Re: Tesla Coils & Ball Lightning

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Malcolm Watts" <m.j.watts@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Chris,
          Taking a close look.......

On 1 Aug 2005, at 18:51, Tesla list wrote:

> Original poster: "Chris Rutherford" <chris1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Hi,
>
> If you look through Teslas work there are many references to 'balls of
> fire'.  First hand evidence is p111 CSN p333 CSN and patent 1,119,732.
> Dec. 1, 1914.  Why would a phenomenon be so frequently described if it
> did not exist?
>
> In which he says his coil is designed to stop break out.  "if the
> points of maximum pressure should be shifted below the terminal D,
> along coil B, a ball of fire might break out and destroy the support F
> or anything else in the way.

He says "...might...". He doesn't say it "will" or it "has". So he
has not definitively established that such an event has or will
happen. I still think his statements are speculative.

 For the better appreciation of the nature
> of this danger it should be stated, that the destructive action may
> take place with inconceivable violence. "

Here he says "may". He hasn't at this point even established that
"destructive action" is possible let alone certain.

> Do you think he really means a 'ball of fire' or is he talking about a
> more generic flash over resulting in a fireball type mess?

Who knows? He doesn't exactly spell it out. Moreover, if one takes at
least some eyewitness accounts of ball lightning at face value, and
taking into account that there is far more energy behind lightning
events than has ever been put into manmade sparks, it would appear
unlikely that his speculation re the destructive nature of manmade
fireballs if they exist or can be produced is true.

Malcolm