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kleinbl00 · 3201 days ago · link · · parent · post: Hubski, what's an original idea you've had but have never had the chance to share it?
Worked on thermophotovoltaic cells back in the '90s and holy fuck did we have lensing. It's really easy with a fresnel to push surface temperatures into "rapid mechanical breakdown" territory. I had a bitchin' 9x11" one as a kid that would not only fry ants, but if you held it right you could crack concrete like popcorn. That shit breaks down electronics about as fast as it breaks down ants. If you're going to concentrate light like that, it's much easier to pump it into a heliostat. In fact, that's pretty much a heliostat in a nutshell.