮机之后的情形有很多相同之处。有人认为，如此简单、美丽的发明，具有理想电动机的许多功能，应该立刻投入市场。毫无疑问，我遭遇了和之前相同的波折。但是，旋转磁场的未来影响不但不会使现有机械的价值降低，反而还会给它们带来新的利用价值。这个系统适用于新企业的同时，也能使旧企业得到改进和提高。我的涡轮机以全新的面 8c8c." >貌推动了世界的进步。极端错误的观点才会认为这种新设备的成功将意味着放弃已经花费了数十亿美元购进的陈旧机型。在这种情况下，循序渐进的发展步伐是首选，也许某些心存偏见的专家发出的反对声是最大的障碍。
就在前些天，我经历了一件令人沮丧的事。我遇到了一个朋友，也是我的前助理——查尔斯·斯科特，他现在在耶鲁大学任电子工程系教授。由于很久没有见面了，于是在我的办公室，我们展开了愉快的聊天。我们的谈话很自然地扯到了我的涡轮机上，我变得异常激动。“斯科特，”我大声说道，思绪被美好的未来愿景所牵引着，“我的涡轮机将取代世上一切的热力发电机。”斯科特抚摸着他的下巴，若有所思地将目光收回，好像在做精密的计算。“这会产生相当一部分废品。”他说道，之后没再说一句话就离开了。
然而，我的这些和其他的一些发明，都不过是在现有基础上所做出的改进。我不过是凭借自身的本能来改进目前的设备，并没有对长远需求做出任何考虑。放大发射机经过多年的研究，最主要的目的是满足人类的长远需求，而不是单纯为了促进工业发展。
假如我没有记错， 那就是在1890年11月，我进行了一项最非凡、最壮观的试验，这事还曾被《科学》期刊报道。在研究高频电流时，我惊喜地发现，当一定空间内的电场达到足够的强度时，可以点亮无极真空管。因此，为了证明这个理论，我们增加了一台变压器，结果我们的第一次试验就获得了巨大成功。那时，我们很难理解这些奇怪的现象意味着什么。我们渴望新的轰动效应，但很快又会变得冷淡。昨天的奇迹在今天看来就是司空见惯的现象。当我首次公开展出我的真空管时，人们惊讶的神情简直无法形容。一时间，我收到无数来自世界各地的邀请函，各种荣誉、诱惑也伴随其中，但都被我一一拒绝了。
但是1892年，在不可抗拒的情况下，我去了伦敦，在英国电气工程师学会发表了演讲。演讲结束后，我本打算马上前往巴黎进行另一场类似的演讲，但是詹姆斯·杜瓦爵士坚持邀请我去皇家学会作演讲。我本是个意志坚定的人，但是却被这位伟大的苏格兰人说服了。他将我推坐到一张椅子里，给我倒了半杯奇妙的闪着五彩光芒的棕色饮料，味道如玉露琼浆般鲜美。“此刻，”他说道，“你正坐在法拉第坐过的椅子上，享用着他爱喝的威士忌。”就这两方面而言，这是一段令人羡慕的经历。第二天晚上，我便在皇家学会发表了演讲。演讲结束时，雷利勋爵向观众所作的一番慷慨陈词深深地鼓舞着我。为了躲避追捧，我从伦敦逃到了巴黎，后又从巴黎逃回了家乡。在家乡期间，我受尽了痛苦和疾病的折磨。恢复健康后，我立刻制定了回美国继续工作的计划。在那之前，我从来没意识到自己具有任何独有的发明天赋，但一直被我视作杰出的科学家的雷利勋爵却如此称赞我。如若真如他所说，我想我应该把精力投注在一些重大的项目上。
一天，我正在山间散步，即将来临的暴风雨使我不得不赶快寻求一个避雨之处。天空乌云密布，不知何故，雨水却迟迟未降下。突然，一道闪电划破了天空，顷刻间，瓢泼大雨落了下来。眼前的景象令我陷入了沉思。无疑，闪电和瓢泼大雨这两种现象是密切相关的，更准确地说是因果关系。经过片刻的沉思，我得出的结论是，降水过程中蕴含的巨大电能是人们无法想象的，而闪电的作用就像是一个释放这种巨大能量的触发器。
这一发现可能造就一项惊人的发明。如果我们能产生特定质量的电能效应，那整个星球以及所有生物的生存条件都会发生翻天覆地的变化。海水受热蒸腾，水蒸气又在风力的作用下到达遥远的地方，并在那里保持着一种最微妙的平衡。如果我们有能力干涉这种平衡，在任何需要的时候和地方，那我们就能随意控制这种强大的生命延续所需的能量。我们可以灌溉贫瘠的沙漠，可以人造湖泊和河流，无限量提供动力。对人类来说，这将是利用太阳能最有效的方式。这一构想成功与否取决于我们是否有能力开发出和自然一样强大的电力。这似乎是一个无望之举，但我下定决心试一试，并于1892年夏天立即返回了美国。一开始我就对这个项目充满了热情，因为成功的话，我就可以利用它实现无线能量传输。
第二年春天，当我利用我的锥形线圈制造出了100万伏电压时，我获得了第一个可喜的成功。这被世人视为一大壮举。我的研究一直稳步发展，直到1895年，一场无情的大火将我的实验室烧毁了。关于此事的详情，可以从刊载在同年4月份的《世纪杂志》上T·C·马丁所作的一篇文章中了解。这场灾难给我造成了多方面的损失，那年的大部分时间我都致力于规划和重建实验室。然而，条件一旦成熟，我立马投入到工作中。
虽然我知道通过更大尺寸的设备可以实现更高的电动势，但我本能地认为，对一个相对小而紧凑的变压器进行适当的改进，也可以达到这个目的。在进行平螺旋绕组次级线圈试验时，我为电子束的缺失而深感震惊，关于这点我在专利中曾提到过。不久之后，我发现这是由转动的位置及匝与匝之间的相互作用造成的。依照这一发现，我重新使用了较大直径的高压导体，使匝间距能充分抑制分布电容，同时避免任何位置出现电荷过分堆积。根据这一原理，我获得了四百万伏的电压，这大概是我在休斯敦的新实验室里获得的极限值了。这个发射器的照片刊登在1898年11月的《电气评论》上。
为了进一步研究，我不得不到户外的开阔空间进行试验。1899年春天，在无线电装置的安装准备工作完成之后，我去了科罗拉多，并在那里待了一年多。在那里，我又进行了一系列的改进和完善，使它可以根据需要产生任何强度的电流。有兴趣的读者可以去找刊登在《世纪杂志》1900年6月上的一篇我写的《关于不断增加的人类能量的问题》——我在之前已经提到过——的文章，从这上面可以了解.到科罗拉多试验的相关信息。
《电气实验者》杂志希望我能详细介绍一下我的放大发射机，以便读者朋友对它的产生和运作有更清晰的了解。首先，它是一个谐振变压器，带有具有很高电势的元件的次级电路。电势的面积较大，依次排列在理想的、曲率半径非常大的包络面，相互间保持着适当的距离，以确保很小的表面电荷度无处不在。那么，即使导体裸露在空气中，也不会有漏电的可能。它适用的频率涵盖每秒几周到每秒上万周，并且可以用于生产电流量极大而电压适中，或安培较小而电动势巨大的电流。充电元件所在的曲面曲率以及元件面积决定了电压的最大限度。
根据我以往的经验，产生高达上亿伏的电压也是完全可能的。另一方面，几千安培的电流也可以通过天线获得。只需一台尺寸适中的设备便可达到这一目的。从理论上讲，这样大小的电动势从一台直径小于90英尺的终端设备就能获得，而2000~4000安培的电流从直径小于30英尺的天线就可获得。
从狭义上来讲，这种无线发射器中的电磁波辐射与整体能量相比，完全可以忽略不计，原因是在这种情况下，阻尼因子非常小，性能得到提升的电容器可以存储大量的电荷。这样一种电路，通过任一种脉冲，甚至是低频脉冲的刺激，便可像交流发电机一样，产生正弦连续振荡。
然而，从最狭义的角度来说，它除了具有这些特性，还是一个能精确调整以适应地球的电常数和电学特性的谐振变压器。依靠这一设计，能量的无限传输将变得高效而快捷。距离完全消除，传输脉冲强度也不会减弱。根据一条精确的数学原理，甚至可以使作用强度随着发射平面距离的增加而增加。
这项发明是我的无限传输“世界系统”之一，1900年回到纽约后，便由我负责它的商业化运作。为了直接推动我企业的发展，当时的一份技术声明对这些发明做出了清晰的概述。以下是其中摘录的内容：
“世界系统”是几项独创性发现的综合成果，它是在发明家长期的研究和试验后才获得的。它不但能使传递到世界各地的任何类型的信号、信息、文字实现瞬时精确无线传输，还能在不改动当前设备的条件下，连接现有电报、电话和其他信号站。例如，一位电话用户可以利用它呼叫地球上的其他任一位电话用户。它的使用价格比手表的接收器还低，却可以满足用户无论是在陆地还是海上的任何地方都能收听任何距离之外的演讲或音乐会的需求。引用这些实例只是为了使读者了解这项伟大的科学进步使距离不再是障碍，地球这个完美的天然导体将发挥它无限的用途，而这一切只需要一根天线即可实现。这一系统具有深远影响的原因之一在于，能够在任何距离，通过任何由一根或多根电线（电线的距离显然是有限的）操作的设备来完成使用，只要在相同功能和精确度的条件下，且不超过地球的物理空间限制，是不需要人工导体的。因此，通过这种理想的传输方式，不仅可以开发全新的商业领域，还能大大扩展传统应用。
“世界系统”是基于以下重大发明和发现的应用：
1.特斯拉变压器：这个装置之于电磁振动领域的重大意义，犹如火药之于战争。发明家凭借这个装置所生成的电流是普通装置的数倍，并产生了一百多英尺的火花。
2.放大发射机：这种为了激发地球电磁场而创造的用于电能传输的特殊变压器，是特斯拉最伟大的发明，不过其传输距离得用天文望远镜才能观察到。凭借这个奇妙的装置，特斯拉已经实现了一种强度胜于闪电的电力效应，通过的电流足以点亮世界各地的两百盏白炽灯。
3.特斯拉无线系统：这个系统涵盖了一系列的新技术，是唯一利用无线和低成本远距离传输电能的方式。通过发明者在科罗拉多试验站里的仔细研究和测量，已经证明了任何规模的能量该系统都可以传输，并且损失不超过几个百分点。
4.个性化艺术：特斯拉这项发明和原始调谐相比，其先进性犹如精练的语言之于含糊不清的表达。它使得信号或信息传输绝对保密，主动和被动方面具有绝对排他性，即信号的传输绝无干扰，也不可能被干扰。每个信号都像是一个身份明确的人，在没有丝毫相互干扰的情况下，可以不限数量地同时操作信号站和设备。
5.陆地驻波：说得通俗点，这项伟大的发明.意味着地球会对有限波长的电力振动做出反应，好比音叉对音波做出的反应。这些特殊的电力振动，能有力地激发地球的电磁场，对商业和其他很多领域作用甚大。
第一个“世界系统”电站能在九个月内启动运行。这个电站可以实现一千万马力的功率，能以低廉的费用为尽可能多的技术项目服务，其中包括：
1．全球范围内现有电报交换机或交换站之间的连接；
2．建立一个机密且不受干扰的政府电报服务系统；
3．全球范围内现有电话局或电话站之间的连接；
4．通过电报和电话，实现与新闻界的连接，使一般性新闻得以广泛传播；
5．建立一个私人专属情报传递“世界系统”；
