# 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:** 34
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/661 "2003-09-15T01:09:29Z")
Well, that eliminates the products of Consolidated Death Rays, as they have (and I would know, as I just was out firing one from 1957) a “Snizlebac” sound. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/662 "2003-09-15T01:52:42Z")
**VernbWinterbottom** if there is a fnord sound on tape, then there must have been at least two death-ray shooters. As you are well aware, a fnord is the sound of a _misfiring_ death-ray. GQ maybe you can answer this. Based on what we know about the range of a Beeblebroxian Death-ray, what other locations would allow for the proper trajectory for that head shot on Kennedy. And where there any movements of heavy equipment reported in the 2 to 6 mile range at the time? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/663 "2003-09-15T02:22:20Z")
There were no accounts of movements of heavy equipment, and, as I recall, the only logical place (other than the book depository) would have to be somewhere in mid-air. (And, no, there is no “Snizlebac” sound on the tapes.) In addition, to respond to an off-board request, there now follows the career of Dr. Hobbes: 1904: BS, Harvard 1906: MS, Ohio State 1908-1909: Assistent professor, Ohio State 1909:PhD, Ohio State 1909-1921: Professor of Electronics, Ohio State 1917-1919: Lt., US Army, Ordinance Department 1921-1926: Professor of Lab Sciences, Ohio State 1925-1926: Deputy Chairman of the Science Department, Ohio State 1926-1929: Professor of Applied Sciences, Ohio State 1929-1942: Professor of Physics, Ohio State 1931-1942: Chairman of the Science Department, Ohio State 1942-1944: Chairman of the Board of Experiemental Weapons, United States Government 1944-1945: Undersecretary of War, United States Government 1945-1946: Harvey Schottmeyer 1893 Lecturer on Modern Science, Columbia University 1946-1950: Professor of Physics, Ohio State 1946-1949: Chairman of the Science Department, Ohio State 1949-1950: Deputy Dean, Ohio State 1950-1967: Professor Emertus of Physics, Ohio State 1950-1951: Comptroller, Ohio State 1951-1953: Dean, Ohio State 1953-1967: Private Consultant and Lecturer, Various governments, colleges, and death ray manufactorers. ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/664 "2003-09-15T05:22:49Z")
We walked into a friend’s house in San Francisco. Seeing me, he lept up and said “wait, wait, I got something somewhere… here!” He held up a small grey cubelike affair with cooling fins, large black ceramic magnets, and trailing wires. I exclaimed in delight “Hey, a death ray!” He said “Yeah! Point your microwave oven out your car hood at all the cop radar guns in the distance.” PS “THEY” also experiment with effing big microwave ovens aimed out across the desert testing grounds at poor innocent PC laptops and digital watches: [Pulsed High-power Microwave Weapon (HPM)](http://www.eskimo.com/~bilb/freenrg/empweap.html) ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/665 "2003-09-15T05:44:16Z")
News update from Transylvania Polygnostic University: Increased funding for Dept. of Death-ray Physics [http://www.studiofoglio.com/tpu/news/news\_04.html](http://www.studiofoglio.com/tpu/news/news_04.html) ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/666 "2003-09-15T12:57:21Z")
How come when I Google “1920`s style Death Rays”, all I get is this Drivel? [Drivel the first.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=207977) [Drivel number B.](http://www.livejournal.com/community/sdmb/129821.html) What gives? Some people clearly have too much time on their hands. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/667 "2003-09-15T19:55:36Z")
[aside] **MonkeyMule** , you do know the Moderators prefer you only include your sig line once per thread, yes? Just thought I’d mention it. [/aside] Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/668 "2003-09-15T23:44:58Z")
BTW, I just found out that the suits against Standard Death Rays (mentioned earlier in the thread) have been dropped, so that ought to please **Tuckerfan**. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/669 "2003-09-15T23:48:33Z")
Oh, one more thing, **Monkeymule** : there’s always the chance that it was _intended_ to use a death ray on JFK, but, to misfiring, they had to resort to “Plan B” instead. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/670 "2003-09-16T00:13:26Z")
Surprisingly enough, I have just discovered photographs of the only Cadillac Hearse equiped with a 1920’s style death ray! [Here](http://www.carthedral.com/gallery.html) you can see the weapon being energized for firing. [Here’s](http://www.carthedral.com/new%20photo%20gallery/image3.html) a shot of researchers studying the effect of a blast from the death ray. It looks to me, based on the amount of glow coming from the target area, that they were seriously overdriving the unit when they fired it. [Here’s](http://www.carthedral.com/newpics/DSC00665%202.jpg) a closeup shot of the rear emitter (apparently it’s _both_ a forward firing and rear firing unit, didn’t know that was possible with such a compact unit). Sadly, I can’t seem to find any images of the death rays in operation. Of course, with the proliferation of digital cameras that’s to be expected, since they’re generally affected by the radiation leakage so common with many death rays. Oh, **GQ** , is there any truth to the rumors that the lawyers who were bringing the suits against Standard Death Rays have mysteriously disappeared? I heard that at least one of them, Steve Dallas, was seen to be going into his office, but when one of his clients entered, they found only a smouldering pile of ash in his chair. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/671 "2003-09-16T00:34:21Z")
Shouldn’t be, as I was just on the phone with Mr. Dallas, and two other lawyers involved in the Standard Death Ray suits, Limeul “Action” Jackson, and Ben Stone. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/672 "2003-09-16T00:59:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Governor Quinn \* > \*\*Shouldn’t be, as I was just on the phone with Mr. Dallas, and two other lawyers involved in the Standard Death Ray suits, Limeul “Action” Jackson, and Ben Stone. \*\* Where was Harvey Birdman? IIRC, he was hired by Standard Death Ray to be their defense attorney in the suit. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/673 "2003-09-16T01:22:49Z")
He had to catch a crosstown bus, and I can’t reveal why I talked to those lawyers. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/674 "2003-09-16T02:42:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Governor Quinn \* > \*\*He had to catch a crosstown bus, and I can’t reveal why I talked to those lawyers. \*\* Ah ha! I suspected as much, well, don’t worry, I don’t think that the police will be too interested in this case. It seems that the Standard Death Ray have just signed a rather **large** contract with the occupants a certain five-sided building near Washington DC, if you know what I mean. \ ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/675 "2003-09-16T11:11:21Z")
syar htaed ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/676 "2003-09-17T00:17:35Z")
syar-htaed elyts s’0291 rieht hha ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/677 "2003-09-17T03:09:44Z")
yeV vO ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/678 "2003-09-17T13:14:36Z")
Oh, by the way, it was the Treasury Department that wanted… Oops! ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/679 "2003-09-17T23:58:36Z")
Just an update, here. **zhlf210** , who made the OP on August 5, has stll not made another post to the boards since that date. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-scalar-weapons-for-real/192879/680 "2003-09-18T00:00:51Z")
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