how come there have never been huge bombs that wipe out half of cities?

CorkMan

I read a post there about a supposed "848 pounds of ANFO in a ready made truck". He was only joking, but it would only take one lunatic to do it.

One lunatic who knew how to put together a bomb and destruct a street or even more. I am not saying I wish this would happen, but how come not?

pebbles21

Sure half of Cork was wiped out years ago by the looks of it:D

SugarHigh

Attacks on Gas Power Plants are fairly common and they do a massive amount of damage when they explode.

DonkeyStyle \o/

CorkMan wrote: »

how come not?

it's against the law.

high heels

pebbles21 wrote: »

Sure half of Cork was wiped out years ago by the looks of it:D

It was in the war of Independence it is called the burning of cork. You should look it up

Doc

The names Hiroshima or Nagasaki ring any bells?

TheZohanS

CorkMan wrote: »

how come there have never been huge bombs that wipe out half of cities?

I hope you're not being serious...

Because.....

TerryTibbs!

Corkman threads are the best

The_Minister

TheZohan wrote: »

I hope you're not being serious...

Because.....

He's talking about using regular explosives.



Tbh, I would imagine the danger of being discovered is a factor.

That and keeping explosives around can be very dangerous.

brianthebard

SugarHigh wrote: »

Attacks on Gas Power Plants are fairly common and they do a massive amount of damage when they explode.

how common? how many have there been this year for instance?

google faps

If i had to live in Cork, i'd imagine the urge would be overwhelming.

Balfie

omagh not ring any bells? Its in the news enough to remember the devastation that was caused,

FearDark

Superman or Batman generally stop these type of things from happening...

marco_polo

The_Minister wrote: »

That and keeping explosives around can be very dangerous.

Not to mention running with them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08QE9zR5wUQ

shinobi

There's lunatics out there alright
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_World_Trade_Center_bombing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omagh_bombing

You don't have to search too hard....

Fizman

TerryTibbs! wrote: »

Corkman threads are the best

I read the thread title on the home page and knew it was him before I saw his name.

evercloserunion

Four Lions is a fantastic movie.

I heard once that that the amount of explosives stored underneath the British Parliament as part of Guy Fawkes' plot would, if detonated, actually have destroyed not just the Parliament building but also everything within several streets of it.

Not exactly what the OP was looking for but I thought it was interesting (if true).

CorkMan

Ya man Timothy McVeigh was a right lunatic wasn't he?

franklyshocked

Hiroshima and Nagesaki would not agree with this thread.

Manic Moran

One lunatic who knew how to put together a bomb and destruct a street or even more.

Not sure how young the OP is, but my immediate thought is Manchester 1996. That pretty much ruined the whole street.

NTM

Samba

CorkMan wrote: »

I read a post there about a supposed "848 pounds of ANFO in a ready made truck". He was only joking, but it would only take one lunatic to do it.

One lunatic who knew how to put together a bomb and destruct a street or even more. I am not saying I wish this would happen, but how come not?

Wonder how long it is before intelligence agencies pick up on this thread.

orourkeda

CorkMan wrote: »

I read a post there about a supposed "848 pounds of ANFO in a ready made truck". He was only joking, but it would only take one lunatic to do it.

One lunatic who knew how to put together a bomb and destruct a street or even more. I am not saying I wish this would happen, but how come not?

Cork would be first to go

orourkeda

Samba wrote: »

Wonder how long it is before intelligence agencies pick up on this thread.

Probably after the bomb has gone off.

demakinz

The docklands bombing in London was fairly big. £85 million worth of damage was done by the blast.

mikerowsopht

aren't there a few nukes missing around the world

wonder where they are

I can tell you they aren't on Ebay

old_aussie

how come there have never been huge bombs that wipe out half of cities?

Just give it a little bit of time.

ScumLord

Many people have gone to the trouble of sourcing the materials for such a bomb, constructed the bomb and then activated the bomb only to realise they're standing beside a really, really big bomb which causes them to lose control of their bowels and run away.

mawk

Well most explosives aren't incredibly complicated. Anyone who really really wanted to do it..could. Buying enough material is a problem in a short period but if you've somewhere safe and dry and time on your hands..
its basically not a phenomonal challenge from an engineering perspective..

