Boiling water and cooking with the Simple Solar principles:
dark heats up
light reflects
clear keeps the wind out
Using the basic geometry of the parabolic curve to focus light in a line and a circle with a parabolic trough and parabolic dish.
The late Tim Harkness made the parabolic dish used in the video on that windy April day. There is a Tim Harkness Fund for Invention at Hampshire College which awards grants for innovative work in applied design and invention, especially in areas of sustainability and renewable energy. Students and alumni from the Five Colleges are eligible.
How to Draw a Parabola
Draw a Parabola with pencil and string
Simple Solar - Part 1