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MUSIC

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MUSIC

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Coming up on Mythbusters, our mailbag special, starring you.

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It's the fans' turn for a place in the sun.

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There we go, flame!

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Nine seconds.

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As amateur Mythbusters build solar death rays.

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It'll start fires like that.

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And turn up the heat on Adam and Jamie.

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What the hell is that thing?

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It's the disco mirror from hell.

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After a great song and dance, the mother of all death rays

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gets unleashed in this ultimate viewer challenge.

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Look at that!

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Ha ha ha!

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You're gonna get smoke!

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Who are the Mythbusters?

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Adam Savage.

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Oh!

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Oh!

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And Jamie Heineman.

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This is gonna kill you.

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Between them more than 30 years of special effects experience.

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That's what I'm talking about!

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Joining them, Tori Belachie.

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Very excited about this.

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Carrie Byron.

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Look, he cracked into a skull.

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And Grant Imahara.

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Don't say anything.

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They don't just tell the Myths.

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They put them to the test.

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Alright, so the Archimedes death ray burn off?

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What the hell is that?

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Well, you remember back at the beginning of series two when we tested the myth about

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Archimedes having created a solar death ray?

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I do!

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I remember it.

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I think it was yesterday.

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Who could forget this classic myth from the classical era?

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In 215 BC, the Romans were about to conquer the Greeks until Archimedes saw the light.

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He supposedly built a giant mirror that focused the sun's energy with such ferocity that

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it ignited the invading Roman ships.

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When the mythbusters tried it, they busted it big time.

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Adam built a rig of over 300 mirrors and by carefully aligning each one, he tried to focus

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them all to a single, hot, focal point.

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Oh, bright light!

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Sail away!

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Right, it may have been.

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But it was no more deadly than a flashlight.

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What's the temperature, Jamie?

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150.

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150?

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Yet a minute!

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200 degrees!

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They peaked at 290 degrees, less than half of what was needed to ignite the wood.

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So they resorted to something which Archimedes was way too mature for.

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So why are we going back here again?

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Well, there were a number of viewers that thought we got it wrong.

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And so what we're going to do is give them a chance to put their money and their time

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where their mouth is and they're going to have to design and build and film their version

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of the mirror that proves us wrong.

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And there's got to be two parts to this contest.

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One is they've got to build a mirror that can focus and burn something at five feet

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and another category where they've got to build something that can burn something a

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minimum of a hundred feet away.

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After receiving a deluge of angry emails, the mythbusters have set this challenge.

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Build your own death ray or quit moaning.

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On the website they posted a set of rules for a five foot death ray and a hundred foot

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death ray.

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Then they waited three months until the shortlisted entries arrived.

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All the entries are in.

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Fantastic.

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Now what we have to do is decide who we're going to bring out here to San Francisco to

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do the final burn off.

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I've been waiting to see these.

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This is awesome.

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And the first one is Dan Cooke's.

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So while we're waiting for it to load, what are the judging criteria we're going to apply?

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Creative use of materials.

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How relative to the actual Archimedes myth they are, do they make stuff burn?

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How good they are at making a video.

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All right, here it is.

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It's ready to go.

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I'm 37 years old.

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I live in Lakewood, Colorado.

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And I'm a handyman.

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How cool he's dressing in a toga.

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That's a little creepy.

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I feel like I'm watching something I didn't mean to find.

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For the five foot challenge, Toga Dan is building a catenary.

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A row of mirrors arranged on a chain.

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But can this unusual idea harness enough energy to form a death ray?

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See if we can set my shorts on fire.

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Like the Mythbusters rig, there's a complete shortage of fire.

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Rather than address the issue, Dan tries something rather strange.

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Today, we're going to try to set fire to one of these logs as a projectile.

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Violet's going downrange at 300 feet per second.

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Yeah, about that.

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Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.

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What's going 300 feet per second?

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He's apparently going to try to ignite the log while it's underway in the air.

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You're pretty much trying the hardest thing you could possibly imagine, which is setting

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fire to a moving object when you have yet to prove that it can actually set fire to anything.

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Yeah.

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I just think he lacks a little focus.

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And worryingly for the Mythbusters, so do many other entries.

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Take Doug Graham.

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I'm using ordinary paintballs here.

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Here I am.

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Hi.

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Here's Archimedes, catapult's paintballs and a model boat on a blue plastic bag.

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Yes!

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Right there!

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Matt Peterson does a complex build, but also fails to repeat Archimedes' feet.

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It's not hot enough to set that cardboard box on fire yet.

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We're reading about 129.6.

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That's pretty pathetic.

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So he's out.

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Who's next?

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Kerry and Jess.

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No last names?

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No.

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Sounds interesting.

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I look at DVD I wouldn't want my wife to find.

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Hi, I'm Kerry.

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And I'm Jess.

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And we're the Mythbusters.

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So far the entries are short on success.

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Can the girls do any better?

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So Jess found out that in Archimedes' mirror he used a hexagon in the center.

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Okay, come on, let's see how it works.

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Cut to the chase!

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With the DVDs he doesn't want his wife to find, add them fast forwards to the good bits.

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Okay, piece of wood test, excellent.

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And we have a hole in the wood.

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Yes, our wood is burning.

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There's fire in the hole.

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Admittedly they're using balsa wood rather than a slab of oak.

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But it's progress.

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I've seen enough.

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They were able to get fire.

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They've got a nice design, they're good on camera.

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They got fire, I think they're in.

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Okay.

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Who's next?

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Stephen Marsh, Brendan Milstein.

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Alright.

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Now Archimedes, Greek philosopher and mathematician, may have been too noble for dumpster diving.

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But thankfully we aren't.

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We found this parabolic mirror.

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I just pulled out some kind of a mirror out of a box.

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It looks like a beautiful parabola, but that's just a mirror in a box.

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A mirror in a box it may be, but does it work?

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It's just wet.

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Dude, that is insane.

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Fire right away, that's amazing.

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I think he's setting fire to you first.

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And then he's going to set fire to me.

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I got to see this in action, I think we should bring him in.

