# How often are terrorist bombs complex devices with many wires? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2014, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508 "2014-01-11T12:08:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/21 "2014-01-13T22:03:43Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > Yeah, and every terrorist bomb maker has their own individual style, to the extent that if the device is recovered relatively intact it can often be linked to the individual who made it. This is the kind of work I did on my most recent deployment. Also, keep in mind, that Johnny Talibanner doesn’t have the biggest warehouse from which to scrounge materials. It’s not like he can go to McMasters’ in Kabul to order colored wire. Nine times out of ten, he’s making IEDs with what he’s got on hand. Johnny Taliban doesn’t need/can’t afford to color code his wires. He’s well versed enough in construction of them to follow leads from item to item. IEDs do not need to be electrically complicated devices. Tripler All the inexperienced or ‘amateur’ bomb makers tend to self eliminate themselves within the first three to six months. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/22 "2014-01-13T23:50:08Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > This is the kind of work I did on my most recent deployment. > > Also, keep in mind, that Johnny Talibanner doesn’t have the biggest warehouse from which to scrounge materials. It’s not like he can go to McMasters’ in Kabul to order colored wire. Nine times out of ten, he’s making IEDs with what he’s got on hand. > > Johnny Taliban doesn’t need/can’t afford to color code his wires. He’s well versed enough in construction of them to follow leads from item to item. IEDs do not need to be electrically complicated devices. > > Tripler > All the inexperienced or ‘amateur’ bomb makers tend to self eliminate themselves within the first three to six months. I’m more conversant with the situation in Northern Ireland where although not nearly on the same scale as before people are still out there merrily building IED’s and attempting to kill people, and occassionally succeeding unfortunately. At least we don’t have suicide bombers over here, I imagine they’re particularly difficult to deal with. You have my respect for conducting a difficult job, I’m no coward but I wouldn’t do it! ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/23 "2014-01-15T05:28:13Z")
What gets me in Hollywood bomb portrayals is he “If you disturb it, it will go off” - the bomb is on a city bus, or a high-speed train. If it had motion sensors, that last pothole or rail switch would have been turned into a crater. My very very limited experience with explosives - most commercial explosives are incredibly safe - it takes a small explosion to set them off. Hence the blasting cap, the little cylinder half the size of your pinkie with two wires coming out of it, stuck into the grey play-doh. pull it out of the playdoh, C4, whatever and you might lose a few fingers or an eye if it goes off prematurely, but not the building. Unless the bomber WANTS to add movement switches, or fake a blasting cap so when that circuit is cut - boom… But the moment you see two blasting caps in the explosive, one might be a decoy… If you were going to do that, why not set it with a contact switch so when the lid is taken off the bomb it goes off? After all, if they can take the lid off and look, they can figure out how to disarm it. If the point is to not allow the good guys time to disarm it, why give them a sporting chance. Doesn’t that go against #15? (One technique I heard was to build a clay dam around the mechanism and flood it with liquid nitrogen - thus killing the battery so there’s no juice for the timer or the blasting cap) It was easier for most home-grown terrorists, at least before 9/11, to break into a quarry or mine and steal the necessary pieces than to concoct a blasting cap and explosive in the bathtub. Unabomber was a do-it-yourselfer with above average technical abilities. I wonder how many things he set off, how close he came to oops, to ensure his devices worked. (The guys at the Glasgow airport tried all-homemade, all they did was set themselves and the car on fire while hung up on a roadblock. Ditto the second round of London Tube bombers.) Supposedly I read somewhere they have a nice thumbprint left in the plastique explosive, courtesy of Richard Reid, just waiting for a captive or corpse to match it up with. ---
**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:** [January 15, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/24 "2014-01-15T17:59:51Z")
I also find it amusing when cutting the wire somehow stops the timer it is connected to. It must be really sophisticated in order for the timer to require a feedback loop in order to run. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/25 "2014-01-15T18:04:36Z")
It has to do that so the readout can say 007 seconds left. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/26 "2014-01-19T05:59:40Z")
