BOFH: The London Underground vending machine conspiracy

Time for a true story!

So, back in college, I studied Physics under a wonderful guy who was teaching as a sideline (his main job was as a research scientist for a large local company). He told me this tale (paraphrased since it was a few years ago):

"So I was giving a speech about careers in Physics at a high school in central Michigan, and I had some free time before the event. I was relaxing in the main hallway when a bunch of A/V club types wheeled a huge dolly covered in speakers and electronics into a corner. While I watched, they set up their gear and pointed the speakers at the school principal's office, way off down the hallway."

"They plugged in their gear and started fiddling with it. It didn't make any noise, but it seemed to be vibrating like hell. Far off down the hall, the windows of the principal's office seemed to be rumbling, almost shaking. One of the kids said 'yeah, yeah, that's it!'. I tried to get closer to see what they were doing, but they gave me a weird look and hustled off down the hallway."

"I forgot about it until the next morning, when there was an article in the local paper about how every single window in the high school had been shattered the previous night. The only clue the police had was a white van driving around the neighborhood, but nobody had seen anyone doing anything, and there was no evidence about how the windows were broken."

"I wish I'd talked to them! Man I'd like to build one!"

He was my favorite professor. Best! Physics! Teacher! Ever!

@@underground

yes.... And there was beer in those Japanese vending machines too... And hot coffee when waiting the full 1 minute for the next train to arrive. Good times indeed. :-)

The Sandia z-pinch...

...produces mostly X-rays, which wouldn't have much effect on electronic devices. Something with more EMP-generating power could well affect, possibly destroy, microchips, especially CMOS.

I can't say whether you'd ever get anything small enough to carry with you that could do serious damage, but... what the hell. Allow a bit of poetic licence here (or perhaps, poetic larceny).

What I'd *really* like to get hold of or make is a jammer for cell phone for those twits who insist on using them in restaurants and other places where I like my quiet.

Paris connection: she has a cell phone.