Flashlight Powerful Enough to Cook Your Skin Built by Hobbyist

A flashlight, or torch, as they call it in Europe, is used to help you see things in the dark. It was never meant to cook your skin (or your dog while walking him) with ultraviolet radiation, but that's exactly what this big homemade flashlight does (without the protective shielding). It's made by Dutch light hobbyist and optics engineer Ralf Ottow.

Ottow, used an ordinary flashlight casing and outfitted it with a mercury arc lamp, the kind where a tiny but powerful electric arc jumps between two electrodes to produce light, heat, and ultraviolet radiation. In fact, it is so powerful, it can literally give the user sunburn - which is why Otto added shielding to keep the UV radiation contained after he himself paid with the effects of unprotected tests - resulting in sunburns. Some say it could be used as a weapon.

Ottow's flashlight which has been called the Maxablaster (or Maxblaster), is carried around like a suitcase and can light up clouds at night. It's pretty useful in the dark when looking for objects 4 miles away. Don't bother to bring your dog along.

If Ottow's flashlight reminds you of a Star Wars lightsaber, then you'd most likely be also interested in this flashlight (below). It's really a lightsaber prop replica that plays a power up and power down sound effect used in the movies when switched on and off. Don't worry, it won't burn you with damaging rays because it uses only LED lightbulbs.











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