I could build up a lot of solar panels and use the electricity to heat up an oven more than the surface of the sun, right?
Yes, this would be like using a hydroelectric dam to power a fountain that sprays higher than the initial reservoir. Machines can convert a large amount of low-quality energy into a small amount of high-quality energy, even when passive components (e.g. mirrors or pipes) cannot.
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Yes, this would be like using a hydroelectric dam to power a fountain that sprays higher than the initial reservoir. Machines can convert a large amount of low-quality energy into a small amount of high-quality energy, even when passive components (e.g. mirrors or pipes) cannot.
So what is a "passive component"? I guess, a water wheel that drives a pump that pupms water way above the surface level would count as active?
What about a material that absorbs photons and emitts them at a higher energy level (emitting one after absorbing two)?