Feynman Batteries

Feynman Batteries represent one of the most closely guarded technological secrets in Horizon City—a revolutionary energy storage system that powers the entire dome while being disguised as conventional flywheels to avoid international scrutiny and regulation.

Technical Principles

Named after the legendary physicist Richard Feynman, these devices operate on principles that push the boundaries of quantum physics and general relativity. As explained by Jack, a ToxPower technician:

"A rather bright scientist in our RnD department had been tasked with the job of increasing the efficiency of our excess power storage, and had reached what he thought were the theoretical limits of his equations where the additional increase in precision would no longer yield the same gains in efficiency. He was experimenting with new ways to use high-energy colliders to increase transfer efficiency when he came up with the idea of using the collider to go beyond the theoretical limit."

The core innovation of Feynman Batteries involves accelerating two particles to such high energies that they gain enough mass to generate their own gravitational field. When these particles orbit each other at sufficient speeds, they create a self-sustaining system that can store enormous amounts of energy with virtually no loss.

Technical Operation

The Feynman Battery consists of several key components:

1. Containment Vessel: A twelve-foot high metal canister with multiple redundant containment systems
2. Particle Accelerator: Initially used to bring the particles to the required energy levels
3. Magnetic Containment Field: Controls the spinning particles using precisely calibrated magnetic fields
4. Laser Energy Extraction System: Extracts energy by passing laser beams near the event horizon of the gravitational field

The energy extraction process is described by Jack:

"What you do is use the power you have to shine a laser real close to the rotating mass inside. They gotta line it up so it just misses the event horizon where the light would get sucked in. The effects of gravity speed up the laser, sapping momentum from the mass. That sped up laser now has more energy, and it pumps heat back into the turbine on the other side of that wall."

This process effectively converts the rotational energy of the particles into usable power through gravitational acceleration of light—a process that defies conventional thermodynamics by appearing to create energy, when in fact it is extracting it from the quantum vacuum.

Historical Development

The Feynman Batteries were developed approximately fifty years before the events of "Weapon," making them contemporaneous with the early construction of Horizon City. They were created as a solution to the limitations of geothermal power:

"The site was initially a geothermal power plant in 2038, trying to take advantage of the natural thermal vents in the area. They drilled a quarter mile into the rock and installed high-temperature pipes leading to tanks at the bottom made from a proprietary meta-material comprised of titanium, tantalum, nickel, and tungsten."

As the geothermal resources began to deplete, ToxPower needed an alternative energy source. Benjiro Takahashi, who had already revolutionized construction with his programmable metamaterials, applied his genius to the energy problem. Using his advanced understanding of quantum physics and his ability to solve previously unsolvable equations, Benjiro developed the theoretical framework for what would become the Feynman Batteries.

The implementation of his theories by ToxPower's R&D department provided not just a solution but a technological leap that ensured Horizon City's energy independence for centuries. This technology represents one of Benjiro's most significant contributions to Horizon City, though like many of his innovations, its true nature remains hidden from most citizens.

Security and Secrecy

The existence of Feynman Batteries is one of Horizon City's most closely guarded secrets, known only to:

• The Horizon City Board
• High-level ToxPower executives and select technicians
• The Horizon Justice Force leadership

The technology is disguised as conventional flywheels to avoid scrutiny from international regulatory bodies, particularly the United Nations, which classifies such high-energy devices as banned weapons. As Jack explains:

"The UN concerns itself with banned weapons, and that includes anything energetic enough to explode and make a mess of things."

This deception extends to elaborate cover stories and restricted access to the ToxPower facility, with special security protocols for the rare UN inspection teams that visit.

Potential Dangers

Despite their efficiency and reliability, Feynman Batteries represent an existential threat if containment were ever breached. When asked about the consequences of containment failure, Jack responds:

"What I can guess is terrible things. Stuff that should not happen under any circumstances, like turning the Earth into a second star."

This catastrophic potential explains the extreme security measures and the involvement of the Horizon Justice Force in protecting the technology. The batteries have multiple redundant safety systems:

"They built so many backups into it you could bend one in half and it would maintain containment."

However, the fact that Inspector Sharp is killed by what appears to be a containment breach in one battery suggests that these safety measures are not infallible.

Economic and Political Implications

The Feynman Batteries represent more than just an energy source—they are the foundation of Horizon City's economic and political independence. By providing virtually unlimited energy, they enable the city to operate as a self-contained entity free from external energy dependencies.

The technology has also spawned numerous secondary innovations:

"Magnetic vacuum bearings, atomic leveling systems, ultra-dense, and ultra-lightweight building materials, and inevitable actuators. They used to be trade secrets in RnD, now they are our bread and butter."

These spin-off technologies have become major revenue sources for ToxPower, demonstrating how even classified technology can drive economic growth through its derivatives.

Ethical Considerations

The existence of Feynman Batteries raises profound ethical questions:

1. Risk vs. Benefit: Is the risk of catastrophic failure justified by the benefits of energy independence?
2. Informed Consent: Do the citizens of Horizon City have a right to know about the potentially world-ending technology beneath their feet?
3. International Responsibility: Does Horizon City have an obligation to share this technology with the world, despite the risks?
4. Power Concentration: How does control of such technology concentrate power in the hands of the Horizon City Board?

These questions remain unresolved, as the technology continues to operate in secrecy, known only to a select few who make decisions on behalf of millions of unwitting citizens.

Legacy and Future

As of the events in "Weapon," the Feynman Batteries have been operating for approximately fifty years with an expected lifespan of four hundred fifty years. This longevity ensures Horizon City's energy independence for generations to come, but also locks the city into dependence on a technology that few understand and even fewer control.

The discovery of this technology by Akiko and her subsequent rise to power on the Horizon City Board suggests that knowledge of the Feynman Batteries represents a form of leverage that can reshape the power dynamics of the entire city—demonstrating that in Horizon City, information about technology can be as powerful as the technology itself.