About an hour east of Tashkent is a giant James Bond set. What else could a place like this one be?
Some evil villain, building a weapon to take over the universe. Not far off. Depending with whom you talk, where you look, the place is a "solar furnace," a "physics of the sun," or the "Institute of the Sun." Lost in translation.
In any language, the explanation is the same. Find a sunny spot. Create a field of mirrors. Have the mirrors bounce light to a giant, curved mirror, concentrating the sun's rays and heat. Have powerful beam strike something. See what happens. Mind your fingers. Shine and repeat, take notes, go home to dinner, do it again the next day.
The Soviets built the place in 1981, perhaps with the purpose of testing materials for military applications. See if a soldier's underwear can withstand the 3,000º Celsius blast. Today, it's used for industrial purposes. Like seeing if ladies lingerie can withstand a 3,000º Celsius blast. Maybe underwear isn't the best example.
Here's a model of the complex. Mirrors up the hill, the big reflector staring at the field. In the lobby of the office, a giant glass wreath-like bauble.
Reflecting on the reflector. The heated action takes place in the box-like structure in front of the mirror.
The rows of mirrors, heading up the hill.
Fiery demo of the power of a concave mirror with a blast of sun. A look back at the giant reflector from the mirror field.
James Bond angle of the reflector and concentrator room. Notice the charred doors, which cover the room where the beam hits.
Showing its age. Missing mirror sections and a now unused tech room behind one set of mirrors.
James Bond view of the mirror field, ripe to be the background to a "Upon reflection, now you die, Mr Bond" utterance and a fight with absurd gizmos.
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