# I would like a serious answer about "1920s style death rays" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 24, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447 "2003-09-24T01:32:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/1 "2003-09-24T01:32:03Z")
Please, Please, Please read the Subject! I tried searching the board for an answer, but since “ray” is only 3 letters, it won’t give any kind of results. What is the origin of the “1920s-style death rays” comments (especially over in that dang “scalar” thread)? I remember when “All your base belong to us” swept through the bulliten board communities - I found out fairly soon where that came from. However, for the life of my, I have no idea where this new “catchphrase” came from, and am really wondering. Again, please, please, please, can I only get serious answers to this OP? critter42 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/2 "2003-09-24T01:36:53Z")
My guess is that the _spark_ was the phrase ‘it’s a 1920s style death ray’ being repeated a few times by one doper, then again by different dopers. Someone refered to a ‘mistake’ in the OP as the spark. The only mistake I saw was a person assuming a ‘death ray’ might be a real thing (like those cool things in ‘Minority Report’) ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/3 "2003-09-24T01:38:58Z")
It all started in the “scalar” thread you mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/4 "2003-09-24T01:41:03Z")
It started in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202225). Open at your own peril. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/5 "2003-09-24T04:37:36Z")
An early poster double-posted a comment about 1920’s Style Death Rays and the next guy repeated it. Then a herd mentality took over. Sort of like how World War I started but on a smaller scale. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/6 "2003-09-24T04:54:22Z")
Ah, they are 1920’s style “Death Rays.” ---
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/7 "2003-09-24T05:41:47Z")
must…resist… ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/8 "2003-09-24T09:36:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Paul in Saudi \* > \*\*Sort of like how World War I started but on a smaller scale. \*\* At least WWI was over four years later. Unfortunately the death rays will stick forever. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/9 "2003-09-24T10:39:43Z")
They should make this a sticky on every forum. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/10 "2003-09-24T10:45:23Z")
If Neville Chamberlain was interested in the topic, here is what he may have said: > [@](#): > > “My good friends, for the first time in SMDB’s history, a poster has returned from Germany bringing 1920’s Style Death Rays . I believe it is 1920’s Style Death Rays for the rest of our time…Go home and get a nice quiet sleep.” ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/11 "2003-09-24T11:05:07Z")
When cow orkers sing filk or read pron, they should be shot with 1920’s-style death rays. ---
**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:** [September 24, 2003, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/12 "2003-09-24T11:25:33Z")
[list=1] [li]_Is it_ a 1920’s Style Death Ray?[/li][li]Would you _like_ a 1920’s Style Death Ray?[/li][li]Hi **Opal**![/li][li]FNORD! The Illuminati have armed their Alien Grey Assassins with 1920’s Style Death Rays![/li][/list=1] ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/13 "2003-09-24T11:34:40Z")
1. Son og God 2. Og smash 3. Manny people 4. Fucko off 5. Gotcha ya 6. ItShut Up 7. Conversate 8. I Burning Your Dog. ---
**Author:** ![brainfizz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/da6949/32.png) [@brainfizz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainfizz)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/14 "2003-09-24T11:59:32Z")
OK… a serious answer about 1920’s style death rays… The Ministry of Defence in England in the 1920’s was getting worried about activity in Germany, specifically the claim that they had invented a “death ray”. They put a call out to all scientists to try to come up with a similar ray/beam/pulse/whatever that could injure a sheep from 100 yards away. No such device was successfully demonstrated. However, this did enable Sir Robert Watson-Watt to use his knowledge of radio waves to invent radar, which pretty much enabled us not to lose the Battle of Britain. So, as ridiculous as they may seem, the MOD putting funds aside for this and then spending them on a “radio wave reflection device” may be the only reason we’re not speaking german… ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/15 "2003-09-24T12:33:58Z")
It’s what happens when a memory of the aforementioned British research collides with a slow connection and multiple hits on the “Submit Reply” button. ---
**Author:** ![quothz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/da6949/32.png) [@quothz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quothz)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/16 "2003-09-24T14:51:06Z")
Bill’s Wife: I will have to speak to the funeral director. I think I want my money back. Bill’s Corpse: Gotcha Ya! Friend of Bill: Just in case, take my 1920’s-style death ray with you. (Apologies to Eva.) (And the OP.) (Actually, apologies to everybody.) ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-a-serious-answer-about-1920s-style-death-rays/203447/17 "2003-09-25T03:16:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Paul in Saudi \* > \*\*Sort of like how World War I started but on a smaller scale. \*\* No, Paul, that would have been 1910s-style death rays.