drwilder

I think there was a book by Michael Crichton (the Andromeda Strain??) that talked about this. A scientist took a pice of granite and said, "This is Alive. It is living breathing, walking, and talking. Only we cannot see it, because it is happening to slowly. Rock has a lifespan of 3 billion years. We have a lifespan of about 60 to 70 years. We cannot see what is happening to this rock for the same reson we cannot make out the tune of a record being played at one rotation per century. To the rock, we are like flashes in the dark." Or something like that. Anyway, I think that "alive" is a purely subjective view. We as a species may not see the rock as alive because it does not act the way we expect living things to do, but the rock may not see us as alive for the same reasons. But that's just a thought.

Would a piezo grill lighter be relatively easy to wire to a cannon? I was thinking it would be a good idea to put about 10ft or so of wire in between the power source and the cannon (I put safety before missing limbs..), and would that affect the ignition time signifigantly? Also, I plan on using good old Right Guard as an ignition (its cheap). Does this inhibit what I can use as an ignition system?

Hello Everyone! Recently I've drawn up some plans for a smallish potato launcher that would incorporate an electric ignition system. Most people seem to use stunguns or piezoelectric BBQ lighters, but I was wondering if a small 7.2 volt NiCad battery (or something similar) would be capable of producing one or two sparks for the ignition. If so, would it be reliable enough? Thanks