Re: Stop the nonsense

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Paul Nicholson by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <paul-at-abelian.demon.co.uk>

Hi Terry,

> "Longitudinal waves" do really exits in microwave devices and pipe
> organs as well as many other situations. 

but not in electromagnetics. The transverse polarisation of EM
waves originates with the spin of the photons which mediate the
field. This is not negotiable, except by introducing a new kind
of quanta.

> The definition does get "twisted" a bit when it comes to Tesla
> coiling.

'twisted' is an understatement!

>  There is no stretch of new physics involved with the basic
> concept. 

There's no physics associated with the concept, new or old.  Its
just plain cranky.

> Some of the atomic level stuff did sound "strange" to me

Sounded complete gibberish to me.

> Admittedly, one is going to have a heck of a time making
> longitudinal waves with a wavelength of a mile with a device a few
> feet across.  But a flat secondary machine is the right idea at
> least in the very near field.

You might just as well say that a flat secondary will generate 
green colored fairies (when suitably tuned, but only I know how
to do that, and I'm not saying 'till my patent goes through, and
anyone who disagrees has been brainwashed by a narrow-minded 
education).

> Flat secondaries were studied extensively by Tesla but modern data
> or experiments with them is practically none existent.

Sure, if someone's doing meaningful work with flat secondaries you
can expect me to be right in there with them, giving my full support.

> However, if they are actually doing experiments or tests with
> real hardware, they have gone to a far higher level. 

Or a deeper hole...and I wouldn't like to see the list dragged down
Keelynet fashion, with them.  I don't see anyone setting about
exploring the properties of flat coils with an open mind, instead,
I see a half baked pseudoscientific notion foisted onto an otherwise
rational list.  Harmless you may say?  But it dilutes and weakens the
real work which goes on here.

> The key is that there IS something to judge other than pie in the
> sky talk.

Oh, I hadn't noticed.  

> Ideas that were right survived and flourished, ideas that were
> wrong were forgotten in an instant

I wish that were the case, but it doesn't happen by itself, it
requires a determined effort - aka science: critical assessment of
new ideas for rational self-consistency and compatability with
established concepts, followed by testing against reality by
observation and experiment.

> I cannot "judge" the "truth" of posts. That is everyone elses
> problem :-)

Well said!  We wouldn't want you to take on the role of a religious
thought police.  But I think you would be justified in restraining
some lines of discussion:  From the home page of www.pupman-dot-com, 

: Topics such as the Tunguska explosion, free energy, anti-gravity,
: etc. are not discussed. 

This simple clause makes the pupman list into a truly valuable and
precious resource for the coil builder and theorist.  By bringing
enthusiasts together into a rational forum, great progress has been
made in our understanding of TCs.  My admiration for the work of this
list and its contributors is the reason why I'm so bothered by this,
we have a little island of sanity in which real progress can be made,
and I wouldn't like to see it submerged.

Anyway, I've made my point, and I do understand where you're coming
from - all on the list would agree I'm sure that your moderation is
fair and magnanimous, and the superb quality of this list is a 
direct consequence.  

> So the present thread will continue

OK, I'll play. Can I propose we name the new longitudinal wave quanta
'balonyons'?

Best Regards,
--
Paul Nicholson
--