书城传记特斯拉自传
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第31章 关于自动遥控的艺术(3)

如我之前所提到的那样,我在大学期间曾构想了一种不同于现在的飞行器。它的基本原理是很好的,但却未能付诸实践,因为它需要一种超大功率的发动机。近年来,这一问题已被我成功解决了。我正计划造一种飞机,它没有机翼、副翼、螺旋桨以及其他外部附件,能够以极快的速度飞行,在不久的将来,它极有可能为人类和平提供巨大帮助。这种飞机完全通过反作用力来实现持续推动,既能用机械方式,又能用无线方式来控制。安装适当的装置便能够将这种导弹发射到空中,使其非常精确地击中可能位于数千英里外的目标。

但我们不会就此止步。远程自动机具有巨大的开发潜力,甚至能实现智能化,它们的问世将掀起一场革命。早在1898年,我就向一个大型制造业的代表提议建造一种自动运输的装置,它能够自己执行包括判断在内的各种各样的操作。但当时我的建议被认为是荒诞的而未被接受。

目前,许多有头脑的人正试图防止理应结束的可怕冲突再次发生。然而,我在1914年12月20日的《太阳报》上发表的一篇文章就已准确预测了这些过程和主要问题。拟定成立的国际联盟并不能起到补救的作用,相反,许多聪明的人认为它带来的可能是负面的影响。尤其可悲的是,一种惩罚性政策被用于和平条款的确立,因为几年后,国家再不可能采用军队、军舰、枪支来作战,取而代之的是更可怕、毁灭性更强、杀伤力几乎涵盖了所有范围的武器。敌人可以在任何距离摧毁一座城市,地球上的任何力量都不能阻止他这么做。如果我们想避免这样的灾难发生,不忍地球变成地狱,那我们就应该刻不容缓地、不惜一切人力和物力地推动飞行器和无限能量传输的发展。

VI.The Art of Telautomatics

No subject to which Ihave ever devoted myself has called for such concentration of mind and strained to so dangerous a degree the finest fibers of my brain as the system of which the Magnifying Transmitter is the foundation.Iput all the intensity and vigor of youth in the development of the rotating field discoveries,but those early labors were of a different character.Although strenuous in the extreme,they did not involve that keen and exhausting discernment which had to be exercised in attacking the many puzzling problems of the wireless.Despite my rare physical endurance at that period the abused nerves finally rebelled and Isuffered a complete collapse,just as the consummation of the long and difficult task was almost in sight.

Without doubt Iwould have paid a greater penalty later,and very likely my career would have been prematurely terminated,had not providence equipt me with a safety device,which has seemed to improve with advancing years and unfailingly comes into play when my forces are at an end.So long as it operates Iam safe from danger,due to overwork,which threatens other inventors and,incidentally,Ineed no vacations which are indispensable to most people.When Iam all but used up Isimply do as the darkies,who "naturally fall asleep while white folks worry".To venture a theory out of my sphere,the body probably accumulates little by little a definite quantity of some toxic agent and Isink into a nearly lethargic state which lasts half an hour to the minute.Upon awakening Ihave the sensation as though the events immediately preceding had occurred very long ago,and if Iattempt to continue the interrupted train of thought Ifeel a veritable mental nausea.Involuntarily Ithen turn to other work and am surprised at the freshness of the mind and ease with which Iovercome obstacles that had baffled me before.After weeks or months my passion for the temporarily abandoned invention returns and Iinvariably find answers to all the vexing questions with scarcely any effort.In this connection Iwill tell of an extraordinary experience which may be of interest to students of psychology.

Ihad produced a striking phenomenon with my grounded transmitter and was endeavoring to ascertain its true significance in relation to the currents propagated through the earth.It seemed a hopeless undertaking,and for more than a year Iworked unremittingly,but in vain.This profound study so entirely absorbed me that Ibecame forgetful of everything else,even of my undermined health.At last,as Iwas at the point of breaking down,nature applied the preservative inducing lethal sleep.Regaining my senses Irealized with consternation that Iwas unable to visualize scenes from my life except those of infancy,the very first ones that had entered my consciousness.Curiously enough,these appeared before my vision with startling distinctness and afforded me welcome relief.Night after night,when retiring,Iwould think of them and more and more of my previous existence was revealed.The image of my mother was always the principal figure in the spectacle that slowly unfolded,and a consuming desire to see her again gradually took possession of me.This feeling grew so strong that Iresolved to drop all work and satisfy my longing.But Ifound it too hard to break away from the laboratory,and several months elapsed during which Ihad succeeded in reviving all the impressions of my past life up to the spring of 1892.In the next picture that came out of the mist of oblivion,Isaw myself at the Hotel de la Paix in Paris just coming to from one of my peculiar sleeping spells,which had been caused by prolonged exertion of the brain.Imagine the pain and distress Ifelt when it flashed upon my mind that a dispatch was handed to me at that very moment bearing the sad news that my mother was dying.Iremembered how Imade the long journey home without an hour of rest and how she passed away after weeks of agony!It was especially remarkable that during all this period of partially obliterated memory Iwas fully alive to everything touching on the subject of my research.Icould recall the smallest details and the least significant observations in my experiments and even recite pages of text and complex mathematical formulae.