# ­xkcd thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips\ **Created:** [May 28, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574 "2020-05-28T00:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 176
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3503 "2024-10-14T22:47:43Z")
> **[Ravioli-Shaped Objects](https://xkcd.com/2998/)** > > It's a real accomplishment to mess up a ravioli recipe badly enough that the resulting incident touches all four quadrants of the NFPA hazard diamond. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3504 "2024-10-14T22:58:39Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > > all four quadrants of the NFPA hazard diamond [Those](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFPA_704#Codes) being fire, health, reactivity, and special. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3505 "2024-10-14T23:06:32Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > And props to **Chronos** for recognizing it. With such a creative allusionary point out too. Mad props to Cleveland’s main mad scientist. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3506 "2024-10-14T23:24:52Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Mad props to Cleveland’s main mad scientist. I’m flattered, but I’m not even a pro. My home city hosts at least two [professional](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jearl_Walker) [mad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dantecentuori?challengeId=AQHbdE-ZBlxRNwAAAZKNVz61j_5cmFtYbTAcYPbRcreyV0NJUdF_9TLBu3afXSalsywyv0OF5Ih8PT2oJeI7OeBpY9Vp5LMdtA&submissionId=06df7063-3075-fe17-09d9-4374d4e7e127&challengeSource=AgGKXDmWp2GEIAAAAZKNV0PQulw58w2-Zns66MIN7axvVxkUA2DpDoLXY-uluX8&challegeType=AgF3W0l5UIxBRgAAAZKNV0PU0FolqHT36moahuj46ds_VjIqmY7Zflo&memberId=AgF8gb6iBFOq9gAAAZKNV0PYBWH2ActSexBUztNEVPGordI&recognizeDevice=AgGZ7HgsncbhfQAAAZKNV0PcH2BlepzXj0_iAElh2Y0iXNh2TxBf) scientists (one at Cleveland State University, one at the Great Lakes Science Center). Plus a bunch of sane scientists, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3507 "2024-10-14T23:34:18Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > [Those](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFPA_704#Codes) being fire, health, reactivity, and special. It’s not _exactly_ earth, air, fire, and water, but it’s not that far off. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3508 "2024-10-15T03:25:10Z")
Anything that can set water on fire, in opposition to the God-given nature of the four classical elements, must clearly be the work of the Devil. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3509 "2024-10-15T03:30:06Z")
When did we start talking about ClF3? In addition to water, it’s also hypergolic with asbestos and sand. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3510 "2024-10-15T15:33:36Z")
_ **User error. Reboot.** _ ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3511 "2024-10-15T18:55:54Z")
“Chlorine Trifluoride.” Just the name screams “You’re not allowed to do that!” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3512 "2024-10-15T19:05:00Z")
Sorta like a 1 million pound-force spring being held compressed by a badly bulging 1 million pound-force container and an overwrap of wet tissue paper. You just _know_ that force wants to get out and rampage if anything nicks the tissue. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3513 "2024-10-15T19:06:57Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > “Chlorine Trifluoride.” > > Just the name screams “You’re not allowed to do that!” Apparently, some truly mad scientists have made [chlorine _penta_fluoride](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_pentafluoride). ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3514 "2024-10-15T19:10:56Z")
That stuff sounds _fun_. “At room temperature it reacts readily with all elements (including otherwise “inert” elements like platinum and gold) except noble gases, nitrogen, oxygen and fluorine.” ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3515 "2024-10-15T19:19:13Z")
Fun quotes from its [datasheet](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/61654#section=Hazards-Summary): > appears as a colorless gas with a sweet odor > contact with gas or liquefied gas may cause burns, severe injury and/or frostbite. So, at least it’s smells nice before it poisons, freezes, and burns you up. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3516 "2024-10-15T19:44:57Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Apparently, some truly mad scientists have made [chlorine _penta_fluoride](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_pentafluoride). Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3517 "2024-10-15T20:23:17Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > “At room temperature it reacts readily with all elements (including otherwise “inert” elements like platinum and gold) except noble gases, nitrogen, oxygen and fluorine.” Something that won’t react with oxygen or fluorine clearly has quite enough of it stuffed in there already. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3518 "2024-10-15T21:23:19Z")
The fluorine is too busy reacting with everything else. Or maybe it’s professional courtesy, like the way the zombies never attack each other. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3519 "2024-10-15T21:26:34Z")
The oxygen was chagrined to be told it wasn’t tough enough to join that fight club. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2024, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3520 "2024-10-15T21:49:52Z")
All I have to say is, FOOF! ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3521 "2024-10-15T23:50:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > FOOF! Sounds like something you won’t work with. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/3522 "2024-10-16T00:05:16Z")
Certainly something Derek Lowe won’t work with. [https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-work-dioxygen-difluoride](https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-work-dioxygen-difluoride) But he also refuses to have anything to do with ClF3 either. [https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/sand-won-t-save-you-time](https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/sand-won-t-save-you-time) Sounds like a difference of degree, not kind, and not much of a degree either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=175) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=177)