# My September 11 Thoughts
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [June 4, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989 "2014-06-04T02:41:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 31
### Author:  [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/601 "2014-06-22T18:30:44Z")
Actually, those Kapla destruction videos are very instructive. Look at [the way this one falls](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8gkC3eQ_8o&t=1m15s): note that the structural failure begins at the top, with no need to knock out the supports below, and that it falls straight down instead of tipping over.
ETA: [Ooh, even better](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKAc3GTGos8). Pretty closely matches the actual process (minus the domino-effect lead-in).
---
### Author:  [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/602 "2014-06-22T18:40:06Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#):
>
> ETA: [Ooh, even better](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKAc3GTGos8). Pretty closely matches the actual process (minus the domino-effect lead-in).
Actually, never mind about the second one mimicking the actual process: it looks like the cylinder was hollow and the three piles of bricks on top fell through and exploded the bottom of the structure.
First one still works very well, though.
---
### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/603 "2014-06-22T18:52:59Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#):
>
> Have you seen this video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBbz2eIoVDQ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBbz2eIoVDQ) of a huge Kapla tower being struck partway up, and collapsing? It’s quite interesting to watch (particularly as it starts to topple, and then “straightens out,” to fall nearly straight down.
I posted this one earlier in this thread. This video is particularly telling as the damage to the tower is part way up from a flying object just like the WTC. The upper part starts to tilt and then straightens out, again just like the WTC. Finally the whole tower collapses just like the WTC with no magic thermite in the lower [del]floors[/del] levels just like the WTC. It does not stop part way down like a stack of washers and paper cylinders.
I do have two questions. Is the SDMB getting soft in our old age? How come no one has taken you know who to the pit yet?
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/604 "2014-06-22T18:53:28Z")
Just to explain where you’re wrong about “Conservation of Momentum”.
When the tower starts to fail, you have 30 floors/levels/flat things/whatever the hell
As this mass hits the next floor/level/flat thing/whatever the hell you’re calling it, it transfers some of it’s momentum to the floor/level/flat thing/whatever the hell you’re calling it. However, since it outweighs the single floor by 30 to 1 and it’s achieved some velocity, thus adding to the total energy of the mass, very little speed is lost in forcing the floor to fail. However, if you measure that loss and measure the gain to the floor, you will find that the units add up to the original momentum.
What you failed to grasp is that the 30 floors are not being caught and stopped by the 80 floors below, the accelerating and increasing mass is _only contacting one floor at a time_ and has room to continue to accelerate to the next floor after each floor has failed.
If 30 floors worth weighs (30x600 tons), each floor, _by itself_, must push back with equal force to stop the mass. This doesn’t even take into account the extra kinetic energy of the falling material.
Never the less, momentum is conserved- 18,000 tons of force only loses, say 1,000 tons to making the floor below fail, slowing the fall by a very small amount which is gained back and more due to gravity. Remember gravity? 32 ft per second per second.
---
### Author:  [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/605 "2014-06-22T19:18:12Z")
> [@Rick](#):
>
> I posted this one earlier in this thread.
Ah. I missed your earlier post, sorry.
---
### Author:  [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/606 "2014-06-22T19:23:16Z")
> [@Rick](#):
>
> I posted this one earlier in this thread. This video is particularly telling as the damage to the tower is part way up from a flying object just like the WTC. The upper part starts to tilt and then straightens out, again just like the WTC. Finally the whole tower collapses just like the WTC with no magic thermite in the lower [del]floors[/del] levels just like the WTC. It does not stop part way down like a stack of washers and paper cylinders.
>
> I do have two questions. Is the SDMB getting soft in our old age? How come no one has taken you know who to the pit yet?
Why take him to the Pit in another thread, when we’re taking him to the woodshed in this one? 😉
Oh, dammit… gotta unsubscribe again. 😉
---
### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/607 "2014-06-22T20:17:25Z")
> [@Rick](#):
>
> How come no one has taken you know who to the pit yet?
[Here’s a pitting of that side in general.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=725394)
---
### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/608 "2014-06-22T23:44:01Z")
> [@Rick](#):
>
> How come no one has taken you know who to the pit yet?