6．全世界股票行情的连接和操作；
7．建立一个供音乐、广播等使用的“世界系统”；
8．在不需要什么管理的条件下，利用费用低廉的时钟来显示天文精度的时间；
9．打印或手写字符、信件、支票等在世界范围内的传递；
10．建立全球航海服务系统，使航海员在没有指南针引导的情况下，能确定船只的确切位置、时间和速度，防止撞船和事故等的发生；
11．初步建立一套世界范围内的印刷系统；
12．实现全球范围内照片、图像或记录的拷贝。
我曾提议在小范围内做无线电力传输的演示，取得了非常不错的成效。除了这些已经提到的，我还会在将来的适当时候介绍我的发明在其他方面极为重要的作用。
我们在长岛建了一座高187英尺，顶端有一个直径68英尺的球形框架的发电站。这些尺寸适合任何级别的能量的传输。刚开始我们只用了200~300千瓦的功率，但我打算以后增加到几千马力。这个发射机发射的是具有特殊性质的综合波，我已经发明了一种用电话控制任何形式的能量的特殊方法。
两年前，试验塔被摧毁了，但我的项目正在进行，另一个即将建成的试验塔在很多方面都有所改进。在这里，我想就此前广泛流传的一个关于政府出于备战考虑，强行拆毁了我的试验塔的谣言做出回应。这种谣言可能会使某些人产生偏见。他们不知道三十年前政府授予我美国国籍的文件至今都还被锁在保险柜里，而我的嘉奖令、证书、金质奖章和其他荣誉证明都被锁在旧箱子里。若这一谣言属实，那政府将赔偿我一大笔钱，因为我花了很多资金在塔的建设上。相反，保护这座试验塔才是政府的利益所在，尤其是它能实现一些可能，具有相当重要的价值。例如，它可以定位世界上任何地方的一艘潜艇。长久以来，我的设备以及所有发明的改进都在为政府提供服务。欧洲爆发冲突以来，我牺牲了自己项目的研究时间，一直致力于空中导航、轮船动力、无线传输等工作，这些都对国家具有重要作用。见识广的人都知道，我的发明已经使美国的工业彻底发生了变化。就这方面而言，我不知道还有哪个发明家能像我一样幸运，能使其发明在战争中投入使用。此前，我一直没有对此事公开发表意见，在整个世界都面临严重的危机时，过分沉湎于个人问题是不当的。
我想对关于我的谣言作进一步说明。有人说，J·皮尔庞特·摩根先生对所资助的我的研究事业毫无兴趣，而帮助了很多其他的专家。他极为慷慨地实践了对我资助的承诺，若再期望从他那得到更多的话，将是不合情理的。他十分尊重我的发明成就，并且绝对相信我有能力最终完成计划中的发明项目。我不会让那些思想狭隘、嫉妒心强的人来挫败我的努力，我不会让他们感到满意。这些人对于我而言，不过是导致严重疾病的细菌。由于当下的世界及自然法则还未对我的项目的到来做好准备，所以它被暂时推迟了。它遥遥领先于这个时代，但是自然法则最终会获胜，使我的项目成功到来。
第六篇 关于自动遥控的艺术
以放大发射机为基础的系统，真是让我绞尽脑汁，我曾怀疑自己大脑里最纤细的神经都因此受损，这是我所研究的项目中耗费我最多精力的一项。我全身心地投入到旋转磁场的研发工作中，而在这早期却是不同的工作性质。尽管当时的工作也十分劳累，但却不需要像现在这样，为纷繁细致又令人深感疲惫的思考与分析所扰，同时还要解决众多与无线电科学相关的问题。我那一时期罕见的身体耐力却也抵挡不住如此超负荷的工作，终于，我的神经系统彻底崩溃了，而这项漫长且艰巨的工作，在此时露出了曙光。
毫无疑问，若不是有一个日臻完善的安全装置在我的创造力即将耗尽时开始不倦地发挥作用，那我将承受更多的痛苦，我的职业生涯也很可能会提前终止。只要这个安全装置能正常运行，我就能免于像其他发明家那样，因过度劳累而威胁健康。顺便说一句，对大多数人来说是不可或缺的假期，我是不需要的。我能像黑人一样，很轻易就入睡了，而不会像白人那样受尽失眠的折磨。在涉足新的理论领域时，我的身体可能会逐渐积累一定数量的“毒素”，使我几乎陷入大概半小时的昏睡状态。在我清醒之后，刚刚过去的事情对于我就像发生在很久之前一样。如果我试图回忆刚才被打断的思路，恶心感就会涌上心头，使得我不得不转向其他工作。令人惊讶的是，我的思路顿时清晰起来，并且轻松解决了困扰了我很久的难题。数周或数月后，我将热情重新投注在之前暂时放弃的发明上，几乎不费吹灰之力就能找到所有棘手问题的答案。对此，我想讲一个心理学家可能感兴趣的特殊经历。
我曾用地面发射机观察到了一个引人注目的现象，并努力确定它与地下电流之间的关系。这似乎是无望之举，一年多来，我不懈地研究，却徒劳无功。我被这个复杂的研究完全吸引了，以致对其他事情都漠不关心，也不在乎它可能会危及我的健康。最后，当我濒临崩溃时，我的身体出于自我保护，进入了睡眠状态。恢复意识后，我惊愕地发现，我只能记起童年时候，也就是刚懂事那会儿的事情。说来也奇怪，这些记忆清晰得惊人，并且给予我安慰。夜复一夜，在我入睡前，随着我的思考，过去的景象便越来越多地浮现在眼前。母亲的形象一直是我眼前景象的主要人物，且逐渐变得清晰，我更是强烈渴望见到她。这种感觉越来越强烈，以致我决定放弃所有工作来满足这一渴望，但我发现离开实验室对我来说是很痛之一，放大发射机将是对后人最重要和最有价值的发明。我会这么想，不是因为认定它会掀起商业和工业革命，而是它将使人类获得更多新的成就。单纯的实用价值是不能与高等文明的进步相提并论的。再丰富的物质文明也不足以解决我们面临的严重问题。相反，这方面的进步充满危险，这些危险丝毫不亚于物质匮乏和贫穷所带来的威胁。如果我们能释放原子的能量，或在地球上的某一地方，以某种方式开发廉价且无限制的能量，并非一件好事，极有可能引起纠纷和混乱，给人类带来灾难，最终导致人们憎恨政权的力量。最佳的技术进步是使人类趋于团结和和谐，我的无线电发射机就是显著的实例。它意味着人类的声音和样貌将能在任何地方被还原出来，工厂从数千英里外的水电站获得动力，空中机械可以不停歇地环绕地球运行，人们可以通过控制太阳的能量来创建湖泊和河流，使干旱的沙漠变成肥沃的土地。它可以促进电报、电话和类似应用的发展，势必消除静力学等其他的干扰。目前，这些障碍严重制约着无线电技术的应用。
这是一个急需讨论的话题，并非三言两语就能说清楚的。过去的十年里，有许多人傲慢地宣称，他们已经成功地破除了这一障碍。我在他们公开披露自己的发现之前，就对他们的所有描述做了仔细研究和试验，最终证明他们的发现都是错误的。美国海军最近发表的一份官方声明，对那些 4e0d." >不知轻重的新闻编辑或许是一个很好的教训，让他们懂得如何客观地评价这些所谓的科学发现的真正价值。通常这些人的尝试都是基于谬误的理论，所以我每次都是以一种娱乐的心态来看待这些科学发现的。最近，又有一个新的发现，其大肆宣扬的程度可谓是震耳欲聋，但事实证明不过是场闹剧。
这让我想起了几年前，我正利用高频电流做试验时发生的一件令人激动的事。那时，史蒂夫·布罗迪刚跳下了布鲁克林大桥，这次壮举自很多人模仿来，就变得异常庸俗，但关于此事的第一次报道的确使整个纽约城都轰动了。当时，我对此事印象极为深刻，并常常谈到这位勇敢的书商。在一个炎热的下午，我觉得有必要使自己轻松一下，于是走进了这座伟大的城市三万家受欢迎的餐馆中的一家，点了一杯含酒精量20%的美味饮料，而这种饮料现在只能在欧洲某个贫穷落后的国家才找得到。虽然那里聚集着很多人，但几乎没有我认识的。人们正在谈论一个话题，我随口说了句让所有人都吃惊不已的话：“这正是我跳下桥去时所说的话。”这句话一说出口，感觉自己犹如席勒诗里的提摩太面对着众多追随者。霎时间，场面混乱不堪，十多个人高喊着：“他是布罗迪！”我扔了一枚25美分的硬币在柜台上之后，便飞也似地朝门口跑去。然而，人们却紧跟在我身后，嘴里喊着：“站住！史蒂夫！”我想我已经被很多人误会了，在我拼命逃跑时，他们试图将我拦下。幸运的是，我跑入消防通道，连转了几个弯之后，终于回到了实验室。我迅速将外套脱掉，并伪装成一个正在勤奋工作的铁匠。不过后来证明这一举动是不必要的，那些追踪者早已被我甩掉了。多年之后，当我夜晚想象时，那天的情景便像幽灵一般地跳出来。当我躺在床上时，我时常在想，若是那天我被人们抓住了，继而他们发现我并非史蒂夫·布罗迪，那我的命运又会怎样呢？
如今有位工程师在给一个学术团体做演讲时，声称自己根据一个“迄今为止还无人知晓的原理”，找到了一个解决静电学问题的新方法。当他解释静电电流通过上下传播，发射机的电流则沿着地表传播时这一行为，简直和我假扮布罗迪一样不计后果。他的观点意味着被大气层所环绕着的地球是一个巨大的电容器，而它既能放电又能充电这一作用方式，与任何一本基础物理教材中所提到的基本原理都是相悖的。这样的假设就算放在富兰克林时期，也是会受到谴责的，众所周知，大气层中的电流与机器所产生的电流是相同的。很明显，自然电流和人工电流是以同样的方式在地面和空中传播的，并且在水平和垂直方向都形成了电动势。仅凭此类方案，是根本不可能克服电磁干扰的。事实是：电势在空中是以大约每英尺五十伏特的速度增加的，所以天线两端的电压差可以高达两万伏特，甚至是四万伏特。带电气团处于不断的运动之中，随机向导体释放能量，这样一来，敏感的电话接收器就会产生一种摩擦噪音。传导终端越高，电线环绕的空间越大，影响就越明显。但是我们必须清楚，这种情况只出现在当地，而不会给整个系统带来麻烦。
1900年，我不断完善自己的安装了四个天线的无限系统。我仔细调整天线，使它们以相同的频率连接起来，确保能放大来自任何方向的信号。当我想弄清楚被传输脉冲的源头时，便将每一对对角线位置上的天线按先后顺序连接起来，再将一个初级线圈通电，以此来探测回路。在前一种情况下，电话中的声音很响，而在后一种情况下，正如我所预料的那样，是听不到声音的——两根天线将作用相互抵消了。但是，其实静电在两种情况下都起了作用，我不得不制定特殊的结构来体现其不同的原理。
我在很久以前就提出了采用接收器连接地上的两点，这样将可以解决现有结构中由带电空气所导致的严重问题。除此之外，由于电路的方向性，各种干扰都大约减少了一半。这个道理其实是不言而喻的，但还是启发了一些头脑简单的无线电从业人员。他们的经验只局限于装置的形式，认为用斧子就能提高装置的效果，这样做无疑等同于还未将熊杀死，就开始剥它的皮。如果的确存在天线干扰所产生的这些异常现象，那人们可以通过无线接收的方式来解决这一问题。但是，依照这一观点，埋在地下的电线必须完全绝缘，而事实上，它比暴露在空气中的天线更易受到某些外部脉冲的影响。公平说来，还是略有改进的，但并不.9９lｉｂ?体现在任何具体的方法或设备上，它仅仅是实现了对复杂结构的深入认识。这种结构在传输效果上相当糟糕，完全不适合接收信号，也不易找到一个更合适的接收器。正如我在之前的一篇文章中提到的那样，要想完全解决这一问题，只有彻底改造这一系统，并且越早越好。
