Mechanical engineering students line up in Killian Court on Friday, Sept. 30, with mirrors to reflect the sun. They were focusing sunlight on a wooden boat in hopes of setting the boat on fire. They did not succeed, but a subsequent attempt, under sunnier skies, created an open flame after ten minutes. The Greek mathematician Archimedes is said to have burned Roman ships this way, 2,200 years ago. Photo / Donna Coveney
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on October 5, 2005 (download PDF).
