h a l f b a k e r yExperiencing technical difficulties since 1999
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Alarm clock that puts water through electrolysis to produce a chamber of oxygen and hydrogen. A timer circuit causes a small spark to ignite the mixure - creating a HUGE BANG that makes you think 'OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT' (waking you up fast) - the resultant by product of the reaction is water
- ready for conversion into Hydrogen + Oxygen + for waking you up the following morning.
cannonball clock
http://www.rog.nmm....k/museum/index.html
pottedstu mentioned this [sappho, Jul 03 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]
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[BOOM!] Oh no, I just shit my pajamas! Well, at least I have plenty of time to clean it up before work, since I dare not hit the snooze button.. |
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Nothing wakes me up more in the morning than a window shattering explosion. Maybe
classic powder-based explosives would be alittle easier to control |
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How about an alarm clock with a bucket of water, and a dispenser containing pellets of metallic potassium. It would drop one pelet at the allotted time, and you would be awakened with a loud bang and a light show. |
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Shouldn't this be in an Alarm Clock Category? |
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if you want to be serious about waking up theres only one way to go - fusion |
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[JakePatterson]: go one better and use caesium. |
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In ye olden days they used to have clocks that marked a significant point in time (noon, 1pm, etc) by dropping a cannonball from a great height. |
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Interesting idea to drop Group I element pellets into water to wake you up. The fizzing/exploding would probably be a reasonably efficient wake-up call. But I'm wondering (chemistry was so long ago) what the reaction does: Li in H2o is Li+ H+ OH- which gives LiOH and H+ and energy enough to break the beaker, does it not? Not knowing the quantities intended is a problem, but what quantity of Hydrogen gas product would be harmful to the previously sleeping person? |
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Previously sleeping, now.. deceased | wide-awake (delete as applicable) |
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[sapphoo]: As I dimly recall, the reaction energy of the higher alkali metals causes the hydrogen to ignite, so it doesn't get to build up to suffocating levels. Even with lithium, I can't imagine it being a problem. |
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Sappho: Hydrogen isn't toxic per se. It is being tested as an admixture gas to replace helium for saturation diving. It is asphyxiant in high concentrations, but no worse than nitrogen. In fact, being so mobile, it tends to disperse rapidly, and being light tends to rise to the top of any enclosed volume. You would only be at risk if you carefully sealed the entire room with metalised foil and tape. I doubt there are many people who do this each night (although I have little direct evidence for this assertion). |
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A prototype for this device could be built fairly easily and cheaply. Perhaps FarmerJohn would like to do this ? (Bitter bitter bitter) |
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Our R&D labs in Lakehurst, NJ tested this idea years ago... we concluded that it was NOT the perfect gift for travelers. |
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