Boston Marathon Bombing Thread

Mr. Bigglesworth · April 21, 2013, 11:41:01 AM

The electronic bits are just too common. It's better to put the lockdown on the things that go boom. The Texas plant fiasco makes it clear that is lax. How many more are there? The people with responsibility in these areas better get serious.

GJK · April 21, 2013, 02:55:48 PM

So I'm still confused - what was the pressure cooker needed for if the explosives weren't set off by being pressurized? They could of packed the bomb components in a $5 steel pot instead of a $140 brand new pressure cooker, right?

Also, if they were detonated with a radio- like an RC car radio- has any witnesses come forward to say that some guy was close to the explosion and had a radio remote? I mean, they have an antenna with not a lot of range so I would think that would of been very consipicious and observed by *somebody* with all those people that were present.

Staggerwing · April 21, 2013, 03:37:29 PM

The pressure cooker 'holds' the expanding gas from burning black-powder (an inefficient explosive, so to speak) for a fraction of a second longer so that the resulting explosion has much more force and can project the shrapnel (BBs, scrap metal, nails, what not) at a much greater velocity outward. This is a way to use slower burning propellants in place of things like TNT or C4 which burn so fast that they don't require a 'hold back' unless they are being used as a shaped charge. Even then, the direction of the burn through the material does more to aim the blast than any physical channeling.

Black powder is easier to buy w/out attracting attention than higher grade explosives, which are used industrially and tracked.

Mr. Bigglesworth · April 21, 2013, 03:52:25 PM

You seem to know too much about this kind of thing.

Staggerwing · April 21, 2013, 04:03:11 PM

More now than I did two weeks ago, that for sure. It's been hard to miss all the 'experts' in the media going over this ad nauseum.

LongBlade · April 21, 2013, 05:19:50 PM

If it was really black powder then it's no surprise the blast was so weak. Great stuff if you're looking to carry a flintlock around the farm for a Saturday. But it's rather weak compared to modern smokeless powders.

More than anything, that choice saved a lot of lives.

bayonetbrant · April 22, 2013, 06:36:35 AM

There are more stupid people in this country than I think any of us would care to admit.

Holy crap...

and to show that idiots arguing with idiots just has a multiplicative effect

oh, yeah, and this one...

Gusington · April 22, 2013, 07:38:08 AM

The above just confirms what we all already know.

LongBlade · April 22, 2013, 10:38:59 AM

No wonder it took four days to identify them...

Martok · April 22, 2013, 12:12:56 PM

I don't think there are enough face-palms in the world for that level of stupidity.

Steelgrave · April 22, 2013, 12:39:48 PM

Quote from: Martok on April 22, 2013, 12:12:56 PM
I don't think are enough face-palms in the world for that level of stupidity.

I have family-in-law in Texas who are Czech. Guess they will go on the terrorist watch list now ::)

Centurion40 · April 22, 2013, 01:00:27 PM

Quote from: GJK on April 21, 2013, 02:55:48 PM

Also, if they were detonated with a radio- like an RC car radio- has any witnesses come forward to say that some guy was close to the explosion and had a radio remote? I mean, they have an antenna with not a lot of range so I would think that would of been very consipicious and observed by *somebody* with all those people that were present.

I can't be bothered to find the source, but I have heard/read that one of the victims of the bombing was able to ID one of the two Chechen brothers as someone who dropping a backpack, looked the victim in the eyes and then walked away- just before the blast. Circumstantial maybe, but indicting for certain.

Bison · April 22, 2013, 01:10:46 PM

Quote from: Centurion40 on April 22, 2013, 01:00:27 PM
Quote from: GJK on April 21, 2013, 02:55:48 PM

Also, if they were detonated with a radio- like an RC car radio- has any witnesses come forward to say that some guy was close to the explosion and had a radio remote? I mean, they have an antenna with not a lot of range so I would think that would of been very consipicious and observed by *somebody* with all those people that were present.

I can't be bothered to find the source, but I have heard/read that one of the victims of the bombing was able to ID one of the two Chechen brothers as someone who dropping a backpack, looked the victim in the eyes and then walked away- just before the blast. Circumstantial maybe, but indicting for certain.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-19/boston-bombing-victim-in-iconic-photo-helped-identify-attackers.html

Windigo · April 22, 2013, 04:03:23 PM

I just want to remind you all that this should come as no surprise that people can be this... uneducated. How educated do you need to be to survive/communicate in a western nation? Not very is the answer.

Barthheart · April 22, 2013, 08:12:05 PM

Quote from: Windigo on April 22, 2013, 04:03:23 PM
I just want to remind you all that this should come as no surprise that people can be this... uneducated. How educated do you need to be to survive/communicate in a western nation? Not very is the answer.

Yeah, this lot here at Grogheads are the exceptions to the rule. Our geography knowledge is greatly expanded because of our hobby. I think we just take for granted that everyone knows what we do. ;)