Killer Nashville, Explosives

One of the first sessions I attended during Killer Nashville covered the basics of explosives. My humbling began in earnest. I thought I had a basic understanding of how explosives work, but I entertained many misconceptions for years. It had never occurred to me that pressure is what causes a lot of the damage from explosives. The pressure alone, specifically positive pressure, can stop a beating heart and bend signs that are miles away from the blast. I had always assumed that most damage from explosives results from flying debris.

We saw footage from different sizes and types of blasts during the session as well. I jumped more than once during the presentation! The folks from TBI that deal with explosives sure are knowledgeable! I have a new level of respect for those who put themselves in harm's way to protect the public.

So many new ideas popped into my head for things I could put into a story at some point. As a private citizen, explosives are scary. As an author, explosives hold a lot of potential. Seeing the world through the eyes of a writer is a hoot! Which reminds me of a conversation I recently had with a relative.

I asked several people I know to ask their physician's how much of a certain household item it would take to kill someone if force fed. I got the same reaction over and over again. "I can't ask Dr. So and So that! He'll think I want to kill myself or someone else!" That line of research doesn't work to well right now! Oh well. There's always the Internet and MY doctor to ask.