事实上，在研究工作的初级阶段，假如绝大多数人，其中包括专家，在对其最终的可能性还没有明确概念的情况下，议会就匆匆通过议案，立法使政府对其实施垄断，那必将产生灾难性的后果。这是丹尼尔斯部长在几周前提出的，毫无疑问，这位杰出的官员已经将他的议案向参议院和众议院提交了。但普遍的事实都清楚地表明，最佳的结果都是从健康的商业竞争中获取的。然而，有足够的理由支持应给予无线电技术充分的自由发展空间。首先，它为提高人类生活质量提供了无限前景，比有史以来的任何其他发明或发现意义都要重大。再者，人们须明白，这项伟大的发明完全是在美国实现的，与电话、白炽灯或飞机比起来，作为美国的象征是再合适不过的。
上进的媒体人和股票交易商是如此擅长散布假消息，甚至是《科学美国人》这样优秀的期刊都将主要成就归功于外国人。当然，德国人发现了赫兹波，而俄罗斯、英国、法国和意大利的专家很快便利用它来实现信号控制。它显然是通过对原有的、未经利用的感应线圈来实现对新介质的应用，并非是新创的反光通信方法。我在1891年便对此提出了的观点是，其传输的半径是非常有限的，获得的价值也不大，用声波取代传递信息的赫兹振荡技术可能会更有利。另外，这些尝试都是在今天已被美国广泛应用，且其开发手段已经得到了清晰的描述和发展的无线系统基本原理被提出的三年后才进行的。然而，如今这些基于赫兹理论的应用和方法都已被湮没了。我们朝着相反的方向前进，这个国家的人民用智慧与勤劳取得了非凡的成就。基本专利权一旦到期，人们便有了利用它重新创造发明的机会。这位部长的主要论点是基于干扰理论的。根据7月29日的《纽约先驱报》报道的他的理论表明，信号能被世界上任何一个村庄的发电站干扰。美国不必要在这方面采取任何限制，因为我早在1900年的试验中就已证明了这一事实。
为了使读者有一个更清晰的认识，我来讲一件最近发生的事情。一位长相奇特的绅士拜访我，希望我投身到遥远地区的世界发射机建设的工作中。“我们没有钱，”他说，“但我们有数车黄金，我们将给你一大笔酬劳。”我告诉他，我想先将我在美国的发明完成，此话一出便使谈话结束了。不过我还是感到满足，知道一些黑暗势力在为此努力。随着时间的推移，持续通讯的维持将变得更加困难。唯一的补救方法就是建立一套对抗干扰的系统。这个系统已经存在并已完善，将它投放到实际应用之中是十分有必要的。
可怕的战争冲突仍然是人们关注的焦点，放大发射机最有可能作为一种攻击和防御的武器，尤其是与遥控力学相结合。这项发明是自我童年时期便开始的、并贯穿了我的一生的一系列观察的结果。当我发表第一批研究成果以后，《电气评论》发表社论称其将成为“人类文明进步最强大的推动力”。距离这一预言实现的时间不会太遥远。1898年和1900年，我向政府提出了他们极有可能会采纳的建议——只要他们想得到亚历山大的帮助，我可以作为其中之一去寻找亚历山大的牧羊人。当时，我真的以为它的具有毁灭性的杀伤力和不需要人参与的特性能将战争废除。尽管我对它的巨大发展潜力仍充满信心，但我的观点已经改变了。
战争永远不可能避免，除非消除其复发的物质因素，归根结底，这是我们生存的地球大部分地区爆发战争的原因。只有消除各方面存在的差异，使信息传递、旅客运输、能源供应和传输条件得到大大的发展，才能确保人与人之间永久的友好关系。我们现在最希望的是世界各国人民友好地团结在一起，加深对彼此的了解，消除狂热分子的种族思想和极端利己主义，这些往往让世界陷入原始野蛮状态和冲突之中。没有联盟或议会法案能避免这样的灾难。这些新设备只是让弱者更加受强者的摆布。
关于这一点，在十四年前我就提到过了。当时，几个领导国联合起来，建立了一种神圣同盟。已经去世的安德鲁·卡内基也许能被称为这一思想之父，对于总统的倡导，他的宣传和推动作用超过了此前的任何人。不可否认，对一些弱势群体而言，这方面的努力是极为有利的，但不能９9ｌiｂ?达到我们的主要目的。只有世界文明进步和民族融合才能实现和平，但这一幸福对我们而言仍是遥不可及。
我认为今天的世界仍存在巨大的冲突，但我深信，如果美国仍忠于传统，拒绝任何结盟行为，将是人类最大的福祉。美国因其独特的地理位置，一直与各种激烈的冲突不沾边，且无领土兼并的动机。取之不尽的资源和具有自由权利精神的庞大人口，使得这个国家被置于独一无二的崇高地位。因此，它能够独立地发挥其强大的实力和道德力量为全人类谋福利，这比作为任何一个联盟的成员更明智和有效。
我总是在回想早年的生活，一种痛苦逼迫我不断想象和进行自我反省。这种心理活动开始是在疾病和痛苦的压力下无意识地出现的，逐渐演变成我的第二天性，后来我终于意识到，这只不过是一种由缺乏思想和行动的自由意志引发的自动行为，仅仅是对环境影响的反应。我们身体的结构非常复杂，我们的行为方式多种多样，外部印象对我们感官的刺激是如此微妙和难以捉摸，以致一般人很难理解这个事实。然而，没有什么比生命机械训练理论对训练有素的调查者更加具有说服力，笛卡尔早在三百年前就提出了这一理论。他所生活的时期，我们还不清楚身体的很多重要功能，特别是关于光的性质、眼球的构造和转动，哲学家可谓置身于黑暗之中。
近年来，随着这些领域科学研究取得的巨大成就，以及许多专著的出版，对这一认识的疑问也逐渐减少。巴斯德的前助手菲利克斯·勒·丹泰克也许是其中精明能干的最佳辩手。雅克·勒布教授曾通过一系列非凡的向日性试验，深刻分析了存在于低等生物体中的光线控制现象，他的最新著作《作用力下的运动》极具启发性。虽然科学家们都接受了这个理论，仅仅像认可其他任何公认的理论一样，但对我而言，它是一个事实，我的每一个行为和思想时刻都在展示着它。外部印象的意识引发了我身体和思维的一系列活动，这些意识总是出现在我的脑海里。只有在非常罕见的情况下，即精神处于高度集中的状态时，我发现很难找到原始的冲动。
大部分的人永远也不会意识到外部世界与自身所产生的联系，数百万人因此患病并过早地去世了。最常见的日常现象对他们而言是那么神秘和令人费解。一个人可能会突然感到悲伤，因而绞尽脑汁寻求解释，他本该注意到，这不过是由一朵云遮住了太阳光线引起的。当他前不久在街上遇到自己的朋友，或是在某处见到他的照片时，他很有可能将对方友善的行为看做是怪异的举动。他因无法记起之前所做过的事情，没有找到想找的东西，借领口掉了一颗扣子之故，怒火中烧，大骂一通。缺乏观察简直是无知的行为，是许多病态观念和愚蠢思想的根源。只有不到十分之一的人不相信心灵感应和其他精神灵异现象，以及和死人之间的通灵、交流，这种美丽的谎言又有谁会拒绝呢？
这种思想倾向甚至在那些头脑清醒的美国人中都已经根深蒂固，我想通过一件滑稽的事情来说明这个问题。战前不久，我的涡轮机在这座城市展览，引发了技术性刊物的广泛评论。我预测，为了获得这项发明的使用权，制造商之间将展开一场激烈的角逐。为此，我特地为底特律的一位具有不可思议的聚财能力的人策划了一套方案。我深信，他有天一定会出现在我面前，并且自信满满地将这一想法告诉了我的秘书和助理。如我所料，一个晴朗的早晨，一群福特汽车公司的工程师来到我面前，打算和我商讨一个重要的项目。“正如我所说吧？”我得意地对我的员工说道。其中一个说道：“特斯拉先生，您真是了不起！您预测的一切最终都变成了现实。”这些头脑冷静的人一落座，我当然立刻称赞起我的涡轮机的特性。然而，其中一位打断了我的介绍，并说道：“你所说的我们全都知道，但我们此行另有目的。我们成立了一个专门研究心理现象的心理学会，希望你能加入我们。”我猜想，这些工程师永远也不可能知道我当时是有多想将他们立刻驱逐出我的办公室。
自从当时一些伟人和名字永垂不朽的科学领军人物告诉我，我有一颗异乎寻常的脑袋后，我便不顾一切地致力于解决复杂的难题。多年来，我一直竭力解决死亡之谜，对思想灵异现象更是密切关注。但我生平只遇到过一次短暂的超自然的经历，它发生在我母亲去世的时候。
我被悲痛和失眠折磨得精疲力竭，于是一天晚上，我被带到了离我家大约两个街区的建筑中。我无助地躺在那里，想着如果母亲去世时，我没有在她身边，那她肯定会给我一个提示。两三个月以前，我和朋友威廉·克鲁克斯正在伦敦的公司，我们在讨论唯灵论，我受到这些思想的全面影响。我可能不会注意别人，但却容易被他的观点所影响，这源于我在学生时代曾读过他所著的具有划时代意义的关于放射性物质的著作，这也直接导致了我选择从事电力研究。我认为现在是幻想的最佳时机，我的母亲是位天才，尤其是在直觉方面。整晚我的大脑神经都处于紧张的状态，直到清晨也什么都没发生。接着，我便昏昏入睡，也有可能是昏迷了。我看见一群美丽动人的天使站在一片云彩上，其中一人深情地望着我，逐渐变成我母亲的模样。她从房间里慢慢飘走，最后消失不见了。我被一阵难以名状的甜美歌声惊醒了。在那一瞬间，我确信母亲已经去世了，那是一种无法言说的情绪。我无法表达这种预感带给我的巨大痛苦，我被这种痛苦和糟糕的身体状况压得透不过气，于是写了一封信给威廉·克鲁克斯先生。
当我恢复健康后，花了很长一段时间来寻找导致这种异常的精神状态的外部原因。值得庆幸的是，我在经过几个月的毫无结果的努力之后，总算是获得了成功。我曾见过一位著名艺术家的绘画，以寓言的形式来展现某个季节里，一片云彩承载着一群天使，这些天使看起来就像漂浮在空中一样，使我印象深刻。这幅画和出现在我梦里的画面是完全相同的，不过少了我母亲的形象。我听到的甜美歌声则是来自附近教堂的唱诗班在复活节清晨所做的祷告。我用科学事实圆满地解释了一切问题。
这是发生在很久以前的事，自此，我没再对灵异理论和灵异精神现象产生过怀疑，即使我没有现实依据。这些信念是智慧发展的自然产物。宗教教义不再受其经典的解释的局限，每个人都坚持相信某种强大力量的存在。我们都必须有一个理想，依靠它来规范自己的行为，从而获得满足。不过，它必须是非物质形式的，不论是宗教、艺术、科学，还是其他的东西，只要它能实现非物质力量的功能。统一全人类的信仰乃是实现世界和平的关键。
