Look what I made, mum! Teenager builds 'death-ray' which can burn through almost anything

While many teenagers are content to sit at home playing computer games, this one has set his sights on something a little more ambitious.

Eric Jacqmain, from Indiana in the US, covered an ordinary fibreglass satellite dish with 5,800 tiny mirror tiles - and made his very own 'death ray'.

When aligned correctly it can generate a heat spot a couple of centimetres across, with an intensity of 5,000 shining suns, the 19-year-old claims.

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Solar power: Eric Jacqmain labelled his 'death ray' dish his 'latest and greatest solar invention' - and he is working on further developments

Power: This piece of wood stood no chance against Eric Jacqmain's spectacular invention

The inventor then posted video of his invention on YouTube, with people commenting in awe of the power of the satellite.

The ray generates enough power to melt steel, vaporize aluminum, boil concrete, turn dirt into lava, and obliterate any organic material in an instant.

It stands at 5ft 9ins and measures just 42 inches across.

Jacqmain, commenting on YouTube said : 'I drilled a small hole in the dish and glued a piece of PVC pipe on the back.

'Light shines through the hole and hits the translucent plastic on the end of the pipe. All I had to do was aim the dish once and mark the spot.

'As long as the target doesn't conduct heat away too fast it will melt or vaporize just about anything eventually.

'I have vaporized before carbon, which occurs above 6,500 Fahrenheit.'

Next up: The paint can lid is next to feel the power of the satellite

...but as a hole appears in the lid, the 'death ray' emerges as the easy victor

The American teenager called his invention the R5800 solar 'death ray'.

Putting it into context, just the tiny fraction of the Sun's energy that hits the Earth (around a hundredth of a millionth of a percent) is enough to meet all our power needs many times over.

In fact, every minute, enough energy arrives at the Earth to meet our demands for a whole year - if only we could harness it properly.

Sturdy stuff? Up steps the rock to take on the solar beast

....but it's the same result as the rays melt through the tough substance

Unfortunately for Jacqmain, his 'death ray' dish met it's own grisly end when it was destroyed in a shed fire.

Jacqmain added: 'Yeah. It "committed suicide". It's very likely that it was the cause of the fire. Nothing left of it but half melted wagon parts and the adjustable mount.'

If there was ever a case of self-destruction, this was it.

But Jacqmain's despair at the death of his 'death ray' has simply spurred him on to develop a yet more powerful alternative.

'Plans already in place for the new one, he added.

'The goal is to use about 32,000 mirrors this time.'

Impressive: Jacqmain's invention was made from an ordinary fibreglass satellite dish and covered in about 5,800 mirror tiles