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(YouTube)   People worry about lead ammunition being toxic and leaching into water tables and such, but worry no more: If we stuff bullets full of sodium or potassium they're not toxic, plus they explode when they hit wet things. Like the inside of your body   (youtube.com) divider line
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636 clicks; posted to STEM » on 30 Dec 2020 at 11:05 AM (2 years ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



12 Comments     (+0 »)
View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest
 
edmo [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2020-12-30 10:53:11 AM  
That's useless.
 
PirateKing [BareFark] [OhFark]
2020-12-30 11:15:09 AM  
Now you have to worry if your bullets have gone stale, not just your powder.
 
FrancoFile [TotalFark]
2020-12-30 11:25:46 AM  
Not dense enough.  Sodium and potassium are really light compared to lead or copper.
 
jakedata [TotalFark]
2020-12-30 11:28:53 AM  
He should try phosphorous. I'm sure nobody's ever thought of that before.
 
LoneCoon [TotalFark]
2020-12-30 11:32:41 AM  
Bismuth is the generally accepted non lead substitute for bullets. Also, alkali metals are far too light weight for use as ammunition. Even silver has a hard time matching the density necessary for bullets.
 
kyleaugustus
2020-12-30 11:46:13 AM  
I don't think we need new ways to create extensive bodily injuries.
 
krispos42 [BareFark]
2020-12-30 12:32:25 PM  
I like to fantasize that one day, when we're mining the asteroids and have nuclear fusion, the price of "precious" metals plummets to the point where bullets and shotgun pellets are made from from actual gold, simply because it's as cheap as lead, has a higher density, and doesn't oxidize or contaminate groundwater.
 
Jim_Callahan
2020-12-30 2:25:54 PM  
That was pointless and didn't really demonstrate anything meaningful about anything.

That said, it seems like fun to do something that would be cartoonishly illegal in almost any other context other than this really specific one that they developed specifically to play with this specific stuff without technically doing anything illegal.  I'm always entertained by an utterly absurd level of effort and expense dedicated to pulling off what is basically a really simple joke, so good job.

// Slightly annoyed by someone taking the handle "Backyard Scientist" for a channel with no science on it, but eh, YouTube.
 
Fano
2020-12-30 2:50:44 PM  

krispos42: I like to fantasize that one day, when we're mining the asteroids and have nuclear fusion, the price of "precious" metals plummets to the point where bullets and shotgun pellets are made from from actual gold, simply because it's as cheap as lead, has a higher density, and doesn't oxidize or contaminate groundwater.


I'd like sapphire bullets. Bullets of pure love.
 
dittybopper
2020-12-30 7:12:09 PM  

kyleaugustus: I don't think we need new ways to create extensive bodily injuries.


Slacker.
 
billstewart
2020-12-31 2:49:02 AM  
Jim_Callahan:
That said, it seems like fun to do something that would be cartoonishly illegal in almost any other context other than this really specific one that they developed specifically to play with this specific stuff without technically doing anything illegal.

NY Times interviewed Adam Savage, and they got to the "And this is the part of the show where we get to blow stuff up" (though being the Gray Lady they do explain that he actually used a different word instead of "stuff".)
 
krispos42 [BareFark]
2020-12-31 3:58:28 PM  

Fano: krispos42: I like to fantasize that one day, when we're mining the asteroids and have nuclear fusion, the price of "precious" metals plummets to the point where bullets and shotgun pellets are made from from actual gold, simply because it's as cheap as lead, has a higher density, and doesn't oxidize or contaminate groundwater.

I'd like sapphire bullets. Bullets of pure love.


Maybe in a shotgun shell.  They'd fly like crap, though.  Low density means the air drag would be a killer.
 
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