1973: Greek Navy Uses Focused Sunlight to Set Wooden Boat Afire

The Greek navy recreates a legendary feat by the Greek scientist Archimedes, who is said to have used bronze shields to focus sunlight and set fire to wooden ships belonging to the Roman navy. Archimedes’s action took place around 212 B.C. The Greek navy recreates the experiment and sets fire to a wooden boat at a distance of 50 meters. [US Department of Energy, 2002 ]