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Yeah, it was bursting into flames in seconds.

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Yeah.

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Alright, who's up next?

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That would be Mike Bushrow.

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This one is also the only entry that we have so far in the large scale.

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Well, I got to say, I appreciate the guy putting his money where his mouth is.

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Let's see what kind of rig he's got here.

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Mike's designed a giant parabolic mirror that he hopes will ignite a boat over a hundred

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feet away.

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First full assembly, full-size death ray.

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And for the mirrors, Mike's coating steel with silvery agent, something that Archimedes

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had the technology to do.

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It's an ingenious design with one final trick up its sleeve.

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This is the focus of the primary mirror.

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This looks like he's made this thing variable focus.

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That is the only person to attempt to make a variable focus mirror.

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I mean, that's something we really grappled with with our rig.

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But when it's unleashed, Mike gets so worried that he might set fire to the neighbor's house.

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Look at how bright that thing is.

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That he nervously returns it to the safety of the shade.

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All right, so we throw this to the judges to make a decision?

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Yeah, let's do it.

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All right, so the winners for the trip to San Francisco are Kerry and Jess.

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And Stephen and Brendan.

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Yes, those are in the small scale category.

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And in the large scale category, we don't really have much choice.

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It's either Mike Bushrow or Mike Bushrow.

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So all those five get to come to San Francisco, help us set stuff on fire for the great Archimedes

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burn off.

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I'm glad we don't have to look any more of those things.

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It's a Mythbusters mailbag special.

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Adam and Janie devised a challenge for disgruntled viewers to build their own death ray.

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After all the entries were in, the finalists were chosen.

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There's Brendan from Harvard and Stephen from Berkeley.

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There's engineering students Kerry and Jess.

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And then there's Paulie Math, Mike Bushrow, with his variable focus giant.

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But what none of them know is that they're also going to be up against the Mythbusters.

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Come on down, Mythbusters satellite shack.

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Adam and Janie have acquired a giant satellite dish that they're going to turn into a mirror

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death ray.

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But if it's going to work, it has to have a perfect parabolic curve.

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Any bump, bash or bruise is going to batter down this death ray's deadliness.

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The closer it is to perfect, the more all of our mirrors will be pointed to the same

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point, the smaller the focal point will be and the more intense the light on that point

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will be.

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To get a small focal point, they're using one inch square mirrors because these tiny

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pieces will follow the curve better than big ones.

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Trouble is they need 6,000 of them and it's driving them crazy.

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Mirror, mirror on the wall.

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It takes 10 hours to glue them all.

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I think that's it.

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Whereupon it's time to test out this puppy.

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Dude, come here.

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We're already seeing smoke.

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Oh, yeah.

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That would be fire.

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That's so bright you can't even look at it.

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Will any of the male bagged finalists stand a chance of beating this?

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Well, it's time to find out because they're here.

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At first up, it's the battle of the small scale death rays.

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Carrie and Jess versus Brendan and Steve.

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They're going to get straight to it with a preliminary test.

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After this, both teams will have 24 hours to hone their weapons before the final 5-foot

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burn off.

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So let the games begin.

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Here are the rules.

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You'll each be given three materials, samples that you would find on a Roman vessel.

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Wood, oakum, soaked in pitch, and hemp will be timing you from the point you've given

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the materials to ignition.

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Mythbusters, you'll be the ones calling flame.

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At that point, I'll stop the stopwatch.

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First up in this preliminary test, it's the wood.

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Ready, set, go.

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To get flame, both teams need to find their mirrors focal point, the hottest part of the

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reflection.

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There we go, flame.

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Nine seconds.

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Okay.

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Look at that, it's like roasting a marshmallow.

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Now our comedies would be proud.

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The girls on the other hand take more than two minutes longer.

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Okay, flame, I see it.

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Calling flame, Jamie.

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You need just your mirrors.

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Okay, 245.

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With this early win under their belts, the brainy boys start to get cocky.

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You can't even beat our trash.

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That's just something you guys found, so...

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You got to get a raw 7-11 for their steering mirrors.

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I'd like to point out that while you're denigrating the girls, they actually built their rig.

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Thank you.

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That's true, I'd also like to point out that they lost.

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It's getting touchy out there, so the referee moves things on.

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Round number two, O'combe dipped in pitch.

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Ready, set, go.

256
00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:09,800
But round two has the same winner.

257
00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:11,800
No flame.

258
00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:18,560
The boys hit the spot in nine seconds, while the girls failed to ignite the target at all.

259
00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:23,520
With such success, the boys' parabola looks to be the perfect death ray.

260
00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:25,920
But not if the target is moving.

261
00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:32,000
A parabola is hottest only where all the light meets, the fixed focal point.

262
00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:38,400
If the target moves slightly in front or just behind this, the death ray is rendered useless.

263
00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:41,040
Okay, this is the next round.

264
00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,600
Hemp and go.

265
00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,200
New round, same story.

266
00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:47,200
Flame!

267
00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:48,200
Nine seconds.

268
00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:49,200
Nine seconds.

269
00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:51,200
Nine seconds again.

270
00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,560
Yet again, the boys whip the girls.

271
00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:59,120
Carrie and Jess will need to refine their rig big time if they're going to beat the boys'

272
00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,800
perfect parabola in tomorrow's small-scale showdown.

273
00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,480
Well, okay, teams.

274
00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:07,400
That's our three tests for today.

275
00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:08,400
Well done.

276
00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:14,280
You have 24 hours to go and tweak your systems, get them perfected, and we meet back out here

277
00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:15,280
tomorrow.

278
00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:21,200
But before this solar standoff, Tari's setting sail on the big-scale challenge.

279
00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,720
Tari, for the small-scale experiment, we've got everything we need.

280
00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:26,920
We've got the pitch, we've got the oak, and we've got the wood.

281
00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,760
But for the large-scale experiment, we have to find an ancient Roman tri-ring.

282
00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:32,600
Well, we need to find a boat.

283
00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:34,080
It's got to be made of wood.

284
00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,280
It's got to have spent a long time in the water because of the moisture content in the

285
00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:43,200
water and how that's affected it are absolutely critical to confirming or busting this myth.

