Civil War Dead Hand Detonation

[Sci_Me_One_Time]

How would a Confederate soldier be able to wear a dynamite vest which was attached to at least one biological system such that if he was cut down the vest would still detonate if all that happened was he was shot in the head and died?

[zapatos]

1 hour ago, Sci_Me_One_Time said:

How would a Confederate soldier be able to wear a dynamite vest which was attached to at least one biological system such that if he was cut down the vest would still detonate if all that happened was he was shot in the head and died?

There would be no way to do it. The Civil War ended in 1865 and dynamite was patented in 1867.

[Endy0816]

If you had something he had to clinch continuously, that could work. Upon release, a spring would separate the parts of the handle triggering the explosion.

[Sci_Me_One_Time]

lol I guess The Good, The Bad and the Ugly isn't the best history teacher...

and Endy what I mean is if the manual trigger ended up not being released, could a more automated trigger be inserted into the body that would go off with some certainty when it would be filling up with gas after death, maybe this could be one failsafe, what about others?

[zapatos]

6 minutes ago, Sci_Me_One_Time said:

lol I guess The Good, The Bad and the Ugly isn't the best history teacher...

and Endy what I mean is if the manual trigger ended up not being released, could a more automated trigger be inserted into the body that would go off with some certainty when it would be filling up with gas after death, maybe this could be one failsafe, what about others?

I think Endy's point was that you have to be alive to clinch something in your hand. If you die the hand muscle would relax and the bomb would explode. 

[Sci_Me_One_Time]

Well let's say that that primary failed, lets say his hand is stuck against something, what is the best secondary system to trigger his bomb (and quickly)?

Edited July 1, 2019 by Sci_Me_One_Time

[zapatos]

42 minutes ago, Sci_Me_One_Time said:

could a more automated trigger be inserted into the body that would go off with some certainty when it would be filling up with gas after death,

Not in the 1860's.

29 minutes ago, Sci_Me_One_Time said:

Well let's say that that primary failed, lets say his hand is stuck against something, what is the best secondary system to trigger his bomb (and quickly)?

Another trigger in his other hand?

[dimreepr]

1 hour ago, Sci_Me_One_Time said:

Well let's say that that primary failed, lets say his hand is stuck against something, what is the best secondary system to trigger his bomb (and quickly)?

He could have a compression switch on each foot, as long as at least one is compressed it's safe; he'd have to be very careful not to get too happy and jump for joy. 

[Sci_Me_One_Time]

Well that sounds very safe lol, too shoddy... so what about manually generated electricity from some sort of kinetic vest or something and a lead acid battery which google tells me came about in 1859, and what about sensors (not necessarily pressure), could a sensor detect the absence of electricity in the body or a change in "electrodermal" activity, the measuring (well, observance) of which dates back to 1849...taken together with some proficiency we can surely do more to make sure Johnny Reb dies more productively than he lived. Channel your inner Archimedes.

Edited July 1, 2019 by Sci_Me_One_Time

[Endy0816]

14 hours ago, zapatos said:

I think Endy's point was that you have to be alive to clinch something in your hand. If you die the hand muscle would relax and the bomb would explode. 

Exactly.

Can go with hypotheticals but not sure of what all existed that would be reliable and rugged enough for backup.

[Phi for All]

1 hour ago, Endy0816 said:

Can go with hypotheticals but not sure of what all existed that would be reliable and rugged enough for backup.

What about something that existed but hadn't been discovered yet? Three jars, one with nitroglycerin, one set up as a mercury switch, and a Leyden jar for the electric charge. The mercury switch wasn't known during the Civil War, but I don't think any of the materials were unavailable at the time. Rig it like a dead man's switch so the mercury completes the circuit if the soldier turns his hand or stops standing upright.

[John Cuthber]

Some sort of hour glass that, if  he doesn't keep turning it over, runs out of sand and trips the gunpowder.

Not sure it's possible but it meets the "

16 hours ago, Sci_Me_One_Time said:

what is the best secondary system to trigger his bomb (and quickly)?

criterion for any given definition of "quickly"

 

[zapatos]

5 hours ago, Sci_Me_One_Time said:

...we can surely do more to make sure Johnny Reb dies more productively than he lived...

What do you mean by that?

[Endy0816]

2 hours ago, Phi for All said:

What about something that existed but hadn't been discovered yet? Three jars, one with nitroglycerin, one set up as a mercury switch, and a Leyden jar for the electric charge. The mercury switch wasn't known during the Civil War, but I don't think any of the materials were unavailable at the time. Rig it like a dead man's switch so the mercury completes the circuit if the soldier turns his hand or stops standing upright.

Definitely a way to macgyver it! Fun to imagine you could time travel with knowledge from today.

2 hours ago, John Cuthber said:

Some sort of hour glass that, if  he doesn't keep turning it over, runs out of sand and trips the gunpowder.

Not sure it's possible but it meets the "

criterion for any given definition of "quickly"

 I was thinking fuses too but not sure how that could work.

12 minutes ago, zapatos said:

What do you mean by that?

This is a srange line of questions.

[Sci_Me_One_Time]

Not discovered but possible is acceptable and that one seems good at a glance Phi, so long as he doesn't sneeze lol, maybe not that exactly but in that orbit I'm sure something more stable would do and thats the impression I was looking for...so good stuff.

...Well now I know what the Wicked Witch did wrong.

...I was slighting our hypothetical soldier Zapatos.

Further... What would a: WWI era Shock Trooper.WWII SS Trooper.US Marine 1975ish.1stWorldSoldier1985.1stWorldSoldier1995.1stWorldSoldier2005. use as Dead Hand devices,  I don't mean hypersensitive stuff that is probably used on nuclear weapons and automated counterstikes which likely involve quantum entanglement and more general quantum systems, what I mean is soldiers in the field?

I asked the original question here on account of the answer most likely involving complex chemical reactions mustered in an unusual way, but we might be out of scope a bit.

[zapatos]

44 minutes ago, Sci_Me_One_Time said:

Further... What would a: WWI era Shock Trooper.WWII SS Trooper.US Marine 1975ish.1stWorldSoldier1985.1stWorldSoldier1995.1stWorldSoldier2005. use as Dead Hand devices, 

Depends. Can you rank those troops for us based on their quality of life prior to being used as suicide bombers?

Can I ask why you are hunting for the best triggering mechanism for a suicide vest? Sounds like we are getting into dangerous territory.

[Sci_Me_One_Time]

It's for research, I can go to unscrupulous places I don't mind but I'd have to be more privacy minded than with this but none of that is necessary because I'm not trying to get workups for devices nor anything approaching that...though I won't deny that this sort of subject provides for busybodies what catnip is for a cat so do enjoy but also feel free to consider the questions raised when you are finished, thanks much.

[zapatos]

Given that you are not concerned with historical accuracy, that your response to the reason for gathering this information was vague at best, and that you are showing unapologetic bigotry, answering any of your questions seems risky.

[CharonY]

!

Moderator Note

Closed due to the lack of constructive discussion plus a topic that could run afoul of our policy regarding hazardous devices (pending moderator review).