# Settle a debate between thinksnow and I re implosions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2001, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-debate-between-thinksnow-and-i-re-implosions/84101 "2001-09-27T13:43:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-debate-between-thinksnow-and-i-re-implosions/84101/1 "2001-09-27T13:43:59Z")
**thinksnow** and I were having this friendly little debate last night. Through some process I don’t fully understand, we were discussing when explosives are used to bring down a building, like the Kingdome in Seattle. **thinksnow** ’s take was that the building was imploded. My opinion was that it was exploded, since the explosives detonate outward, but the building systematically collapses inward. An implosion, I told him, is a naturally-occuring phenomenon that cannot, so far as I am aware, be 100% duplicated artificially. We discussed this for several minutes, and finally decided to let the Teeming Millions™ settle this once and for all. ---
**Author:** ![Tiki\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@Tiki\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiki_God)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-debate-between-thinksnow-and-i-re-implosions/84101/2 "2001-09-27T13:54:42Z")
**thinksnow** is right on this one. [Here](http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=implosion) is a definition of implosion and it implying to buildings. It’s definition # 3. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-debate-between-thinksnow-and-i-re-implosions/84101/3 "2001-09-27T13:58:11Z")
Ahem. From the dictionary: **im·plo·sion** _n._ [ul]1.A violent collapse inward, as of a highly evacuated glass vessel. 2.Violent compression. 3.The inward collapse of a building that is being demolished in a controlled fashion by the weakening and breaking of structural members by explosives. 4.Linguistics. The pronunciation of a stop consonant with the breath drawn in.[/ul]Note definition 3, particularly. I think you were mixing up definitions 1 and 3. A building may be _im_ploded using _ex_plosives because the explosives are not destroying the building directly, they are used to destroy key supports, which weaken the building, allowing it to collapse in a controlled way. [on preview] Behind **Tiki God** on time, but ahead on information! ---
**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-debate-between-thinksnow-and-i-re-implosions/84101/4 "2001-09-27T13:58:43Z")
I think it’s a matter of semantics. One definition of implode is “collapse inward” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate). The macro view is that the building implodes. The micro view is that the building collapses inward because explosives destroy structural supports. According to my dictionary, implode means: > [@](#): > > 1a. to burst inward > 1b. to undergo violent compression > 2. to collapse inward as if from external pressure The “as if” in def #2 allows for other causes, so I think both your descriptions fit. ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-debate-between-thinksnow-and-i-re-implosions/84101/5 "2001-09-27T14:13:55Z")
While we’re discussing proper English, it should be “Settle a debate between **thinksnow** and _me_”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-debate-between-thinksnow-and-i-re-implosions/84101/6 "2001-09-27T14:19:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dqa \* > \*\*While we’re discussing proper English, it should be “Settle a debate between **thinksnow** and _me_”. 🙂 \*\* Good thing it wasn’t a grammar thread then, huh? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-debate-between-thinksnow-and-i-re-implosions/84101/7 "2001-09-27T14:24:53Z")
Put me down for: Building demolition uses small scale explosions to create the large scale implosion. It would be most reasonable to refer to it as an implosion. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-debate-between-thinksnow-and-i-re-implosions/84101/8 "2001-09-27T22:05:37Z")
Hehe. Told you. 😃 To be fair, it is somewhat a matter of semantics. Explosions start the effect, but, in general, buildings implode in upon themselves. Unless it’s a Hollywood building, in which case you’ll find pieces of it all over the damn place following a huge-mongus fiery explosion. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Aodoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecb155/32.png) [@Aodoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aodoi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-debate-between-thinksnow-and-i-re-implosions/84101/9 "2001-09-27T22:18:10Z")
George Carlin’s view was that the use of imploded is incorrect, but that common usage is otherwise. (From “Brain Droppings”) I believe the building supports are destroyed by explosives, then the building collapses… but I’m not particularly offended by the us of imploded in that context (Carlin is ;)) ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-a-debate-between-thinksnow-and-i-re-implosions/84101/10 "2001-09-28T02:39:45Z")
If anybody’s interested… [How building implosions work](http://www.howstuffworks.com/building-implosion.htm).