You gotta be kidding!

[flyboy 28]

I think this was on an episode of Mythbuster regarding prison weapons. Also included was a crossbow involving newspaper and elastic from your undershorts.

[Woodlouse2002]

I think this was on an episode of Mythbuster regarding prison weapons. Also included was a crossbow involving newspaper and elastic from your undershorts.

I don't really trust the results that Mythbusters get. I watched one epsiode where they tried to proove or disproved that Archimedes built a giant mirror that focused the suns rays and could set light to enemy warships.

In the end their attempt failed miserably so they concluded that it couldn't be done.

And I thought, right, so a bunch of yanks build a mirror over a weekend and when, on the first try it fails to set anything alight, say that the greatest genius of all time couldn't possibly have pulled it off.



I then watched a documentry where a couple of guys did the same thing on a smaller scale and succeeded.

[beefhole]

I don't really trust the results that Mythbusters get. I watched one epsiode where they tried to proove or disproved that Archimedes built a giant mirror that focused the suns rays and could set light to enemy warships.

In the end their attempt failed miserably so they concluded that it couldn't be done.

And I thought, right, so a bunch of yanks build a mirror over a weekend and when, on the first try it fails to set anything alight, say that the greatest genius of all time couldn't possibly have pulled it off.



I then watched a documentry where a couple of guys did the same thing on a smaller scale and succeeded.

Yea, there are actually TONS of "death rays" all over the US.  It's all about getting the angles and arrangements exactly right.  I'd imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to build it on a much larger scale.

[Chris_F]

Mythbusters is easily the best show on TV.  But it's entertainment, nothing more.  Not exactly a credible scientific source.  As for the Archemedes death ray, I doubt it actually occured as I think it would have been utilized and coppied often enough to have made an impression in the archeological record.  Heck, they'd probably have continued to use them for a large number of years, perhaps up to and beyond the invention of the cannon.  The Mythbuster's test though did show how difficult it would be to build a practical weapon.  A later show revisited the experiment and showed the technique to be plausable but it required a LOT of careful planning and execution, something not likely to be possible in the heat of battle.

[Hagar]

A later show revisited the experiment and showed the technique to be plausable but it required a LOT of careful planning and execution, something not likely to be possible in the heat of battle.

You could be correct but this would not have been something hurriedly cobbled up in the heat of battle. Archimedes would have had plenty of time to prepare his defences.

I find accounts of Archimedes Claw most fascinating. Again, a documentary featuring a group of academics concluded that it was not possible. Academics might be extremely clever but they're hardly the most practical people on the planet.

[Craig.]

I find mythbusters funny, but then we have a show in the UK called Brainiac. They do very simmilar experiments in some cases the same ones, but they do it with half the stuff they use on mythbusters and in many cases, a much better result.

[Saitek]

He is a clever chap. Rather than jail him I'd suggest he goes into mechanical engineering. He has real talent.

[Katahu]

He is a clever chap. Rather than jail him I'd suggest he goes into mechanical engineering. He has real talent.

I bet the US Army is wanting to recruit him.

[Woodlouse2002]

You could be correct but this would not have been something hurriedly cobbled up in the heat of battle. Archimedes would have had plenty of time to prepare his defences.

I find accounts of Archimedes Claw most fascinating. Again, a documentary featuring a group of academics concluded that it was not possible. Academics might be extremely clever but they're hardly the most practical people on the planet.

The academics do tend to forget just how much of a clever bunny he was. They also forget that wars were much slower in those days.

As for the Archemedes death ray, I doubt it actually occured as I think it would have been utilized and coppied often enough to have made an impression in the archeological record.  Heck, they'd probably have continued to use them for a large number of years, perhaps up to and beyond the invention of the cannon.  The Mythbuster's test though did show how difficult it would be to build a practical weapon.  A later show revisited the experiment and showed the technique to be plausable but it required a LOT of careful planning and execution, something not likely to be possible in the heat of battle.

A death ray is a rather extravagant way of putting it since all it was was a concave mirror, or lots of little mirrors to focus the light from the sun. The mythbusters mirror was just set up badly. They didn't take nearly enough effort to focus the light as well as they could and you could tell that by the fact that the beam of light was about 6 foot across on their target. There's a program on UKTV Histroy called "What the Ancients did for us" and on that a carpenter and an over-enthusiastic Adam Hart-Davis built a mirror that was only a couple of feet across and with it they set fire to a model boat.

As I said originally, a bunch of yanks couldn't proove it in a weekend. So how does this mean one of the greatest minds in history couldn't do it?

[Mushroom_Farmer]

I find mythbusters funny, but then we have a show in the UK called Brainiac. They do very simmilar experiments in some cases the same ones, but they do it with half the stuff they use on mythbusters and in many cases, a much better result.

Ooooooo, Brainiac...... Okay chaps, today we'll test what food produces the smelliest and loudest farts......then let's hop in CO

[Woodlouse2002]

The movement wouldn't have been much of a problem. Them galleons were hardly the kings of speed. And legend has it that they were used when the romans were entering a harbour (Syracuse?) and that would imply they wern't bobbing all that much (not that ships really 'bob' anyway). Finally ships in them days were made of wood, the sails were cloth and the rigging would have been lagged in tar. All things that don't resist fire well.

[Chris_F]

I find mythbusters funny, but then we have a show in the UK called Brainiac.

They show that in the US on one of the less popular networks.

[Woodlouse2002]

You Brit's also gave the world "Junkyard Wars" for which I'm eternally thankful.

Ahem. Scrapheap Challenge.

[H]

Scrapheap Challenge.

Are you just changing the title or actually making a challenge?

8)

[Woodlouse2002]

He changed the title.