From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos   
   From Address: frankperiodlogullo@comcast.net   
   Subject: Re: necessity is the mother of invention   
      
   On 9/12/2011 7:33 PM, SparkoHeaps wrote:   
   > On Sep 12, 5:31 pm, Frank  wrote:   
   >> On 9/12/2011 6:45 PM, RichD wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> So I was watching an old Star Trek, Kirk is marooned   
   >>> in a desert (looks like New Mexico), battling a gnarly   
   >>> alien.  He jerry rigs a howitzer, then gathers up   
   >>> minerals, and mixes them to manufacture   
   >>> gunpowder.  Of course. he flattens the alien on   
   >>> his first shot, and the galaxy is saved.   
   >>   
   >>> Anyhoo, is that plausible, could one make   
   >>> gunpowder in a survival situation like that?   
   >>> With no chem lab equipment?   
   >>   
   >>> --   
   >>> Rich   
   >>   
   >> Probably.   
   >> I think you can find sulfur in pure form.   
   >> Don't know if Chilean salt peter (sodium nitrate) is pure enough to use   
   >> without recrystallizing, but I suspect it is.   
   >> Charred, i.e. partially burnt, wood could serve as the charcoal source.   
   >> Crude mix would not make the best gun powder but it should work.   
   >   
   > Mythbusters tried it   
   >   
   > http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-gorn-cannon-high-speed.html   
      
      
   Good, it did explode but cannon material was a problem.   
   Kirk should have made a land mine instead ;)   
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