Planetarion Forums

Androme · 3 Jan 2005, 00:02

I think this is where terrorists could very well next strike since [1] terrorists are no longer the main feature everywhere at the present moment and unfortunate time [2] they'll do just about anything

It's not hard to devise - blow a bomb under the sea, and the waves hit the shore where it gets shallow (anyone who's even done GCSE Geo like myself would know this - which makes you think, Geography isn't the safest subject to teach 'eh?).

JonnyBGood · 3 Jan 2005, 00:06

That would have to be one ****ing huge bomb (In which case why not just set it off somewhere populated?)

Lupin · 3 Jan 2005, 00:07

i dont know but isnt this done before? i mean the whole nuclear test were made under water.

actually to make an artificaly tsunami you need loads of energy and i doubt you get that just from a couple of bombs or whatever.

Marilyn Manson · 3 Jan 2005, 00:10

They could get John Prescott to fart 15 miles off shore. That would probably work.

Androme · 3 Jan 2005, 00:10

If you use a wave generator it's a different matter.

Lupin · 3 Jan 2005, 00:11

it definatley is.

Marilyn Manson · 3 Jan 2005, 00:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androme2

If you use a wave generator it's a different matter.

Right you are son.

Ste · 3 Jan 2005, 00:15

how bothered would we be if we lost the south coast of england?
Bonus - it would affect France too

JonnyBGood · 3 Jan 2005, 00:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androme2

If you use a wave generator it's a different matter.

Where would you buy one of these? How much do they cost? How easy is it to set up a sufficient number in a hidden off-shore location to achieve the level of damage that could be achieved just using "normal" bombs?

LHC · 3 Jan 2005, 00:15

20 trillion tons of TNT for a richter scale 9 earthquake

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 00:19

It's possible, in fact it's reasonably simple. If you think about it. I'm not going to go into it now, but setting off a man made tsunami isn't that challenging an idea, it's just finding somewhere which suits the needed criteria.

Tactitus · 3 Jan 2005, 00:21

A large earthquake (large enough to generate a tsunami) has a lot of energy. The 9.0 magnitude Sumatra earthquake released energy on the order of 20K to 30K Hiroshima/Nagasaki atomic bombs. Any terrorist group with that kind of energy to throw around doesn't need to mess with tsunamis (as JBG noted).

In theory, a relatively small explosion might trigger a very large earthquake or underwater landslide (and hence tsunami) if you knew just where to put it--but nobody really knows how to do that yet (or we'd be doing a lot better job of predicting earthquakes).

Interesting, that later scenario is a subplot of State of Fear, Michael Crichton's latest technothriller.

JamMak · 3 Jan 2005, 00:24

Everyone worried about that mountain-side in La Palma sliding into the sea if the volcanoe on the island errupted (= mega tsunami), wonder if that could be set off by 'artificial' means...

Stew · 3 Jan 2005, 00:25

How big are the nuclear bombs that Pakistand/India test under water? As in how many tiems the size of Hiroshima ones (what's the point of making them bigger than this btw?)

Edit: Anyway you lot, stop giving ideas to terrorists, you never know who might read this

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 00:30

Tesla discussed the numbers involved in flux density. Not how to make Taiwan disappear.

Stew · 3 Jan 2005, 00:33

The tsunami last week made the earth tilt on its axis, I dunno if this is impressive/rare or not though

Rids · 3 Jan 2005, 00:33

Anybody read the latest Patrick Robinson book? Cant think what it was called but it deals with a plot involving terrorists, a nuclear missile, one of the volcanos in the canary islands, and a ****ing huge tidal wave thing.

Marilyn Manson · 3 Jan 2005, 00:38

This thread is like the letters section of a local newspaper.

To be more precise, could people please stop talking bollocks about subjects which they clearly know little or nothing about?

Ta.

Stew · 3 Jan 2005, 00:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marilyn Manson

To be more precise, could people please stop talking bollocks about subjects which they clearly know little or nothing about?

Ta.

In just this thread? Or the whole of GD? If the latter, there may well be very few posts in the future.

JonnyBGood · 3 Jan 2005, 00:47

Lolling hard.

Marilyn Manson · 3 Jan 2005, 00:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nantoz

My god, who or what do you think you are?

I am the Acid Christ.

I am the mirror image of your perfect life.

I am an Emperor and a villan, a Priest and a dictator.

I am all of these things, and I bring you weirdness.

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 00:54

I am Skiddy.

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 00:56

If some mod wants to let us know who this ****wit is, would be most appreciated.

Phang · 3 Jan 2005, 00:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nantoz

You're a dope head, most like.

PS: and I do hope that wasn't a quote from a song by your skinny, pallid, skin clad, disgusting goth boyfriend with the girlie nick name....

GB2GBS

Fluffie · 3 Jan 2005, 00:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew

The tsunami last week made the earth tilt on its axis, I dunno if this is impressive/rare or not though

I think I heard/read it happens quite often and the poles can change in a diameter of something in the range of 10 metres.
This affects the durations of a day and could lead to an extra second or something be added or deducted... Just like that day in february.

But don't hold me to this

Marilyn Manson · 3 Jan 2005, 01:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nantoz

PS: and I do hope that wasn't a quote from a song by your skinny, pallid, skin clad, disgusting goth boyfriend with the girlie nick name....