286
00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:47,520
Last time around, Tari made a boat out of dry timber.

287
00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:51,520
This time, he's getting a boat that's spent most of its life on the sea.

288
00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:56,480
It'll be harder for the death ray to ignite, but it's much more realistic.

289
00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:57,640
We're not paying for this, are we?

290
00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:01,360
I mean, they should be paying us to get it out of their docks.

291
00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:03,320
The boat's been grounded.

292
00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:09,120
It's got more holes than the Titanic and may just take as long to fix.

293
00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:11,840
We've got to drain it.

294
00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:13,520
We've got to patch it.

295
00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:20,800
Then another big job is taking this off and getting this vessel as close to a tri-ring

296
00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:21,800
as possible.

297
00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,800
It's going to need a Mythbusters makeover special.

298
00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:31,000
Yeah, got some fine sailing vessels and these slips.

299
00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:36,040
Twenty-four hours and counting, the girls are trying to design a new array that can beat

300
00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:39,240
the boys' perfect parabola.

301
00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:44,320
It's an uphill struggle until Grant gives them a helping hand.

302
00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:46,040
Contestants, attention please.

303
00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:48,400
We need to clarify the rules.

304
00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:54,240
So here off the Discovery Channel website, the rule for small scale category one.

305
00:16:54,240 --> 00:17:00,360
To build any device capable of igniting the target at a distance of five feet.

306
00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:06,640
We now have 21 hours to make sure that when we test again, you can ignite your target

307
00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,360
at a distance of five feet.

308
00:17:09,360 --> 00:17:11,240
That is all.

309
00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:13,760
It's bad news for both teams.

310
00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:19,520
To avoid disqualification, they must scrap their rule-defying mirrors and go back to

311
00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:21,920
the drawing board.

312
00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,320
Where the girls already have a plan.

313
00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:29,920
They came up with a really clever idea to try to just warp a single mirror.

314
00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:34,560
Slightly about an eighth of an inch so that we can get a focal point of at least five

315
00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:35,800
feet.

316
00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:40,560
By carefully bending a mirror with a screw, the team is able to get a parabola with a

317
00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,440
focal point at exactly five feet.

318
00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,200
But, does it generate any heat?

319
00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:47,920
Oh dude, look at that.

320
00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,120
I'm hitting over 300 degrees.

321
00:17:50,120 --> 00:17:51,120
Woo!

322
00:17:51,120 --> 00:17:52,120
All right.

323
00:17:52,120 --> 00:17:54,560
It's a good start.

324
00:17:54,560 --> 00:18:01,640
And by adding another 15 mirrors, they may just win this burn-off yet.

325
00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,800
Trouble is, the boys think that they are also onto a winner.

326
00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:11,600
If you take a vat of liquid and spin it, the liquid surface will become a parabola.

327
00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:17,520
So if we spun plaster until it dried, we could, you know, in a vat this big, we could get

328
00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:21,320
a two meter diameter parabolic mirror.

329
00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:23,840
Brendan's putting a new spin on things.

330
00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:27,920
When liquid is spun, the surface forms a natural parabola.

331
00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:32,920
So by spinning liquid plaster at a specific speed, the boys hope they'll end up with a

332
00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:38,360
parabola with a focal point at five feet.

333
00:18:38,360 --> 00:18:40,040
It's a nice theory.

334
00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:49,200
But getting the focal point to be precisely five foot away is going to be pretty tough.

335
00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:53,040
This parabola is going to need to be really flat in order for the focal point to be pretty

336
00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:54,040
far away.

337
00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:58,320
But it looks pretty flat, so I'm hopeful.

338
00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:06,320
As the clock counts down, have the boys bitten off more than they can chew.

339
00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:10,280
It's a Mythbusters mailbag special.

340
00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:16,120
And Mike Bushrow, finalist for the Big Scale Challenge, has just arrived and his rig will

341
00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:18,040
follow shortly.

342
00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:23,080
My mirror, the sword of Archimedes, is so big I couldn't get it on the plane, I couldn't

343
00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:27,040
get it in my car, I couldn't rent a truck big enough, we have to have it specially

344
00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:31,160
shipped down here, and I'm really waiting for it to rise so I can show it off to Adam

345
00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:32,720
and Jamie.

346
00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:38,240
But before any big scales showing off, there's just an hour left until the final small scale

347
00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:39,240
burn off.

348
00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:44,560
And both Brendan and Stephen and Carrie and Jess have been working flat out to get their

349
00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:48,000
mini death rays up to speed.

350
00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:51,840
I think the new rig is going to do awesome because we're already lighting stuff on fire

351
00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:56,440
with one mirror focused at the correct focal point, and as soon as we get the other 15

352
00:19:56,440 --> 00:20:00,480
there, then it'll start fires like that.

353
00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:07,160
And after 15 hours, the boys' plaster parabola has set, been lined with a reflective foil

354
00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:09,400
and is now ready for a temperature test.

355
00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:13,440
It's definitely heat, but it's more like the heat up a sandwich kind of heat.

356
00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:16,600
309 degrees, 111.

357
00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,400
That's not that great.

358
00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:22,520
While Adam desperately polishes it for more power.

359
00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:25,760
That's not a bad idea actually.

360
00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:29,240
Brendan and Stephen have had a last minute brainwave.

361
00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:35,480
We're going to create a slight, slight vacuum in the steel drum, and then that, if we put

362
00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:39,520
mylar over that, should form a parabola also.

363
00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:44,040
By carefully controlling the pressure of the vacuum, they should be able to adjust the

364
00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,640
focal point to five feet.

365
00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,640
It's ingenious, but way beyond Archimedes' technology.

366
00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:56,800
And now, for both teams, time's up.

367
00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:02,200
For the final small-scale burn-off, it's seconds out.

368
00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,000
Ready, set, go.

369
00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,640
It's round one, the wood.

370
00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:12,480
Remember that this time, the burning needs to take place at exactly five feet, or the

371
00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:14,480
rig will be disqualified.

372
00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:18,320
My feet, keep going, keep going, keep going.