尽管我未能获得任何证据来支持心理学家和唯灵论者的论点，但我已经证明了我对生命的无意识行为是十分满意的。这不仅因为我对个体行为的不断观察，更是由于一系列的归纳总结。我认为这些发现对人类社会而言，具有非比寻常的意义，下面我将对此作简要描述。当我还很年轻时，第一次了解到了这惊人的真理，但多年来我仅仅把它看做是巧合。意即每当我自己或是与我亲近的人，以及我的事业，为别人以某种特别的方式所伤时，这极易被看做是最不公平的事，我便会因此受到一种不可名状的痛苦的折磨。我终于找到了一个恰当的词来形容这种经历，那就是“宇宙”。不久之后，那些人都再没能成功地实施伤害。经过多次这种情况后，我将这个发现告诉了许多朋友，使他们信服我逐渐形成的这套理论。这可以简单地概括为以下内容：
我们有着类似的身体结构，受到相同的外部作用的影响，这导致了我们对事物反应的相似性和活动的一致性。我们所有的社会规则和法律都是在此基础上建立起来的。我们是被媒介力量完全控制的自动机，像被扔弃在水面上的软木塞，错把外部作用当成是自由意志。我们的运动和其他行为都是为了使生命正常运转，虽然我们每个个体看似独立的，其实我们之间存在一些无形的链条将我们相连。只要生物体处于正常运转的状态，就能准确地对外部刺激做出反应。但当一个人精神错乱时，他的自我保护机能就受损了。
我们都知道，失聪、失明、四肢受伤的人，他们继续生存的机会将会减少。但这也是事实——当自动反应的大脑出现了缺陷，将会致使生命提前结束。一个非常敏感和观察力敏锐的人，他的机能高度发达且完好无损，能随环境的变化而行动，便具有一种使他能躲过潜在的危险的超强感知能力。当他接触到那些控制器官有严重缺陷的人时，他就会明显感到“宇宙”带给他的痛苦。这个真理已经被数百次地证明了，我同时建议其他研究自然学的学生也来关注这个课题。相信凭借结合和系统的努力，这一理论将对世界产生不可估量的价值。
为了证实我的理论，一个建造自动机的想法油然而生。我在很早便提出了这一想法，但它的真正实施是在1893年我开始无线电研究时。接下来的两三年，我发明了许多遥控的自动装置，并在我的实验室里向参观者们展示。然而，1896年我设计了一台能运行多项操作的装置，但完善工作直到1897年年底才结束。关于这台机器的描述，我1900年6月发表在《世纪杂志》上的文章中有提到。1889年初，当它见于其他期刊时，所引发的轰动超过我所有其他的发明。1898年11月，在总审查官来到纽约，目睹这一装置令人难以置信的性能后，授予了我在这一装置中所使用的新技术基本专利。我仍记得，后来我去华盛顿拜访一位官员，试图将我的发明转让给政府，而当我介绍完后，他突然大笑起来。没有人能相信在那时竟然有如此完善的装置。不幸的是，听从了我律师的意见，当它在申请专利时，我表示它是由独立的电路和非常著名的探测器来控制的。基于这个原因，我没能保护我的个性化的方法和装置。事实上，我的装置是由几个电路联合控制的，并将所有的干扰都排除在外。我使用的大多是环路接收电路，包括电容器在内，因为我的高压发射机将实验室里的空气电离了，以致一根极小的天线也能从周围的空气中吸收电量长达数小时。
比方说，我发现一个工作了很久的12英寸的电灯泡，将其唯一的终端与一根很短的电线相连，在连续闪烁一千多次以后，才能将实验室中电离的空气电量全部吸收。环状接收器对这种干扰并不敏感，但奇怪的是，它却越来越受人们欢迎。实际上，它接收的能量远不如天线或一根长的接地线多，但它却能消除现有无线设备中的许多固有的缺陷。为了在参观者面前展示我的发明，参观者可以问任何问题，而自动装置会通过信号来做出回答。这在当时被人们认为是件非常神奇的事情，其实不然，这一原理相当简单，不过是我通过这一设备来给出回复罢了。
同一时期，我还建造了一艘更大的遥控船，同年的十月，《电气实验者》刊载了一幅它的照片。它由线圈控制，船身绕了几圈电线，是完全不会进水的，所以可以放入水中。这个装置除了某些特殊的功能外，与第一个是极其相似的，例如，我使用了白炽灯，这样一来，人们就能清晰地看到机器的运转。
操作者在视线所及的范围内实现对这个自动装置的控制，其实，这是我遥控力学的艺术的最初构想。下一个完善目标就是将其自动控制的范围扩大到人们的视野范围之外，且扩大与控制中心的距离。我一开始设计它的时候就打算使其成为代替枪支的战争工具。我能够从媒体的评论中判断出，这项发明已经引起了人们的关注，例如，有媒体称这项发明成就非凡，但不包含新奇的价值，等等。它确实是不够完美，但却是切实可行的。通过现有的无线设备发射一架飞机，让其遵循某个大体方向飞行，并在数百英里外执行某些操作。这一装置也能通过几种不同的机械方式得以控制。对于它将在战争中起到巨大作用这一事实我毫不怀疑。然而，就我所了解的情况而言，目前还没有一种技术能精确地控制它。多年来，我一直致力于这项研究，终于有了一套能轻松制造这一装置和更先进的设备的方法。
如我之前所提到的那样，我在大学期间曾构想了一种不同于现在的飞行器。它的基本原理是很好的，但却未能付诸实践，因为它需要一种超大功率的发动机。近年来，这一问题已被我成功解决了。我正计划造一种飞机，它没有机翼、副翼、螺旋桨以及其他外部附件，能够以极快的速度飞行，在不久的将来，它极有可能为人类和平提供巨大帮助。这种飞机完全通过反作用力来实现持续推动，既能用机械方式，又能用无线方式来控制。安装适当的装置便能够将这种导弹发射到空中，使其非常精确地击中可能位于数千英里外的目标。
但我们不会就此止步。远程自动机具有巨大的开发潜力，甚至能实现智能化，它们的问世将掀起一场革命。早在1898年，我就向一个大型制造业的代表提议建造一种自动运输的装置，它能够自己执行包括判断在内的各种各样的操作。但当时我的建议被认为是荒诞的而未被接受。
目前，许多有头脑的人正试图防止理应结束的可怕冲突再次发生。然而，我在1914年12月20日的《太阳报》上发表的一篇文章就已准确预测了这些过程和主要问题。拟定成立的国际联盟并不能起到补救的作用，相反，许多聪明的人认为它带来的可能是负面的影响。尤其可悲的是，一种惩罚性政策被用于和平条款的确立，因为几年后，国家再不可能采用军队、军舰、枪支来作战，取而代之的是更可怕、毁灭性更强、杀伤力几乎涵盖了所有范围的武器。敌人可以在任何距离摧毁一座城市，地球上的任何力量都不能阻止他这么做。如果我们想避免这样的灾难发生，不忍地球变成地狱，那我们就应该刻不容缓地、不惜一切人力和物力地推动飞行器和无限能量传输的发展。
附录1 与通古斯大爆炸
1藏书网908年6月30日上午7时17分（UTC 零时17分），在俄罗斯西伯利亚埃文基自治区的通古斯河畔、贝加尔湖西北方（北纬60.55度，东经101.57度），突然爆发出的一声巨响打破了清晨的宁静，一个巨大的火球划过天空，其亮度如太阳当空。随即，巨大的蘑菇云腾空而起，气温瞬间灼热逼人。爆炸地点周围的草木均被烧焦，七十公里外的人也被严重灼伤，甚至有人被巨大的爆炸声震聋了耳朵。惊恐万分的不只是附近居民，其他国家也受到了影响。在英国伦敦，许多电灯骤然熄灭，城市陷入一片黑暗；欧洲许多国家的人们在夜空中看到了白昼般的闪光；就连远在大洋彼岸的美国，人们也感觉到大地在抖动……
横跨亚欧大陆的地震站记录下了此次爆炸，而英国当时刚发明的气压自动记录仪也侦测到了其对气压所造成的影响。此次爆炸还使得大气的透明度有所降低，而这一现象已被美国的史密松天文物理台和威尔逊山天文台观察到了，它们预计此现象至少得持续数个月。据后来估计，此次>爆炸相当于1500～2000万吨TNT炸药，即2000颗原子弹的威力，足以让2153平方公里内的6千万棵树焚毁倒下。
此爆炸与三千多年前印度的死丘事件及明朝天启六年五月初六（1626年5月30日）北京的王恭厂大爆炸并称为世界三大自然之谜，引起了人们的广泛关注。人们不断提出各种假说，试图揭开通古斯大爆炸的神秘面纱，其中包括陨石撞击说、核爆炸说、飞船坠毁说、黑洞撞击说……众多说法之中，由特斯拉的实验造成的说法最为惊世骇俗。
有人认为通古斯大爆炸只是尼古拉·特斯拉这位旷世奇才的一次交流电试验。由树木的炭化程度和土地的磁化可以看出这并非普通的线形闪电所造成的，而更像是受到球形闪电所释放的巨大能量的破坏。有人猜测，在爆炸前不久的夜晚，特斯拉正在进行远距离无线能量传输的试验，以致莫斯科等城市上空均出现极亮的闪电。最终，经过精准的运算，准确地将强大的交流电集中于通古斯这个荒凉之地。可以肯定的是，在爆炸发生时，特斯拉就在俄国.?伊尔库兹克州，该地也是能够看见大爆炸的地方之一。根据俄国当地史料记载，爆炸当日，特斯拉以电影之名召集当地数百群众见证了通古斯大爆炸，当时没有人相信该爆炸能够人为控制。直到今天，种种迹象仍旧表明，当时唯有他才能实现相当于广岛原子弹1000倍能量的释放。另一个细节是，在通古斯大爆炸前，这位伟大的科学家曾多次前往图书馆查阅西伯利亚的地图。
据多方调查显示，特斯拉完全有能力制造这一场爆炸。将电压升到亿万伏对他而言是极容易的事，据考证，他 7684." >的实验室里有很多相关的仪器和发射塔。在1906年左右，特斯拉做了很多能轻松制造出火球、闪电的实验，并深入研究了等离子体。因此，并不排除通古斯大爆炸是特斯拉的杰作这一假说。
附录2 与诺贝尔奖
在人们看来，像尼古拉·特斯拉这样伟大的天才发明家获得诺贝尔物理学奖是再自然不过的事了，而他却把本该属于他的十一次诺贝尔奖全都让给了别人。1912年，他和爱迪生一起获得了诺贝尔物理学奖，但他却拒绝领奖，拒绝和爱迪生共享这荣誉，而他拒绝的理由竟是从好友马克·吐温那里学来的：“一个老婆如何能两人共享，特别是与一位骗徒、盗窃惯犯共享岂不危险？”
纵观诺贝尔物理学奖.?获奖历史，受尼古拉·特斯拉的作品的直接启发，从而获得诺贝尔物理学奖的科学家占了27%，而间接得到启发而获奖的超过65%。帮他证明X光危害的伦琴随即成为1901年首届诺贝尔物理学奖得主就是其中一例。
1910年时，尼古拉·特斯拉推荐居里夫人在放射性元素方面的成就，使她获得了诺贝尔化学奖。９9lｉb?这次是居里夫人第二次获得诺贝尔奖，并且不同于上次的物理学奖。在当时，化学奖的成就远高于物理学奖，而身为女性的她，对全人类而言更是意义非凡。
尽管尼古拉·特斯拉一次都未接受诺贝尔奖，但在他75岁生日之际，收到了八封来自诺贝尔物理学奖获得者的感谢信。1943年，在他的葬礼上，有三位诺贝尔物理学奖获得者代表诺９９lｉｂ?贝尔团队致词，他在科学界的地位可见一斑。
附录3 年谱
1856年7月10日，特斯拉出生于斯米连（现属于克罗地亚的戈斯皮奇市）的一个村庄，父母都..
