# How Would You Fight A Terminator **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 14, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093 "2009-04-14T17:55:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/21 "2009-04-14T19:09:20Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > Weaver in the show had part of her body as an moray eel. How it can swim while being made out of metal, I have no idea. Maybe it is hollow, with air for ballast? ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/22 "2009-04-14T19:24:32Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Always telling you that no, it doesn’t work. Not with nanites, anyway. I could think of some other possibilities, but they are pretty far-out. Okay, you’ve made me curious; I can’t think of any way, a machine like that could possibly work .. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/23 "2009-04-14T19:37:12Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Well, if “liquid metal” as 1991-ese for “nano machines”, then “nano machines” is 2009-ish for magic. It’s capabilities are definitely magic, and the word nano does not help. Sorry, but that’s science. Always telling you that no, it doesn’t work. Not with nanites, anyway. I could think of some other possibilities, but they are pretty far-out. So you’re saying that in 40 years from 1991 in a world with technology advanced by SkyNet spare parts, nano-machines are impossible? Just checking, but I think your imagination might be broken. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/24 "2009-04-14T19:41:50Z")
You would think that a large enough electrical blast would short circuit it, regardless of what it’s made from. A regular ol’ stun gun might be enough to kill it. ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/25 "2009-04-14T20:05:45Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > So you’re saying that in 40 years from 1991 in a world with technology advanced by SkyNet spare parts, nano-machines are impossible? > > Just checking, but I think your imagination might be broken. I can’t speak for **Smiling Bandit** , but my objections are not based on the possibility of nano-machines per se, some do already exist, after all. No, the problem are the abilities the machine shows: where does it store its program and data; how does it control every particle of its “body”, while they switch between the states from liquid to solid, how do the particles change states and mimic different materials in the first place and where does the energy come from? ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/26 "2009-04-14T20:20:46Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The dumbest thing Arnold did in **T2** was to shoot the frozen Terminator and blast him into a zillion pieces. Sure, he got to say “Hasta la Vista! Baby!” in Schwartzeneggerian Austrian, and the blast was photogenic, but afterwatds there was no way to stop the pieces from melting and coalescing. > > What he _should_ have done, of course, was take the biggest pieces he could carry (insulated) and drop them into the molten metal, along with all the shards he could get. There’d still be a few pieces left, but Arnold would’ve had a much easier time against a 12-inch tall Robert Patrick. I’m not sure, but walking into the pool of liquid nitrogen after watching what it did to T1000 doesn’t seem like the most intelligent thing to do. And I am sure he probably would have started thawing pretty soon afterward, especially as Arnie got close to the super-hot molten iron…so maybe not such a good plan. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/27 "2009-04-14T20:30:20Z")
EMP. ---
**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:** [April 14, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/28 "2009-04-14T20:34:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, if “liquid metal” as 1991-ese for “nano machines”, then “nano machines” is 2009-ish for magic. It’s capabilities are definitelymagic, and the word nano does not help. Exactly what I was going to say. As an excellent rule of thumb, whenever anyone says anything about the capabilities of nanotech, what they really mean is “Well, I don’t understand any of it, but those smart people know things that I don’t, so they must be able to do anything”. In other words, most people think that technology is magic, and “nano” is just the magic word that’s in style right now. The fact is, we actually know a good deal about the capabilities of nanotech, and they’re considerably behind what most people think. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/29 "2009-04-14T20:43:38Z")
> [@wintertime](#): > > No, the problem are the abilities the machine shows: where does it store its program and data; how does it control every particle of its “body”, while they switch between the states from liquid to solid, how do the particles change states and mimic different materials in the first place and where does the energy come from? Here’s the problem. If we knew exactly how it worked, someone would have invented one already. It’s safe to assume from the movies and tv show that a T-100x model more or less works as follows: -Consists of some sort of nano-scale particles called “mimetic poly-alloy” -In its unformed state at room temperature, these particles have an appearance and physical properties similar to mercury -The particles can collectively change their shape, color, texture, reflective and specular properties so as to be indistinguishable from the object or person it is immitating -It does not appear to be able to make itself transparent -In all-liquid models (excluding the TX) there are no internal structures so presumably the material itself retains whatever mechanism and programming are required to shape and colorize itself, sense the world around it and peform it’s functions as a Terminator. -The larger the volume within close proximity, the greater the capabilities. Small pieces can independently find each other and reform into larger pieces, but can’t just form a little mini-terminator (ie the broken hook piece that John tossed out of the car in T-2). A medium-sized piece can act independently in the capacity of a dumb fish. -The material is not as heavy as actual metal - The cryo-box / beer cooler they were carrying in T:TSCC did not appear to weigh 500+ lbs, about the weight one might expect a human-sized volume of liquid metal to weigh. Here’s a question. How does it speak? Speakers and laranxes have chemicals, moving parts. Anyhow, I mostly fight one by shitting my pants, curling up into a ball, and sobbing uncontrolably. > [@crazyjoe](#): > > Keeping it in a cryo-box seemed to work well in the TV show You mean a beer cooler? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/30 "2009-04-14T20:45:45Z")
