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Support our schoolCould a series of mirrors deliberately positioned and focused on a single point cause a target to combust? Could such a device have been built to sink enemy warships? The legend of the Archimedes’ Death Ray gave rise to many questions that both historians and scientists have been trying to answer for many centuries.
Brenden Sener, a 13 year old student at Matthews Hall in London, Ontario, was able to provide some insight to this age-old riddle. His miniature model of the ancient device used mirrors and light bulbs to represent the sun and a paper card as a target. Using these materials, Brenden demonstrated that by focusing the light on the target and increasing the wattage of the bulbs, a notable change in temperature could be observed. This suggested that such a device was indeed plausible in the days of Archimedes and could potentially focus a significant amount of heat energy under the right conditions.
For his work on this project, Brenden was awarded the Gold Medal at the Matthews Hall Annual Science Fair 2023, the Gold Medal in the Physical Sciences Division at the Thames Valley Science and Engineering Fair 2023 and the London Public Library Award for Inspiring Children’s
Interests in Science and Technology 2023. The project also garnered much attention in the media after a publication in the Canadian Science Fair Journal led to a series of interviews with National Public Radio, Business Insider and CNN.
When asked about what inspires him, Brenden makes a clear connection between the experiences of his younger self and his current passion for science. “I was always interested in medicine and engineering. My parents both work in the medical field and hearing about their work and experiences got me more and more interested in science, particularly medical science”.
This interest in medical science was a clear motivator for Brenden’s 2024 project “The effect of popular drinks on kidney stone formation and fragility”. This investigation of calcium oxalate kidney stones led to important conclusions about the role of sugar and salt in the formation of kidney stones as well as in making them more resilient to treatment. The study also made recommendations on how to prevent kidney stone formation and allow for easier treatment.
A rigorous approach to experimental science combined with a professional presentation of his work have earned Brenden numerous accolades. He received the Gold Medal at the Matthews Hall Annual Science Fair 2024, the Gold Medal in the Life Science Division at the Thames Valley Science and Engineering Fair 2024 and the Sanofi International Biogenius Award. Brenden also received the Grand Prize Award and will now have an opportunity to present his work as one of the 400 finalists at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Ottawa.
When asked about the importance of promoting science to his peers, Brenden readily shares his views. “Technology is advancing, we need more people to go into different areas of science and become knowledgeable about them.” He also comments on the importance of learning a logical and sequential approach to experimental science: “The scientific method is very important because it has allowed me to get through my experiments step by step, giving structure to the entire process.”
At the conclusion of the 2023 academic year, Brenden was also the recipient of the 2023 Head’s Scholars Award for achieving one of the highest percentages on his final report. Although academic success is a high priority to Brenden, it is not his only contribution to Matthews Hall. As the school’s Prime Minister and head of student government, Brenden organized a school-wide pizza fundraiser event that was able to raise $1643 for Children’s Health Foundation.
So what’s next for this aspiring student? As he ponders his soon-to-be graduation and transition to high school, science is definitely in his sights. “I would definitely love to keep studying science and bioengineering in particular” says Brenden. “Learning about my father’s work with kidney transplantation at his laboratory at Western University has definitely inspired me”.