News > Geek > Ancient Greek Creates Death Ray From Beyond Grave!

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MONDAY OCTOBER 24 2005 1:29 PM

Ancient Greek Creates Death Ray From Beyond Grave!

Submitted by jake_lex

Edited by WilWheaton

According to ancient legend, the Greek mathematician Archimedes (who came up with something or another; maybe he's the first guy who wrote the multiplication table or something, or he invented the plus sign, I dunno) once created a device using a mirror of some type that shot out a death ray that set fire to invading Roman ships. Since then, there have been attempts to reconstruct Archimedes' fabled device. A team from MIT, not distracted by dates or a pesky social life, will try again this weekend.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor David Wallace and students planned to set fire to an old fishing boat from the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard using their own version of the device.

Mike Bushroe of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory brought a mirrored system shaped like flower petals, about 100 square feet of mirrors in all.

"If this weapon had worked, it would have been the equivalent of a nuclear weapon in the ancient world," said Peter Rees, executive producer of the Discovery Channel's "MythBusters."

Historical text describes Archimedes defeating a Roman fleet using the ray.

In "Epitome ton Istorion," John Zonaras wrote: "At last in an incredible manner he burned up the whole Roman fleet. For by tilting a kind of mirror toward the sun he concentrated the sun's beam upon it; and owing to the thickness and smoothness of the mirror he ignited the air from this beam and kindled a great flame, the whole of which he directed upon the ships that lay at anchor in the path of the fire, until he consumed them all."

The show "Mythbusters" has already tried this, and failed, so if those two dudes can't do it, I don't see how these people can.

If the device is recreated, expect the Army to deploy it against armies of invading giant alien ants.

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Comments

sixbysix

United Kingdom

December 2004

OCT 24, 2005 01:35 PM

Screw.

The Archimedes Screw. Makes water flow uphill (in a manner of speaking).

cipher

Saint Paul, MN

July 2004

OCT 24, 2005 01:40 PM

Mmm...death ray.

thestral

Manassas, VA

August 2005

OCT 24, 2005 01:48 PM

Ya know, it makes me wonder. What if they used close-in sabatuers to spill lots of oil or some other flammable liquid into the waters around the ships and merely used the mirror as a long range ignition device? That'd make a lot more sense.

But anyway, I thought I'd just heard that these guys tried it and were only able to create a small flame on the side of the ship that was quickly doused.

imustbestopped

I'm lost

January 2004

OCT 24, 2005 02:02 PM

thestral said:
Ya know, it makes me wonder. What if they used close-in sabatuers to spill lots of oil or some other flammable liquid into the waters around the ships and merely used the mirror as a long range ignition device? That'd make a lot more sense.

I believe the Mythbusters episode showed that the waterproofing method the Romans used made their ships highly flammable so another source such as oil would not have been needed.