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De Jaen jiggers a handle on top of the gray box, which tilts the glass to and fro.

De Jaen crouches to fiddle with alligator clips and bits of wire, as well as six 100-watt light bulbs and a purple gizmo that looks like an electric waffle iron designed for children.

Autumn, who has been working on a machine that resembles a large lathe — a ringer, which generates telephone rings — passes De Jaen and the rectifier.

We watch De Jaen fiddle — connecting and disconnecting wires, periodically tilting the glass oblongs to see whether anything happens.

About an hour later, De Jaen and the rectifier have attracted a small crowd of volunteers, all eager to see whether the thing will ignite.