The World's Largest Computer in 1951

[zoobyshoe]

Trans-1,2-Diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, monohydrate?

 

[honestrosewater]

Did you find the disaster? I haven't found anything- oxalic acid was just the only one I found that was explosive.
I figure it was either an explosion or failure (like a dam or something). But I can't imagine how a chelating agent would cause a failure? Of course, I didn't know what a chelating agent was until this question.

 

[wolram]

The film Blade, wherein several vampires are injected with an anticoagulant chemical, EDTA, and explode violently.

 

[wolram]

Where is that Ivan sea king?

 

[honestrosewater]

Yes, where is old Posie? He's the one who suggested we keep two questions going for this very reason.

 

[JamesU]

wow..you guys are struggling to keep this thread alive, especially after the "where is it" thread came alon

 

[wolram]

wow..you guys are struggling to keep this thread alive, especially after the "where is it" thread came alon

What are you talking about sir, " where is it", well its at the bottom of my
garden, we call it the privy, apart from that i can not find my car keys, where
the eky thump are they.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

No, no, and no.

In one form, it is treated with sulfur fumes. We also find calcium, potassium, oxalate and chloride present in this compound.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Also, one part this with nine parts water removes rust from iron.

 

[brewnog]

Baking powder?

 

[honestrosewater]

Wait- molasses? That can't be right.

 

[honestrosewater]

The Boston Molasses Tragedy of 1919

I guess I wasn't far off with the dam failure.

 

[honestrosewater]

Oh, yeah, and:

Sulphured molasses is made from green (unripe) sugar cane and is treated with sulphur fumes during the sugar extraction process.
...
The non-sugar content includes many salts such as calcium, potassium, oxalate and chloride.
...
Molasses is a chelating agent. An object coated with iron rust placed for two weeks in a mixture of one part molasses to nine parts water will lose its rust due to the chelating action of the molasses
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molasses

I think that's the strangest one yet.

I actually happened to see Indian pudding made today at Durgin Park in Boston. Indian pudding is made with molasses.

 

[honestrosewater]

Many think he's fantastic, but he might prefer to be called fabulous.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A613045

I guess I wasn't far off with the dam failure.

Also:

The Terror of the Scene
I went to original newspaper articles to find out what it was like. Envision a disaster scene with smashed buildings, overturned vehicles, drowned and crushed victims, and terrified survivors running away covered in molasses. Like the modern-day disasters with which we are unfortunately familiar, there was chaos, terror, buildings in ruins, victims to be dug out, trapped survivors to be rescued, rescue workers among the victims, and anguished families rushing to relief centers to find their relatives. It was like any horrible disaster scene, with the addition that everything was covered in smelly sticky brown molasses.

http://edp.org/bin/molasses77103S.jpg

But get this!

Before the explosion, the tank's owner, U.S. Industrial Alcohol, responded to warnings about structural problems with the tank by painting it brown, making it harder to see the molasses leaking out of the tank. (Stephen Puleo, Dark Tide (Boston: Beacon Press, 2003): 70-71.)
Hours after the explosion, a company lawyer was on the scene falsely blaming others for the disaster. (Ibid, 112-113.)

http://edp.org/molasses.htm

 

[hitssquad]

Many think he's fantastic, but he might prefer to be called fabulous.

Why, thank you. So are you.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Many think he's fantastic, but he might prefer to be called fabulous.

Elton John?

 

[wolram]

Many think he's fantastic, but he might prefer to be called fabulous.

seve ballesteros?

 

[honestrosewater]

Nope. This guy was in Mallrats.

 

[somsom]

Rat cave=dogcave

 

[hitssquad]

Stan Lee.

.

 

[honestrosewater]

Stan Lee.

.

Very nice. I've read that he wanted to call the Fantastic Four the Fabulous Four, but I'm not sure if it's true.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

So hitssquad, you are up to post a question.

 

[hitssquad]

OK. I need a little while to think.

 

[hitssquad]

Beggar the least.

 

[honestrosewater]

Beggar the least.

Is that the clue?

 

[hitssquad]

Yes. Its name is alliterate.

 

[hitssquad]

Related image:

 

[hitssquad]

Another related image:

 

[hitssquad]

And another one:

 

[hitssquad]

And another 'nother one:

 

[hitssquad]

 

[hitssquad]

 

[hitssquad]

 

[hitssquad]