Comments on: The ingenious suicide of William Kogut http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/ Kicking ass in the name of science! Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:08:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Sean Skyhawk http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-32393 Sean Skyhawk Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:10:23 +0000 http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-32393 To coracle: No, western blots will not do that. I know, I've tried it and they only just melt away. If you want nitrocellulose, go to your magic shop to get some flash paper. To coracle:

No, western blots will not do that. I know, I’ve tried it and they only just melt away.

If you want nitrocellulose, go to your magic shop to get some flash paper.

]]> By: Frank the SciencePunk http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2636 Frank the SciencePunk Tue, 11 Sep 2007 08:50:17 +0000 http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2636 Chris: the chemistry seems to be a bit hazy. As Coracle has illustrated, nitrocellulose can be pretty volatile stuff once ignited. Nitrocellulose, when mixed with cardboard, forms <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrocellulose" rel="nofollow">nitramidine</a>, a low-order explosive. Nitramidine is notoriously unstable, so it seems plausible that a small pipe bomb could be improvised using it. Snopes is usually spot-on, but they fail to mention the nitramidine angle, and I'm sceptical about the card-fragments-through-the-skull theory. Chris: the chemistry seems to be a bit hazy. As Coracle has illustrated, nitrocellulose can be pretty volatile stuff once ignited.
Nitrocellulose, when mixed with cardboard, forms nitramidine, a low-order explosive. Nitramidine is notoriously unstable, so it seems plausible that a small pipe bomb could be improvised using it.
Snopes is usually spot-on, but they fail to mention the nitramidine angle, and I’m sceptical about the card-fragments-through-the-skull theory.

]]> By: coracle http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2615 coracle Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:27:12 +0000 http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2615 Did someone say <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6985588.stm" rel="nofollow">nitro-cellulose</a>? Where did I leave my western blot? Did someone say nitro-cellulose?

Where did I leave my western blot?

]]> By: Ithika http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2605 Ithika Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:11:11 +0000 http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2605 WTF? Steven Seagal makes films now?! ;-) WTF? Steven Seagal makes films now?! ;-)

]]> By: Chris http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2601 Chris Mon, 10 Sep 2007 17:06:21 +0000 http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2601 Snopes claims somewhat improbably that it was the steam that caused the explosion. Either way that must have been one well-wedged broomstick if the metal leg ruptured before the broomstick popped out. Most accounts - including Snopes', normally reliable - also claim the cards penetrated Kogut's skull. This seems unlikely to me, but I'm no expert. Snopes claims somewhat improbably that it was the steam that caused the explosion. Either way that must have been one well-wedged broomstick if the metal leg ruptured before the broomstick popped out. Most accounts - including Snopes’, normally reliable - also claim the cards penetrated Kogut’s skull. This seems unlikely to me, but I’m no expert.

]]> By: Frank the SciencePunk http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2593 Frank the SciencePunk Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:34:51 +0000 http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2593 WTF? That's what I get for trying to write articles and watch Steven Seagal films at the same time. WTF? That’s what I get for trying to write articles and watch Steven Seagal films at the same time.

]]> By: Ithika http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2590 Ithika Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:02:32 +0000 http://www.sciencepunk.com/v5/2007/09/the-ingenious-suicide-of-william-vogut/#comment-2590 You change between Vogut and Kogut several times in this article... You change between Vogut and Kogut several times in this article…

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