Spring Break
The Baghdad Battery
By: Aaron Sakulich
Issue date: 4/6/07 Section: Ed-Op
Originally published: 4/6/07 at 8:11 PM EST
Last update: 4/6/07 at 8:10 PM EST
Originally published: 4/6/07 at 8:11 PM EST
Last update: 4/6/07 at 8:10 PM EST
As an engineer, it is rather embarrassing for me to admit that I have no idea how a battery works. My current (that's not a pun) understanding is that under certain conditions, atoms can release electrons, which are apparently both waves and particles. To me, that means they look like yellow ping pong balls that wiggle around a little. Therefore it was with great trepidation that I read of the "Baghdad Battery".
The "Baghdad Battery" is the name given to an object found by Wilhelm Konig. It's a small clay pot, about 5 inches long, that contains a copper cylinder and iron bar. These objects pass through a stopper made of asphalt at the neck of the jar. Nothing more, nothing less.
So how did this little metal-containing bucket get such a grand name? Well, if one were to fill the vessel with an acid (such as some fruit juices) or an akali (such as ashes mixed with water), a chemical reaction would take place that would create electricity. Therefore, the story goes, this jar is a clear example of the first modern battery, created long before those of Count Volta.
If one listens to the UFO enthusiast, their version of the story goes something like this: thousands of years ago, a man in what is now Iraq made the battery. Clearly, such advanced chemistry was beyond the level of knowledge at the time, so he must have been aided by UFOs, Bigfoot, Ghosts, or whatever your favorite paranormal foil is.
The "Battery" is able to produce a piffling current, but many added together could be somewhat powerful, and was therefore used to electroplate jewelry, or could have been used by priests to convince worshippers of their religious power (touching an idol or wand connected to the battery would give one a slight shock, which in ancient times would have been flabbergasting.) Either that, or many of them could be connected together to power a city.
Depending on who you listen to, the scientific community either doesn't care, or is engaged in a conspiracy at the highest levels to cover up evidence that mankind's early ancestors were in contact with spacemen.
The "Baghdad Battery" is the name given to an object found by Wilhelm Konig. It's a small clay pot, about 5 inches long, that contains a copper cylinder and iron bar. These objects pass through a stopper made of asphalt at the neck of the jar. Nothing more, nothing less.
So how did this little metal-containing bucket get such a grand name? Well, if one were to fill the vessel with an acid (such as some fruit juices) or an akali (such as ashes mixed with water), a chemical reaction would take place that would create electricity. Therefore, the story goes, this jar is a clear example of the first modern battery, created long before those of Count Volta.
If one listens to the UFO enthusiast, their version of the story goes something like this: thousands of years ago, a man in what is now Iraq made the battery. Clearly, such advanced chemistry was beyond the level of knowledge at the time, so he must have been aided by UFOs, Bigfoot, Ghosts, or whatever your favorite paranormal foil is.
The "Battery" is able to produce a piffling current, but many added together could be somewhat powerful, and was therefore used to electroplate jewelry, or could have been used by priests to convince worshippers of their religious power (touching an idol or wand connected to the battery would give one a slight shock, which in ancient times would have been flabbergasting.) Either that, or many of them could be connected together to power a city.
Depending on who you listen to, the scientific community either doesn't care, or is engaged in a conspiracy at the highest levels to cover up evidence that mankind's early ancestors were in contact with spacemen.
glenn flanagan
posted 4/08/07 @ 10:09 PM EST
With all due respect, you are correct, but there is a stronger case when you combine this finding with the many similar cases of ancient records of seemingly high tech devices. (Continued…)