是塞尔维亚人。
1862年，全家移居到戈斯皮奇。
1875年，在奥地利的格bbr>?９9lｉb.拉茨科技大学修读电机工程。
1883年，受雇于斯特拉斯堡的爱迪生大陆公司，并制造了第一个感应电机模型。
1884年，他来到了纽约，靠前雇主查尔斯·巴彻勒所写的推荐函在爱迪生机械公司工作。
1887年，他创建了自己的公司——特斯拉电灯与电气制造公司，但因投资商不同意他关于交流电发电机的计划，最终被罢免了职务。
1888年，他为美国电气电子工程师学会演示了无电刷交流电感应马达，并发展了特斯拉线圈的原理，且开始在西屋电器与制造公司位于匹兹堡的实验室与乔治·威斯汀豪斯一起工作。
..
in Gratz, Styria, which my father had chosen as one of the oldest a reputed institutions. That was the moment I had eagerly awaited and I began my studies under good auspices and firmly resolved to succeed. My previous training was above the average, due to my father's teag and opportunities afforded. I had acquired the knowledge of a number of languages and waded thru the books of several libraries, pig up information more or less useful. Then again, for the first time, I could y subjects as I liked, and free-hand drawing was to bother me no more.
I had made up my mind to give my parents a surprise, and during the whole first year I regularly started my work at three o'clo the m and tinued until eleven at night, no Sundays or holidays excepted. As most of my fellow-students took thinks easily, naturally enough I eclipsed all records. In the course of that year I past thru nine exams and the professors thought I deserved more than the highest qualifications. Armed with their flatteriificates, I went home for a short rest, expeg a triumph, and was mortified when my father made light of these hard won honors. That almost killed my ambition; but later, after he had died, I aio find a package of letters which the professors had written him to the effect that unless he took me away from the Institution I would be killed thru overwork.
Thereafter I devoted myself chiefly to physics, meid mathematical studies, spending the hours of leisure in the libraries. I had a veritable mania for finishing whatever I began, which often got me into difficulties. On one occasion I started to read the works of Voltaire when I learo my dismay, that there were close on one hundred large volumes in small print which that monster had written while drinkiy-two cups of black coffee per diem. It had to be done, but when I laid aside the last book I was very glad, and said, "Never more!"
My first year's showing had wohe appreciation and friendship of several professors. Among these were Prner, who was teag arithmetical subjects ary; Prof. Poeschl, who held the chair of theoretical and experimental physics, and Dr. Alle, who taught integral calculus and specialized in differential equations. This stist was the most brilliaurer to whom I ever listened. He took a special i in my progress and would frequently remain for an hour or two in the lecture room, giving me problems to solve, in which I delighted. To him I explained a flying mae I had ceived, not an illusionary iion, but one based on sound, stific principles, which has bee realizable thru my turbine and will soon be given to the world. Both Professner and Poeschl were en. The former had peculiar ways of expressing himself and whenever he did so there was a riot, followed by a long and embarrassing pause. Prof. Poeschl was a methodical and thoroly grounded German. He had enormous feet and hands like the paws of a bear, but all of his experiments were skillfully performed with clock-like precision and without a mistake.
It was in the sed year of my studies that we received a Gramme dynamo from Paris, having the horseshoe form of a laminated field mag, and a wire-wound armature with a utator. It was ected up and various effects of the currents were shown. While Prof. Poeschl was making demonstrations, running the mae as a motor, the brushes gave trouble, sparking badly, and I observed that it might be possible to operate a motor without these appliances. But he declared that it could not be done and did me the honor of delivering a lecture on the subject, at the clusion of which he remarked: "Mr. Tesla may aplish great things, but he certainly never will do this. It would be equivalent to verting a steadily pulling force, like that of gravity, into a rotary effort. It is a perpetual motion scheme, an impossible idea." But instinct is something which transds knowledge. We have, undoubtedly, certain finer fibers that enable us to perceive truths when logical dedu, or any other willful effort of the brain, is futile. For a time I wavered, imprest by the professor's authority, but soon became vinced I was right and uook the task with all the fire and boundless fidence of youth.
I started by first picturing in my mind a direct-current mae, running it and following the ging flow of the currents in the armature. Then I would imagine an alternator and iigate the processes taking pla a similar manner. I would visualize systems prising motors and geors and operate them in various ways. The images I saw were to me perfectly real and tangible. All my remaining term in Gratz assed in inte fruitless efforts of this kind, and I almost came to the clusion that the problem was insolvable.
In 1880 I went tue, Bohemia, carrying out my father's wish to plete my education at the Uy there. It was in that city that I made a decided advance, which sisted iag the utator from the mae and studying the phenomena in this neect, but still without result. In the year following there was a sudden ge in my views of life. I realized that my parents had been making too great sacrifiy at and resolved to relieve them of the burden. The wave of the Ameri telephone had just reached the European ti and the system was to be installed in Budapest, Hungary. It appeared an ideal opportunity, all the more as a friend of our family was at the head of the enterprise. It was here that I suffered the plete breakdown of the o which I have referred.
What I experienced during the period of that illness surpasses all belief. My sight and hearing were always extraordinary. I could clearly dis objects in the distance when others saw no trace of them. Several times in my boyhood I saved the houses of our neighbors from fire by hearing the faint crag sounds which did not disturb their sleep, and calling for help.
In 1899, when I ast forty and carrying on my experiments in Colorado, I could hear very distinctly thunderclaps at a distance of 550 miles. Yet at that time I was, so to speak, stone deaf in parison with the aess of my hearing while uhe nervous strain. In Budapest I could hear the tig of a watch with three rooms between me and the time-piece. A fly alighting on a table in the room would cause a dull thud in my ear. A carriage passing at a distance of a few miles fairly shook my whole body. The whistle of a lootive twenty or thirty miles away made the bench or chair on which I sat vibrate sly that the pain was unbearable. The ground under my feet trembled tinuously. I had to support my bed on rubber cushions to get a at all. The r noises from near and far often produced the effect of spoken words which would have frightened me had I not been able to resolve them into their actal pos. The sun's rays, when periodically intercepted, would cause blows of such fory brain that they would stun me. I had to summon all my will power to pass under a bridge or other structure as I experienced a crushing pressure on the skull. In the dark I had the sense of a bat and could detect the presence of an object at a distance of twelve feet by a peculiar creepy sensation on the forehead. My pulse varied from a few to two hundred and sixty beats and all the tissues of the body quivered with twitgs and tremors which erhaps the hardest to bear. A renowned physi who gave me daily large doses of Bromide of Potassium pronounced my malady unique and incurable.
It is my eternal regret that I was not uhe observation of experts in physiology and psychology at that time. I g desperately to life, but never expected to recover. anyone believe that so hopeless a physical wreck could ever be transformed into a man of astonishing strength and tenacity, able to work thirty-eight years almost without a day's interruption, and find himself still strong and fresh in body and mind? Such is my case. A powerful desire to live and to tihe work, and the assistance of a devoted friend and athlete aplished the wonder. My health returned and with it the vigor of mind. In attag the problem again I almretted that the struggle was soon to end. I had so muergy to spare. When I uook the task it was not with a resolve such as men often make. With me it was a sacred vow, a question of life ah. I khat I would perish if I failed. Now I felt that the battle was won. Ba the deep recesses of the brain was the solution, but I could not yet give it outward expression.
Oernoon, which is ever present in my recolle, I was enjoying a walk with my friend iy Park aing poetry. At that age I kire books by heart, word for word. One of these was Goethe's Faust. The sun was just setting and reminded me of the glorious passage:
"Sie ruckt u, der Tag ist uberlebt,
Dort eilt sie hin und fordert neues Leben.
Oh, dass kein Flugel mi Bode
Ihr nad immer nach zu streben!
Ein ser Traum indesseweicht,
Ach, zu des Geistes Flugeln wird so leicht
Kein korperlicher Flugel sich gesellen!"
The glow retreats, done is the day of toil;
It yonder hastes, new fields of life expl;
Ah, that no wing lift me from the soil
Upon its track to follow, follow s!
A glorious dream! though now the glories fade.
Alas! the wings that lift the mind no aid
Of wings to lift the body bequeath me.
As I uttered these inspiring words the idea came like a flash of lightning and in an instant the truth was revealed. I drew with a sti the sand the diagrams shown six years later in my address before the Ameri Institute of Electrical Engineers, and my panion uood them perfectly. The images I saw were wonderfully sharp and clear and had the solidity of metal and stone, so much so that I told him: "See my motor here; watch me reverse it." I ot begin to describe my emotions. Pygmalion seeing his statue e to life could not have been more deeply moved. A thousas of nature which I might have stumbled upon actally I would have given for that one which I had wrested from her against all odds and at the peril of my existence.
IV. The Discovery of the Tesla Coil and Transformer
For a while I gave myself up eo the intense enjoyment of picturing maes and devising new forms. It was a mental state of happiness about as plete as I have ever known in life. Ideas came in an uninterrupted stream and the only difficulty I had was to hold them fast. The pieces of apparatus I ceived were to me absolutely real and tangible in every detail, even to the minute marks and signs of wear. I delighted in imagining the motors stantly running, for in this way they preseo mind's eye a more fasating sight. When natural ination develops into a passionate desire, one advaowards his goal in seven-league boots. Ihan two months I evolved virtually all the types of motors and modifications of the system which are now identified with my erhaps, providential that the ies of existenanded a temporary halt to this ing activity of the mind.
I came to Budapest prompted by a premature report ing the telephoerprise and, as irony of fate willed it, I had to accept a position as draftsman in the tral Telegraph Office of the Hungarian Gover at a salary which I deem it my privilege not to disclose! Fortunately, I soon woerest of the Ior-in-Chief and was thereafter employed on calculations, designs aimates in e with new installations, until the Telephone Exge was started, when I took charge of the same. The knowledge and practical experience I gained in the course of this work was most valuable and the employment gave me ample opportunities for the exercise of my iive faculties. I made several improvements in the tral Station apparatus and perfected a telephoer or amplifier which was never patented or publicly described but would be creditable to me even today. In reition of my effit assistahe anizer of the uaking, Mr. Puskas, upon disposing of his business in Budapest, offered me a position in Paris which I gladly accepted.
I never fet the deep impression that magic city produy mind. For several days after my arrival I roamed thru the streets in utter bewilderment of the new spectacle. The attras were many and irresistible, but, alas, the ine ent as soon as received. When Mr. Puskas asked me how I was getting along in the new sphere, I described the situation accurately iatement that "the last twenty-nine days of the month are the toughest!" I led a rather strenuous life in what would now be termed "Rooseveltian fashion." Every m, regardless of weather, I would go from the Boulevard St. Marcel, where I resided, to a bathing house on the Seine, pluo the water, loop the circuit twenty-seven times and then walk an hour to reach Ivry, where the pany's factory was located. There I would have a woodchopper's breakfast at half-past seven o'clod then eagerly await the lunch hour, in the meanwhile crag hard nuts for the Manager of the Works, Mr. Charles Batchellor, who was an intimate friend and assistant of Edison. Here I was thrown in tact with a few Ameris who fairly fell in love with me because of my profi billiards. To these men I explained my iion and one of them, Mr. D. ingham, Foreman of the Meical Department, offered to form a stopany. The proposal seemed to me ical ireme. I did not have the fai ception of what that meant except that it was an Ameri way of doing things. Nothing came of it, however, and during the few months I had to travel from oo another pla Frand Germany to cure the ills of the power plants. On my return to Paris I submitted to one of the administrators of the pany, Mr. Rau, a plan for improving their dynamos and was given an opportunity. My success was plete and the delighted directors accorded me the privilege of developing automatic regulators which were much desired.
