13-Year-Old's Science Fair 'Death Ray' Lends Credence to Archimedes Legend
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A 13-year-old named Brenden Sener built a scaled-down "death ray" for his science fair project to test whether Greek inventor Archimedes could have used mirrors to set fire to ships in 212 BC.
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Using mirrors and heat lamps, Sener increased the temperature of his target by over 100°F - supporting the possibility that Archimedes' death ray could have worked.
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The legend of Archimedes using mirrors to burn ships comes from a 12th century historian. Many others have tried to recreate the death ray with varying success.
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Sener became interested in Archimedes after learning about the Archimedes screw. He chose the death ray as another famous Archimedes invention to research.
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Though the death ray is disputed, Sener was most proud of the award he won for getting students interested in science and technology.