When is Water not Water
Sep 4, 2014, 8:35 pm
#17
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Ice is a solid and water is a liquid. If the rule is no liquids, then ice should be allowed. This just shows how silly the no liquids rule can be unless one can accurately claim that any liquid substance that might be a threat is rendered harmless as soon as it is frozen and remains harmless after melting occurs.
Sep 4, 2014, 9:45 pm
#18
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Ice is a solid and water is a liquid. If the rule is no liquids, then ice should be allowed. This just shows how silly the no liquids rule can be unless one can accurately claim that any liquid substance that might be a threat is rendered harmless as soon as it is frozen and remains harmless after melting occurs.
Sep 4, 2014, 9:49 pm
#19
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2) That doesn't mean it freezes the same as water.
2a) Nitpick: Some explosives can't be frozen. The only ones I've heard about make nitrogen tri-iodide seem stable by comparison, though.
Sep 5, 2014, 12:17 pm
#20
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 962
Super-nitpick: yes it does — though at ~1-1.5° K, which is extremely unlikely to occur stably in baggage.
The number of stupendously dangerous items that pass TSA's screening criteria (and would not be detectable as 'explosives') is very, very large.
2a) Nitpick: Some explosives can't be frozen. The only ones I've heard about make nitrogen tri-iodide seem stable by comparison, though.
Sep 5, 2014, 1:35 pm
#21
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Super-nitpick: yes it does — though at ~1-1.5° K, which is extremely unlikely to occur stably in baggage.
The number of stupendously dangerous items that pass TSA's screening criteria (and would not be detectable as 'explosives') is very, very large.
The number of stupendously dangerous items that pass TSA's screening criteria (and would not be detectable as 'explosives') is very, very large.
Sep 5, 2014, 1:56 pm
#22
Join Date: Dec 2010
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Right before they enforced the "no liquids" rule, I encountered a TSA agent who asked me to take 2 big sips of my water in front of him. Wouldn't this suffice for any suspicious liquids going through?
Sep 5, 2014, 2:01 pm
#23
Join Date: Apr 2009
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Dihydrogen Monoxide is very dangerous http://www.dhmo.org/
Sep 5, 2014, 6:39 pm
#24
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Super-nitpick: yes it does — though at ~1-1.5° K, which is extremely unlikely to occur stably in baggage.
You could get that kind of temperature in baggage (a well insulated container that permitted boil-off to keep it cool) but you're not allowed containers at that kind of pressure.
Sep 5, 2014, 6:42 pm
#25
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For water, it's fine. For sterile containers it's not fine. For medicines it's not fine.
Sep 7, 2014, 8:00 am
#26
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: ORD, sadly...
Programs: AA Exec Plat
Posts: 599
There used to be a whole thread about this sort of thing over in the checkpoints forum. If I remember correctly, there were discussions about people freezing different items trying to test the theory. I believe there was frozen shampoo and other items.....
ETA,
I found it..
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/pract...periences.html
ETA,
I found it..
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/pract...periences.html
Might be time to do this again...
Sep 8, 2014, 6:25 pm
#27
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 962
Well, I learned something new. You're missing the key parameter, though: 2.5 megapascals of pressure. It has no solid state at normal pressures.
You could get that kind of temperature in baggage (a well insulated container that permitted boil-off to keep it cool) but you're not allowed containers at that kind of pressure.
You could get that kind of temperature in baggage (a well insulated container that permitted boil-off to keep it cool) but you're not allowed containers at that kind of pressure.
Counterpoint: rubidium. Very stable under STP … so long as you keep it far, far away from any water.
(Dear government: I am obviously not advocating that someone actually use alkalai metals outside of safe and controlled testing environments, nor would I touch the stuff myself. Also, please make sure your ETD machines can test for the stuff, 'cause it actually is both tiny and extremely dangerous.)
Sep 8, 2014, 11:03 pm
#28
Join Date: Aug 2012
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Well, I learned something new. You're missing the key parameter, though: 2.5 megapascals of pressure. It has no solid state at normal pressures.
You could get that kind of temperature in baggage (a well insulated container that permitted boil-off to keep it cool) but you're not allowed containers at that kind of pressure.
You could get that kind of temperature in baggage (a well insulated container that permitted boil-off to keep it cool) but you're not allowed containers at that kind of pressure.
Sep 9, 2014, 1:31 pm
#29
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Sep 9, 2014, 1:36 pm
#30
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Touché.
Counterpoint: rubidium. Very stable under STP … so long as you keep it far, far away from any water.
(Dear government: I am obviously not advocating that someone actually use alkalai metals outside of safe and controlled testing environments, nor would I touch the stuff myself. Also, please make sure your ETD machines can test for the stuff, 'cause it actually is both tiny and extremely dangerous.)
Counterpoint: rubidium. Very stable under STP … so long as you keep it far, far away from any water.
(Dear government: I am obviously not advocating that someone actually use alkalai metals outside of safe and controlled testing environments, nor would I touch the stuff myself. Also, please make sure your ETD machines can test for the stuff, 'cause it actually is both tiny and extremely dangerous.)