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Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
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Burning fine particles of various metals at 4000 degrees Fahrenheit are reported to explode when they come in contact with frozen water.
Episode 122 - Thermite vs. Ice
Original airdate: May 27, 2009
RT 7:42
Episode 122 - Thermite vs. Ice
Original airdate: May 27, 2009
RT 7:42
Oct 27, 2009 11:55 AM
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
I think clearly the government planted explosives throughout the ice structure.
By: deiviant
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
You're in the right direction. What the government has been keeping a secret is that water is actually highly explosive. The idea is that if necessary they can use us as bombs in case of emergency.
By: Raikou
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
I think Jamie's explanation makes a lot of sense. It's essentially a fuel-air bomb. You get the thermite burning a hole through the bucket and then causing steam or hydrogen-oxygen blend to blast up through that hole, blowing the powder into an aerosol cloud. And then that big explosion can decouple the water molecules and cause an oxygenated hydrogen explosion making the explosion even bigger.
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
So, if you put military grade thermite..or "thermate" in a building that's piped with sprinklers that come on in case of a fire...then you shot a missile/flew a plane into that building causing an explosion and fire...then you let that fire burn for a while to trigger the thermate which then mixes with all that water...hmm, would it be able to take that building to the ground at the speed of gravity (or free fall speed)? Nahhh...that makes no sense.
By: chawx
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
If someone can manage to secretly place the difficult-to-ignite thermate in such a way as to be ignited by a plane crash fire and then sprinkled with water from below and then aerosolized upward by that steam and then detonated without too much visible fireworks in an exquisitely-timed cascading floor-by-floor sequence causing a hundred-story building to collapse into its own footprint, that would be some fancy secret demolition skillz. I submit to you that the possessor of such incredible demolition kung fu would deserve to get away with it.
Of course, there are more reliable ways to pull a building. Like releasing a thousand diamond-toothed beavers in cute little fire suits to gnaw through the steel.
The gub'mint's story makes no sense. Thermite and sprinklers makes even less sense.
Of course, there are more reliable ways to pull a building. Like releasing a thousand diamond-toothed beavers in cute little fire suits to gnaw through the steel.
The gub'mint's story makes no sense. Thermite and sprinklers makes even less sense.
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
Ya, but can a guy suffering from kidney failure living in a cave 10,000+ miles away can make NORAD stand down so 3 out of 4 hijacked commercial planes, piloted by guys who could barely fly a small engine plane, could hit their targets...one of them being able to pull off a maneuver so unimaginably impossible the FBI had to steal the footage from 50+ security cameras that saw this maneuver so no one else in the world could ever think of duplicating it...that's more plausible. Right?
Talk about "kung fu" skillz...
Talk about "kung fu" skillz...
By: chawx
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
That story makes barely more sense than the beavers. This thing stinks, and we'll probably never know what really happened. But whatever it was certainly didn't rely on fire sprinklers as demolition hardware.
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
I heard those were actually Canadian trained beavers (just FYI).
By: flopnik
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
Thermite is traditionally a blend of aluminum powder (at least 94% pure elemental) and iron oxide powder (basically rust). It works because aluminum is higher on the activity series of metals and with a catalyst the aluminum begins stealing the oxygen molecule from the iron oxide, an exetremely exothermic reaction. I would speculate that the same process which liberates the oxygen from the iron also steals oxygen from the water molecules, liberating the hydrogen and thus providing additional fuel for the explosion. But that's just me.
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
Barely related: both Mythbusters ought to accept that they are bald as coots. I, for one, am completely distracted by the weird guinea pig hair and the stupid beret every time I see their asses.
Women don't mind a shaved head or a number 2. They're fun to pet.
Women don't mind a shaved head or a number 2. They're fun to pet.
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
So only people with hair are allowed to wear hats then?
By: hypersapien
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
I heard wearing hats may cause baldness. So, it is lose - lose situation then.
By: flopnik
Re: Mythbusters: Thermite vs Ice
I didn't say that. It's not the hat that's the problem at all. Beret--that's the fucking problem.
No men are allowed to wear berets. Berets are for the birds.
Unless they are part of a military/special ops/commando/COBRA/etc. uniform (grrr), and the man is in said uniform at the time.
Although Tomax and Xamot weren't exactly hot in the uniform, even with the beret, and I can't think of other COBRA ops in a beret right now from the cartoon.
Actually, I should say this: I don't know any women who are attracted to men who wear berets. I don't know all women, though. Maybe someone has a thing for pretentious mimes, or those caricatures of French dudes in the shirts with those itty-bitty stripes. You might hit lady gold, son!
No men are allowed to wear berets. Berets are for the birds.
Unless they are part of a military/special ops/commando/COBRA/etc. uniform (grrr), and the man is in said uniform at the time.
Although Tomax and Xamot weren't exactly hot in the uniform, even with the beret, and I can't think of other COBRA ops in a beret right now from the cartoon.
Actually, I should say this: I don't know any women who are attracted to men who wear berets. I don't know all women, though. Maybe someone has a thing for pretentious mimes, or those caricatures of French dudes in the shirts with those itty-bitty stripes. You might hit lady gold, son!