Shortly after there was some trouble with the lighting plant which had been installed at the new railroad station in Strassburg, Alsace. The wiring was defective and on the occasion of the opening ceremonies a large part of a wall was blown out thru a short-circuit right in the presence of old Emperor William I. The German Gover refused to take the plant and the Frenpany was fag a serious loss. On at of my knowledge of the German language and past experience, I was entrusted with the difficult task of straightening out matters and early in 1883 I went to Strassburg on that mission.
Some of the is in that city have left an indelible record on my memory. By a curious ce, a number of men who subsequently achieved fame, lived there about that time. In later life I used to say: "There were bacteria of greatness in that old town. Others caught the disease but I escaped!" The practical work, correspondence, and ferences with officials kept me preoccupied day and night, but, as soon as I was able to manage I uook the stru of a simple motor in a meical shop opposite the railroad station, having brought with me from Paris some material for that purpose. The mation of the experiment was, however, delayed until the summer of that year when I finally had the satisfa of seeing rotation effected by alternating currents of different phase, and without sliding tacts or utator, as I had ceived a year before. It was an exquisite pleasure but not to pare with the delirium of joy following the first revelation.
Among my new friends was the former Mayor of the city, Mr. Bauzin, whom I had already in a measure acquainted with this and other iions of mine and whose support I endeavored to enlist. He was sincerely devoted to me and put my project bebbr>fore several wealthy persons but, to my mortification, found no response. He wao help me in every possible way and the approach of the first of July, 1919, happens to remind me of a form of "assistance" I received from that charming man, which was not financial but he less appreciated. In 1870, when the Germans ihe try, Mr. Bauzin had buried a good sized allotment of St. Estephe of 1801 and he came to the clusion that he knew no worthier person than myself to e that precious beverage. This, I may say, is one of the unfettable is to which I have referred. My friend urged me to return to Paris as soon as possible and seek support there. This I was anxious to do but my work aiations were protracted owing to all sorts of petty obstacles I entered so that at times the situation seemed hopeless.
Just to give an idea of German thhness and "efficy", I may mention here a rather funny experience. An indest lamp of 16 c.p. was to be placed in a hallway and upoing the proper location I ordered the moo run the wires. After w for a while he cluded that the engineer had to be sulted and this was dohe latter made several objes but ultimately agreed that the lamp should be placed two inches from the spot I had assigned, whereupon the work proceeded. Then the engineer became worried and told me that Ior Averdeck should be notified. That important person called, iigated, debated, and decided that the lamp should be shifted back two inches, which was the place I had marked. It was not long, however, before Averdeck got cold feet himself and advised me that he had informed Ober-Ior Hieronimus of the matter and that I should await his decision. It was several days before the Ober-Ior was able to free himself of other pressing duties but at last he arrived and a two-hour debate followed, when he decided to move the lamp two inches farther. My hopes that this was the final act were shattered when the Ober-Ior returned and said to me: "Regierungsrath Funke is so particular that I would not dare to give an order for plag this lamp without his explicit approval." Accly arras for a visit from that great man were made. We started ing up and polishing early in the m. Everybody brushed up, I put on my gloves and when Funke came with his retinue he was ceremoniously received. After two hours' deliberation he suddenly exclaimed: "I must be going," and pointing to a pla the ceiling, he ordered me to put the lamp there. It was the exact spot which I had inally chosen,
So it went day after day with variations, 9９lib. I was determio achieve at whatever cost and in the end my efforts were rewarded. By the spring of 1884 all the differences were adjusted, the plant formally accepted, and I returo Paris with pleasing anticipations. One of the administrators had promised me a liberal pensation in case I succeeded, as well as a fair sideration of the improvements I had made in their dynamos and I hoped to realize a substantial sum. There were three administrators whom I shall designate as A, B and C for venience. When I called on A he told me that B had the say. This gentleman thought that only C could decide and the latter was quite sure that A alone had the power to act. After several laps of this circulus vivios it dawned upohat my reward was a castle in Spain.
The utter failure of my attempts to raise capital for development was another disappoi and when Mr. Batchellor prest me to go to America with a view of redesigning the Edison maes, I determio try my fortunes in the Land of Golden Promise. But the ce was nearly mist. I liquefied my modest assets, secured aodations and found myself at the railroad station as the train ulling out. At that moment I discovered that my money and tickets were gone. What to do was the question. Hercules had plenty of time to deliberate but I had to decide while running alongside the train with opposite feelings surging in my brain like denser oscillations. Resolve, helped by dexterity, won out in the nick of time and upon passing thru the usual experiences, as trivial as unpleasant, I mao embark for New York with the remnants of my belongings, some poems and articles I had written, and a package of calculatioing to solutions of an unsolvable integral and to my flying mae. During the voyage I sat most of the time at the stern of the ship watg for an opportunity to save somebody from a watery grave, without the slightest thought of danger. Later when I had absorbed some of the practical Ameri sense I shivered at the recolle and marvelled at my former folly.
The meeting with Edison was a memorable event in my life. I was amazed at this wonderful man who, without early advantages and stific training, had aplished so much. I had studied a dozen languages, delved in literature and art, and had spent my best years in libraries reading all sorts of stuff that fell into my hands, from on's "Principia" to the novels of Paul de Kock, ahat most of my life had been squandered. But it did not take long before I reized that it was the best thing I could have done. Within a few weeks I had won Edison's fidend it came about in this way.
The S.S. on, the fastest passeeamer at that time, had both of its lighting maes disabled and its sailing was delayed. As the superstructure had been built after their installation it was impossible to remove them from the hold. The predit was a serious one and Edison was munoyed. In the evening I took the necessary instruments with me a aboard the vessel where I stayed for the night. The dynamos were in bad dition, having several short-circuits and breaks, but with the assistance of the crew I succeeded in putting them in good shape. At five o'clo the m, when passing along Fifth Avenue on my way to the shop, I met Edison with Batchellor and a few others as they were returning home to retire. "Here is our Parisian running around at night," he said. When I told him that I was ing from the on and had repaired both maes, he looked at me in silend walked away without another word. But when he had gone some distance I heard him remark: "Batchellor, this is a good man," and from that time on I had full freedom in direg the work. For nearly a year my regular hours were from 10.30 A.M. until 5 o'clock the m without a day's exception. Edison said to me: "I have had many hard-w assistants but you take the cake." During this period I desigwenty-four different types of standard maes with short cores and of uniform pattern which replaced the old ohe Manager had promised me fifty thousand dollars on the pletion of this task but it turned out to be a practical joke. This gave me a painful shod I resigned my position.
Immediately thereafter some people approached me with the proposal of f an arc light pany under my o which I agreed. Here finally portunity to develop the motor, but when I broached the subjey new associates, they said: "No, we want the arc lamp. We don't care for this alternating current of yours." In 1886 my system of arc lighting erfected and adopted for factory and municipal lighting, and I was free, but with no other possession than a beautifully engraved certificate of stock of hypothetical value. Then folloeriod of struggle in the new medium for which I was not fitted, but the reward came in the end and in April, 1887, the Tesla Electripany was anized, providing a laboratory and facilities. The motors I built there were exactly as I had imagihem. I made no attempt to improve the design, but merely reproduced the pictures as they appeared to my vision and the operation was always as I expected.
In the early part of 1888 an arra was made with the Westinghouse pany for the manufacture of the motors on a large scale. But great difficulties had still to be overe. My system was based on the use of low frequency currents and the Westinghouse experts had adopted 133 cycles with the object of seg advantages iransformation. They did not want to depart from their standard forms of apparatus and my efforts had to be trated upon adapting the motor to these ditions. Another y was to produce a motor capable of running effitly at this frequen two wires which was not easy of aplishment.
At the close of 1889, however, my services in Pittsburg being no longer essential, I returo New York and resumed experimental work in a laboratory on Grand Street, where I began immediately the design of high frequency maes. The problems of stru in this unexplored field were novel and quite peculiar and I entered many difficulties. I rejected the inductor type, fearing that it might not yield perfect sine waves which were so important to resonant a. Had it not been for this I could have saved myself a great deal of labor. Another disciure of the high frequency alternator seemed to be the instancy of speed which threateo impose serious limitations to its use. I had already noted in my demonstrations before the Ameri Institution of Electrical Engihat several times the tune was lost, ating readjustment, and did not yet foresee, what I discovered long afterwards, a means of operating a mae of this kind at a speed stant to such a degree as not to vary more than a small fra of one revolutioweeremes of load.
From many other siderations it appeared desirable to i a simpler device for the produ of electric oscillations. In 1856 Lord Kelvin had exposed the theory of the denser discharge, but no practical application of that important knowledge was made. I saw the possibilities and uook the development of indu apparatus on this principle. My progress was so rapid as to enable me to exhibit at my lecture in 1891 a coil giving sparks of five inches. On that occasion I frankly told the engineers of a defevolved iransformation by the new method, namely, the loss in the spark gap. Subsequent iigation showed that no matter what medium is employed, be it air, hydrogen, mercury vapor, oil or a stream of eles, the efficy is the same. It is a law very much like that g the version of meical energy. We may drop a weight from a certai vertically down or carry it to the lower level along any devious path, it is immaterial insofar as the amount of work is ed. Fortunately however, this drawback is not fatal as by proper proportioning of the resonant circuits an efficy of 85 per t is attainable. Since my early annou of the iion it has e into universal use and wrought a revolution in maments. But a still greater future awaits it.
When in 1900 I obtained powerful discharges of 100 feet and flashed a current around the globe, I was reminded of the first tiny spark I observed in my Grand Street laboratory and was thrilled by sensations akin to those I felt when I discovered the rotating magic field.
V. The Magnifying Transmitter
As I review the events of my past life I realize how subtle are the influehat shape our destinies. An i of my youth may serve to illustrate. One winter's day I mao climb a steep mountain, in pany with other boys. The snow was quite deep and a warm southerly wind made it just suitable for our purpose. We amused ourselves by throwing balls which would roll down a certain distance, gathering more or less snow, aried to outdo one another in this exg sport. Suddenly a ball was seen to go beyond the limit, swelling to enormous proportions until it became as big as a house and pluhundering into the valley below with a force that made the ground tremble. I looked on spellbound, incapable of uanding what had happened. For weeks afterward the picture of the avalanche was before my eyes and I wondered how anything so small could grow to su immense size. Ever sihat time the magnification of feeble as fasated me, and when, years later, I took up the experimental study of meical arical resonance, I was keenly ied from the very start. Possibly, had it not been for that early powerful impression, I might not have followed up the little spark I obtained with my coil and never developed my best iion, the true history of which I'll tell here for the first time.
Not a few teical men, very able in their special departments, but dominated by a pedantic spirit and nearsighted, have asserted that excepting the induotor I have given to the world little of practical use. This is a grievous mistake. A new idea must not be judged by its immediate results. My alternating system of power transmission came at a psychological moment, as a long-sought ao pressing industrial questions, and altho siderable resistance had to be overe and opposing is reciled, as usual, the ercial introdu could not be long delayed. Now, pare this situation with that fronting my turbine, for example. One should think that so simple aiful an iion, possessing maures of an ideal motor, should be adopted at ond, undoubtedly, it would under similar ditions. But the prospective effect of the rotating field was not to render worthless existing maery; on the trary, it was to give it additional value. The system lent itself to erprise as well as to improvement of the old. My turbine is an advance of a character entirely different. It is a radical departure in the sehat its success would mean the abando of the antiquated types of prime movers on which billions of dollars have bee. Under such circumstahe progress must needs be sloerhaps the greatest impediment is entered in the prejudicial opinions created in the minds of experts by anized opposition.
