The one thing that you could never accuse Tesla of
was being overly modest. He claimed that as early as 1898 he'd
developed an electromechanical oscillator about the size of an alarm
clock that could apply minute taps at such a rate that it could
shatter a two-inch thick link of chain in short order. With the
same device, he claimed that he'd nearly brought down a steel-framed
building and that he could destroy the Brooklyn bridge inside of half
an hour. In later years he asserted that he had a pocket version
that could disintegrate the Empire State Building faster than you
could say "cartoon super villain."
Of course, this
was small beer compared to his great scheme. Tesla said (in
public, mind!) that he could set up vibrations in the Earth sufficient
to split the planet "like an apple." He conceded that this might
take several months, but he could at least peel the Earth's crust away
like an orange rind (again with the fruit metaphors) in a couple of
weeks and that would do for the human race quite nicely, thank you.
Enough's as good as a feast, I suppose.
