The Disintegration Machine
"The Disintegration Machine" is a science fiction short story by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. It was first published in The Strand Magazine in January 1929. The story centres on the discovery of a machine capable of disintegrating objects and reforming them as they were. This short story is a part of the "Challenger series", a collection of stories about the wealthy eccentric adventurer Professor Challenger. Plot summary Professor Challenger, a big burly man, is arguing with people who are persistently calling him on the telephone when his young friend Malone, a reporter for The Daily Gazette, enters and requests Challenger accompany him to inspect the discovery of Theodore Nemor, who claims to have invented a machine capable of disintegrating objects. Skeptical of the invention, Challenger accepts Malone's proposal and accompanies him to the house of Nemor. At first Nemor offers to disintegrate Challenger and put him back together to demonstrate the machine, but Malone convinces Challenger that should the machine fail to restore him, his scientific work would go unfinished, and thus Malone nominates himself to be disintegrated. Malone is successfully disintegrated and put back together and Challenger then undergoes the same treatment. As punishment for Challenger's lack of