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Precisely.
Shaped charges also work to disrupt explosive chains because they’re faster than even detonating HE. And if you do it right they won’t set off what they hit - it’s complicated but it works. Usually.
Water disruptors are also cool. A km/s jet of water rather than the usual molten Cu or other metal you’d see in a shaped charge.
I work at one of the places that really developed the use of explosives as a precise tool to do work. Pretty amazing stuff, a little terrifying, but still cool to the remainder of a 14 y.o. kid stuck in this 46 y.o. body…
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User name checks out…
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F-ing copy machine, work! kick!
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Yeah, but the x-rays were the only reason that the authorities were convinced that it was real in the first place. It really did work as designed, and if you read that long magazine story linked above the FBI guy said that even today, knowing everything he knows now about how it was built, he wouldn’t know how to disarm it.
If anything, the design flaw was that it couldn’t be completely disarmed, even by the builder. Knowing that it was destined to eventually blow up either way and that it would be too risky to move is what convinced the casino owner not to pay ransom.
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The x-ray detector would set the bomb off. That would be convincing enough, no?
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Yes, if you were uninterested in actually receiving any ransom.
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I would be.
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Fascinating articles though. I used to help do training for a strange niche of the EOD world and I hadn’t heard of this.
Usually training-trinkets of this complexity got us yelled at by management. We’re not supposed to make it that hard! Some of the EOD critters, especially the exotic DOD ones, get pretty angry when they can’t win.
Now I just make program plans and the occasional powerpoint presentation. Here’s a lesson, kids: Don’t be so eager to climb the ladder!
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I’ve read that was a tactic that was used to disable devices in the 1920s and ‘30s when there was a spate of anarchist bombings around the U.S. if you’ve got a mechanical clock as part of the detonator that can work especially well. But even without the float switch I wouldn’t want to bet my life that it would prevent the pendulum from closing the circuit.
I think the FBI made the right call here, even with the benefit of hindsight and more information about the bomb design. There probably wouldn’t have been a safer method to try disabling it other than what they did. No casino building is worth a person’s life.
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In today’s world of remotely operate vehicles/manipulators and directed-energy technology I’m pretty sure there will almost never be a sweaty dude with a drill or wire-cutters atop a device again. I hope. Just move everyone out and blow it up.
I wonder if they had people on scene when they x-rayed it. With some forethought from the builder that could get exciting very fast.
Now I want to go find out more about this (only for the forces of good, of course).
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You are correct regarding the use of “unique”.
Unfortunately, calling it a badge disqualifies you. You may apply again in eight years.
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here in Reno, that’s still a thing that’s is talked about, along with the Sinatra Jr. kidnapping.
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steals image
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Are you saying technically it’s a … pendant?
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Honestly, blowing up a casino for its own sake seems kinda like a net positive if you ask me.
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I described moving up in management to my line staff and supervisors as sticking your neck further out with each rung you climb.
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They are really going to be mad when they lose in the field. 
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This is such a good longread.
Reminds me of when they canceled the contest to win a chance to blow up a Trump casino, but had to cancel it due to “safety concerns” (maybe I hinted to hard that’s what I wanted for Christmas?)
(To be clear, I’m not such a Bernie Bro I literally want to bomb the casino - I do not enjoy gambling, but I like neon, steaks, and the idea we should forget things that happened on vacation so I take umbrage at anyone bombing casinos with people inside them)
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