# Ancient Solar Death Ray?



## terryweide (Oct 25, 2005)

Here's an interesting article on one of the supposed inventions of Archimedes,

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9787596/

Terry


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## Rosemary (Oct 25, 2005)

Extremely interesting article Terry.

If the Egyptians could build their Pyramids, then why doubt this invention of Archimedes?

The human race of today are in many ways so far behind those earlier inventors.  Perhaps one day they may be able to recreate this Solar Death Ray.


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## terryweide (Oct 25, 2005)

Yes, then I could use it on all of my enemies. Non-pacifist Terry


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## Rosemary (Oct 25, 2005)

terryweide said:
			
		

> Yes, then I could use it on all of my enemies. Non-pacifist Terry



You have enemies Terry?  I can't believe that!


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## Stalker (Oct 26, 2005)

Archimedes' solar rays are likely a myth. If scientists nowadays were barely able to ignite a boat's sail, what can we say about badly finished mirrors Archimedes used? Those legendary 300 bronze mirrors that put Marcellus' fleet afire were likely a distracting maneuvre - to blind the Romans. And tritemes' forsails were ignited by burning arrows of ballistas. I may believe that Archimedes used triangulated solar rays to calculate the distance to the targets to make his ballistas be efficiently accurate but I can hardly believe in his making hyperboloids in Ancient times.


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## terryweide (Oct 26, 2005)

Stalker, I agree with your reasoning, but it's also possible Archimedes knew things we don't. Without seeing a drawing of his design or knowing what materials he used, I wouldn't want to underestimate what he was capable of. I guess I fall into the category of maybe, maybe not, then. Again, I think you'd have to see his actual device to know if it worked. Best wishes, Terry


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## Salazar (Oct 26, 2005)

I think I saw that Mythbuster episode, I just can't remember what happened in it


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## amara (Oct 27, 2005)

I saw that mythbusters episode, the mirror death ray was huge, and didnt they douse the boat in something very flamable?  I do remeber that it didnt work, and it seemed very impracticle.  But who, knows, considering how itelligent he was i can belive that he came up with a way to do it.


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## AmonRa (Oct 27, 2005)

weather or not it is possible, it's still an interesting weapon... even if it stays in fantasy.


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## edott (Feb 3, 2006)

Myth busters was able to get the boat on fire but at 50 yards not the 100 yards away which is supposed to be the range of the weapon.  they also showed how a scorpion was a much more effective way of destroying enemy ships.


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## edott (Feb 3, 2006)

http://web.mit.edu/2.009/www/lectures/10_ArchimedesResult.html

same group had a lot more trouble on Mythbusters.


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## HieroGlyph (Feb 3, 2006)

I caught a science program hosted by Adam Hart-Davis last September...

He showed that this *is* possible, if only with models...

I couldnt remember how they said it might fare scaled up, but I saw it work on this program:

http://www.open2.net/whattheancients/babylonmaths2.html

Mr Hart-Davis is a decent 'scientist', by that I mean this was no hoax.


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## The Ace (Nov 4, 2006)

Have you ever seen a bronze mirror ?  Archimedes certainly tried it but the results were disappointing.  Interestingly, Terry Pratchet nicled the idea for "Small Gods, " where it HAD wiped out an invasion fleet.


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## Robert M. Blevins (Nov 4, 2006)

Bronze would have been impossible, no doubt. Casting a large enough piece of glass clear enough to concentrate the sun's rays...you couldn't make it pure enough back then. When they began building the large telescopes in the modern age, it was a very difficult task, and sometimes took years to complete.


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## carrie221 (Nov 6, 2006)

I believe that it did exist and that they made it work... it has just be lost to the pages of history the exact facts


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## PTeppic (Nov 7, 2006)

Robert M. Blevins said:


> Bronze would have been impossible, no doubt. Casting a large enough piece of glass clear enough to concentrate the sun's rays...you couldn't make it pure enough back then. When they began building the large telescopes in the modern age, it was a very difficult task, and sometimes took years to complete.


But they were very familiar with bulbs of glass, water filled, which acted as lenses... there are thousands of examples from the archaeological record


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## The Ace (Nov 8, 2006)

As a Roman, I still bear the scars from my last attempt to shave in a (brasso'd) bronze mirror.  If you can't see clearly enough to shave in the thing....


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## WhiteCrowUK (Nov 8, 2006)

The myth is a great one, shame it's been busted - when I was studying Physics in Germany, one of our set of lecture notes in optics had this myth outlined on the front, so I always considered what was good enough for Prof Fleck was gospel!


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