Tesla is studying ultrasound. "Telegeodynamics". Is it possible to weaken the earthquake? Case in the laboratory.

During experiments with high-voltage currents - up to several million volts - conducted in the laboratory at Houston Street, 46, there were powerful discharges. These were artificial lightning, the study of nature and behavior of which Tesla paid much attention. His plans stretched far: he dreamed of conquering lightning, making these powerful discharges of atmospheric electricity perform useful work, tame nature. Tesla saw in dreams, as in the distant future this terrible and destructive phenomenon will serve man.

At every thunderstorm, he demanded to open wide the windows of the office, usually both day and night tightly closed and drawn by black curtains. But in a thunderstorm, especially at night, he liked to stand alone by the open window, peering at the raging elements (in "fiery deeds in the sky," as he said). The power of the storm attracted and inspired the scientist, and he applauded the most powerful lightning strikes.

In the laboratory on the Hauston Street, Tesla resumed his experiments with a mechanical oscillator, the first sample of which died during a fire, and built several instruments that made it possible to obtain mechanical oscillations of supersonic frequency. Every morning he switched on his oscillators and watched as they responded consistently to fluctuations in the frequency of a part of the laboratory building. When the frequencies of the oscillator coincide with the frequency of their own oscillations, the vibration reached appreciable, and sometimes dangerous values.

In a short time, Tesla found that using ultrasound (i.e., mechanical oscillations of the supersonic frequency) one can act on predetermined objects and evoke in them certain actions. Of particular importance was the discovery by him of the possibility, with the aid of the weakest oscillations, maintained continuously, to produce very strong disruptions, as soon as the frequencies of these oscillations resonate with the proper oscillations of the intended object. In this case, the effect of directional oscillations does not affect other objects possessing other frequencies of natural oscillations. The discovery of this phenomenon, the so-called selective resonance, was of great importance for the practical application of ultrasound.

"Telegeodynamics" - this is what Tesla called the science of the possibility of ultrasonic transmission of powerful jolts through the earth to obtain destructive actions at considerable distances. A little later he expanded the range of this science, showing how you can use ultrasound to find distant objects, search for minerals, discover submarines. His predicted use of ultrasound was confirmed later.

In the memoirs of Tesla's biographers, one can find many curiosities connected with his research in this field.

Once Tesla conducted the usual tests of the action of his mechanical oscillator. Gradually increasing the number of oscillations, he observed how the water pipe first responded to them, then for a very short period of time - the walls of the building, after which the fluctuations moved to an area that did not cause resonance in the laboratory itself. Tesla continued the experience, but soon began to feel the vibration of the whole building and instinctively felt the danger threatening him. It was not possible to hesitate, and the shutdown of the oscillator, which operated from the compressed air tank, required several minutes. Without thinking twice, Tesla grabbed a heavy hammer and struck the oscillator. At the same moment policemen burst into the laboratory and stopped in bewilderment, seeing the famous scientist breaking a complex device. Tesla was no less surprised by the appearance of the police: the vibration of the building had barely begun, and it could hardly have been the reason for their visit to the laboratory. However, soon everything turned out. For a long time the oscillator's effect caused fluctuations of some buildings in the neighborhood, among them there was a police station. Concerned about the incomprehensible phenomenon, the policemen headed to Haston Street, 46, correctly assuming that these fluctuations were caused by some experience of Tesla, well known to him by the unusual lightning flashing in his laboratory.

Another curiosity is connected with Mark Twain's name. Experimenting with the oscillator, Tesla discovered some physiological effects of vibration and constructed a special platform, the vibrations of which were unusually invigorating to the person standing on it. Once Tesla suggested Mark Twain to experience the action of this vibrating platform. Twain was amazed.

"How it gives strength!" I feel that I'm younger! He exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Enough, Samuel, get off." It will end badly, "Tesla recommended with a smile.

- Oh no. Not for anything in the world, "the famous writer objected resolutely. - I feel better and better. Why do you want to deprive me of this pleasure? No, even with a crane you can not take me away from here so soon.

"Remember, Samuel, I warned you that it's time to get off."

"No, dear Nicola, a little more," but Twain said these words no longer so confidently.

Then he quickly jumped off the platform and half-asked, half-demandingly asked:

"Tesla, where is this?"

"Right, the little door in the corner," laughed the inventor. "Do not forget only that I warned you ..."

Tesla was very proud of the ultrasound devices he had created: the therapy could be used to treat many gastric diseases, poisoning and in a number of other cases. As is known, the treatment with vibration and ultrasound is widely used at present in medicine. It is time to expand the experiment, to bring it out of the laboratory to the vastness of natural conditions. Only the lack of funds prevented Tesla.

During these years, his financial difficulties were especially great. Ended 100 thousand dollars, provided in due time by Pierpontom Morgan through Adams. Ended and 10 thousand, donated by the famous mining engineer John Hamond in gratitude for the idea of ​​a "mechanical dog." The loan that was given to him by his friend Greyford, the shareholder of the company "Fancy goods", was also expended. Of course, Tesla could have huge resources if he began to demand from various firms using his patents, the reward he owed him. But he considered it unworthy of a scientist.

All of Tesla's life was a continuous alternation of ups and downs. He himself said that his life "was an unceasing transition from the agony of failure to the bliss of success."

Prone to attribute this to his unlucky fate, Tesla did not yet understand the whole tragedy of the scientist with his views on the tasks of science living in the capitalist world. The agonies of failure were due to the lack of a solid material base, and the rare-rare days of blissful success depended on the favor of magnates of excessively overgrown monopolies. Only their interests are the development of technology in the world. Only them!

But Tesla understood all this only many years later.