It’s been done, but he doesn’t show up. This actually _reduces_ the frustration of debating with him.
---
### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/609 "2014-06-23T03:41:38Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> What you failed to grasp is that the 30 floors are not being caught and stopped by the 80 floors below, the accelerating and increasing mass is _only contacting one floor at a time_ and has room to continue to accelerate to the next floor after each floor has failed.
>
> If 30 floors worth weighs (30x600 tons), each floor, _by itself_, must push back with equal force to stop the mass. This doesn’t even take into account the extra kinetic energy of the falling material.
You are wasting your time. He has had this exact point explained several times in this thread.
It just makes him feel superior to believe his own ignorance-based nonsense.
---
### Author:  [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/610 "2014-06-23T17:26:39Z")
> [@psikeyhackr](#):
>
> How can anyone build it to scale if they do not know the distribution of mass? :smack:
> psik
The blueprints for the building were linked about 10 pages ago. Did you look at them? We’ve had a few quotes about how much concrete there was and . . .
Wait a sec . . .
Ahh, you almost had me thinking it mattered if it was [425,000 cu/yrds](http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/wtc/about/facts.html) or 426,000!! Tricky you!
> [@psikeyhackr](#):
>
> You make a big deal about Popular Mechanics but they don’t even mention the term “Conservation of Momentum”.
>
> psik
They also didn’t mention the terms “hydraulic automatic transmissions” or “Kuiper belt.” What’s your point?
:smack: indeed
---
### Author:  [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/611 "2014-06-23T20:10:05Z")
> [@Gedd](#):
>
> They also didn’t mention the terms “hydraulic automatic transmissions” or “Kuiper belt.” What’s your point?
So you admit that these so-called “experts” did not conclusively rule out WTC1 being brought down by a stealthed 1974 Plymouth and WTC2 by a secret meteor strike?
I find this very suspicious.
---
### Author:  [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/612 "2014-06-23T20:33:15Z")
> [@Valgard](#):
>
> So you admit that these so-called “experts” did not conclusively rule out WTC1 being brought down by a stealthed 1974 Plymouth and WTC2 by a secret meteor strike?
>
> I find this very suspicious.
Curses! A single person on the interwebz has unraveled out national government-led conspiracy! Even though we are able to track and read email and internet traffic, we can not do anything to stop this person from spreading their knowledge to the general public!
I guess we’ll just retire and have one of our kids run for office to clean up our mess?
---
### Author:  [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/613 "2014-06-23T20:33:24Z")
Hell, they didn’t even bother derive the entirety of Western science from first principles… I mean, how can you trust research that lazy?
---
### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/614 "2014-06-23T21:05:38Z")
> [@Valgard](#):
>
> So you admit that these so-called “experts” did not conclusively rule out WTC1 being brought down by a stealthed 1974 Plymouth and WTC2 by a secret meteor strike?
Witnesses reporting hearing trains so clearly the entire complex was struck by invisible tornados created by HAARP.
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/615 "2014-06-23T21:15:58Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#):
>
> Witnesses reporting hearing trains so clearly the entire complex was struck by invisible tornados created by HAARP.
Whoa. And all this time I thought those were _planes_. You mean the whole conspiracy is based on a misspelling? :smack:
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/616 "2014-06-23T21:20:06Z")
And to think the truth behind it was Dr. Brown coming forward in time to attempt “Conservation of Millennium”.
---
### Author:  [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/617 "2014-06-23T21:53:13Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#):
>
> Witnesses reporting hearing trains so clearly the entire complex was struck by invisible tornados created by HAARP.
No! It was [actual trains!](http://loosetrains911.blogspot.com/)
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/618 "2014-06-23T22:00:04Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#):
>
> No! It was [actual trains!](http://loosetrains911.blogspot.com/)
All I can say is Holy FUCK!!!
Is there some kind of secret competition among nut jobs?
---
### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/619 "2014-06-23T22:00:56Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> All I can say is Holy FUCK!!!
That’s a Loose Change parody. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989/620 "2014-06-23T22:03:35Z")
^ He’s a victim of Poe’s Law…or we are.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989.md?page=30)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-september-11-thoughts/689989.md?page=32)