# Bombs and timers

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bombs-and-timers/201715
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 15, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bombs-and-timers/201715 "2003-09-15T14:12:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![optimystique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b38774/32.png) [@optimystique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/optimystique)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bombs-and-timers/201715/1 "2003-09-15T14:12:57Z")

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Do bombs in real life really come with a countdown display of numerical digits? And do they “tick”?

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### Author: ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bombs-and-timers/201715/2 "2003-09-15T14:26:53Z")

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1. No.

2. Yes, if they are built using a mechanical alarm clock.

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### Author: ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bombs-and-timers/201715/3 "2003-09-15T16:02:49Z")

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1. They can.

2. They can.

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### Author: ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bombs-and-timers/201715/4 "2003-09-15T16:21:48Z")

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Both of these things are possible, sure, but I’d guess they’re extremely uncommon. Most bombers would not want to go to the trouble of adding a numeric display which could only serve to help the bomb squad know how much time they had before the thing went off (unless it was a ruse, but…) And modern electronic timing circuits don’t tick, obviously. If anything, they hum, but even that’s unlikely if they’re not powered from line voltage (i.e. a wall socket).

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### Author: ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bombs-and-timers/201715/5 "2003-09-15T18:05:11Z")

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Which circuit are the green and red wires attached to.