373
00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:20,400
And the boys are in hot water.

374
00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:21,400
60-inch mark.

375
00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,600
It's not an orchard.

376
00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:25,360
Our parabola is not shallow enough.

377
00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:28,120
The focus point is way closer than that.

378
00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:29,640
Sounds like they're forfeiting.

379
00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:34,360
They can't burn anything at five feet, so it looks like we're going to win.

380
00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:39,520
The girls' rig may be legal, but it's not that effective.

381
00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,760
They're getting a lot of smoke, but no fire.

382
00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:48,040
And while they wait for ignition, the boys, to avoid disqualification, are switching to

383
00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:51,400
their ingenious plan B.

384
00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:56,440
By adjusting the pressure of the vacuum, they've pinpointed their focal point to exactly five

385
00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:57,440
feet.

386
00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:01,520
But, like the girls, there's only smoke signals.

387
00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:11,640
In the perfect conditions, can there really ever have been a death ray?

388
00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:17,200
The contestants in San Fran are struggling using the hottest midday sun, which was not

389
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:22,400
an option for Archimedes, because Syracuse faces east.

390
00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:26,880
So he could only have harnessed the much weaker sunlight at dawn.

391
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:31,680
There's a nail in the coffin for this myth.

392
00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,560
With no fire so far, it's time to up the ante.

393
00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:39,120
What the hell is that thing?

394
00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:43,000
It's the disco mirror from hell.

395
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,880
Adam's even more cocky than the boys' team.

396
00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:49,800
Will his array finally turn the heat up on this myth?

397
00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:55,280
Okay teams, next round, oakum and pitch.

398
00:22:55,400 --> 00:23:01,120
Rather predictably, the professional mythbusters get fire pretty darn quick.

399
00:23:01,120 --> 00:23:03,680
Flame, I see it.

400
00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:06,320
That's great Jamie, but I'm sorry you disqualified.

401
00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:08,040
It wasn't at five feet.

402
00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,120
Yeah, we didn't know anything about the five feet.

403
00:23:10,120 --> 00:23:13,920
Yeah, five feet wasn't a rule when you told us to build this so we can go.

404
00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:15,240
Actually, it was.

405
00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:21,720
The mythbusters forgot to check the rulebook and are eliminated.

406
00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:26,680
Just when their challengers get this lifeline, the sun goes behind the clouds.

407
00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:32,440
Another major problem for this weapon.

408
00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:38,160
Would Archimedes have built a weapon that could be rendered useless by cloud cover?

409
00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,320
It's another nail.

410
00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:42,040
This test is hemp.

411
00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:43,040
Ready?

412
00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:44,040
One, two, three.

413
00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:50,240
It's the final decider and with no fire so far from either team, the pressures really

414
00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:51,240
are.

415
00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:57,200
The girls more traditionally built rig is generating a lot of smoke, but just when it's looking

416
00:23:57,200 --> 00:24:01,560
good, the boys take the checkered flag.

417
00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:05,600
Flame, flame.

418
00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:11,800
Their vacuum pump Mylar Special does the trick and just in time as the clouds roll in once

419
00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:12,800
more.

420
00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:18,880
It was a fair fight, but now it's all down to the judges.

421
00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:24,840
Their challenge was to build a device capable of igniting your target at a distance of five

422
00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:25,840
feet.

423
00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:32,920
And based on creative use of materials, excellent scavenging ability, we find that the winners,

424
00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,800
the small scale burn off, are Brendan and Steven.

425
00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:38,800
Congratulations.

426
00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:44,080
Worthy winners, but to test the myth thoroughly, it's time for the big guns.

427
00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:45,720
Great.

428
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:51,040
So while the judges felt that Jess and Kerry put in a really good effort, Brendan and Steven

429
00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:53,200
were more in the spirit of myth busters.

430
00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:57,760
Yeah, but dude, that is what has me totally jazzed about moving into the large scale aspect

431
00:24:57,760 --> 00:24:58,760
of this myth.

432
00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:04,320
Mike Bushrow's super innovative and very authentically built adjustable focus parabola.

433
00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:08,840
I mean, we're really going to get down to some critical aspects of whether or not this

434
00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,320
was totally possible.

435
00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:18,280
Our comedies was such a mastermind that it's going to need a genius to emulate him.

436
00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:22,480
Luckily, Mike Bushrow is just that.

437
00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,000
After all, he's a rocket scientist.

438
00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:29,920
He works the cameras on a spacecraft that explores Saturn's moons.

439
00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:36,360
So if anyone stands a chance of probing this myth, it's Mike.

440
00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:40,560
But when his big rig finally arrives, there's an even bigger problem.

441
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:44,800
Oh, no.

442
00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:45,800
It's broken.

443
00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:52,400
The freight company is going to get seven years bad luck because Mike's mirror is busted.

444
00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:56,800
I worked really hard to get a chance to be here and show myself off to Adam and Jamie.

445
00:25:56,800 --> 00:26:01,080
Now I don't see how I can possibly do it because it's so trashed.

446
00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:05,160
It's not going to showcase what I was able to do before it left.

447
00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,240
It's ruined.

448
00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:12,400
Given that this was the only entry in the big scale challenge, the team is now going

449
00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:16,480
to need a miracle.

450
00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:25,960
Once mighty warriors now a broken wreck.

451
00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:30,200
The mythbusters have had a mailbag set back.

452
00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:36,720
Mike Bushrow's ultimate solar death ray has arrived battered, bruised, and maybe beyond

453
00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:37,720
repair.

454
00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:41,000
We could put the pieces back together again and we can make it look nice.

455
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,640
But there's no way it's ever going to set wood on fire.

456
00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:50,840
It looks like the only entrant in the large scale challenge is down for the count until

457
00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:54,160
the mythbusters get lucky.

458
00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:59,360
In an amazing bit of serendipity, very recently an MIT professor and his students inspired

459
00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:06,120
by our very efforts successfully used 129 one foot modern silver mirrors to set fire

460
00:27:06,120 --> 00:27:11,280
to a replica Roman tri-ream at a distance of 100 feet.

