"Back in the spring, Dr. Tesla was able to achieve readings on his transformer of up to a million volts. It does not take a prophet to see where this is headed. He is already talking in private about something he calls a 'World-System,' for producing huge amounts of electrical power that anyone can tap in to for free, anywhere in the world, because it uses the planet as an element in a gigantic resonant circuit. He is naïve enough to think he can get financing for this, from Pierpont, or me, or one or two others. It has escaped his mighty intellect that no one can make any money off an invention like that. To put up money for research into a system of free power would be to throw it away, and violate—hell, betray—the essence of everything modern history is supposed to be."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Dr. Tesla"
Being that Scarsdale Vibe is such a comic book villain with a comic book villain name, Dr. Tesla simply sounds like a super hero. Which he totally was and, I imagine, Pynchon will continue to make him look more and more like one. Because I think, at least so far, Pynchon is really going for a comic book flavor with this book.
"of up to a million volts"
That's an actual lot in 1893 and not some Dr. Evil hilariously too low number, right? I'm only asking because I'm dumb. The only thing I know about electricity is that if your Crossbow arcade game isn't working right and you're holding the trigger, you can touch another piece of metal and get a somewhat pleasant low level shock run through you. Maybe it was just that one machine at the 7-Eleven by the house where I grew up and not all of the machines. Remember, I'm dumb so I don't know how science works.
"does not take a prophet"
"It doesn't take a prophet to see we can't make a profit with Tesla," is what Scarsdale Vibe should have said. I mean, he says it. But not like a comic book villain would have with a nice pun and a tweak of his waxed mustache.
"He is already talking in private"
If it's in private, how does Scarsdale know about it?! He must employ spies working for Tesla!
"a 'World-System,' for producing huge amounts of electrical power that anyone can tap in to for free"
Not just a hero but a socialist as well! That should be expected. In comic books, all super heroes are socialist in that they almost never charge for their heroics. And all comic book villains are capitalists because how else did they get all that money to build that evil lair in which they could hire lots of henchmen for low wages without health insurance to help them build a huge and expensive laser that can destroy the moon? "But why would they destroy the moon?" you might ask. For profit! Duh!
"uses the planet as an element in a gigantic resonant circuit"
Here's what I can find on the Internet when I search for "resonant circuit for dumbies":
"A resonant circuit is formed when a capacitor and inductor (coil) are in parallel or in series. The two circuit elements will block or pass a single specific frequency out of a divers mix. For this reason, resonant circuits make possible radio and TV transmission and reception and perform many other useful tasks."
Well, that explains that! I'm so glad I understand it now! Of course that's why they make TV and radio possible! Duh! So obvious! Now imagine if the Earth were a resonant circuit! We would have like a million more television shows, right?!
"He is naïve enough to think he can get financing for this"
This is why the government should fund experiments in science and technology. Because science and technology should make the world a better place for everybody, not just for the investors who then have a right to own it and partial it out to only people who can pay the exorbitant prices charged for access to it.
"Pierpont"
John Pierpont Morgan. A rich American bastard who exploited loads of people and stole ungodly amounts of money from the general economy. Eventually in 1900, J.P. Morgan does invest in Tesla because Scarsdale Vibe doesn't know as much as he thinks he knows! Except maybe he does because J.P. Morgan invests in Tesla to build a better telegraph system and Tesla immediately decided to work on the free power deal instead. Morgan, as Vibe notes, realized he couldn't make any money on owning 51% of free power and killed the deal, the selfish rich bastard. He had so much money but he could only invest in things that made him more money? What a jerk. Morgan died peacefully at the age of 76 because there is no God.
"It has escaped his mighty intellect that no one can make any money off an invention like that."
It has escaped Scarsdale's mighty intellect that not all people are selfish twats and so maybe profit isn't their only concern. But then again, Scarsdale has the kind of thinking you'd find in the brain of a modern Conservative in which only profit matters and life must be earned. So free energy has two faults: it doesn't make any money and it freely gives people something they, apparently, don't deserve.
"To put up money for research into a system of free power would be to throw it away, and violate—hell, betray—the essence of everything modern history is supposed to be."
People who think they're smart actually believe crap like this. They believe only profit motivates. They believe only competition can improve a system. They believe money invested for the betterment of mankind is money wasted. They believe modern history is made by rich and powerful men who make decisions based on numbers and not people. Maybe that's true. Maybe that is what modern history is and maybe to try anything else is to betray modern history. But if that's the case, I'm ready to fucking betray it. As Huck Finn said, "All right, then, I'll go to hell."