But why the hell would anyone WANT to destroy half a city? Its just silly.. While someone wanting to destroy a building or a symbol might be politically or religiously motivated, there ain't no benefit to mass destruction.

--
edit
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also, making something like that is expensive

twinytwo

google faps wrote: »

If i had to live in Cork, i'd imagine the urge would be overwhelming.

spoken like a person whos wishs he was from cork :pac:.. always hate what you cant have:D

mikerowsopht

twinytwo wrote: »

spoken like a person whos wishs he was from cork :pac:.. always hate what you cant have:D

I think Cork should be taken off the map via nuke

bnt

CorkMan wrote: »

Ya man Timothy McVeigh was a right lunatic wasn't he?

The bomb McVeigh used was 4,800 pounds of ANFO + nitromethane = about five times the 848 pounds mentioned by the OP, equivalent to about 2.4 kilotons of TNT. To put that in perspective: the 1917 Halifax arms ship explosion was about 3 kilotons, the Hiroshima nuclear blast was about 13 kilotons, and Nagasaki about 21 kilotons.

So yeah, it has been done. When ANFO goes, it just goes. Unlike in the movies, you don't get to run away from an explosion.

Manic Moran

bnt wrote: »

The bomb McVeigh used was 4,800 pounds of ANFO + nitromethane = about five times the 848 pounds mentioned by the OP, equivalent to about 2.4 kilotons of TNT. To put that in perspective: the 1917 Halifax arms ship explosion was about 3 kilotons, the Hiroshima nuclear blast was about 13 kilotons, and Nagasaki about 21 kilotons.
.

I would query the mathematics there. Even if ANFO/NiMeth is more powerful than TNT, I doubt it's a thousand times more powerful. Much of Halifax was flattened in the blast, OKC just lost a building or two.

NTM

kielmanator

pebbles21 wrote: »

Sure half of Cork was wiped out years ago by the looks of it:D

google faps wrote: »

If i had to live in Cork, i'd imagine the urge would be overwhelming.

It's not my fault, I was only pretending to shoot at the black and tans, they weren't supposed to use flamethrowers!:eek:

Mr Benevolent

'Homemade' bombs are difficult to make and just as dangerous for the terrorist as the public. Make the bomb a hundred times bigger and you have a thousand times the problems.

Ironic that someone from Cork would have this idea...

CrazyRabbit

Lots of smaller bombs cause more panic & terror than one big bomb. And there's a greater chance of detonating at least one if you have many.

What's interesting is that 'western' anti-Islamic terrorists haven't sprung up and started attacking Muslim holy sites etc.

kilkenny_kid

Not enough jizz in them imo.

Overheal

OKC just lost a building or two

the Oklahoma City bomb damaged 300+ buildings and destroyed 80+ cars, which created secondary explosions. The bomb itself left a crater left a 30ft diameter, 8ft deep crater. The bomb was equivalent to 2,300kg of TNT. 160+ dead, many more injured. Most resulting from glass/window shrapnel.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Timothy_McVeigh%27s_movements_during_Oklahoma_City_bombing.svg/710px-Timothy_McVeigh%27s_movements_during_Oklahoma_City_bombing.svg.png

Cool_CM

Manic Moran wrote: »

Not sure how young the OP is, but my immediate thought is Manchester 1996. That pretty much ruined the whole street.

NTM

Same, fairly large explosion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4EoXH1ju_0

johngalway

CorkMan wrote: »

I read a post there about a supposed "848 pounds of ANFO in a ready made truck". He was only joking, but it would only take one lunatic to do it.

One lunatic who knew how to put together a bomb and destruct a street or even more. I am not saying I wish this would happen, but how come not?

Presuming you're a terrorist (not you, but the guy with the explosives). Many small bombs make a greater psychological impression than one very big bomb which would create such destruction as to a) wipe out your explosives stockpile, b) more likely to lose you support than gain any. Personally I believe the "campaign" is what attracts people, not just a once off "spectacular".

Bonito

TerryTibbs! wrote: »

Corkman threads are the best bomb.

You said it, Terry.