4 ms·

A bullet is an explosive? Really? http://xkcd.com/651/ http://xkcd.com/651/

• jemfinch 16y ago
  Gunpowder is an explosive, and gunpowder is in unused bullets.
  • ynniv 16y ago
    You're being naive. The chemical energy of the gunpowder in a bullet is (3 kilojoules / gram) * 4 grams (M16 round) = 12 kilojoules. A 17" MacBook Pro battery contains 95 watt hours = 342 kilojoules. Effectively using the battery as a weapon would require some creativity, but the battery contains almost 30 times as much energy as the bullet. And lithium ion batteries are known to explode in extreme circumstances. But the point I would like to make is that it is inappropriate to make important decisions on vocabulary. Is an unused bullet any more of an "explosive" than a laptop battery? Is a long piece of broken glass a "blade over 3 inches"? These screening guidelines are simply guidelines, to be used in context. Should you allow someone to take live ammunition on a plan? Of course not. But when we expect customs officers to strongly interrogate someone who has already landed about a travel souvenir, the terrorists have already won.
  • bluesnowmonkey 16y ago
    A "bullet" is the lead projectile that comes out the barrel of a gun. Bullets do not contain gunpowder.
• gaius 16y ago
  Errm, yes, I'm sure the next border guards you meet will confirm that that's what the rules say. Even GSR on your hands will get you grilled at Heathrow, I speak from experience there.