[Rockhounds] Inca Indians Used Solar Power To Cut Rocks

[DonH]

Gary Brown wrote:

> But it CAN be done!  Here's a chap that made a "killer" unit with an old
> satellite dish:
> 
> http://www.cockeyed.com/incredible/solardish/dish01.shtml
> 
> GcB 


Oh yes, solar cookers do work!  I had a small, hand-sized solar fire 
starter, and I think Edmund Scientific still sells a few solar cookers 
and experimentation units.  It doesn't take much.

In the end, they still must be pointed at the sun and the energy is 
concentrated at the focal point.  Due to the mathematical nature of the 
parabola, the focal point is usually not far from the minimum of the 
curve (I really encouage people to check this out on a web search).  In 
order to work well, the parabola must be machined precisely (remember 
the Hubble telescope).

Bottom line: if the Inca thing could work specifically to make precision 
cuts in stone, imagine what we'd all be doing with such mirrors!

best,
Don