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It Takes 2.99 Gigajoules To Vaporize a Human Body
Have you ever wondered how much energy is needed to power a phaser set to kill? A trio of researchers at the University of Leicester did, so they ran some tests and found out it would take roughly 2.99 GJ to vaporize an average-sized adult human body. Quoting:
"First, consider the true vaporization – the complete separation of all atoms within a molecule – of water. With a simple molecular structure containing an oxygen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms, it takes serious energy to break these bonds. In fact, it takes 460 kilojoules of energy to break just one mole of oxygen-hydrogen bonds — around the same energy that a 2,000-pound car going 70 miles per hour on the highway has in potential. And that's just 18 grams of water! So as you can see, it would take a gargantuan amount of energy to separate all the atoms in even a small glass of water — especially if that glass of water is your analog for a person. The human body is a bit more complicated than a glass of water, but it still vaporizes like one. And thanks to our spies spread across scientific organizations, we now have the energy required to turn a human into an atomic soup, to break all the atomic bonds in a body. According to the captured study, it takes around three gigajoules of death-ray to entirely vaporize a person — enough to completely melt 5,000 pounds of steel or simulate a lightning bolt."
It only takes NSA to vaporize your freedom
You are correct, sir. I can tell you this because I have lived there. Plus I am English, and most of us just know this.
Actually, Leicester is easy compared to some place names in England. Shrewsbury is interesting, as not even the locals can agree (~"Shroos-b'ry" [rhymes with "shoes"] vs. ~"Shrose-bury" [rhymes with "throws"]) (pardon my phonetics [not to mention my nested parentheses]). I think it has something to do with which side of the river you live, but I haven't actually lived there so don't know the full details.
Probably best not to mention Slaithwaite or Featherstonehaugh.