h a l f b a k e r y
Faster than a stationary bullet.
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Many skyskrapers are built with semireflective windows, to cut down on heat entering the building and cooling costs. If you traverse an area of street where this light is being reflected, it is pretty warm. And bright.
This phenomenon is harnessed in the interest of dangerous public art. By slightly
angling the windows, the reflections converge on a fountainlike sculpture in the center of the public square. During a short period of the day, for a few months of the year, sufficient light is converged on the fountain to heat it up such that it sputters and boils, setting off steam powered whistles. School children are taken on fieldtrips to watch this spectacle. Hotdog buns and dimsum can be placed over strategically positioned vents so that they might be steamed to a succulent softness. Spectators hurl paper airplanes and wads of trash up over the fountain so that they are instantly consumed in a flash of fire. Buskers sing folk songs about steam, fire and the Sun.
Inspiration
Portable_20solar_20...igh_20concentration
[bungston, Jun 20 2005]
Short name, e.g., Bob's Coffee
Destination URL.
E.g., http://www.coffee.com/
Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)
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What about the other times of year, when the light would focus on other places and cook the odd pidgeon or businessman? |
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I like the idea but am skeptical of the boiling part. Might look extra interesting, though. |
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Have the tilt of all of the windows controlled such as in my AOL CD idea (the second one, that ends in "of Doom!"). |
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//Why only odd pigeons?// |
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Because all the even pigeons have moved to Jamaica. |
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I can't help thinking that if the windows are aligned so as to reflect lots of sunlight onto the fountain at a particular time of year, then immediately before and after that time the sunlight will be focussed onto a line leading towards and away from the fountain. After a while people will know to avoid this charred and pitted path of concrete but there may be a few quite expensive lawsuits first. |
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