talkmagic.co.uk

This is amazing stuff. I can't wait for it to become available.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8165928.stm

One Word: TESLA

He was the first to suggest that energy could be sucked out from nothingness...sort of.


I nearly forgot... induction power has been around in a very primitive form, for decades. It is one of the things that allowed Marvin Roy (Mr. Electric) to make his act possible.

About time, too! I'm surprised this technology wasn't invented sooner. Well, at least some bright spark (geddit?) has come up with it now.

Looks like I'm out of a job!!

Craig is right. Tesla was working on this in the twenties. Also, this is the technology that has been used for years to charge electric toothbrushes.

TonyB wrote:Craig is right. Tesla was working on this in the twenties. Also, this is the technology that has been used for years to charge electric toothbrushes.

You forgot the really neat version of it... walking across wool rugs and carpet and zapping the hell out of your kid brother

Craig Browning wrote:

TonyB wrote:Craig is right. Tesla was working on this in the twenties. Also, this is the technology that has been used for years to charge electric toothbrushes.

You forgot the really neat version of it... walking across wool rugs and carpet and zapping the hell out of your kid brother

Wasn't it Tesla in The Prestige?

=?

A_n_t wrote:Wasn't it Tesla in The Prestige?

Yup but he looked remarkably like David Bowie to me....

I think it's my favourite Bowie performance. Finally playing a complete character, and not just David Bowie in a wig.

I believe he does a cracking Phil Cornwell.

A_n_t wrote:Wasn't it Tesla in The Prestige?

In the TV series Sanctuary he's a vampire. His alleged death in 1943 was faked...

Barry

Mandrake wrote:

A_n_t wrote:Wasn't it Tesla in The Prestige?

Yup but he looked remarkably like David Bowie to me....

Wow, I never realised it was Bowie. Must learn to pay more attention, I was the same with the scientist in Independence Day, someone had to tell me it was Data.

=S

A_n_t wrote: Wow, I never realised it was Bowie

Here y'go!

Bowie as Tesla

This system works by sending AC current through a transmission coil. They're talking about a range of 100 feet. My back-of-the-envelope calculation says that implies a frequency of about 10MHz. This is classed as high frequency, not low frequency as the article incorrectly states (great journalism!). The coil transmits electromagnetic energy into the surrounding area as per any transmitter. However, below a distance of 1 wavelength, most of the energy is expressed as magnetism (this is called the "near field"). If you place a coil of exactly the same spec as the transmitting coil within a single wavelength from the transmitter, it will absorb some of that magnetic field. But being the same spec, it will also resonate causing electrical energy to build up, like vibrations building in a wine glass or the Tacoma Bridge.

In radio engineering, this is called the Tesla Effect. High frequency wireless power transmission is obviously completely different to walking across a carpet, which is simply the build up of a static charge in your body. Touching someone with a better earth connection simply discharges you.

Thanks for the explanation Tomo, I wondered how it works. So, it's the frequency range that determines the distance it can travel?

Wishmaster wrote:Thanks for the explanation Tomo, I wondered how it works. So, it's the frequency range that determines the distance it can travel?

Yes, the frequency determines the space from the transmitter occupied by the near field (anything under one wavelength). Being less than one wavelength from the transmitter gets you lots of lovely magnetic energy to convert back to electricity in the receiving coil. The wavelength calculation is actually simple: wavelength = velocity/frequency, where velocity is the speed of light (about 300,000,000m/s in a vacuum).

This is real magick to me. Magick that really works!