Surprising Science — March 24, 2014

The Amazing, Singing Tesla Coil

Electrical engineering maestro Steve Ward, then a college student in Illinois, programmed this Tesla coil in 2007 so that each spark sounds like a musical note. In this now classic video, Ward shows off a stunning demonstration, which launched a new instrument now called the “zeusaphone” or the “singing Tesla coil.”

Whatever it’s called, it created quite a sensation. Singing Tesla coils were featured in the 2010 Disney film The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and in a 2011 live performance by Björk.

The video explains some of the science behind it:

This is a solid-state Tesla coil. The primary runs at its resonant frequency in the 41 KHz range, and is modulated from the control unit in order to generate the tones you hear.

Image credit: Malfet/Flickr

Microscopic image of a small electronic component with clear details of its structure and connections against a gray background.

The Future

Making microbots smart

What would it take to create a truly intelligent microbot, one that can operate independently?

A philosophers' interpretation of a man's joyous life depicted through the painting of him holding a globe.

Thinking

4 philosophers on how to live a happy life

From Taoism to hedonism, philosophers have devised all sorts of ways to live your best life.

A striking view of a blue planet, similar to earth, seen from space with part of its surface illuminated by sunlight against a starry background.

13.8

A new theory for how oceans form on other worlds

Explore how the study of exoplanets is transforming our understanding of ocean formation.

A collage of various international banknotes featuring portraits of historical figures.

The Learning Curve

How scientific thinking can fix collaboration in a mixed-up world

A physicist, a psychologist, and a philosopher walk into a bar and discuss a framework for thinking better in the 21st century.

Starts With A Bang

Not a constant: The Hubble “constant” changes over time

The Universe is expanding, and the Hubble constant tells us how fast. But how can it be a constant if the expansion is accelerating?

Up Next

Surprising Science

What Does Ancient Wine Taste Like?

There’s a reason why the French are the masters of making wine. The earliest evidence of wine-making discovered in France dates back to 425 BC. The French have had time […]