THE DEATH RAY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 August 1924, Page 14

THE DEATH RAY.

IS IT A POSSIBILITY? “Except one or two short gaps in tone and length, we have a knowledge of the whole scale of rays,” Sir Richard Gregory, president-elect, stated at the congress of the South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies. Sir Richard was discussing Mr. GrindellMattheWs’ invention, and in an interview with a representative of the London Observer explained hi s statement fully. “lii the case of music,” lie said, “the range of vibration comprehended by the human ear as music extends from about 32 vibrations a second to about 32,000 vibrations a second. These vibrations are, of course, in hearing transmitted by waves in the air, but the limits of the range are those stated.

“There can obviously be vibrations much above 32,000 a second, but though these may exist around us, vet to the ear they have no existence. The cry of a bat, for example, cannot be heard by many people because it is too high a note—that is, too rapid a rate of vibration. Some ani_ mals, like cats, can, however, hear vibrations of a higher pitch than those which affect human ears, and it is possible that such creatures, or insects, such as ants, may be producing sounds continuously, and thus by communicating with each other, though these sounds can never be heard directly by human beings. “In the case of' light the vibrations are not in the air, but in the ether which surrounds it and permeates everything. But here, also, the waves extend from very short waves continuosuly to the longest waves known, just as in sound the pitch increases continuously from the lowest note to the highest. And just as on the keyboard of a piano you have a series of octaves, so in light there is a similar, but much longer, series, of which the lowest notes or longest waves used for broadcasting, which may be hundreds of .metres in length up the highest light tones, or shortest waves represented by X-ravs. There are about sixty octaves, of which only a single octave is visible to human vision, extending from its lowest visual note, represented by red light, to the highest, represented by violet light. There is now no definite gap in this range of vibration producing" ray s of different kinds from the wireless waves to the X-rays. Therefore the first question a physicist would ask Mr GrindellMat thews is : ‘What is the wave length of the rays hawing the particular properties claimed by him?” We should certainly regard it as of extreme scientific importance if he can show that he has extended the range of ethereal vibration known to physical science, or has discovered new properties of any vibrations within this range.” Apparently the rays produced "by him are produced by electric action or high tension currents; hut we have had no reason to believe that such rays are new. and any physicist should be able to produce them as well. Any physicist would be prepared also with an engine of his own to stop that engine by means of a beam of rays at a distance of a few yards. Such a demonstration i s interesting, but would attract more wonder in a music hall than in a scientific laboratory.

“The possibility of stopping an engine at a distance of a couple of miles cannot be dismissed. The only question is as to the pi’oduction of sufficient electric power to do this, and it s transmission through the air. But, assuming that this could be done at once, it is the easiest thing in the world to screen a magneto or engine of any kind from such external action. To assume, therefore, that Mr. Grindell-Matthews’ rays could be used to protect an area from aeroplanes or airships by interference with the magnetos or engines is to disregard the obvious-precautions that :oul(l he taken against any such interference.”