[Relevant YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw2WEGIKQYI&list=WL75D60B06913C90B9) Again, Thank You for your Service. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/27 "2014-01-19T06:15:19Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Let’s give this a whirl. I don’t know shit about bombs but if I were forced to cut one of the wires to disarm it, I’d cut the black one. Do I live? Screw that. If ever faced with one of these, I’m grabbing as many wires as I can and pulling them all. All I need to do is get the one that supplies the explosive ignition charge-- any extras are just gravy. I admit I’d start with the ones not directly connected to batteries (in fact, if I could identify the explosives, I’d yank the ones attached to those), since the easiest “booby trap” would be a relay held open by power, but I’d be surprised if even that simple a “trap” were common. Most bombers hide their bombs – there’s not much point in doing that if they can’t be safely disarmed anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/28 "2014-01-19T10:42:38Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Let’s give this a whirl. I don’t know shit about bombs but if I were forced to cut one of the wires to disarm it, I’d cut the black one. Do I live? If you’ve narrowmindedly put yourself into the position of handjamming a device, you’re already dead. There are better ways, or at least ways to get it out of the White House/orphanage/nunnery/critical cultural UNESCO site/etc. to that open ballfield or blocked off intersection to let it go do its thing and minimize collateral damage. > [@md2000](#): > > What gets me in Hollywood bomb portrayals is he “If you disturb it, it will go off” - the bomb is on a city bus, or a high-speed train. If it had motion sensors, that last pothole or rail switch would have been turned into a crater. That’s Hollywood, man. > [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I also find it amusing when cutting the wire somehow stops the timer it is connected to. It must be really sophisticated in order for the timer to require a feedback loop in order to run. See my above point. 😃 > [@chacoguy](#): > > [Relevant YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw2WEGIKQYI&list=WL75D60B06913C90B9) > > Again, Thank You for your Service. 🙂 Much obliged. I continue to find it interesting and worthwhile. Tripler NO I’m not gonna tell you how to make it survive potholes. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/29 "2014-01-19T13:12:33Z")
**Trip** , you should start one of those “Ask the bomb disposal guy” threads. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/30 "2014-01-19T14:12:36Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Screw that. If ever faced with one of these, I’m grabbing as many wires as I can and pulling them all. All I need to do is get the one that supplies the explosive ignition charge-- any extras are just gravy. Ahh - the Castle method. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/31 "2014-01-19T14:31:27Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > **Trip** , you should start one of those “Ask the bomb disposal guy” threads. Yeah, like, "does the bunny suit help? Or do you wear it just to make you feel better? " ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/32 "2014-01-19T14:48:58Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > **Trip** , you should start one of those “Ask the bomb disposal guy” threads. A sequel to: [Ask the guy who’s entering EOD (Bomb Squad) School!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=479220) It’s written by some guy named **Tripler**. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/33 "2014-01-19T15:01:49Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Ahh - the Castle method. For those of you unfamiliar with _Castle_, \*\*Simster \*\*was referring to [this scene.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-gpx5GVXWI) ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/34 "2014-01-19T18:08:20Z")
What most folks don’t know is that members of bomb squads usually develop a terrific sense of humor, as shown in the photo below [http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w525/afoshha/HijodePuta\_zps4f1a9a7b.jpg](http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w525/afoshha/HijodePuta_zps4f1a9a7b.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/35 "2014-01-19T18:37:55Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > The one thing that always gripes me about these movies is the underlying assumption that terrorists must adhere to some well defined color code when wiring their bombs. I’d be willing to bet that they wire up their devices with whatever wire they have on hand, probably all the same color. Why go to the hassle of buying multiple spools of different colored wire and adhering to “code” when you’re just going to blow the thing up anyway? Maybe. It depends on how complicated the bomb is. If it’s two wires connection a battery to a timer and two wires connecting the timer to the blasting cap (or whatever the trigger is), then no, no one would bother color-coding the wires. If it’s a giant mess of decoys, dummy circuits, and tripwires, then you might begin to color-code. Personally, I wire things for a living (though if mine explode, I’ve done my job gravely wrong) and I color-code wires for two reasons-- to make it easier for the next guy to understand, and to enable myself to keep my giant spaghetti plate of wires properly sorted. A terrorist might easily skip color-coding the wires. > [@md2000](#): > > (One technique I heard was to build a clay dam around the mechanism and flood it with liquid nitrogen - thus killing the battery so there’s no juice for the timer or the blasting cap) How would that work, electrically? Why would that kill a battery? