# Could we kill something like Godzilla? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 27, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371 "2014-02-27T01:34:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/21 "2014-02-27T17:27:53Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > From the evidence, the market killed _Godzilla_ (1998) pretty quickly. So I’d say yes. Actually I have always blamed Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin for killing Godzilla in that instance They certainly killed the American franchise of it , anyway. I would have blamed Matthew Broderick as well, but then I realized that he only kills people. Too soon?🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/22 "2014-02-27T17:31:34Z")
Not only could we kill Godzilla…I think any sequel to “Cabin in the Woods” would show that Elder God is in big, big trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/23 "2014-02-27T17:32:04Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Well, he’s been killed once as I recall. So I’m willing to assume it can happen again. The real answer is, as long as remakes and sequels make money, Godzilla can never be permanently killed. [QUOTE=Amateur Barbarian] From the evidence, the market killed Godzilla (1998) pretty quickly. So I’d say yes. [/QUOTE] Sometimes he dies at the box office, only to return even bigger the next time. (Though even the 1998 film was financially successful, with the 9th highest gross in the US and third internationally.) ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/24 "2014-02-27T17:38:57Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > Hard to say. > > What’s never addressed about Godzilla is that by definition he’s a giant RADIOACTIVE lizard. Couldn’t we just wait for to die from cancer? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/25 "2014-02-27T18:13:52Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Couldn’t we just wait for to die from cancer? If the radioactivity is inherent in the organism’s design (I don’t know if it is), it probably also has immunity from it. Snakes don’t die from snakebite (do they?). ---
**Author:** ![chargerrich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chargerrich/32/5399_2.png) [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/26 "2014-02-27T18:44:53Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > I am not posting this Cafe Society because my question is not about the movies. But this may not have a “real” answer, so move it if you see fit. > > My question is if a Godzilla like creature was attacking us, would we (the US military of today) be able to kill/stop it? I think we would be able to kill it. Yes, it is massive, but it is flesh and blood. Even if its hide were to have bone plates and be very thick, I have to think we would be able to pierce it and cause massive damage to the creature. I would bet even money (and a large sum) that a single strike fighter or even a Crusader tank and 50cal support Humvee would shred a “real” Godzilla. This of course assuming this monster is in fact a large lizard/dinosaur and not some super powered hell spawn with magical pixie dust 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/27 "2014-02-27T18:58:35Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Couldn’t we just wait for to die from cancer? What, is diabetes busy? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/28 "2014-02-27T19:15:20Z")
You people are overcomplicating this. I have already worked out the fool-proof plan for taking out any giant monster, the SRA plan. Three Points: **S** - Submarine (injectable) **R** - Ripley **A** - Apple laptop with virus installed As you can see, no objection can be raised to this plan, because of the square-cube law. That is, as we’ve learned from our most advanced Creation Science, as long as there’s one thing we can’t explain, we can pick and choose among everything else what we want to believe is true because it’s all up in the air. This is why when the zombie apocalypse comes, and the second law of thermodynamics is out the window for some reason, there also stands no impediment to making it rain magic ninja stars that phase through everything but the brains of the undead. _Quod erat dēmōnstrandum_. _mike drop_ ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/29 "2014-02-27T19:22:51Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > (Though even the 1998 film was financially successful, with the 9th highest gross in the US and third internationally.) According to IMDb, it made $136M in the US against a budget of $130M. That’s not financially successful by any measure. Another $240M worldwide means some of the parties just started to get money from it. It just barely made the “three times” rule. Just because the numbers are enormous doesn’t make it a relative success on the H’weird scale. ---
**Author:** ![Zapp\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ee59a6/32.png) [@Zapp\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zapp_S)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/30 "2014-02-27T20:40:50Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Snakes don’t die from snakebite (do they?). I think they do. Their venom is normally stored in their venom sacs but if it got into their blood, they would be in trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/31 "2014-02-27T20:49:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Johnny Angel** : > > You people are overcomplicating this. I have already worked out the fool-proof plan for taking out any giant monster, the SRA plan. Three Points: > > S - Submarine (injectable) > R - Ripley > A - Apple laptop with virus installed Objection! You forgot about the unobtainium drill on the front of the submarine. Clearly, this plan won’t work without an unobtainium drill. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/32 "2014-02-27T21:00:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Objection! You forgot about the unobtainium drill on the front of the submarine. Clearly, this plan won’t work without an unobtainium drill. Under the revised rules, the drill need only be +5 or better. Unless Godzilla is a tarasque. Oh, shit… ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/33 "2014-02-27T21:06:34Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > We could build some giant robots. Probably need a couple of pilots for each. Better make them analog and nuclear though. And no alloys! Yes, because if I’ve learned anything in my life it is that when fighting giant animals whose main weapons are teeth and claws, what you really want to do is get in close. Rockets and projectiles wont work you see. Big iron fists are what you need! Oh, and don’t forget your sword! ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/34 "2014-02-27T21:13:38Z")
OK we know that if Godzilla were made of real flesh and blood he would be easy to take out with conventional weapons. We also know that if he were flesh and blood he wouldn’t even be able to get out of the water. But can we use the second violation of science to provide some information from which to calculate the magnitude of the first violation. That is, suppose we assume that Godzilla is made of some unknown pseudo-biological substance that is strong enough that it can support his weight on land and move/crush buildings in spite of the square/cube law. This substance is also heat/radiation resistant enough so that he can breathe radio active fire. What would be the structural requirements of such a substance be, and how would that substance hold up against various forms of attack. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/35 "2014-02-27T22:06:14Z")
Still not possible to say. We know that this hypothetical kaiju-flesh substance must be very strong, stronger than some lower bound that we could calculate. But we don’t know how much stronger. Maybe it’s strong enough to support a kaiju, and maybe it’s strong enough to withstand an artillery shell, but is it strong enough to do both at once? Only way to find out is to fire artillery at the thing while it’s standing and see. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2014, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/36 "2014-02-27T23:10:40Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > The proble is, Godzilla is big. Really big. You may think that top to botton of a giraffe is a long way, but that’s peanuts comapred to Godzilla. > > You’re going to need a [bigger gun](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwerer_Gustav). Fair 'nuf. [But I want a higher rate of fire.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/BB61_USS_Iowa_BB61_broadside_USN.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/37 "2014-02-28T00:03:18Z")
Godzilla alone? Sure, no problem. It is when he teams up with [Godzooky](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrQjr6KAJvU) that we run into trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/38 "2014-02-28T06:10:16Z")
But what if it was Godzilla versus… Mike Ditka? ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/39 "2014-02-28T13:41:25Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > That’s just the warm-up question. Now to the question that really matters: > > Could modern military technology (or modern _any_ technology) take out Cthulhu? You might be able to disrupt or destroy his current physical form, but he’d unstoppably regenerate. In the process he might be limited in his ability to drive opium-addicted poets mad for a brief time. Now, something like Yog-Sothoth, there’s no way we could touch it. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371/40 "2014-02-28T14:14:51Z")
> [@Hellestal](#): > > I invoke the Schwarzenegger Principle: “If it bleeds, we can kill it.” Yeah, but the corollary of the Schwarzenegger Principle is “…with sticks.” We’re going to need a hella big stick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-kill-something-like-godzilla/682371.md?page=3)