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May. 13, 2011
Magnified Sun Burns
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Ready for some fun in the sun? At the right angle, a magnifying glass will concentrate sunshine into a burning hot circle. Thomas Baer, executive director of the Stanford Photonics Research Center, explains how to calculate the solar intensity of that spot by taking some simple measurements. By the way, the magnifying glass fire-starter helps explains why it's dangerous to stare directly at the sun.
FEATURED READING
Brilliant Blunders
by Mario Livio
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