A miniature reproduction as part of a science presentation, which gives credibility to the myths surrounding this ray, according to the young inventor.
Article originally published in February 2024
The inventor of Antiquity and influencer of the 21st century
Archimedes, famous ancient Greek scientist, continues to inspire humanity. The proof with a young Canadian boy of 12, named Brenden Sener. The latter attempted to reproduce, during a science fair project, the famous “death ray” which would have been theorized and put into practice by the inventor. According to legend, during the siege of Syracuse, the Roman fleet was reduced to ashes thanks to the installation of parabolic mirrors and polished shields concentrating the sun's rays.
A 13-year-old built a 'death ray' using a 2,000-year-old concept from Greek inventor Archimedes https://t.co/KCqLGi5rj8
— Business Insider (@BusinessInsider) February 27, 2024
It was therefore with a strange installation equipped with heating lamps to represent the sun and mirrors, aimed at increasing the temperature of the target, that Brenden Sener went to the college for his scientific project. “This was just a smaller version, as close to the actual image as possible“.
A schoolboy following in the footsteps of Archimedes
In his small model, a piece of cardboard flanked by a capital “X” represented the target. Using an infrared thermometer, the temperature was measured each time a mirror was added. Brenden Sener was thus able to observe its exponential increase: with two mirrors the temperature increased by 3°C, and by 10°C with a fifth.
After reflection, the schoolboy came to the conclusion that the legends were perhaps true. “If it were on a larger scale and with a powerful enough heat source, it would certainly be possible” he told Business Insider, a US news pureplay.
This is not the first time that Brenden Sener has attempted to reproduce Archimedes' greatest achievements on a small scale. Fascinated by the mythical figure of the mathematician since he watched a dedicated documentary, Brenden also attempted to create another invention based this time on irrigation for another school project.
Sources: Business Insider, Cairn
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