461
00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:16,920
Sure enough it seems these brainy bots got their death ray to work.

462
00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:22,840
MIT understood the problems of the parabola, so used a different approach.

463
00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:29,880
They took less than 10 minutes to aim 129 glass mirrors at their oak boat and moments

464
00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:44,080
later MIT's stunning success suddenly puts this myth back into the realm of possibility.

465
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:52,800
What this does is give us the opportunity to work with them to revisit this experience.

466
00:27:53,280 --> 00:28:03,000
We've invited them to come to San Francisco and recreate the experiment except they're

467
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:08,080
going to be using a real boat as a target, they're going to be using bronze mirrors,

468
00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:12,880
and they've got to be able to create an open flame on the boat at the distance of about

469
00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:17,560
a bow shot which is what the original death ray was supposed to be able to do.

470
00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:18,560
Wow.

471
00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:30,200
For this ultimate revisit MIT wants the mythbusters to build 13 mirror holding stands.

472
00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:35,640
The 300 bronze mirrors will each be slightly worn which should ensure that their reflected

473
00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:40,480
beam does not dissipate with distance.

474
00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:46,320
It's going to be a big build but Jamie and Adam are more than happy to do it.

475
00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:50,640
This design comes right from the guys at MIT and I have to tell you to the guys at MIT

476
00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:54,880
I thank you because this is a rare day where I get to come in and just build something

477
00:28:54,880 --> 00:29:00,680
from someone else's drawing and gotta say it's a sheer pleasure.

478
00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:04,280
Good job he's enjoying it because there's a lot to do.

479
00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:11,280
But Adam and Jamie aren't the only mythbusters preparing for monster mirror mayhem.

480
00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:18,440
Carrie is also busy polishing MIT's mirrors.

481
00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:20,920
When I started polishing the bronze I didn't realize there was 50.

482
00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,680
50 of these panels.

483
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,920
That's over $2,000 worth of bronze.

484
00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,080
This is one serious experiment.

485
00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:33,040
This is my second one and my third hour.

486
00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:34,040
This one's only half done.

487
00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:38,760
It's really one and a half in three hours.

488
00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:47,960
It's a time consuming process but why are they using bronze anyway?

489
00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:52,360
One of the critical factors in looking at the possibility of this myth is history of

490
00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:54,120
mirroring.

491
00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:58,800
Mirrors of the period were always polished metals primarily bronze.

492
00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:03,320
There is evidence that they were able to silver some of these polished metal mirrors but there

493
00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:08,440
is no mirror excavated from Archimedes time much larger than a hand mirror.

494
00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:13,520
The first attempt at plating the backside of a piece of glass wasn't until I believe

495
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:15,200
around the 16th century.

496
00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:19,840
And large optically consistent mirrors as we know them today, those did not come into

497
00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,480
production until the early 19th century.

498
00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:28,360
So the historical evidence would suggest that Archimedes would have used small bronze mirrors

499
00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:30,680
if he used mirrors at all.

500
00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:36,120
So Carrie's hard work is ensuring that this test is as authentic as possible.

501
00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:43,760
And while she polishes for the professors, Grant and Tari are about to embark on a Mythbusters

502
00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,400
makeover special.

503
00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:52,360
They need to convert this boat into a Roman tri-ree for the MIT burn off.

504
00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:54,480
What, that's the boat?

505
00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:55,480
That's it.

506
00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:56,480
We think you love it.

507
00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:59,720
It's in good shape, right?

508
00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:03,680
Actually no, but that's all about the change.

509
00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:11,680
With some heavy duty chainsaw action, it's not long before she goes topless.

510
00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:14,680
Hey, convertible!

511
00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:24,840
Slowly but surely she gets stripped down piece by piece until after four sweaty hours there's

512
00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:26,680
only one thing left to do.

513
00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:29,920
Well we've been avoiding it all morning but it's time.

514
00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:32,920
We need to tackle the toilet.

515
00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:36,680
Can I have a little privacy here?

516
00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:38,680
I mean, really.

517
00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:50,400
Modern mirrors like at this California power station can harness the sun's energy.

518
00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:55,880
But over 2,000 years ago, could Archimedes have used mirrors as a weapon?

519
00:31:55,880 --> 00:32:00,680
Well it's thanks to MIT that the Mythbusters may just find out.

520
00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:02,680
Hi, I'm David.

521
00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:03,680
I'm Barry.

522
00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:04,680
Nate.

523
00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:05,680
Pete.

524
00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:06,680
Mika.

525
00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:07,680
Stacy.

526
00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:08,680
Yasmin.

527
00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:09,680
You guys always dress like this?

528
00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:10,680
Yeah, yeah.

529
00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:11,680
Of course.

530
00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:12,680
All the time.

531
00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:15,680
But how did these fashion gurus get involved?

532
00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:22,160
I saw the myth attempt on the Mythbusters a couple years ago and while I was sitting there

533
00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:26,600
watching it I did a quick back of the envelope and thought, hmm, should be able to get this

534
00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:27,680
to work.

535
00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:33,680
And sure enough, using modern mirrors in Massachusetts, they got ignition.

536
00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:40,680
But this myth is about what Archimedes could do and for him, glass mirrors were a no-go.

537
00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:45,680
So this time MIT are using bronze mirrors.

538
00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:52,680
But for a backup plan, the shiny death ray won't be the only weapon come experiment day.

539
00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:58,680
Grant, we have something we shall call Project X for you.

540
00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:01,120
And what exactly is Project X?

541
00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:05,520
We know from historical accounts that Archimedes had in his arsenal weapons that were effective

542
00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:08,840
over at least the distance of this supposed burning mirror.

543
00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:13,520
And specifically we're thinking about a small scale one referred to as the Scorpion.

544
00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:15,800
So you want us to build this in two days?

545
00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:17,680
Yeah, what's your problem?

546
00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:18,680
Okay.

547
00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:20,440
That's a standard schedule, man.

548
00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:21,680
Get on it.

549
00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,680
The Scorpion or Ballista is a torsion catapult.

