VISIONS OF THE FUTURE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4318, 29 March 1901, Page 3

VISIONS OF THE FUTURE

Mr-Nikola Tesla, in-an interview with a representative of Laffan’s Agency, describes the results of his recent experiments. He says:

“Parallel with the developments of my machinery for the production of • powerful effects I have also perfected novel methods for detecting feeble electrical actions, which I feel confident will be of great importance in a number of lines of scientific research. To 1 illustrate the efficacy of my latest methods I need only say that, where as with finely adjusted Hertzian appliances a lightning discharge can be detected at a distance of only 300 miles at the furthest, with my methods it is easy to observe the effect at a distance of 1100 miles. It was while investigating feeble electrical actions transmitted through the earth ; that I made observations which , were most gratifying to me. The Chief among these was the observation of certain feeble' electrical disturbances which could barely be noted at times, and whose character showed they were neither of: solar origin nor produced by any causes known to me on the globe. What could they be? I thought incessantly of this for months until finally I have arrived at the'conviction, amounting almost to the knowledge, that they must be of planetary origin. It seems to me that only men absolutely stricken with blindness can hold that the earth is the sol© planet inhabited by intelligent beings. , I have perfected my transmitting -apparatus to the extent that I can undertake to construct a machine which without a doubt will be full/ competent to convey sufficient ehergv to Mars to operate delicate appliances suChvas are used here; for instance,; delicate telephone and telegraph instruments. Since we ourselves are so far advirriced, it "is unreasonable' to believe in the possibility that of the twenty to twenty-five planets of the solar

system, one if not ™re may be ahead of us in evolution? When there are the heat of the sun and moisture life must originate, must go on developing, as a stone must fall to the earth. Wuh improved means of investigating, we shall soon be able to find out whether these disturbances I have noticed aie indeed what I feel they must be. The time lias arrived for the electrician to join the astronomer in the -explanation of neighbouring worlds. With regard to my work on other lines, which I have been carrying on simultaneously, the progress is most satisfactory. I hope that electrical energy will soon be turned to the uses of-man in a way and lor purposes that will surpass in importance everything that has hitherto been done.