posted by gutIt can be hard to keep up with technology - do 3D printed guns still fire metal bullets? :)
Yes, the casings and primer are still metal, gun powder has a metalic residue. The actual bullet is metal unless it is a specialized ceramic/polymer bullet.
Either way the rest of the round is still metal.
posted by BoatShoesThe economic utility of school buses clearly outweighs the risk that my kid would die on a school bus
But help me understand this.
First, in order for this to be true, you have to assume that the two things being compared are quantifiable in the same respect (in this case, financially, since that's how you'd quantify economic utility).
Now, I'm not sure we can resolutely quantify all this, but suppose we could.
The economic utility would be the sum total of reduced cost in transportation with regard to transporting children to school. Something like this (assuming all other factors to be equal):
the total transportation expenses ($) incurred in a society without busing within a given time frame = x
the total transportation expenses ($) incurred in a society WITH busing within a given time frame = y
the economic utility of busing ($) within a given time frame = z
So:
x - y = z
Now, for the purposes here, let's just assume we can know with certainty that this economic utility would be positive.
Since we have the number of children killed in busing-related deaths per year, we can use a year as our time frame.
If six kids die per year, and if we assume your statement as true, then:
z / 6 > 1 child death
That is, ultimately, what is being said with the statement that the economic utility of busing provides more value than is necessary to counter the loss of six students. Whatever the actual financial value is of z (and whether or not we can know it, it does theoretically exist), your statement would state with certainty that one-sixth of that value is greater than the value of the student life lost.
Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that flippantly, and I'm making a concerted effort to avoid hyperbole, but if we understand the economic utility to be a real, quantifiable thing ... again, whether we can know the actual number or not ... then we're saying that the economic utility of busing is greater than the value of the lives of the kids who are lost as a result.
Certainly, I'm not saying it can't be argued from an angle other than societal utility, but I can't get on board with that notion.
posted by justincredibleI love that he's holding a giant photo of guns that are still 90% metal saying that are undetectable. And people are dumb enough to buy what he's saying.
One of the comments said plastic shows up on current TSA scanners. I happen to have seen some of those scans at the airport - I was surprised by the clarity and definition. I'm pretty sure they could spot the components of a 3D printed plastic gun in a suitcase.
posted by gutOne of the comments said plastic shows up on current TSA scanners. I happen to have seen some of those scans at the airport - I was surprised by the clarity and definition. I'm pretty sure they could spot the components of a 3D printed plastic gun in a suitcase.
Last month, I forgot to take my stupid little credit card knife out of my wallet when I went to the airport.
They spotted that and confiscated it.
I'm thinking they'll probably see such a gun.
posted by gutOne of the comments said plastic shows up on current TSA scanners. I happen to have seen some of those scans at the airport - I was surprised by the clarity and definition. I'm pretty sure they could spot the components of a 3D printed plastic gun in a suitcase.
I have too, but don't forget about the people who are actually running them...
posted by O-TrapLast month, I forgot to take my stupid little credit card knife out of my wallet when I went to the airport.
They spotted that and confiscated it.
I'm thinking they'll probably see such a gun.
I have heard plenty of stories of TSA missing guns.
posted by gutOne of the comments said plastic shows up on current TSA scanners. I happen to have seen some of those scans at the airport - I was surprised by the clarity and definition. I'm pretty sure they could spot the components of a 3D printed plastic gun in a suitcase.
Oh they can and do. I have a tool for work that is mostly plastic that analyzes the emissions out of an industrial furnace. The probe that pulls the gases out to the instrument is vaguely shaped like a gun. It gets seen and flagged every time through TSA and they have to open the box, swab everything, ask me a few questions about what the thing is, etc.
I always get through, only once had to ask for a "supervisor" because the agent wasn't going to let me through (the supervisor knew what the device was and immediately let me through). My local airport (CAK) they see me enough that they never question, just open it up, swab it, and let me go now.
Long story short, yes, they can/will see it in the carry on bag and if you have it while going through the body scanner it will set off the "we need to pat you down" alarm.
Only way it would get through is if you got "lucky" that they were busy and opened up metal detector only lines (happens infrequently). And even then you aren't getting the bullets through as previously discussed.
posted by like_thatI have heard plenty of stories of TSA missing guns.
I don't doubt that. We all know they've missed bombs more than once.
As you said, the people have to still operate them, but it's still a hilariously far cry from the TSA being incapable of picking them up.
posted by jmogOh they can and do. I have a tool for work that is mostly plastic that analyzes the emissions out of an industrial furnace. The probe that pulls the gases out to the instrument is vaguely shaped like a gun. It gets seen and flagged every time through TSA and they have to open the box, swab everything, ask me a few questions about what the thing is, etc.
I always get through, only once had to ask for a "supervisor" because the agent wasn't going to let me through (the supervisor knew what the device was and immediately let me through). My local airport (CAK) they see me enough that they never question, just open it up, swab it, and let me go now.
Long story short, yes, they can/will see it in the carry on bag and if you have it while going through the body scanner it will set off the "we need to pat you down" alarm.
Only way it would get through is if you got "lucky" that they were busy and opened up metal detector only lines (happens infrequently). And even then you aren't getting the bullets through as previously discussed.
I had this happen with an IT toolkit once.The screwdrivers were really fine, and apparently, it looked like I had a little kit of metal shivs. Thought maybe I was flying across the country to shank someone.
posted by O-TrapI don't doubt that. We all know they've missed bombs more than once.
As you said, the people have to still operate them, but it's still a hilariously far cry from the TSA being incapable of picking them up.
posted by jmogOh they can and do. I have a tool for work that is mostly plastic that analyzes the emissions out of an industrial furnace. The probe that pulls the gases out to the instrument is vaguely shaped like a gun. It gets seen and flagged every time through TSA and they have to open the box, swab everything, ask me a few questions about what the thing is, etc.
I always get through, only once had to ask for a "supervisor" because the agent wasn't going to let me through (the supervisor knew what the device was and immediately let me through). My local airport (CAK) they see me enough that they never question, just open it up, swab it, and let me go now.
Long story short, yes, they can/will see it in the carry on bag and if you have it while going through the body scanner it will set off the "we need to pat you down" alarm.
Only way it would get through is if you got "lucky" that they were busy and opened up metal detector only lines (happens infrequently). And even then you aren't getting the bullets through as previously discussed.
I had this happen with an IT toolkit once.The screwdrivers were really fine, and apparently, it looked like I had a little kit of metal shivs. Thought maybe I was flying across the country to shank someone.
The actual name of the device I use is a Combustion Analyzer. I never tell them that however (all I need is one of those Barney Fife's to hear the word combustion).
I tell them its an air polution monitor/analyzer, which is technically not a lie.