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From Throwing Rocks to Dropping A-Bombs
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Oct 10, 2018 06:45:38   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
Our ancestors probably threw rocks at each other in the early days of warfare. Now, it looks like they were onto something. Falling rocks can generate forces approaching those of a nuclear bomb. Below is an excerpt from "The New Scientist."

"Falling rocks can explode so hard that only nuclear weapons beat them
"If falling rocks are big enough and hit the ground hard enough they can create a blast so intense that the rocks are pulverised into powder. Such extreme rockfalls are followed by a shockwave that can snap trees hundreds of metres away.

“They’re extremely weird phenomena, which have been somehow overlooked,” says Fabio De Blasio of the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy.

The first known example took place in Yosemite National Park, California, on 10 July 1996."

Just imagine U. S. planes dropping large rocks on our enemies. Maybe quarry owners will start lobbying for that.

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Oct 10, 2018 06:59:56   #
ELNikkor
 
Uh, and did you forget to mention the cameras and lenses that recorded the incident? or, are you in the wrong forum?

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Oct 10, 2018 07:32:24   #
Stephan G
 
jerryc41 wrote:
Our ancestors probably threw rocks at each other in the early days of warfare. Now, it looks like they were onto something. Falling rocks can generate forces approaching those of a nuclear bomb. Below is an excerpt from "The New Scientist."

"Falling rocks can explode so hard that only nuclear weapons beat them
"If falling rocks are big enough and hit the ground hard enough they can create a blast so intense that the rocks are pulverised into powder. Such extreme rockfalls are followed by a shockwave that can snap trees hundreds of metres away.

“They’re extremely weird phenomena, which have been somehow overlooked,” says Fabio De Blasio of the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy.

The first known example took place in Yosemite National Park, California, on 10 July 1996."

Just imagine U. S. planes dropping large rocks on our enemies. Maybe quarry owners will start lobbying for that.
Our ancestors probably threw rocks at each other i... (show quote)


The size and weight do have a relationship to size of impact. The shells from the battleships were said to be the size of a small car, for example. Another factor to keep in mind is the shape of said rock. Aerodynamics do come into play.

There are two "Ifs" noted in the citation by Fabio (where have we heard this name before?). How many right sized boulder can a stealth bomber carry?

"Hey Ahmed! My blip on the screen shows a mountain flying our way!"

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Oct 10, 2018 07:35:35   #
Stephan G
 
ELNikkor wrote:
Uh, and did you forget to mention the cameras and lenses that recorded the incident? or, are you in the wrong forum?


They were pulverized from the impact.

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Oct 10, 2018 07:48:38   #
phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York
 
ELNikkor wrote:
Uh, and did you forget to mention the cameras and lenses that recorded the incident? or, are you in the wrong forum?


another one who hasn't read this forum's title...

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Oct 10, 2018 09:34:01   #
DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA
 
I've done it. (Thought I was in one forum when I was actually in another).
If I think about complaining about the forum the post was entered in, I first check the top of the page to see which forum I'm actually in.
(And I have occasionally thought of making such a complaint, but it's rare).

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Oct 10, 2018 16:29:51   #
G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK
 
Maybe this got moved into the general chit chat section - or it was all the time and people forgot to look before criticizing.

It was in chit chat when I looked

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Oct 11, 2018 07:42:15   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
G Brown wrote:
Maybe this got moved into the general chit chat section - or it was all the time and people forgot to look before criticizing.

It was in chit chat when I looked


It is and Jerry knows more about this forum format than many here.
Very interesting about rocks.
I agree they can be powerful but mass vs explosive bombs and like the super bomb we dropped last year or so had great penetrating power before exploding and bombs can also do air bursts. A rock on soft dirt I also have doubts about as there is a limit to velocity attainable.

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Oct 11, 2018 07:57:59   #
kodiac1062 Loc: Sarasota, Fl
 
It is an interesting concept. Would be a lot cheaper. Then again you are giving up the laser guided thing where you actually destroy what you were looking to destroy.

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Oct 11, 2018 08:16:17   #
Bunko.T Loc: Western Australia.
 
Stephan G wrote:
The size and weight do have a relationship to size of impact. The shells from the battleships were said to be the size of a small car, for example. Another factor to keep in mind is the shape of said rock. Aerodynamics do come into play.

There are two "Ifs" noted in the citation by Fabio (where have we heard this name before?). How many right sized boulder can a stealth bomber carry?

"Hey Ahmed! My blip on the screen shows a mountain flying our way!"
The size and weight do have a relationship to size... (show quote)


Has anyone considered Meteorites. There are many stories of them hitting earth, leaving them partly under ground, & areas of destruction surrounding the impact area.
So I reckon a war fought with rocks would be a step in the right direction.

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Oct 11, 2018 08:28:08   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
Bunko.T wrote:
Has anyone considered Meteorites. There are many stories of them hitting earth, leaving them partly under ground, & areas of destruction surrounding the impact area.
So I reckon a war fought with rocks would be a step in the right direction.


Meteorites have a speed advantage not attainable by a falling rock. Terminal velocity is about 122 mph (At least for a paratrooper) which isn't that fast. I imagine a rock a bit more but no where the speed of a meteorite.

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Oct 11, 2018 08:30:38   #
DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA
 
Old science fiction story (Asimov? Don't remember the name of the story offhand.)
In a war between the moon and the earth, the moon threw rocks. Escape velocity from the moon was significantly lower than from the earth so the energy investment was fairly low and rocks are abundant.

The moon won.

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Oct 11, 2018 10:36:04   #
PH CIB
 
Actually weapons have been developed that are tungsten carbide steel shot from Earth into the outer Atmosphere and then coming back down reach incredible speeds that are almost impossible to shoot down and are directed by GPS or other technology to hit their target, tank, battleship, carrier, etc...with incredible force and destruction....even though there are no explosives involved...

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Oct 11, 2018 10:45:32   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
PH CIB wrote:
Actually weapons have been developed that are tungsten carbide steel shot from Earth into the outer Atmosphere and then coming back down reach incredible speeds that are almost impossible to shoot down and are directed by GPS or other technology to hit their target, tank, battleship, carrier, etc...with incredible force and destruction....even though there are no explosives involved...


Kinetic weapons and the operative word is shot. Not free falling.
Same as a meteorite is in space traveling at 30K MPH is a lot faster than free falling.

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Oct 11, 2018 11:17:56   #
Stephan G
 
Bunko.T wrote:
Has anyone considered Meteorites. There are many stories of them hitting earth, leaving them partly under ground, & areas of destruction surrounding the impact area.
So I reckon a war fought with rocks would be a step in the right direction.


Just think of the size of slingshot would be needed. Were it not for the Chinese and gunpowder, we might have built more efficient rock hurlers. Just look at the trebuchets! :sm02

Seriously, we had several physics classes in which we had to work out the worst case scenario for a descending rock to Earth. There are so many aspects to consider. Meteorites are not exactly free-fall objects.

For free-fall objects, there is the need for work-energy to get the rocks up in the air.

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