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drone
10-13-2005, 16:55
Saw this interesting link about a Massachusetts Institute of Technology class experiment on the feasibility of the ship burning mirrors from Archimedes' sketches.
http://web.mit.edu/2.009/www/lectures/10_ArchimedesResult.html

There is more interesting discussion in the FAQ linked at the bottom. Patience may be required, since this was linked on Slashdot...

Not sure if the Frontroom is the best place for this, but it didn't seem like a Colosseum topic. Mods, feel free to move if desired.
Catiline
10-13-2005, 17:09
Archimedes sketches...
drone
10-13-2005, 17:17
Archimedes sketches...
Sorry, not his sketches, of course.:bow: "Accounts of his work"
Reverend Joe
10-13-2005, 20:03
Heavy.

Now we just need to start building the real thing.
yesdachi
10-14-2005, 20:24
They tried building it on Mythbusters and didn’t have any luck. i would not dismiss the idea thou, the Mythbusters only tried for a few days and gave up.
The_Doctor
10-14-2005, 20:57
Some Greek(might not have been Greek) guy got it to work. It was in the 50s or 60s. He got a load of Greek sailors with polished shields and set fire to a small boat.

The thing on Mythbusters was probably too small. It says on this site that some MIT people got it to work.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes

Man, I feel stupid. I should alway read the first post.