Eh, FOOF is so unstable that it’s very hard to make enough of it to do any real damage. It’s also just very hard to make. It’s only remotely stable at cryogenic temperatures, and is so reactive that without an inert atmosphere it will rapidly decay into something more stable. Granted, it will do so by oxidizing the molecular oxygen in the air (which is as insane as it sounds) and release a ton of energy in the process but assuming you don’t already have a bunch of it, you won’t be able to create enough of it fast enough to do any meaningful damage without a specialized laboratory and associated equipment.
Chlorine Triflouride however, can be made in your kitchen, and is just stable enough that, assuming you’ve taken some precautions, it’s possible to accumulate enough of it to immolate yourself in one of the worst possible ways.
I’m only just barely smart enough to occasionally realize that when the smart people start quietly losing their shit over something I can’t possibly understand, I should have long since been gone by the time they start losing their shit over whatever magic has now prematurely doomed the universe to its inevitable heat death.
Or I could just drink my face off. That works, too.
When I was a kid my parents wanted to open up an existing cavity under our house to build a basement, and that never happened because it (E: was discovered during the building inspection that it) was full of Radon. I guess I’m desensitised (but possibly slowly decaying a little faster than I should be…).
Read the Wikipedia article on Radon. That should do the trick.
There’s worse. Ever heared of FOOF? https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-work-dioxygen-difluoride
Eh, FOOF is so unstable that it’s very hard to make enough of it to do any real damage. It’s also just very hard to make. It’s only remotely stable at cryogenic temperatures, and is so reactive that without an inert atmosphere it will rapidly decay into something more stable. Granted, it will do so by oxidizing the molecular oxygen in the air (which is as insane as it sounds) and release a ton of energy in the process but assuming you don’t already have a bunch of it, you won’t be able to create enough of it fast enough to do any meaningful damage without a specialized laboratory and associated equipment.
Chlorine Triflouride however, can be made in your kitchen, and is just stable enough that, assuming you’ve taken some precautions, it’s possible to accumulate enough of it to immolate yourself in one of the worst possible ways.
Chlorine trifluoride, go on
It’s rated 4/4 in everything but flammability.
“Very toxic, very corrosive, powerful oxidizer, violent hydrolysis”
Pretty spicy, but we can do better than that.
Okay but how do I make it
very carefully
And in very small quantities. Many rocket scientists have learned it the hard way. See the book Ignition by John D. Clark for more information.
I’m only just barely smart enough to occasionally realize that when the smart people start quietly losing their shit over something I can’t possibly understand, I should have long since been gone by the time they start losing their shit over whatever magic has now prematurely doomed the universe to its inevitable heat death.
Or I could just drink my face off. That works, too.
OMG explosions and fire just did an episode on this. He went to a lab in Germany and they made some…
Release 9 days ago.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O-g5-LJ5KZM
Aww but it sounds so fluffy
When I was a kid my parents wanted to open up an existing cavity under our house to build a basement, and that never happened because it (E: was discovered during the building inspection that it) was full of Radon. I guess I’m desensitised (but possibly slowly decaying a little faster than I should be…).
Ok here we go. Will be back with an update, but just in case, I don’t consider myself particularly tough
I think they’re dead.
Nah still alive but haven’t finished the article… It’s really long
even scarier if you live in Canada https://www.ucalgary.ca/news/growing-number-canadian-households-contain-dangerous-levels-radon-gas