Only the other day I had a disheartening experience when I met my friend and former assistant, Charles F. Scott, now professor of Electrical Engineering at Yale. I had not seen him for a long time and was glad to have an opportunity for a little chat at my office. Our versation naturally enough drifted on my turbine and I became heated to a high degree. "Scott," I exclaimed, carried away by the vision of a glorious future, "my turbine will scrap all the heat-engines in the world." Scott stroked his and looked away thoughtfully, as though making a mental calculation. "That will make quite a pile of scrap," he said, a without another word!
These and other iions of mine, however, were nothing more than steps forward iain dires. In evolving them I simply followed the inborn seo improve the present devices without any special thought of our far more imperative ies. The "Magnifying Transmitter" was the product of labors extending through years, having for their chief object the solution of problems which are infinitely more important to mankind than mere industrial development.
If my memory serves me right, it was in November, 1890, that I performed a laboratory experiment which was one of the most extraordinary and spectacular ever recorded in the annals of Sce. In iigating the behaviour of high frequency currents I had satisfied myself that aric field of suffit iy could be produced in a room to light up electrodeless vacuum tubes. Accly, a transformer was built to test the theory and the first trial proved a marvelous success. It is difficult to appreciate what those strange phenome at that time. We crave for new sensations but soon bee indifferent to them. The wonders of yesterday are today on occurrences. When my tubes were first publicly exhibited they were viewed with amazement impossible to describe. From all parts of the world I received urgent invitations and numerous honors and other flattering is were offered to me, which I deed.
But in 1892 the demands became irresistible and I went to London where I delivered a lecture before the Institution of Electrical Engineers. It had been my iion to leave immediately for Paris in pliah a similar obligation, but Sir James Dewar insisted on my appearing before the Royal Institution. I was a man of firm resolve but succumbed easily to the forceful arguments of the great San. He pushed me into a chair and poured out half a glass of a wonderful brown fluid which sparkled in all sorts of iridest colors and tasted like ar. "Now," he said, "you are sitting in Faraday's chair and you are enjoying whiskey he used to drink." In both aspects it was an enviable experiehe evening I gave a demonstration before that Institution, at the termination of which Lord Rayleigh addressed the audiend his generous wave me the first start in these endeavors. I fled from London and later from Paris to escape favors showered upon me, and jouro my home where I passed through a most painful ordeal and illness. Upaining my health I began to formulate plans for the resumption of work in America. Up to that time I never realized that I possessed any particular gift of discovery but Lord Rayleigh, whom I always sidered as an ideal man of sce, had said so and if that was the case I felt that I should trate on some big idea.
One day, as I was roaming in the mountains, I sought shelter from an approag storm. The sky became with heavy clouds but somehow the rain was delayed until, all of a sudden, there was a lightning flash and a few moments after a deluge. This observatio me thinking. It was mahat the two phenomena were closely related, as cause and effect, and a little refle led me to the clusion that the electrical energy involved in the precipitation of the water was insiderable, the fun of lightning being much like that of a sensitive trigger.
Here was a stupendous possibility of achievement. If we could produce electric effects of the required quality, this whole pla and the ditions of existen it could be transformed. The sun raises the water of the os and winds drive it to distant regions where it remains in a state of most delicate balance. If it were in our power to upset it when and wherever desired, this mighty life-sustaining stream could be at will trolled. We could irrigate arid deserts, create lakes and rivers and provide motive power in unlimited amounts. This would be the most effit way of harnessing the sun to the uses of man. The mation depended on our ability to develop electric forces of the order of those in nature. It seemed a hopeless uaking, but I made up my mind to try it and immediately on my return to the Uates, in the Summer of 1892, work was begun which was to me all the more attractive, because a means of the same kind was necessary for the successful transmission of energy without wires.
The first gratifyi was obtained in the spring of the succeeding year when I reached tensions of about 1,000,000 volts with my ical coil. It was sidered a feat. Steady progress was made until the destru of my laboratory by fire in 1895, as may be judged from an article by T. C. Martin which appeared in the April number of the tury Magazihis calamity set me ba many ways and most of that year had to be devoted to planning and restru. However, as soon as circumstances permitted, I returo the task.
Although I khat higher eleotive forces were attaih apparatus of larger dimensions, I had an instinctive perception that the object could be aplished by the proper design of a paratively small and pact transformer. In carrying os with a sedary in the form of a flat spiral, as illustrated in my patents, the absence of streamers surprised me, and it was not long before I discovered that this was due to the position of the turns and their mutual a. Profiting from this observation I resorted to the use of a high tension ductor with turns of siderable diameter suffitly separated to keep down the distributed capacity, while at the same time preventing undue accumulation of the charge at any point. The application of this principle enabled me to produce pressures of 4,000,000 volts, which was about the limit obtainable in my new laboratory at Houston Street. A photograph of this transmitter ublished in the Electrical Review of November, 1898.
In order to advance further along this line I had to go into the open, and in the spring of 1899, having pleted preparations for the ere of a wireless plant, I went to Colorado where I remained for more than one year. Here I introduced other improvements and refis which made it possible to gee currents of any tension that may be desired. Those who are ied will find some information in regard to the experiments I ducted there in my article, "The Problem of Increasing Human Energy" in the tury Magazine of June, 1900, to which I have referred on a previous occasion.
I have been asked by the ELECTRICAL EXPERIMEo be quite explicit on this subject so that my young friends among the readers of the magazine will clearly uand the stru and operation of my "Magnifying Transmitter" and the purposes for which it is intended. Well, then, in the first place, it is a resonant transformer with a sedary in which the parts, charged to a high potential, are of siderable area and arranged in space along ideal enveloping surfaces of very large radii of curvature, and at proper distances from one ahereby insuring a small electric surface density everywhere so that no leak occur even if the ductor is bare. It is suitable for any frequency, from a few to many thousands of cycles per sed, and be used in the produ of currents of tremendous volume and moderate pressure, or of smaller amperage and immeromotive force. The maximum electrision is merely depe on the curvature of the surfaces on which the charged elements are situated and the area of the latter.
Judgin?99ｌib.g from my past experience, as much as 100,000,000 volts are perfectly practicable. Oher hand ,currents of many thousands of amperes may be obtained ienna. A plant of but very moderate dimensions is required for such performaheoretically, a terminal of less than 90 feet in diameter is suffit to develop aromotive force of that magnitude while for antenna currents of from 2,000-4,000 amperes at the usual freque need not be larger than 30 feet in diameter.
In a more restricted meaning this wireless transmitter is one in which the Hertz-wave radiation is airely negligible quantity as pared with the whole energy, under which dition the damping factor is extremely small and an enormous charge is stored in the elevated capacity. Such a circuit may then be excited with impulses of any kind, even of low frequend it will yield sinusoidal and tinuous oscillations like those of an alternator.
Taken in the narrowest significe of the term, however, it is a resonant transformer which, besides possessing these qualities, is accurately proportioo fit the globe and its electrical stants and properties, by virtue of which design it bees highly effit and effective in the wireless transmission of energy. Distance is then absolutely elimihere being no diminution iensity of the transmitted impulses. It is even possible to make the as increase with the distance from the plant acc to a mathematical law.
This iion was one of a number prised in my "World-System" of wireless transmission which I uook to ercialize on my return to New York in 1900. As to the immediate purposes of my enterprise, they were clearly outlined in a teical statement of that period from which I quote:
"The 'World-System' has resulted from a bination of several inal discoveries made by the ior in the course of long tinued researd experimentation. It makes possible not only the instantaneous and precise wireless transmission of any kind of signals, messages or characters, to all parts of the world, but also the inter-e of the existing telegraph, telephone, and nal stations without any ge in their present equipment. By its means, for instance, a telephone subscriber here may call up and talk to any other subscriber on the Globe. An inexpensive receiver, not bigger than a watch, will enable him to listen anywhere, on land or sea, to a speech delivered or music played in some other place, however distant. These examples are cited merely to give an idea of the possibilities of this great stific advance, whinihilates distand makes that perfeatural ductor, the Earth, available for all the innumerable purposes which human iy has found for a line-wire. One far-reag result of this is that any device capable of being operated thru one or more wires (at a distance obviously restricted) likewise be actuated, without artificial ductors and with the same facility and accuracy, at distao which there are no limits other than those imposed by the physical dimensions of the Globe. Thus, not only will entirely new fields for ercial exploitation be opened up by this ideal method of transmission but the old ones vastly extended. ”
The“World-System”is based on the application of the following important iions and discoveries:
1. The“Tesla Transformer” This apparatus is in the produ of electrical vibrations as revolutionary as gunpowder was in warfare. Currents many times strohan any ever geed in the usual ways, and sparks over one hundred feet long, have been produced by the ior with an instrument of this kind.
2. The“Magnifying Transmitter” This is Tesla's be?99ｌｉb. iion, a peculiar transformer specially adapted to excite the Earth, which is iransmission of electrical energy what the telescope is in astronomical observation. By the use of this marvelous device he has already set up electrical movements of greater iy than those of lightning and passed a current, suffit to light more than two hundred indest lamps, around the Globe.
3. The“Tesla Wireless System” This system prises a number of improvements and is the only means known for transmitting eically electrical energy to a distahout wires. Careful tests and measurements in e with an experimental station of great activity, erected by the ior in Colorado, have demonstrated that power in any desired amount be veyed, clear across the Globe if necessary, with a loss not exceeding a few per t.
4. The“Art of Individualization” This iion of Tesla's is to primitive 'tuning' what refined language is to unarticulated expression. It makes possible the transmission of signals or messages absolutely secret and exclusive both iive and passive aspect, that is, non-interfering as well as non-interferable. Each signal is like an individual of unmistakable identity and there is virtually no limit to the number of stations or instruments which be simultaneously operated without the slightest mutual disturbance.
5. The“Terrestrial Stationary Waves” This wonderful discovery, popularly explained, means that the Earth is respoo electrical vibrations of defich just as a tuning fork to certain waves of sound. These particular electrical vibrations, capable of powerfully exg the Globe, lend themselves to innumerable uses of great importanercially and in many other respects.
The first“World-System”power plant be put iion in nine months. With this power plant it will be practicable to attairical activities up to ten million horsepower and it is desigo serve for as many teical achievements as are possible without due expense. Among these the following may be mentioned:
1. The inter-e of the existing telegraph exges or offices all over the world;
2. The establishment of a secret and non-interferable goverelegraph service;
3. The inter-e of all the present telephone exges or offices on the Globe;
4. The universal distribution of general news, by telegraph or telephone, in e with the Press;
5. The establishment of such a“World-System”of intelligeransmission for exclusive private use;
6. The inter-e and operation of all stock tickers of the world;
7. The establishment of a“World-System”of musical distributioc.;
8. The universal registration of time by cheap clocks indig the hour with astronomical precision and requiring no attention whatever;
9. The world transmission of typed or handwritten characters, letters, checks, etc.;
10. The establishment of a universal marine serviabling the navigators of all ships to steer perfectly without pass, to determihe exact location, hour and speed, to prevent collisions and disasters, etc.;
11. The inauguration of a system of world-printing on land and sea;
12. The world reprodu of photographic pictures and all kinds of drawings or records.
I also proposed to make demonstrations in the wireless transmission of power on a small scale, but suffit to carry vi. Besides these I referred to other and inparably more important applications of my discoveries which will be disclosed at some future date.
