From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos   
   From Address: Brad_Filippone@yahoo.com   
   Subject: Re: necessity is the mother of invention   
      
   On Sep 12, 8:33apm, SparkoHeaps  wrote:   
   > On Sep 12, 5:31apm, 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. aHe jerry rigs a howitzer, then gathers up   
   > > > minerals, and mixes them to manufacture   
   > > > gunpowder. aOf 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   
   As I recall, the Mythbusters reason that it wouldn't work was because   
   the bamboo cannon fell apart.   My rebuttal to that is that they   
   didn't use the bamboo that grows on the planet the Metrons put Kirk   
   and the Gorn on!   
   Brad   
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