550
00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:33,180
Like a giant crossbow, it had a range of well over 600 feet and it's down to Grant to build

551
00:33:33,180 --> 00:33:36,680
one in time for the big scale burn off.

552
00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:44,680
It got its power through torsion springs, which in Archimedes time were made out of something

553
00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:46,680
rather unpleasant.

554
00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:52,680
Tari and Grant think this is bull tendon, but Kari's about to spring a surprise.

555
00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:53,680
That's not tendon.

556
00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:54,680
Grab that other end.

557
00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:55,680
What is it?

558
00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:56,680
Penis.

559
00:33:58,680 --> 00:33:59,680
This is the bull penis.

560
00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:00,680
Come again?

561
00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:01,680
This is...

562
00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:03,680
Are you serious?

563
00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:04,680
No.

564
00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:05,680
Yeah, it's penis.

565
00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:06,680
No.

566
00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:11,680
That's a long thin penis you got there.

567
00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:17,680
A long, thin and springy penis is, according to Grant, ideal.

568
00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:19,680
But will it work?

569
00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:20,680
Hold that side.

570
00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:21,680
I'll hold this side.

571
00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:23,680
All right, there you go.

572
00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:26,680
Grab your side up a little bit more like that.

573
00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:27,680
Good.

574
00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:28,680
All right.

575
00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:33,680
Perfect.

576
00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:36,680
And that's what it's going to do.

577
00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:43,680
The bull privates should do the job, but to increase their strength and elasticity even

578
00:34:43,680 --> 00:34:46,680
more, a bit of brain power is needed.

579
00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:49,680
Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

580
00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:50,680
Dang!

581
00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:54,680
I'm going to make brain milkshakes today.

582
00:34:54,680 --> 00:35:01,680
Brains contain a naturally mulsifier that when spread upon the bull members should make

583
00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:03,680
them more stretchy.

584
00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:11,680
So you just want to get a nice coat on the dried bull unit because the more you put on,

585
00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:15,680
the more elastic it's going to be.

586
00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:19,680
And after a few hours of curing, the stretching can begin.

587
00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:24,680
The more stretchy they are, the better torsion springs they'll make.

588
00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:26,680
Oh, God, what did you do?

589
00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:28,680
It's like you snotted on them.

590
00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:32,680
You know, I'm sure no one's going to notice if you guys wanted to borrow them this weekend.

591
00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:34,680
Oh, see you later, Tori.

592
00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:38,680
Your brains and penis smell way too bad to stay out here.

593
00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:39,680
Dang!

594
00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:40,680
It's disgusting.

595
00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:42,680
I can't believe it's doing that.

596
00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:48,680
While the torsion spring catapult gets sprung, Adam and Jamie are getting ready for the ultimate

597
00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:50,680
experiment of the docks.

598
00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,680
Horrible in here.

599
00:35:53,680 --> 00:36:00,680
Over the past 48 hours, the mythbusters have built every single part of the MIT's monster

600
00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:02,680
death ray rig.

601
00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:08,680
And now they need to assemble it all together.

602
00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:11,680
First one's up.

603
00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:15,680
Fortunately, the rest of the team soon arrives.

604
00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:18,680
Hey, look, there's our guys from MIT.

605
00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:24,680
Fresh from their polishing, the MIT crew have come to help set up the biggest death ray reconstruction

606
00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:26,680
in history.

607
00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:32,680
And what's more, by using only authentic materials in their rig, MIT have ensured that this test

608
00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:38,680
is completely compatible with what Archimedes could have done, something that previous scientists

609
00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:41,680
have not been so concerned about.

610
00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:51,680
You know, there's a long history of people trying to replicate the myth of Archimedes' death ray.

611
00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:58,680
Now, the first one that we know of was attempted by the Comte de Bouffant in 1747.

612
00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:05,680
He used 168 glass mirrors and he was able to burn wood at a focal length of about 150 feet.

613
00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:12,680
Well, in 1973, Dr. Jonas Sakis, a Greek scientist, was able to do the experiment using 60 sailors

614
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:16,680
holding 6 foot by 2 foot reflectors.

615
00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:19,680
And he was able to get ignition at 160 feet.

616
00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:23,680
Well, wouldn't that suggest that there's some validity to the story?

617
00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:28,680
Yes, it proves that you can ignite timber using reflectors.

618
00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:33,680
But in the case of Bouffant, it was a piece of wood coated with creosote.

619
00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:37,680
In the case of Sakis, it was a piece of plywood attached to a robo.

620
00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:41,680
Yeah, none of the more realistic targets and they were all stationary.

621
00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:43,680
Exactly.

622
00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:49,680
The Mythbusters target, as converted by Grant and Tori, is going to be stationary.

623
00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:52,680
Oh, wait, I see a problem.

624
00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:59,680
But it's much more realistic because its timbers are thick, covered in tar and wet.

625
00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:02,680
The boat spent its life on the sea.

626
00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:04,680
Check out Jamie's new pet.

627
00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:09,680
With the boat towed into position, it's almost time for its baptism of fire.

628
00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:15,680
For me to call this myth plausible, I need to see this weapon work fast enough

629
00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:22,680
and harness enough energy to set fire to this boat in the water at the farthest distance we can place it.

630
00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:26,680
After those words of wisdom, it's time to turn up the heat.

631
00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:33,680
As MIT make the final adjustments to their death ray, they get an unexpected bonus.

632
00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:42,680
Mike Bushrow's giant rig has been raised from the dead and will join forces with the MIT array.

633
00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:48,680
With the sun powering down at midday and Jamie rocking the boat in the hot seat,

634
00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:50,680
I come in peace.

635
00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:54,680
This myth can finally get cooking.

636
00:38:54,680 --> 00:39:06,680
Did Archimedes really build a solar death ray?

637
00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:13,680
The Mythbusters and MIT have joined forces to test this classical myth once and for all.

638
00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:18,680
First step is I'm just going to adjust the aiming mirror, so don't start aiming quite yet.

639
00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:22,680
Professor Wallace is going to position the aiming mirror on the hull,

640
00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:25,680
and then all of the mirrors will be aligned to that.

