# Trapped! In a submarine! With a bomb! (how do I defuse it?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595 "2010-05-24T18:16:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [May 27, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595/61 "2010-05-27T03:52:12Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > And if I got overly vigorous, and I managed to short my knife across the two leads from the detonator…no explodey, right? Re electronics/initiators: There’s levels of sophistication that I’m not gonna go into on a public message board. [sub]There’s some info in this thread that’s true and public (thanks, Innerwebs), but there’s also some farfetched stuff. But, I digress.[/sub] No, C4 is not that easy to get ahold of, mainly due to physical security. It’s been made with additional mixtures called ‘taggants’ for years, that, even if detonated, will leave a telltale residue that I can examine to find out who made it–and thus start the paper trail to find you. And when I do find you, I get to do bad things to your house and car in pursuit of what you may have left. :eek: C4 is pretty safe though. The term you’re looking for is “insensitive.” I’ve rucked several satchel charges and dropped them on the ground (inadvertently). On occasion, I have dropped a brick just to make a guy pee his pants. T’was fun. Anyway, for the purposes of solving what I’m going to call a “_Lost_ bomb,” then yep. You’re not closing a circuit, you’re just putting the cap’s bridgewire in parallel with your short circuit. So yeah, you’re okay. Anticipating the detonation though, I’d bunker the hell outta that cap–don’t want to take your foot off or frag it. You wanna go playin’ with explosives? Go ahead. You may earn a new nickname. Tripler . . . “Lefty.” ---
**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:** [May 28, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595/62 "2010-05-28T02:18:14Z")
(Deleted) But man, I didn’t mean to kill the thread! Sorry guys. . . Tripler Seriously, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595/63 "2010-05-28T02:22:35Z")
What kill? You’re the pro at this shit. All the rest of us were doing was slinging around amateur opinions. But the bomb was bush league at best. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595/64 "2010-05-28T18:42:35Z")
**ed malin** said: > [@](#): > > But thats if you only want the timer to speed up. If this is the actual power source to your detontator that has been cut, then you need some other way to detontate the bomb. I am assuming you don’t mean speeding up the timer so it immediatly goes to 0 and the bomb detonatates simutaneously. What is the point of speeding up the timer anyway? Psycopathy? Well, I am discussing a standard Hollywood bomb plot, not necessarily something that makes sense in real life. In Hollywood, the point is that the detonator is so complicated that the guy trying to defuse the bomb _thinks_ he has succeeded in cutting the right wire, but instead of the timer stopping and thus eliminating the time pressure element (and presumably a large part of the risk of detonation, maybe just time to dispose of bomb more carefully), he has triggered the second wave to cut the time left. Why does a Hollywood bombmaker make his bombs that way? Why use a timer, and why a sneak circuit to speed up the timer rather than just detonate the bomb if tinkered with? Good question. Hollywood doesn’t have to make sense, just increase the drama. Maybe Hollywood bombmakers like the hero to feel that “oh shit” moment before they die, rather than just dying. **PatriotGrrrl** said: > [@](#): > > I’m not sure why people seem to think the only kinds of electronics that can count down or display time are existing watches and clocks. Because people are [del]idiots[/del] uninformed. But if you are stuck on an island with no electronics store nearby and need to cobble together a bomb with a delayed trigger, using a watch as a timer makes some sense. Not that I watched the show. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595/65 "2010-05-28T18:57:42Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Well, I am discussing a standard Hollywood bomb plot, not necessarily something that makes sense in real life… Which is what makes it difficult to address the real world questions. I mentioned I had worked in Hollywood, trust me, reality there can get very complicated. > [@](#): > > Because people are [del]idiots[/del] uninformed. But if you are stuck on an island with no electronics store nearby and need to cobble together a bomb with a delayed trigger, using a watch as a timer makes some sense. Not that I watched the show. [/QUOTE] I’ll give PatriotGrrrl the benefit of the doubt in applying the term ‘people’ to the people who believe Hollywood plots are a depiction of reality. Using a watch makes sense anytime if it fits the requirements of your bomb, most of which just go off when the time arrives without added drama. PatriotGrrrl: I did say ‘GREATLY increasing the chances of…’ so I believe you. I hope you agree that increasing the complexity of a device generally increases the probability of failure. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595/66 "2010-05-28T19:46:32Z")
Face it ed, you got pwned by PatriotGrrrl ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595/67 "2010-05-28T19:48:23Z")
> [@Happy\_Poster](#): > > Face it ed, you got pwned by PatriotGrrrl I think I’ve conceded that a couple of times. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595/68 "2010-05-29T17:48:26Z")
> [@ed malin](#): > > I think I’ve conceded that a couple of times. just as well, cause she pwned you good 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595/69 "2010-05-29T21:27:56Z")
Hmm. You are person who posts thread in manner of Nelson of the Simpsons giving his ‘Ha Ha’. This is to indicate I have been bested and humiliated. PatriotGrrrl knew something I don’t know, that there are micro-controllers available for $0.49. I don’t actually know that, I haven’t looked up the prices of micro-controllers, or know which device PatriotGrrrl was speaking of, but relative to all ways that this thread would affect me, it makes sense to believe PatriotGrrrl. PatriotGrrrl did me a favor by informing of this information. Even if it were not true, it will make me reconsider any cost/benefit analysis regarding a micro-controller, something I might not have done otherwise for a trvial matter. I am thankful to PatriotGrrrl for doing that. I stated that I was humbled, which I was by one of the reasonable definitions for that word. I was bested on the narrow question of the cost of a simple device. The cost of micro-controller according to PatriotGrrl is no more than another common device. And although not relevant to the device in question, the micro-controller is more adapable to changes in the function of the device. Also not relevant is the cost of producing a single device starting without any components, which would be greater when using a micro-controller. I am not humiliated. I am wrong about all sorts of trivial matters all the time, as is everyone I have ever met that tries to convey useful information. The intersting part, is after acknowledging your remark, you repeated it. I don’t really understand the social system that you seem to be operating in, and am baffled by its application. What is the benefit of your actions? I write many of my posts when switching between other tasks, as part of a process of re-focusing. Do your interjections provide a similar benefit for you? Is there some way that they improve your life, or the lives of others that I do not percieve? Is that benefit simply to tied to my not understanding what you are doing? I’d appreciate it if you could fill me in. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595/70 "2010-05-29T21:32:37Z")
haha, only joshing 😃 Edit: Seriously, to expand upon that remark - I enjoy this message board, it’s funny. My remarks were in humour, that’s all 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595/71 "2010-05-29T21:33:24Z")
> [@Happy\_Poster](#): > > haha, only joshing 😃 Fascinating. (arch eyebrow) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-submarine-with-a-bomb-how-do-i-defuse-it/540595.md?page=3)