Questioning the surge

Science News, Sept 29, 2007 by Mike York, Josef Heit, D. Castelvecchi

"The Power of Induction" (SN: 7/21/07, p. 40) was written as if this was a newly discovered technology. I have been using an electric shaver with induction recharging for years.

MIKE YORK, PHOENIX, ARIZ.

The ability to project electrical power some distance suggests a possible method to detonate or disable improvised explosive devices.

JOSEF HEIT, WEBSTER, N.Y.

Several readers pointed out that wireless induction already powers various devices, such as cochlear implants. However, Aristeidis Karalis of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) responds that, to the authors' knowledge, all previous applications used induction at distances not substantially larger than the size of coils involved. Second, the MIT invention could in principle shut down the electronics of a bomb detonator, but at no greater a distance than a few meters.--D. CASTELVECCHI