# 1920s Death Rays DEBUNKED! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 7, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049 "2003-09-07T05:18:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/21 "2003-09-07T17:52:14Z")
I was wondering if anyone had noticed that I have grown overly fond of saying that as of late. My sincerest apologies. Hi, Opal! ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/22 "2003-09-07T17:53:15Z")
And that Ark leaves a BIG frickin’ bruise! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/23 "2003-09-07T18:03:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BuckleberryFerry \* > \*\*[Indie Jones] Nazis…I _hate_ those guys…[/IJ] \*\* Best line of all three movies. I mean two movies. There was no _Temple of Doom_. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/24 "2003-09-07T19:23:46Z")
Death Rays in the 1890’s ? Of course. Here’s a webpage that discusses research conducted by the Curies on just such a project. [http://www.geocities.com/internet\_web\_surfer\_dude/raydemort.htm](http://www.geocities.com/internet_web_surfer_dude/raydemort.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/25 "2003-09-07T22:18:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny Bravo \* > \*\*Allow me to throw a few quotes at you, for the sake of settling this matter once and for all. > > Chapter 6: The Heat-Ray in the Chobham Road. > > “It is still a matter of wonder how the Martians are able to slay men so swiftly and so silently.” “.Whatever is combustible flashes into flame at its touch, lead runs like water, it softens iron, cracks and melts glass, and when it falls on water, incontinently that explodes into steam.” > > “That night nearly forty people lay under the starlight about the pit, charred and distorted beyond recognition.” > > If that’s not a Death Ray then, by Jove, I don’t know what a Death Ray is! \*\* But again, note that they’re firing HEAT, not DEATH! Sure, heat can still kill you, but it’s different from having a ray that fires death. Or Death. Whatever. I mean, c’mon, look at the chapter title quoted: “The **Heat-Ray** in the Chobham Road,” NOT “The **Death-Ray** in the Chobham Road.” Get your rays straight, man. Jeez! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/26 "2003-09-07T22:32:48Z")
A heat ray causes heat which leads to death. A death ray causes death. Tap dancing causes shin splints. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/27 "2003-09-07T22:41:13Z")
Ah, they’re circa 1000 BC-style Ark of the Covenant powered “Death Rays”. Ah, they’re 1890s-style H.G. Wells inspired Martian “Heat Rays.” Nope, doesn’t have the same nice ring to it. Stick with the 1920s style. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/28 "2003-09-07T23:13:27Z")
Look, those 1920’s-style death rays never really killed anyone. At best, they only tickled. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/29 "2003-09-07T23:17:23Z")
Am I the only one who sees Death Rays as a 1930’s thing? They’re deco all the way. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/30 "2003-09-07T23:19:49Z")
Besides, wouldn’t it be “circa 1500 BCE style Ark of the Covenant Rays” since the Ark was supposed to have built shortly after the exodus? Seems like the Ark plans I saw said right on them “Copyright 1500 BCE.” Yeah, the Jews were time travellers, too. So sue me. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/31 "2003-09-07T23:38:26Z")
People, people. God doesn’t have a _Death_ Ray, he has a _Smite_ Ray. I mean come on, He’s God! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/32 "2003-09-07T23:52:57Z")
Could God create a death ray so big he couldn’t smite with it? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/33 "2003-09-08T01:06:16Z")
The proper paradox is “could God create a Death Ray so powerful that he himself would be vaporized by it?” ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/34 "2003-09-08T03:09:03Z")
I think a 1900’s style “23 Skidoo Ray” would be cool. ---
**Author:** ![dangergene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dangergene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangergene)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/35 "2003-09-08T05:30:43Z")
I don’t know about 1920’s style Death Rays, but I had a 1950’s style Uncle Ray… \ \ ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/36 "2003-09-08T05:55:54Z")
I think Borf had the best one with the futuristic “Infant-O-Ray”. Does anybody have any idea what I’m talking about? \ ---
**Author:** ![dangergene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dangergene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangergene)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/37 "2003-09-08T06:43:04Z")
Horseflesh: none whatsoever, is that like a “teeveedinnert-ray”? \ \ \ ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/38 "2003-09-08T19:15:07Z")
**KidCharlegmagne** Art Deco was OTTOMH born in the teens. The height of it’s popularity was the 20s. By the mid 30’s, it was out of fashion. One of my posts in the Scalar thread deals with Doctor Eule producing the first Art deco death rays during the 20s. **Horseflesh** Again, off the top of my head. I could do a search on Borf. But, I feel this would be cheating. My guess is that you reference - Space Ace. This arcade game was a kind of sequel to Dragon’s lair. Rather than computer generated sprites, DL and SA played short cartoon segments in response to the players actions. When a skeletal claw threatened Dirk the Daring, pressing the fire button at the proper time prompted the screen to display the film of Dirk drawing his sword and smashing the claw. Delaying too long, or attempting anyother action resulted in a scene of Dirk being crushed to death. IIRC Don Bluth was responsible for the animation in both games. I don’t know if he was associated with the saturday morning shows based on them. Dragon’s Lair was far ahead of it’s time in one signifcant way. It was the first arcade game to cost 50 cents instead of 25. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/39 "2003-09-09T05:04:56Z")
**DocCathode** , you are my hero of the moment. It was indeed in the arcade game Space Ace that Commander Borf first fire his deadly Infant-O-Ray. Space Ace differed in two big aspects from Dragon’s Lair: at some junctures you could choose an alternate path and get to play a greatly enhanced section of the “level”, usually as Space Ace instead of the wimpy Dexter. The other was that there were 3 difficulty settings (Cadet, Captain, and Space Ace). They weren’t actually more difficult, but they added in more “levels” or reversed levels to get through and resulted in higher scores. The game ate a lot of my quarters but I made some of it back by having younger kids plunk money into it and play it for them just so they could watch it and usually made a quarter on the deal. And as you said, Don Bluth did do both games. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049/40 "2003-09-09T05:21:57Z")
But…the 1890s death ray is a Martian invention. Obviously, they wouldn’t use the same calander as we would…Perhaps, by their calander, it _is_ a 1920s style death ray. Or, Martian civilization being far older than our’s…it could very well be a _1,000,000 A.D. Style Death Ray!_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1920s-death-rays-debunked/200049.md?page=3)