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/36 "2014-01-19T18:47:53Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Maybe. It depends on how complicated the bomb is. If it’s two wires connection a battery to a timer and two wires connecting the timer to the blasting cap (or whatever the trigger is), then no, no one would bother color-coding the wires. If it’s a giant mess of decoys, dummy circuits, and tripwires, then you might begin to color-code. Personally, I wire things for a living (though if mine explode, I’ve done my job gravely wrong) and I color-code wires for two reasons-- to make it easier for the next guy to understand, and to enable myself to keep my giant spaghetti plate of wires properly sorted. A terrorist might easily skip color-coding the wires. > > How would that work, electrically? Why would that kill a battery? Because batteries are chemical devices, and chemical reactions typically show a doubling of reaction rates with each [10°C rise in temperature.](http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/basicrates/temperature.html) So, lowering the temperature by 100’s of degrees will stifle the reaction, and reduce the amount of current available. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/37 "2014-01-19T18:55:22Z")
Oh, so the point is that the nitrogen lowers the temperature. I thought there was something chemically specific to the nitrogen, and I couldn’t figure out what that would be. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/38 "2014-01-19T21:01:52Z")
IRL, instead of trying to figure out whether to cut the red or blue wire, don’t they destroy the device with a robot armed with a shotgun or water cannon or just take it some place safe and blow it up there? > [@appleciders](#): > > Oh, so the point is that the nitrogen lowers the temperature. I thought there was something chemically specific to the nitrogen, and I couldn’t figure out what that would be. Liquid nitrogen is one of the most commonly used cryogenics (very cold materials). Liquid oxygen is also common, but I don’t think you would want to soak a bomb in it. But as beowulff pointed out, the cold stifles the reaction. Much in the same way the cold stifles your car battery. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/39 "2014-01-19T22:58:59Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > What most folks don’t know is that members of bomb squads usually develop a terrific sense of humor, as shown in the photo below > > [http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w525/afoshha/HijodePuta\_zps4f1a9a7b.jpg](http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w525/afoshha/HijodePuta_zps4f1a9a7b.jpg) The below photo was shown in a class I took at university: [http://www.operationbanner.com/images/bombs\_and\_religion\_ob.jpg](http://www.operationbanner.com/images/bombs_and_religion_ob.jpg) I burst out laughing only to find the lecturer and other students staring at me, “Do you mind telling us whats so funny?” I began to explain but gave it up as it became clear they didn’t understand what I was getting at. It was one of those times where I wondered if the rest of the world is insane or it really is just me. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508/40 "2014-01-20T03:51:20Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > A sequel to: > [Ask the guy who’s entering EOD (Bomb Squad) School!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=479220) > > It’s written by some guy named **Tripler**. 🙂 There was also that one where I [graduated](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=517677), and a few others, including [a different thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13240492&postcount=21) where another bomb tech, **BomTek** [immediately follows up.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13240492&postcount=22) We’ve even had our own [Dope Shin-Dig](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610159) in Afghanistan (smaller than a 'Fest), and we have [the picture](http://s362.photobucket.com/user/papadrugio/media/Giraffe%20Boards/P5290040Cropped.jpg.html) to prove it. > [@Daylate](#): > > What most folks don’t know is that members of bomb squads usually develop a terrific sense of humor, as shown in the photo below > > [http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w525/afoshha/HijodePuta\_zps4f1a9a7b.jpg](http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w525/afoshha/HijodePuta_zps4f1a9a7b.jpg) I’ve already talked to the wife about parodying this picture for our 2014 Christmas cards. I’ve considered starting a thread, but thought it would become too time consuming, and kind of boring. I won’t go into specific details on a public message board, simply because I can’t verify who’s reading it. That, and while _my_ experiences may be one way, **BomTek** , who has more years than I do under his belt, may have it another. Truth: put three bomb technicians in a room, and you’ll have four opinions. Tripler Yes, I rocked the deployment moustache. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-are-terrorist-bombs-complex-devices-with-many-wires/678508.md?page=3)