Posted by
CowboyNeal
on from the jumping-the-gun dept.
giampy writes "New Scientist reports the creation of a 'smart bullet' that can be fired at a target and then transmit back informations via wireless connection. The range is 70m. The project is funded by Lockeed Martin and its official goal is the detection of hidden TNT."
As an ex-EOD tech, I can assure you that your impressions are quite incorrect.
All explosives are detonated by shock and/or heat. The amount of either depends on the formula used for the explosives. RDX, which is the active component of C-4, is quite sensitive on it's own. C-4 adds plasticizers to both reduce the sensitivity of RDX and to make it more plyable (hence, "plastic" explosives). Setting off explosives uses blasting caps (detonators) to provide the approriate shock to cause the explosive to detonate. This is accomplished by setting off a sensitive amount of explosive, which detonates a slightly more powerful explosive, on up until the last bit is powerful enough to set off the C-4.
The reason that you are required to turn off cell phones and other radio transmitters is because the blasting caps are usually electrically primed, and stray RF can set the caps off. Those long lead wires make very good antennae.
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What good is a double standard if you can't enforce it?
Re:Thinking about defusing bombs...
by
mikael
·
· Score: 3, Informative
Sandbags seem to be the preferred option. They're cheap, and the contents can be easily found anywhere in the world. Other methods of containment include using a U shaped metal barrel pointing upwards towards the sky. Apparently when this was used once, it actually shot a hole through the clouds above. The closest anyone has come up with using a flexible but strong substance has probably been with airlines experimenting with kevlar straps tied around baggage containers. The straps were flexible enough to stretch with the blast, but strong enough to keep the container in shape.
Slashdot Mirror
Don't know why nobody has noticed this yet, but we already covered this topic a couple days ago.
As an ex-EOD tech, I can assure you that your impressions are quite incorrect.
All explosives are detonated by shock and/or heat. The amount of either depends on the formula used for the explosives. RDX, which is the active component of C-4, is quite sensitive on it's own. C-4 adds plasticizers to both reduce the sensitivity of RDX and to make it more plyable (hence, "plastic" explosives). Setting off explosives uses blasting caps (detonators) to provide the approriate shock to cause the explosive to detonate. This is accomplished by setting off a sensitive amount of explosive, which detonates a slightly more powerful explosive, on up until the last bit is powerful enough to set off the C-4.
The reason that you are required to turn off cell phones and other radio transmitters is because the blasting caps are usually electrically primed, and stray RF can set the caps off. Those long lead wires make very good antennae.
What good is a double standard if you can't enforce it?
Sandbags seem to be the preferred option. They're cheap, and the contents can be easily found anywhere in the world. Other methods of containment include using a U shaped metal barrel pointing upwards towards the sky. Apparently when this was used once, it actually shot a hole through the clouds above. The closest anyone has come up with using a flexible but strong substance has probably been with airlines experimenting with kevlar straps tied around baggage containers. The straps were flexible enough to stretch with the blast, but strong enough to keep the container in shape.
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