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.
Meet the Producer
About Flora Lichtman
Flora Lichtman is a host of Science Friday. In a previous life, she lived on a research ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.