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Re: Telivised "electrocution" via Tesla coil



Original poster: "D.C. Cox" <resonance@xxxxxxxxxx>



Well, as they say --- Hollywood takes "liberties" with their scripts and science usually gets trampeled in the process.

That's why it's important for all of us to volunteer a little time at local schools with our smaller traveling coils and insure the public gets the real side of science.

The rented shark suit, rented at $5K somehow also got up to $15K by the time it made it on the show!!

Dr. Resonance



I agree this could not be good thing in any way for us. Apparently they pulled this off without DC knowing... to quote an old post about this:

"Chris Angel (Mindfreak) program will soon be running the segment he
filmed at our shop last winter for A & E. It should be
"entertaining" if not all factual. See <http://www.aetv.com/>www.aetv.com for dates and
times in your area.


He used the "Big Bruiser" running 1/4 power level and ended up
getting hauled away in an ambulance (faking injury) as part of the
script of which we all had no knowledge.


Dr. Resonance"

It doesnt surprise me that they left resonance research in the dark about the faked electrocution (and it was undoubtedly faked... many of us know what it really looks like to be zapped; his muscle contractions were simply too delayed and not the right reaction).

And gosh, if TV is gonna try to do science, can they at least do it right?! Im sick of hearing about *voltage* flowing through people. Is there some reason they cant use proper terminology? And why must they always make numbers bigger and bigger... i think i recall the "weather expert" when talking about lightning go from "100 million volts" up to "1 billion volts" over the course of the show. I suppose we all realize that the tesla coil was not producing 3 million volts. I dont get it, would stating the real number (say 600kV) just sound too lame? Not that most people even have a concept of what voltage is, never mind a concept of current. And then when you visit the A&E website, i think it quotes "4,000,000 volts" Wow, up to 4MV now! people will be sure to watch then!

Steve Ward

On 9/15/05, Tesla list <<mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Original poster: "Scott Hanson" <<mailto:huil888@xxxxxxxxxxxx>huil888@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


Tonight on A&E's Criss Angel show, there was a segment featuring a large
Tesla coil (provided by one of the list members) and a performer wearing a
chain mail "shark suit" being struck by the "three million volt" discharge
from the Tesla coil. At the highest power level, "something went wrong", and
the performer was (apparently) rendered unconscious by the discharge. The
paramedic crew jumped into action, provided oxygen and rushed the
unconscious performer to the hospital emergency room with ambulance siren
blaring and lights flashing, where he was initially diagnosed as possibly
suffering from "permanent nerve damage".

Now any or all of this may have been faked for the camera, but for the
average TV viewer the clear message was that Tesla coils are EXTREMELY
dangerous devices. Certainly large Tesla coils DO present dangers to
operators and bystanders, but portraying Tesla coils as electrocution
devices on prime time TV might be considered irresponsible, regardless of
how much one is paid by the network. Once Tesla coils have been perceived as
"dangerous devices" (legal term) by the general public and law enforcement,
a whole new window of opportunity opens for the restriction of Tesla coil
possession and operation.

Don't consider this wild speculation. Most of us are probably familiar with
the PVC pipe "potato cannons" powered by a squirt of hair spray or a few
drops of lighter fluid. The BATF specifically excludes these from the
official definition of a firearm, so you might think that building or
possessing one of these devices is "safe". However, local police
jurisdictions apparently have the power to define "dangerous devices". I
personally know of a case in California where a compressed-air powered
potato launcher was seized by police and the owner/builder successfully
prosecuted for possession of a "dangerous device", resulting in a FELONY
CONVICTION.

Don't think that in the worst case it couldn't happen to Tesla coils.

Scott Hanson