13-Year-Old Boy Recreates Archimedes' Ancient 'Death Ray'

The 'Death Ray' is a groundbreaking discovery that involves setting an object ablaze using mirrors and the direct rays of the sun.

Originating from the inventive mind of renowned mathematician and inventor Archimedes in Ancient Greece, the Archimedes Death Ray stands as an early example of leveraging solar energy as a formidable weapon, captivating fascination for centuries.


In a recent development, a 13-year-old named Brender Sener from Canada crafted his own scaled-down rendition of the 'death ray.'



Intrigued by Archimedes' Death Ray, Brenden Sener sought to assess the viability of its underlying principle.

To investigate, he established a scaled-down experimental setup, substituting heat lamps for the sun and employing small concave mirrors to direct light onto a cardboard target.

Utilising an infrared thermometer, he measured the temperature rise at the target and discovered that each mirror contributed approximately two degrees Celsius.


His findings led him to the conclusion that, when scaled up and equipped with a more potent heat source, the Archimedes’ death ray could indeed be feasible.


Brenden received accolades for his project at both his school and regional science fairs, earning him an invitation to the Canada-Wide Science Fair, where he secured a bronze medal.

Expressing pride in his accomplishment, he voiced his aspiration to motivate fellow students to explore their curiosity and foster a passion for science.



Various experiments have explored the concept of the Archimedes Death Ray, including one conducted by the MythBusters team, who constructed a life-sized representation.

While their experiment demonstrated a notable increase in the target temperature through mirror use, they ultimately concluded that combustion using the Archimedes Death Ray was impractical and not a feasible method of destruction for its era.

Similarly, a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) endeavored to replicate Archimedes' designs through experimentation and simulation.

Their findings supported the plausibility of the Death Ray principle, as they successfully ignited a wooden boat using this technique.

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