[Jeremy Irons.]Hook, line, und sinker.[/Jeremy Irons.]

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 01:10

Oh please, Nacho's, won't you just piss off?

Marilyn Manson · 3 Jan 2005, 01:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nantoz

What other marvels of high culture can you provide us with?

Errr.

Sodomy?

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 01:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nantoz

I'm sure some could claim that was my mission. Would seem I have manged to piss off you...

You'd have to try quite hard to piss me off, only Phang has managed that so far, and I've forgiven him as he's decent on IRC.

Boogster · 3 Jan 2005, 01:17

Jerry, Jerry!

Phang · 3 Jan 2005, 01:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by skiddy

You'd have to try quite hard to piss me off, only Phang has managed that so far, and I've forgiven him as he's decent on IRC.

i still don't know what i actually did :/

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 01:20

You moaned about getting bottled at some concert, which is fair enough, as I'd be well pissed off too, but you actually let them get away with it and didn't put them in intensive care, which is unexcusable.

Marilyn Manson · 3 Jan 2005, 01:22

I say we bottle this fellow, and then hang him upside down out of the window of a moving train, and see how many sleepers his head hits.

What say you, Mr Hall?

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 01:23

Um, yeah, who we talking about?

If it's Phang, no, we like him now. Nacho's or that Canadian ****up, yeah, let's hit the Metro now.

Boogster · 3 Jan 2005, 01:24

How very restrained of you.

In the name of science!...

Marilyn Manson · 3 Jan 2005, 01:25

I was refering to the Nacho chappie.

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 01:26

What about the name of science?

I've already spoke of Tesla once this evening! I also brought up Hawkins in the pub, athough that was whilst discussing the speech program on an iMac.

Androme · 3 Jan 2005, 01:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fluffie

I think I heard/read it happens quite often and the poles can change in a diameter of something in the range of 10 metres.

That's the magnetic flux density

Anyway, the epicentre was equivalent to 10,000 Hiroshima bombs, not 20/30K as Tactitcus said.

Building a large wave generator such as the sizes of generators in a nuclear power plant multiplied by a factor of about 10-100 would give you a generator large enough to produce large waves like that of tsunami - the only problem would be having the energy transfered over large distances & the energy to power the generator - which is where the idea of a terrorist group using bombs to supply the energy.

Phang · 3 Jan 2005, 01:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by skiddy

You moaned about getting bottled at some concert, which is fair enough, as I'd be well pissed off too, but you actually let them get away with it and didn't put them in intensive care, which is unexcusable.

oh right. i kinda couldnt, for a number of factors.

1)i didnt see who did it.
2)i was bleeding a lot and trying to stop bleeding was my primary concern.
3)whoever did it was part of a large crowd of chanting pseudo-anarchists
4)probably other reasons.

note that this was in a semi-riot in the campsite rather than in the venue during music. that would have been something else entirely.

but it was all months ago anyway so meh

Boogster · 3 Jan 2005, 01:29

Well, the highlight of my evening was proving* to my parents and nana that the word 'banes' does, in fact, exist, after playing a game of Boggle which I won by a large margin.

I am sooo cool.

*A loud voice helps, I found.

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 01:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phang

oh right. i kinda couldnt, for a number of factors.

1)i didnt see who did it.
2)i was bleeding a lot and trying to stop bleeding was my primary concern.
3)whoever did it was part of a large crowd of chanting pseudo-anarchists
4)probably other reasons.

note that this was in a semi-riot in the campsite rather than in the venue during music. that would have been something else entirely.

but it was all months ago anyway so meh

Stop getting defensive, I've already said you're forgiven.

Phang · 3 Jan 2005, 01:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by skiddy

Stop getting defensive, I've already said you're forgiven.

...i want to be more forgiven?

A2 · 3 Jan 2005, 01:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew

The tsunami last week made the earth tilt on its axis, I dunno if this is impressive/rare or not though

It made the Earth rotate an inch which translates as something like 3 millionths of a second of a shorter day. (source: The Sun or The Metro, I forget which)
One thing one of my friends wondered was if this meant that everything in geostationary orbit - GPS satellites and the like would be spewing out the wrong data, as what may only be 1 inch on the surface is surely quite a long way at whatever height geostationary orbit is.

JammyJim · 3 Jan 2005, 01:39

nantos reminds me of the restaurant chain nandos

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 01:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phang

...i want to be more forgiven?

In honesty, I was just thinking of a reason to not like you. It was more the picture that stuck in my mind. I promise to love you from now on.

Stew · 3 Jan 2005, 01:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJ

Something about Nandos

Mmmmm.....chicken

Edit: damn going onto page 2 - will have to find quote of JJ's now or make it up.

A2 · 3 Jan 2005, 01:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by JammyJim

nantos reminds me of the restaurant chain nandos

spicy, chickeny or mass-produced crap?

JonnyBGood · 3 Jan 2005, 01:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nantoz

PS: and I do hope that wasn't a quote from a song by your skinny, pallid, skin clad, disgusting goth boyfriend with the girlie nick name....

Skiddy is actually pretty fat.

skiddy · 3 Jan 2005, 01:44

No I'm not you filthy whore!

Androme · 3 Jan 2005, 01:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonnyBGood

Skiddy is actually pretty fat.

I thought idi was the only fat man?