A plant was built on Long Island with a tower 187 feet high, having a spherical terminal about 68 feet in diameter. These dimensions were adequate for the transmission of virtually any amount of energy. inally only from 200 to 300 K.W. were provided but I inteo employ later several thousand horsepower. The transmitter was to emit a wave plex of special characteristid I had devised a uhod of telephonitrol of any amount of energy.
The tower was destroyed two years ago but my projects are being developed and another one, improved in some features, will be structed. On this occasion I would tradict the widely circulated report that the structure was demolished by the Gover which owing to war ditions, might have created prejudi the minds of those who may not know that the papers, which thirty years ago ferred upohe honor of Ameri citizenship, are always kept in a safe, while my orders, diplomas, degrees, gold medals and other distins are packed away in old trunks. If this report had a foundation I would have been refunded a large sum of money which I expended in the stru of the tower. On the trary it was ierest of the Govero preserve it, particularly as it would have made possible—to mention just one valuable result—the location of a submarine in any part of the world. My plant, services, and all my improvements have always been at the disposal of the officials and ever sihe outbreak of the European flict I have been w at a sacrifi several iions of miing to aerial navigation, ship propulsion and wireless transmission which are of the greatest importao the try. Those who are well informed know that my ideas have revolutiohe industries of the Uates and I am not aware that there lives an ior who has been, in this respect, as fortunate as myself especially as regards the use of his improvements in the war. I have refrained from publicly expressing myself on this subject before as it seemed improper to dwell on personal matters while all the world was in dire trouble.
I would add further, in view of various rumors which have reached me, that Mr. J. Pierpont Man did not i himself with me in a business way but in the same large spirit in which he has assisted many other pioneers. He carried out his generous promise to the letter and it would have been most unreasoo expect from him anything more. He had the highest regard for my attais and gave me every evidence of his plete faith in my ability to ultimately achieve what I had set out to do. I am unwilling to accord to some small minded and jealous individuals the satisfa of having thwarted my efforts. These meo me nothing more than microbes of a nasty disease. My project was retarded by laws of nature. The world was not prepared for it. It was too far ahead of time. But the same laws will prevail in the end and make it a triumphal success.
VI. The Art of Telautomatics
No subject to which I have ever devoted myself has called for such tration of mind and straio so dangerous a degree the fi fibers of my brain as the system of which the Magnifying Transmitter is the foundation. I put all the iy and vigor of youth in the development of the rotating field discoveries, but those early labors were of a different character. ?Although strenuous ireme, they did not involve that keen and exhausting disment which had to be exercised in attag the many puzzling problems of the wireless. Despite my rare physical endura that period the abused nerves finally rebelled and I suffered a plete collapse, just as the mation of the long and difficult task was almost in sight.
Without doubt I would have paid a greater penalty later, and very likely my career would have beeurely terminated, had not providence equipt me with a safety device, which has seemed to improve with advang years and unfailingly es into play when my forces are at an end. So long as it operates I am safe from danger, due to overwork, which threatens other iors and, ially, I need no vacations which are indispensable to most people. When I am all but used up I simply do as the darkies, who "naturally fall asleep while white folks worry". To veheory out of my sphere, the body probably accumulates little by little a definite quantity of some toxic agent and I sink into a nearly lethargic state which lasts half an hour to the minute. Upon awakening I have the sensation as though the events immediately preg had occurred very long ago, and if I attempt to tihe interrupted train of thought I feel a veritable mental nausea. Involuntarily I then turn to other work and am surprised at the freshness of the mind and ease with which I overe obstacles that had baffled me before. After weeks or months my passion for the temporarily abandoned iiourns and I invariably find ao all the vexing questions with scarcely any effort. In this e I will tell of araordinary experience which may be of io students of psychology.
I had produced a striking phenomenon with my grouransmitter and was endeav to ascertain its true signifi relation to the currents propagated through the earth. It seemed a hopeless uaking, and for more than a year I worked uingly, but in vain. This profound study so entirely absorbed me that I became fetful of everything else, even of my undermined health. At last, as I was at the point of breaking down, nature applied the preservative indug lethal sleep. Regaining my senses I realized with sternation that I was uo visualize ses from my life except those of infancy, the very first ohat had entered my sciousness. Curiously enough, these appeared before my vision with startling distiness and afforded me wele relief. Night after night, wheiring, I would think of them and more and more of my previous existence was revealed. The image of my mother was always the principal figure in the spectacle that slowly unfolded, and a ing desire to see her again gradually took possession of me. This feeling grew s that I resolved to drop all work and satisfy my longing. But I found it too hard to break away from the laboratory, and several months elapsed during which I had succeeded in reviving all the impressions of my past life up to the spring of 1892. In the picture that came out of the mist of oblivion, I saw myself at the Hotel de la Paix in Paris just ing to from one of my peculiar sleeping spells, which had been caused by prolonged exertion of the brain. Imagihe pain and distress I felt when it flashed upon my mind that a dispatch was hao me at that very moment bearing the sad hat my mother was dying. I remembered how I made the long journey home without an hour of rest and how she passed away after weeks of agony! It was especially remarkable that during all this period of partially obliterated memory I was fully alive to everything toug on the subjey research. I could recall the smallest details and the least signifit observations in my experiments and evee pages of text and plex mathematical formulae.
My belief is firm in a law of pensation. The true rewards are ever in proportion to the labor and sacrifices made. This is one of the reasons why I feel certain that of all my iions, the Magnifying Transmitter will prove most important and valuable to future geions. I am prompted to this predi not so much by thoughts of the ercial and industrial revolution which it will surely bring about, but of the humanitarian sequences of the many achievements it makes possible. siderations of mere utility weigh little in the balance against the higher bes of civilization. We are fronted with portentous problems which ot be solved just by providing for our material existence, however abundantly. On the trary, progress in this dire is fraught with hazards and perils not less menag than those born from want and suffering. If we were to release the energy of atoms or discover some other way of developing cheap and unlimited power at any point of the globe this aplishment, instead of being a blessing, might bring disaster to mankind in giving rise to dissension and anarchy which would ultimately result ihro of the hated regime of force. The greatest good will es from teical improvements tending to unification and harmony, and my wireless transmitter is preemily such. By its means the human void likeness will be reproduced everywhere and factories driven thousands of miles from waterfalls furnishing the power; aerial maes will be propelled around the earth without a stop and the sun's energy trolled to create lakes and rivers for motive purposes and transformation of arid deserts into fertile land. Its introdu for telegraphic, telephonid similar uses will automatically cut out the statid all other interferences which at present impose narrow limits to the application of the wireless.
This is a timely topi which a few words might not be amiss. During the past decade a number of people have arrogantly claimed that they had succeeded in doing away with this impediment. I have carefully examined all of the arras described aed most of them long before they were publicly disclosed, but the finding was uniformly ive. A ret official statement from the U.S. Navy may, perhaps, have taught some beguilable news editors how to appraise these annous at their real worth. As a rule the attempts are based on theories so fallacious that whehey e to my notice I ot help thinking in a lighter vein. Quite retly a new discovery was heralded, with a deafening flourish of trumpets, but it proved another case of a mountain bringing forth a mouse.
This reminds me of aing i which took place years ago when I was dug my experiments with currents of high frequency. Steve Brodie had just jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge. The feat has been vulgarized since by imitators, but the first report electrified New York. ?I was very impressiohen and frequently spoke of the daring printer. On a hot afternoon I felt the y of refreshing myself and stepped into one of the popular thirty thousand institutions of this great city where a delicious twelve per t beverage was served which ow be had only by making a trip to the poor aated tries of Europe. The attendance was large and not overdistinguished and a matter was discussed which gave me an admirable opening for the careless remark: "This is what I said when I jumped off the bridge." No sooner had I uttered these words than I felt like the panion of Timotheus in the poem of Schiller. In an instant there andemonium and a dozen voices cried: "It is Brodie! " I threw a quarter on the ter and bolted for the door but the crowd was at my heels with yells: "Stop, Steve!" which must have been misuood for many persons tried to hold me up as I ran frantically for my haven e. By darting around ers I fortunately mahrough the medium of a fire-escape-to reach the laboratory where I threw off my coat, camouflaged myself as a hard-w blacksmith, and started the fe. But these precautions proved unnecessary; I had eluded my pursuers. For many years afterward, at night, when imagination turns into spectres the trifling troubles of the day, I often thought, as I tossed on the bed, what my fate would have been had that mob caught me and found out that I was not Steve Brodie!
Now the engineer, who lately gave an at before a teical body of a novel remedy against statics based on a "heretofore unknown law of nature," seems to have been as reckless as myself when he tehat these disturbances propagate up and down, while those of a transmitter proceed along the earth. It would mean that a denser, as this globe, with its gaseous envelope, could be charged and discharged in a manner quite trary to the fual teags propounded in every elemental text-book of physics. Such a supposition would have been ned as erroneous, evebbr>99lｉｂ?n in Franklin's time, for the facts bearing on this were then well known and the identity between atmospheric electricity and that developed by maes was fully established. Obviously, natural and artificial disturbances propagate through the earth and the air ily the same way, and both set up eleotive forces in the horizontal, as well as vertical, sense. Interference ot be overe by any such methods as were proposed. The truth is this: in the air the potential increases at the rate of about fifty volts per foot of elevation, owing to which there may be a difference of pressure amounting to twenty, or even forty thousand volts between the upper and lower ends of the antenna. The masses of the charged atmosphere are stantly in motion and give up electricity to the ductor, not tinuously but rather disruptively, this produg a grinding noise in a sensitive telephonic receiver. The higher the terminal and the greater the spapassed by the wires, the more pronounced is the effect, but it must be uood that it is purely local and has little to do with the real trouble.
In 1900, while perfeg my wireless system, one form of apparatus prised four antehese were carefully calibrated to the same frequend ected in multiple with the objeagnifying the a, in receiving from any dire. When I desired to ascertain the in of the transmitted impulses, each diagonally situated pair ut in series with a primary coil energizing the detector circuit. In the former case the sound was loud ielephone; iter it ceased, as expected, the two antennae ralizing each other, but the true statics maed themselves in both instances and I had to devise special preventives embodying different principles.
By employing receivers ected to two points of the ground, as suggested by me long ago, this trouble caused by the charged air, which is very serious iructures as now built, is nullified and besides, the liability of all kinds of interference is reduced to about one-half, because of the direal character of the circuit. This erfectly self-evident, but came as a revelation to some simple-minded wireless folks whose experience was fio forms of apparatus that could have been improved with an axe, and they have been disposing of the bear's skin before killing it. If it were true that strays performed sutics, it would be easy to get rid of them by receiving without aerials. But, as a matter of fact, a wire buried in the ground which, ing to this view, should be absolutely immune, is more susceptible to certairaneous impulses than one placed vertically in the air. To state it fairly, a slight progress has been made, but not by virtue of any particular method or device. It was achieved simply by discarding the enormous structures, which are bad enough for transmission but wholly unsuitable for reception, and adopting a more appropriate type of receiver. As I pointed out in a previous article, to dispose of this difficulty food, a radical ge must be made in the system, and the soohis is dohe better.
It would be calamitous, indeed, if at this time whe is in its infand the vast majority, not excepting even experts, have no ception of its ultimate possibilities, a measure would be rushed through the legislature making it a gover monopoly. This roposed a few weeks ago by Secretary Daniels, and no doubt that distinguished official has made his appeal to the Senate and House of Representatives with sincere vi. But universal evidenmistakably s