Random Questions Thread

Stories like that make the news for a reason, that ain't normal.

Actually wait, I just remembered something. The assassination of Georgi Markov.

Guy shot him with a little Ricin filled sort of pellet. Was hollow and had holes to leak the poison out.

Fired it out of an umbrella gun into the back of his leg.

edited 30th Aug '14 6:03:28 PM by LeGarcon

When they can have a one-ton bomb dropped on them and be perfectly fine?

nope.avi

I've also read that hollow-points might work if you leave out the "hollow" part and fill the little pit with whatever.

edited 30th Aug '14 6:08:27 PM by KSPAM

Nah, hollow points break up and mushroom when they enter the body.

Wait, so how did the assailants found that out? How on earth did anyone get a hold of that much bomb?

Yeah, but don't they at least penetrate the body deeply enough before mushrooming that the agent would be able to enter the bloodstream?

Most bombs used in domestic terrorism (of course I speak of the big bombs, not the tiny shoe bombs meant to kill only a few people) are either disguised or vehicle-bound bombs weighing in at half a ton or more of explosives. The Oklahoma City truck bombing springs to mind. Plus, this is less than two decades after WW 1. People with enough power and influence probably wouldn't find it too difficult to get their hands on unspent munitions.

Or, for a less complex answer, magic

edited 30th Aug '14 6:25:04 PM by KSPAM

If that agent can survive the self destruction of the bullet and the heat of being fired from the gun.

You'd be better off with an air powered pellet type thing.

This is the 1930s. Compressed air weapons weren't very common or convenient. Then again, this is an alternate history where sarin gas was used in WW 1 and clunky but functional walkie talkies exist in 1930s Prohibition-era America. Liberties may be taken now and again.

edited 30th Aug '14 6:34:34 PM by KSPAM

On the contrary, compressed air weapons had been around for some time in 30s.

The various Austrian armies were using compressed-air weapons in the Napoleonic Wars. So, yes, they were certainly in use by then.

Is there any possible reason for a double-bladed battleaxe to be useful?

If one side gets dulled from you bashing it against someone's helmet, you can flip it around and hit them with the other side.

It looks hella cool

How large would the crater left by a MOAB be?

Well, the blast radius is 150m.

To refer to something that surrounds the eye (such as a tattoo on the skin around the eye), would the proper anatomical term be 'periocular', or something else?

Wiktionary agrees with you. Now, if it's around the eyeball it would be "periorbital".

Okay, thanks, just wanted to be sure.

So I'm writing a battle scene, against a gigantic avian monster and a magician who can use wind.

How can the magician manipulate the wind against the monster? The only way I can think of is something involving manipulating the air current to drive the monster down to the ground.

If it's within the mage's powers, I could see such magic being use to reduce the lift produced by the bird's wings, causing it to drop. Otherwise, strong winds directed against the direction of travel could hold it (more or less) in place; if feasible, a strong downward wind might force the creature down, or a tornado might spin it about, disorienting it and potentially throwing it into obstacles. With fine control, sudden bursts of air into its eyes could impair its vision. If the mage is sufficiently powerful, appropriate manipulation of air could potentially deprive the bird of sufficient air to breathe.

Ohoho, awesome! Thanks!

Would a detective be more likely to work for the FBI or the local police department?

FBI uses Special Agents, so police.

Do you think it's possible to use the word "asshole" in a YA novel?

Actually, anyone knows any kind of list or something that contains list of words I can or cannot use in a YA novel?

edited 2nd Sep '14 6:51:12 PM by dRoy

Everything short of "shit", "fuck", "c*nt" and maybe "goddamn" should fly in your stereotypical YA novel. I guess it really depends what YA age group your book is targeted at though, and where you live.