641
00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:30,680
These are broad mirrors at 140 feet. Let's start aiming now.

642
00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:35,680
And they're away. Both speed and precision are vital for this myth.

643
00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:39,680
The smaller the bright spot on the boat, the hotter it'll be.

644
00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:44,680
And the faster they do it, the more realistic are its weapon capabilities.

645
00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:49,680
But five minutes in, and they're still aiming.

646
00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:53,680
The moments are advancing. They're within 100 feet of the wall.

647
00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:59,680
We've got our aimers ready. Come on, slaves, let's go! Protect your masters!

648
00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:07,680
After masterful Adam's pep talk, the last stands are soon positioned, and their effect is obvious.

649
00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:11,680
Look at that! Dude, we got smoke!

650
00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:15,680
Look at it coming off the bow! That's a good sign!

651
00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:19,680
Well, it's sizzling and cracking pretty good.

652
00:40:19,680 --> 00:40:25,680
You can definitely see a cold black spot right in the middle. It's sizzling. This is awesome!

653
00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:28,680
You looking good, MIT?

654
00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:35,680
The boat's getting cooked. It's bubbling, spitting and smoking, but there's not quite enough heat for ignition.

655
00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:40,680
Well, you know, they say where there's smoke, there's fire, but I don't see any fire yet.

656
00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:48,680
To raise the power of the ray, the team realign the mirrors to dial in the focus.

657
00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:52,680
And the temperature rockets another 50 degrees.

658
00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:55,680
We're up to 450 already.

659
00:40:55,680 --> 00:41:00,680
But it's still just smoke and mirrors. It's either the bronze or the wetness of the wood,

660
00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:05,680
but so far MIT can't repeat their car park cookoff.

661
00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:11,680
You need a bit of help, but what we want you to do is reposition the boat so that we can get another pass

662
00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:14,680
at the part that we really charred.

663
00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:23,680
So what you're saying is that stands still isn't good enough? We actually have to move the boat for you into the line of fire?

664
00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:27,680
Shut up, you lazy Roman pig and do it, you're told!

665
00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:35,680
With the boat repositioned, there's yet more charring, but flame remains elusive.

666
00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:40,680
Given that the target is stationary, the weapon's hardly nuclear.

667
00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:47,680
I see a little smoke, but I've seen worse than that before. All we need to do is move a few inches.

668
00:41:48,680 --> 00:41:58,680
If this amazing array can't light the stationary boat, could Archimedes really have set fire to a moving fleet of 60 ships?

669
00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:05,680
With only charcoal so far, the team decides to try the sail.

670
00:42:05,680 --> 00:42:08,680
Can everyone see the spot on the sail?

671
00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:14,680
According to many viewers, the sail is the most obvious thing to try to ignite.

672
00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:19,680
But as the mirrors get aligned onto it, there's not even any smoke.

673
00:42:19,680 --> 00:42:30,680
Because it's white, the sail reflects much of the heat, and because it keeps moving in the cooling breeze, the death ray beam never focuses perfectly on it.

674
00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:35,680
So viewers who are fans of sails are busted.

675
00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:40,680
We have about 20 minutes left of the right amount of sunlight for us.

676
00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:46,680
Two o'clock is our closing window. As soon as I'm done talking about this, we're going to flip all these windows and go right to silver.

677
00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:49,680
Use the modern mirrors and see if we can get some flame.

678
00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:56,680
It was modern mirrors that worked in Massachusetts, but on a target that was dry.

679
00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:07,680
So back with the sudden ship, it's down with the sail and out with the bronze, as regular mirrors get their trial by fire.

680
00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:13,680
I can tell already that there's a lot more smoke coming out, and they're not even all focused on it yet.

681
00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:16,680
Plus, these guys are getting better and better at drawing in the beam.

682
00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:23,680
This time, there's plumes of smoke, because the modern mirrors are around 20% more efficient than the bronze.

683
00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:27,680
But frustratingly, there's still no flash ignition.

684
00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:32,680
So what does our NASA genius think?

685
00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:40,680
I'm beginning to doubt that Archimedes actually did it, because it's not known at his time that it could be done,

686
00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:45,680
and it's a big leap of faith to go way out to try and do this hard work, not knowing that it will succeed.

687
00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:51,680
And after more than an hour, this record-breaking rig hasn't succeeded.

688
00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:57,680
Which means that this myth is looking increasingly shaky, particularly when coupled with a history lesson.

689
00:44:03,680 --> 00:44:12,680
You know, Adam, one thing a lot of people may not realize about this show is that we always back up investigations in a myth with documentary or historical evidence,

690
00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:15,680
and in this case, there's almost none to be had.

691
00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:20,680
The earliest and probably best account we have of the Battle of Syracuse was written by Pelobius,

692
00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:26,680
who wrote during the lifetime of soldiers who actually fought in the battle, and never once mentions fire or burning mirrors.

693
00:44:26,680 --> 00:44:32,680
Yeah, and the first mention of the use of fire was by Lucian, but that wasn't until 300 years later,

694
00:44:32,680 --> 00:44:37,680
and there was no mention in any place of the use of mirrors. It was just fire.

695
00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:43,680
Well, the very first definitive mention of burning mirrors in the Battle of Syracuse was written by Anthemius,

696
00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:51,680
almost 800 years after the battle, and it's his description that got expanded on in the 12th century, and eventually became the story we know today.

697
00:44:52,680 --> 00:44:58,680
The History Books, another particularly big nail in this coffin.

698
00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:03,680
Back at the dock, time is running out.

699
00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:10,680
In terms of sunlight, we're now heading into the region of the day where it'll be starting to fall off.

700
00:45:10,680 --> 00:45:15,680
We probably really could get another shot in after this, although we're hitting the diminishing returns.

701
00:45:16,680 --> 00:45:20,680
With one shot left, the team decides to go for broke.

702
00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:25,680
Okay, can you bring it in to 75 feet, which is half the distance?

703
00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:30,680
Having the distance will significantly boost the power of the beam.

704
00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:36,680
And seconds after all the mirrors are aligned onto the charred boat...

