Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT strips 4051-4055 (22 - 26 July 2019)
rtmq0227:
--- Quote from: Theta9 on 29 Jul 2019, 07:01 ---
--- Quote from: Mr Intrepid on 27 Jul 2019, 07:37 ---The magnetic fields used in, say, a parts picker are likely thousands of orders of magnitude less than a EMP weapon would use. If indeed, magnetism would be part of that.
--- End quote ---
Why wouldn't it? You know the M in EMP stands for "magnetic", don't you?
--- End quote ---
The most dangerous part of an Electro-Magnetic Pulse is the "pulse." It typically refers to a sudden spike/pulse of EM energy, which can induce a current in conductive materials, thus overloading sensitive electronics. Most circuitry is only designed to handle a minuscule voltage or current, and a fluctuating electro-magnetic field can increase those values or generate them where there are none.
The type of magnet you'd use to collect parts on the ground would produce a steady field, and even though you're moving it around, the amount of power you'd generate in a circuit is essentially zero (you'd have to be moving really fast or have a ridiculously powerful magnet to match the pulse of an EMP).
Think of it this way: your phone is susceptible to an EMP, but you'd need a magnet on the scale of an MRI machine to cause damage simply via the magnetic field.
cybersmurf:
--- Quote from: OldGoat on 29 Jul 2019, 10:37 ---
--- Quote from: cybersmurf on 29 Jul 2019, 09:43 ---Every time I hear or read 'kaput' in English, I'm amused. Never ever would I have imagined "kaputt" making its way from German to English.
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My half English, half German father, born in the '20s in the Midwest, used the word to describe mechanical and/or electronic devices worn or damaged beyond his considerable ability to effect repairs. (Some guys define their manhood by who they can beat up, some by how much booze they can put away and remain standing. For Dad it was what he could repair or cobble together.) My French and German maternal grandmother sprinkled her speech with words and phrases from both languages. I don't recall her ever asking, "understand?" but she'd always say "verstehen?"
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My sister has been living in Sweden for 20 years now, and she started throwing around literal translations. She only realises she said something wrong by how puzzled the people around look.
Also, now I know, if you want to silence (gag) someone, you need a "mouth cable".
Thrudd:
--- Quote from: cybersmurf on 29 Jul 2019, 09:43 ---"classic" EMP - like from nuclear explosions - mainly render electronics inoperable. Apparently, Bubbles is reinforced against those kinds of attacks, since she isn't broken.
Maybe EMPs of sufficient power create a power surge which needs to be dissipated, or forcing her to reboot. And that few moments may be enough for a machine gun nest to do the damage described.
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Most Military electronics are shielded and hardened verses radiation and EMPs of the Nuclear variety and then there is that whole inverse square law regarding radiated power that your supposition runs afoul of. I very much doubt that Handwavium-science would be able to circumvent some very fundamental laws of physics.
I will stick to my supposition of a design flaw in the defensive protocols and hardware.
Something that could be cobbled together with off-the-shelf equipment and a bit of basic script kiddy coding.
Just like what happened to Capital One and their single layer of security that was so easily circumvented by a not-so-bright coder.
Security flaws are regularly ignored by government contractors who tend to prosecute people that point out such flaws in their systems instead of fixing them.
cybersmurf:
--- Quote from: Thrudd on 31 Jul 2019, 06:32 ---I will stick to my supposition of a design flaw in the defensive protocols and hardware.
Something that could be cobbled together with off-the-shelf equipment and a bit of basic script kiddy coding.
--- End quote ---
I'm with you on that one. "That's so simple, we're not even going to test that." "We're not getting paid enough to test everything, and this should be covered."
Or in other words: "I know we half-assed it, but it should be fine."
--- Quote from: Thrudd on 31 Jul 2019, 06:32 ---Security flaws are regularly ignored by government contractors who tend to prosecute people that point out such flaws in their systems instead of fixing them.
--- End quote ---
Probably because it's less work, or more profitable. Maybe even both.
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