"This solar powered barbecue is a very good example of how inventors are successfully tapping into that potential in more innovative ways. It's a sign of the times."Wait. Sign of the times? Didn't we see solar ovens 30 years ago? And I know we built one 5 years ago for my daughter's science class. It was called Solar Cooking Day, I think, but it became known as the Great Salmonella Experiment of 2002. And it did save energy because nobody involved was able to travel for several days. I think the kids who elected to "cook" chocolate chip (already baked) cookies did ok. But most of us stood around taking bites of our cold hot dogs and saying (inaccurately), "I think it's warm." Face it Earthists, solar ovens are good for getting bacteria up to incubating temperature, not much else.
3 comments:
I built one for a science project in 1966.
Got plans from Popular Mechanics mag!
I built another one for my kids science project in 1996.
Both were accurate parabolic reflectors and had accurately placed targets in the focal zone.
Neither one would boil water!
My science teacher figured my effort was worth a Pass ( 60% ).
My kids science teacher gave her a ribbon and an A!
Oh yeah, forgot to say that we did prove you can give yourself a sunburn with one!!
I think the best of our group brought a chicken leg up to the USDA dear-God-don't-eat-it temperature of 105ยบ F.
"The day is cloudy" was our excuse. Still the grown-ups pretended that we were scorching our mouths on the food. "Aw, honey, I think we burned it."
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