> [@wintertime](#): > > I can’t speak for **Smiling Bandit** , but my objections are not based on the possibility of nano-machines per se, some do already exist, after all. > > No, the problem are the abilities the machine shows: where does it store its program and data; how does it control every particle of its “body”, while they switch between the states from liquid to solid, how do the particles change states and mimic different materials in the first place and where does the energy come from? Fanwank: Microscopic cubes that are numbered (and individually differentiated)and able to make their sides change from cyan, to magenta, to yellow to black or silvered. Each of the sides is able to selectively magnetize. The computing power is distributed between the pixels and it uses a short range radio to communicate. Computer storage (its memories and programs) are stored on dozens of virtual “drives” distributed among the body in a type of RAID array. Memory is mirrored so even if half the robot is destroyed it will have all of its memories intact. Each of the pixels can sense its location in space by triangulating the signals from the other pixels. Robert Patrick is a statue made from billions of 3d pixels. When it moves it changes its shape by sliding pixels around. When it simulates liquid it makes the bonds between the pixels loose. When it forms a blade it makes them very strong. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/31 "2009-04-14T20:50:27Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Here’s a question. How does it speak? Speakers and laranxes have chemicals, moving parts. Considering that the T-1000 wasn’t just an extremely high-tech statue, we already know that it can have parts move relative to itself. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/32 "2009-04-14T20:51:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Here’s a question. How does it speak? Speakers and laranxes have chemicals, moving parts. The metal just forms them. “The Terminator: It cant form complex machines, guns and explosives have chemicals, moving parts, it doesn’t work that way, but it can form solid metal shapes.” Figure, by moving parts he means something mechanical. It can’t form wheels instead of legs, for example. ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/33 "2009-04-14T21:23:25Z")
**msmith537** and **Lobohan** , I have no trouble with the T1000x as a product of fiction; any fanwank that sounds reasonable and doesn’t violate already established rules of the terminator-universe is all right with me. No, I was referring to the _science_ part in the fiction – and, as far as I can see, this is spelled m-a-g-i-c here, in other words: I agree with Smiling Bandit. Something like .. > [@](#): > > Microscopic cubes that are numbered (and individually differentiated)and able to make their sides change from cyan, to magenta, to yellow to black or silvered. Each of the sides is able to selectively magnetize. The computing power is distributed between the pixels and it uses a short range radio to communicate. Computer storage (its memories and programs) are stored on dozens of virtual “drives” distributed among the body in a type of RAID array. Memory is mirrored so even if half the robot is destroyed it will have all of its memories intact. Each of the pixels can sense its location in space by triangulating the signals from the other pixels. Robert Patrick is a statue made from billions of 3d pixels. When it moves it changes its shape by sliding pixels around. When it simulates liquid it makes the bonds between the pixels loose. When it forms a blade it makes them very strong. .. sounds nice but it’s technobabble, not technology. Totally acceptable in a fictional context - but that was not what I meant. If I try to imagine, e.g., where the energy is coming from, how it is distributed, how the heat is dissipated .. I got nothing. It just doesn’t work. But it doesn’t worry me a bit. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/34 "2009-04-14T21:37:42Z")
Three words: Wave. Motion. Gun. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/35 "2009-04-14T21:52:05Z")
I run to the cops. Let them worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/36 "2009-04-14T22:05:56Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > EMP. That would only work if it had the right sort of unshielded electronics, which is unlikely. > [@tr0psn4j](#): > > They froze it in one of the movies. Much to their dismay, the thing was up and terminating after it thawed out. But it WAS damaged - remember how it “flickered” ? My solution would be incendiaries and explosives. Douse it in napalm, which will both damage and blind it. Then hit it with something highly explosive while it’s blind to fragment it, keep it from running off. Then use more napalm or thermite or white phosphorus on the pieces. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/37 "2009-04-14T22:25:56Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m not sure, but walking into the pool of liquid nitrogen after watching what it did to T1000 doesn’t seem like the most intelligent thing to do. And I am sure he probably would have started thawing pretty soon afterward, especially as Arnie got close to the super-hot molten iron…so maybe not such a good plan. I mean, obviously, after the LN ran off. I’ve worked with liquid nitrogen – it doesn’t “pool” unless you have a depression, and it tends to skitter off and evaporate pretty quickly after it spills. Arnie had a perfect opportunity to grab a frozen T1000 and dispose of it in one fell swoop, but he blew it in the interest of delivering a line and getting a good visual. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/38 "2009-04-14T22:26:19Z")
How about the Bugs Bunny approach? Distract the terminator by dressing up as a female mimetic polyalloy construct with amorous intentions. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/39 "2009-04-14T22:49:29Z")
[Chlorine trifluoride bath](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=509482)? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093/40 "2009-04-14T22:50:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I mean, obviously, after the LN ran off. I’ve worked with liquid nitrogen – it doesn’t “pool” unless you have a depression, and it tends to skitter off and evaporate pretty quickly after it spills. Arnie had a perfect opportunity to grab a frozen T1000 and dispose of it in one fell swoop, but he blew it in the interest of delivering a line and getting a good visual. To be fair, I don’t think that the Terminator knew it would survive that. It seemed to be he thought that freezing and shattering it would do the job. People have already expanded on my magic versus science comments. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-fight-a-terminator/493093.md?page=3)