705
00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:38,680
Flame!

706
00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:40,680
Fire!

707
00:45:40,680 --> 00:45:41,680
Ho-ho!

708
00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:44,680
At last, they have fire.

709
00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:45,680
Congratulations!

710
00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:46,680
That's great!

711
00:45:46,680 --> 00:45:48,680
We'll call that a success.

712
00:45:49,680 --> 00:45:53,680
It's been a valiant effort by MIT and the Mythbusters.

713
00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:58,680
But remember, the myth is not that sun-reflecting mirrors can cause fire,

714
00:45:58,680 --> 00:46:02,680
but that this principle was used by Archimedes as a weapon.

715
00:46:04,680 --> 00:46:07,680
If you wanted something that would, like, just set fire to a boat immediately,

716
00:46:07,680 --> 00:46:11,680
it would have to be maybe four or five times the size of this thing.

717
00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:12,680
That's right.

718
00:46:12,680 --> 00:46:14,680
So you have a lot of people that are good at it.

719
00:46:14,680 --> 00:46:17,680
1,200, 1,500, 3,000 mirrors.

720
00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:24,680
So a death ray could just work only with many more mirrors and amers.

721
00:46:24,680 --> 00:46:30,680
Surely a waste of resources, especially given the alternatives.

722
00:46:32,680 --> 00:46:36,680
I think we can all agree that the burning mirror, it's hard to use.

723
00:46:36,680 --> 00:46:38,680
There's a lot of aiming involved.

724
00:46:38,680 --> 00:46:40,680
It needs a lot of people.

725
00:46:40,680 --> 00:46:41,680
It takes a long time.

726
00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:46,680
So we built something that we know Archimedes had in his arsenal at the time.

727
00:46:46,680 --> 00:46:49,680
And now we present the Scorpion.

728
00:46:49,680 --> 00:46:50,680
You ready to see it in action?

729
00:46:50,680 --> 00:46:51,680
Let's see it in action.

730
00:46:51,680 --> 00:46:52,680
All right.

731
00:46:52,680 --> 00:46:53,680
You guys ready?

732
00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:56,680
You guys brace yourself for the power of the Scorpion.

733
00:46:57,680 --> 00:47:02,680
In Archimedes' time, this catapult got its power through animal sinew.

734
00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:08,680
But for health reasons, Grant and Tori have been forced to use nylon-rope springs instead.

735
00:47:08,680 --> 00:47:15,680
And once tensioned, they're going to fire arrows coated in Jamie's secret recipe, Flammable Goo.

736
00:47:16,680 --> 00:47:17,680
Okay.

737
00:47:17,680 --> 00:47:18,680
It's all yours.

738
00:47:18,680 --> 00:47:20,680
Everybody else out of the way.

739
00:47:21,680 --> 00:47:23,680
It's the moment of truth.

740
00:47:24,680 --> 00:47:28,680
Ready and fire!

741
00:47:30,680 --> 00:47:33,680
Grant, if I was on that boat, I'd be more afraid of some guy with a rock.

742
00:47:33,680 --> 00:47:36,680
Now do you see why the Romans were so terrified?

743
00:47:36,680 --> 00:47:37,680
Can I ask one quick question?

744
00:47:37,680 --> 00:47:38,680
Grant, I'll save you.

745
00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:40,680
That's supposed to admit it's a more effective weapon.

746
00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:42,680
We have a fire out there at least.

747
00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:43,680
I know.

748
00:47:43,680 --> 00:47:46,680
But it doesn't take long for Grant to make amends.

749
00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:50,680
Ready and fire!

750
00:47:55,680 --> 00:47:58,680
And from there, it's hit after hit.

751
00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:04,680
Yet the boat still refuses to burst into flames.

752
00:48:04,680 --> 00:48:07,680
Got 20 more of these and that thing's going up.

753
00:48:07,680 --> 00:48:13,680
That's just too many for impatient Jamie, who takes the matter into his own hands.

754
00:48:16,680 --> 00:48:19,680
At last, some proper fire.

755
00:48:19,680 --> 00:48:26,680
According to the history books, Archimedes catapult could have chucked such a fireball over 600 feet.

756
00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:33,680
Even a humble archer like Tori can fire an arrow over 300 feet.

757
00:48:33,680 --> 00:48:37,680
Alternative means of attack, whether a catapult or an archer,

758
00:48:37,680 --> 00:48:41,680
must be the final nail in the coffin for this myth.

759
00:48:45,680 --> 00:48:49,680
The mythbusters and MIT put in a brave effort,

760
00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:53,680
but found their fiery death ray to be just too impractical.

761
00:48:53,680 --> 00:49:00,680
And as if to prove that point, the wind kicks up to terminate the experiment for good.

762
00:49:01,680 --> 00:49:08,680
The large scale rig that we built with MIT was stunning in terms of giving us so much more knowledge about whether or not this thing was possible.

763
00:49:08,680 --> 00:49:12,680
I was amazed at the efficiency of the thermal conductivity of the bronze

764
00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:15,680
and I think it really can ignite dry timber at a distance.

765
00:49:15,680 --> 00:49:17,680
I'm sorry, I don't agree.

766
00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:21,680
We had a stationary boat, we had a distance of less than a bow shot.

767
00:49:21,680 --> 00:49:25,680
We didn't get open flame created from bronze mirrors.

768
00:49:25,680 --> 00:49:26,680
I think it's busted.

769
00:49:26,680 --> 00:49:29,680
And then on top of that, there's the historical evidence, which there's none.

770
00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:32,680
I mean, they don't even talk about fire for another 300 years,

771
00:49:32,680 --> 00:49:34,680
and then another 400 years, they mention mirrors.

772
00:49:34,680 --> 00:49:37,680
So it looks like this one's busted.

773
00:49:37,680 --> 00:49:39,680
I agree, it's totally completely busted.

774
00:49:39,680 --> 00:49:42,680
Although I don't expect to stop getting emails about it.

775
00:49:42,680 --> 00:49:46,680
I mean, this is one of those stories that's too good to not keep telling.