# Are scalar weapons for real? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 4, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879 "2003-08-04T12:50:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![patchbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@patchbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/patchbunny)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/41 "2003-08-05T21:20:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zhlf210 \* > \*\*Apologies if this has been done before - I tried searching the archives but came up with zilch. Is there a) any real science behind these fabled WMD and b) any evidence of anyone having made a working prototype? I tried google but all I could find was a bunch of UFO crank sites…hope I haven’t answered my own question! \*\* The fact that you can’t find anything reputable should answer most of your quesitons right there. Other than debunking web pages, I believe crank sites are all you’re _going_ to find for this stuff. AFAIK, scalar weapons are based upon ideas of Nicoli Tesla’s, and are currently in use by the HAARP program in Alaska. They’ve been busy lately, what with shooting down the Columbia space shuttle and all. –Patch ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/42 "2003-08-05T22:00:24Z")
Just out of curiosity, what are they _supposed_ to do, and how is it better than a conventional rifle? ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/43 "2003-08-06T00:07:37Z")
They can have my 1920’s style death ray when they pry it form my cold, dead fingers. ---
**Author:** ![jmizzou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/edb3f5/32.png) [@jmizzou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmizzou)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/44 "2003-08-06T00:15:24Z")
Ah, they’re 1920’s style “Wreath Days”. Oh, what a minute. That’s Christmas. ---
**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:** [August 6, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/45 "2003-08-06T00:30:19Z")
Personally, I prefer my deathrays 50s style. It’s the fins. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/46 "2003-08-06T03:44:29Z")
so what’s up with the 1920’s style “Death Rays”? they’re multi-firing or something? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/47 "2003-08-06T04:17:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\*Just out of curiosity, what are they _supposed_ to do, and how is it better than a conventional rifle? \*\* Let me add some signal to the noise here. They’re thought to be a various combination of things. The idea is that it’s a “tunable” weapon, i.e. you’ve got one really massive thing that can do a variety of jobs. There’s the possibility for over-the-horizon radar, weather manipulation, creating an “atmospheric shield” to cause incoming nukes to detonate before they reach their targets, subterrainian radar, and the capability to cause earthquakes. Mind you, I’m _not_ claiming that it can do all or even any of these things, only reporting what the “experts” say about them. As you can see, such a weapon would beat a conventional rifle in a lot of circumstances, hands down. Want to invade a country? Cause an earthquake or hurricane in the target country to “soften it up” before you send in the troops. The best part is, it looks completely natural, so no one suspects that you’re behind it. Even better, you can destablize a country without ever firing a shot. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/48 "2003-08-06T04:25:12Z")
so just how is that better than say a 1920’s style “Death Rays”? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/49 "2003-08-06T08:18:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\*“Flapper Zappers.” \*\* Round of applause. Brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/50 "2003-08-06T10:49:20Z")
I think (memory’s hazy, I could well be wrong) that Patrick Moore’s book on weird ideas, _Can You Speak Venusian?_, mentions various Tesla/Matthews style Death Rays submitted to the War Office as the perfect way to beat Hitler at the outset of World War II. I do remember a comment on one of them: “if you could get a German soldier to stand directly in front of it, perfectly still, for 24 hours, wearing a copper waistcoat, it would make him feel pretty seedy.” (This would be at the start of the Second World War, so, a 1930s-style death ray.) ---
**Author:** ![smam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@smam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smam)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/51 "2003-08-06T11:59:00Z")
I am assuming the OP is referring to 1920’s stlye " death rays " IIRC these were death rays that were used circa the 1920’s. Cecil never talked about 1920’s style death rays _ **HERE.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Kegg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Kegg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kegg)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/52 "2003-08-06T12:13:38Z")
When you people get going, you are realy, realy good! * * * Spelling and grammer subject to change with out notice!! ---
**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:** [August 6, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/53 "2003-08-06T13:52:13Z")
On A More Serious Note- I remain glad that the Greyfaces have consistently voted against allowing deathrays to become an accepted part of reality. As an EtherPsychologist, I have participated in various projects relating to the development of an human-amity-induction-and-amplification-projection-unit. A more simple name would be love ray. A friend once showed a complete history of weapons. The book began with implements of bone and flint. It ended with multiple warhead ICBMs. The book weighed several pounds. I doubt they missed anything in our long struggle to kill eachother. But, developing a better way to kill ensures that your enemies(and your potential enemies, and your allies realizing that they may also become your enemies) do the same. Even if one group were to obliterate all the others, it finds itself worrying about enemies from within. ``` It's the -gry problem. As long as you focus on finding another word that ends in -gry, you will never succeed. But once you see what the real question is, the answer is obvious. There is no other -gry. The third word in the English language is "language". Building bigger guns, nukes, and deathrays is looking for the other -gry. The real answer is the Love Ray. The target doesn't die or suffer harm of any kind. He becomes cheerful and friendly. Instead of killing each other, soldiers embrace in joy and brotherhood. Defeating the enemy is impossible. There are no longer enemies to be defeated. Completion is, at best, decades away. But we've made a lot of progress. There was a time when flying machines and organ transplants were just pipe dreams. The day will come. Love will unmake war. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/54 "2003-08-06T17:29:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DocCathode \* > **The real answer is the Love Ray. The target doesn’t die or suffer harm of any kind. He becomes cheerful and friendly. Instead of killing each other, soldiers embrace in joy and brotherhood.** Hey, I have one of these. It’s called a “bong.” ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/55 "2003-08-06T18:22:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by confessorknight \* > \*\*Struck by this I was considering having “Death Ray Matthews” as my user-name. \*\* You were struck by one of these Death Rays? You must be really old. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/56 "2003-08-06T18:25:46Z")
Ummm…and if Hitler had this “love ray”? ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/57 "2003-08-06T19:07:14Z")
Let me add some noise to the signal here. Has anyone mentioned they appear to be 1920’s style “Death Rays”? 😛 ---
**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:** [August 6, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/58 "2003-08-06T19:15:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\*Hey, I have one of these. It’s called a “bong.” \*\* One of my colleagues had the same reaction. I refrain from recreational drug use. So he selflessly volunteered and endured hours of hooka smoking so that we could take measurements of both his body and his non-corporeal-consciousness-field. The first prototype Love Ray was partially successful. However, it caused paranoia and some spatial disorientation. Additionally, it was largely ineffective against targets who did not have high enough levels of certain “substances” in their bodies. ---
**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/59 "2003-08-06T20:34:11Z")
Here’s a few articles posted on-line about Scaler weapons. If we can discuss this seriously for a moment, do any of you have enough physics/Telsa background to confirm if this stuff is at least theoretically possible? kinda old: [http://www.prahlad.org/pub/bearden/scalar\_wars.htm](http://www.prahlad.org/pub/bearden/scalar_wars.htm) more recent: [http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk/doom\_weapons\_1.htm](http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk/doom_weapons_1.htm) ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/60 "2003-08-06T21:54:53Z")
Well, the first link is plugging Tom Bearden, who’s a well known “free energy” kook. His lingo may appear impressive to non-physicists, but it reads as gibberish to the more knowedgable in the subject. The second is basically lumping together a few known technologies, some speculative research, some standard paranoid misunderstandings, various rumours and some unverifiable venerable historical chestnuts. That they’re according rather a lot of weight to the investigations into the subject by Aum Shinrikyo says a lot; members of doomsday cults tend not to be known for their scientific skepicism. But they appear to be lovers of the idea of a 1920’s “Death Ray”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879.md?page=4)