Lost Art

"Lost Art" by George O. Smith is a science fiction story set on a future Mars, following Terrans Barney Carroll and Jim Baler as they stumble upon an ancient Martian beam tower, thinking initially it's just an old signaling device. Digging deeper, they unearth a manual filled with super-advanced math and science related to the tower. Accidentally powering part of the tower, they cause major electrical problems in the city. Despite these mishaps, they keep trying to figure it out and they learn that it could be used to send power great distances; however, they also see how hard it might be for their people to really use it because of how complicated it all is, showing how knowledge can be both found and then lost again over time.