Writing Time on the Clouds
From the April 1933 Popular Science, a plan to make obsolete the individual wristwatch, at least on cloudy days:
Once engaged in the development of a death ray for possible military use, H. Grindell-Matthews, British inventor, has developed a new gun for projecting light rays. A motor carriage supports the cannon-like projector, which is designed to throw signs upon clouds miles away, and is an improved model of one he demonstrated in New York City not long ago. By inserting a special clock with a transparent face and opaque hands and figures in the projector, the correct time is also thrown on clouds.
[Acknowledgments to Modern Mechanix]
December 4th, 2006 at 4:57 am
any pics of cloud clock?
December 4th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
“Once engaged in the development of a death ray…” is the bestest ever lead-in for an article. Cloud-clocks would not be the expected next step for such an inventor, though.
December 4th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
[...] Oh look! Writing Time on the Clouds, Speaking Backwards: A Case Study, and Alternate Alphabets. [...]
December 4th, 2006 at 4:38 pm
Could this be the origins of the Bat-Signal?
- pj
December 4th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
I have a miniature one in my apartment!
December 5th, 2006 at 9:35 am
How long before this technology gets snapped up by an advertiser?
December 5th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
Speaking of Death Rays…
December 7th, 2006 at 8:03 pm
[...] Also on the subject of light: this is totally awesome. [...]
December 9th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
I wondered about the advertising danger, too. One would think it would have been used within the past seventy years.
Could such advertising be considered light pollution or a public nuisance?