Philadelphia Experiment Legend Model

experimentNo. 0048categoryHistory & trainingrecordingpendingdataCC BY 4.0

In a model of the legend, the fly stands aboard a destroyer escort as experimental coils energize, a green field closes around the ship, and the vessel disappears, rematerializes in another harbor and returns with crew embedded in its steel.

Setup

• Seven seekable stages over 114 seconds: moored ship, generator spin-up, the green field, disappearance, another harbor, return and power-down.
• On return, crew flies remain lodged in the deck, hull and bridge bulkhead, with independently moving forelegs.
• Seven cameras, including three close views of the embedded crew and a view of both harbors.
• Scene selector, previous/next, speed, loop and timeline controls; a replay control starts as the field closes.

Measurement

• Retinal-only live acquisition; the shared fly, neuron identities and fixed weights are unchanged.
• Disappearance, fog, electrical arcs and crew positions follow a pre-programmed timeline.

Limitations

• A model of a legend, not a documented Navy event; the Naval History and Heritage Command reports no documentary support for the alleged event.
• Ship proportions and escort geometry are approximations; the coils, fog and teleportation are rendered effects with no documentary support.

Sources

• Naval History and Heritage Command, Philadelphia Experiment