Death ray

The concept of a death ray, a theoretical weapon using particle beams or electromagnetic energy to destroy life or objects, emerged in the 1920s and 1930s. Inventors like Guglielmo Marconi, Nikola Tesla, Edwin R. Scott, Harry Grindell-Matthews, and Antonio Longoria claimed to have developed such weapons. While some demonstrated limited models, none produced fully functional death rays during this period. The U.S. military continued seeking such technologies into the 1950s.

During World War II, Germany and Japan pursued death ray projects. German physicist Rolf Widerøe's device was captured by U.S. forces in 1945, while Japan developed a microwave-based weapon called "Ku-Go." Tesla famously described his "teleforce" as particles that could deliver immense energy from afar, proposing it as a defense mechanism.

Modern military applications include directed-energy weapons like the U.S. Navy's Laser Weapon System (LaWS), deployed in 2014. The concept has also influenced science fiction, appearing in early novels such as Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy's *The Garin Death Ray* and evolving into iconic sci-fi elements like Star Wars' rayguns.

In summary, the death ray concept emerged in the early 20th century, with various inventors attempting to develop it. While never fully realized historically, its influence persists in modern technology and science fiction.