Obama, MythBusters to Test 'Archimedes Death Ray' in Push to Promote Science
Published October 18, 2010| FoxNews.com
President Obama is either trying to reach a new audience or he's looking to build the Pentagon's next project on the cheap.
The president is set to make a guest appearance next month on the Discovery Channel's "MythBusters," the show where a team of explosion-prone pyrophiles test urban legends. The Obama episode will focus on the so-called "Archimedes death ray." The death ray is the weapon legend has it was used by Greek mathematician Archimedes to destroy enemy ships. It would have used a system of mirrors to reflect and focus the sun's rays onto whatever is targeted for incineration. 
However, the busters have busted the heat ray myth twice already in prior episodes. The latest attempt was aired in January 2006, when the hosts teamed up with MIT students -- they succeeded in charring the test boat and creating a small fire, but the myth was nevertheless debunked. Maybe Obama holds the key. Discovery spokeswoman Katherine Nelson said the experiment was included on a list of options for the president "because fans are constantly asking the MythBusters to re-test the Archimedes Solar Ray." She said the White House picked the ray test "because it provided the greatest opportunity to get students involved in (science, technology, engineering and math) in the most real way possible." 
Or blow up ships. Whatever. The Discovery appearance was announced Monday as the president hosts the White House Science Fair. The White House said the episode will air Dec. 8, as part of his effort to "inspire young people to excel in math and science." Obama will announce the "MythBusters" episode at the science fair Monday. Lead busters Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman plan to take questions in the West Wing after the president speaks. Discovery said in a statement that the president will "challenge" Savage and Hyneman to revisit the "controversial" myth. And there's a lot on the line, apparently. 
"Did Greek scientist and polymath Archimedes set fire to an invading Roman fleet using only mirrors and the reflected rays of the sun? Will Adam and Jamie be able to pull this off, or will they have to report back to the president that they failed?" the statement reads.
The president is set to make a guest appearance next month on the Discovery Channel's "MythBusters," the show where a team of explosion-prone pyrophiles test urban legends. The Obama episode will focus on the so-called "Archimedes death ray."
The death ray is the weapon legend has it was used by Greek mathematician Archimedes to destroy enemy ships. It would have used a system of mirrors to reflect and focus the sun's rays onto whatever is targeted for incineration.
However, the busters have busted the heat ray myth twice already in prior episodes. The latest attempt was aired in January 2006, when the hosts teamed up with MIT students -- they succeeded in charring the test boat and creating a small fire, but the myth was nevertheless debunked. Maybe Obama holds the key. Discovery spokeswoman Katherine Nelson said the experiment was included on a list of options for the president "because fans are constantly asking the MythBusters to re-test the Archimedes Solar Ray." She said the White House picked the ray test "because it provided the greatest opportunity to get students involved in (science, technology, engineering and math) in the most real way possible."
Or blow up ships. Whatever. The Discovery appearance was announced Monday as the president hosts the White House Science Fair. The White House said the episode will air Dec. 8, as part of his effort to "inspire young people to excel in math and science."
Obama will announce the "MythBusters" episode at the science fair Monday. Lead busters Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman plan to take questions in the West Wing after the president speaks.
Discovery said in a statement that the president will "challenge" Savage and Hyneman to revisit the "controversial" myth. And there's a lot on the line, apparently.
"Did Greek scientist and polymath Archimedes set fire to an invading Roman fleet using only mirrors and the reflected rays of the sun? Will Adam and Jamie be able to pull this off, or will they have to report back to the president that they failed?" the statement reads.
Spartacurtus ibi. I have actually tried to build a death ray, out of an 11' mesh satellite dish I got on CraigsList. I covered the parabolic surface of the dish with compact discs, and held them on with bobby pins. I only had a few hundred CDs, and could only cover about 1/3 of the surface of the dish. However, with only that much covered, I could still get the focal point of the parabola incredibly hot. I didn't have a thermometer that could read temperatures that high, but it was certainly too hot to put your hand in front of. My girlfriend at the time was very disapproving of the project, and "persuaded" me to dismantle the project, because she thought that I'd burn my house down (which probably was a valid concern), or worse. Admittedly, I could only heat things that were directly in front of the dish, and not hundreds of feet away. I don't know how to make the conversion- a series of lenses, I would think.
ReplyDeleteI still have the dish. The girlfriend is gone. If Mythbusters can make it, I think we should try again.