Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Yet Another QLD bomb drama....

NeonPulse - 9-11-2014 at 00:29

Why do these so called bomb factories keep popping up, specifically in QLD? are queenslanders really dumber than the rest of the country? as other states always imply? In this year alone there has been at least 5 different discoveries of these clandestine little so-called bomb factories. including one guy caught with explosives and chemicals found in transit during a random police stop. This latest instance the guys stupidity got him busted see:http://www.9news.com.au/national/2014/11/09/03/18/explosive-devices-found-in-queensland it is a real concern that the cops needn't look too hard and these folks bring themselves undone. how could they be so careless? anyway this is going to be another nail in the coffin of home chemistry. many of the chemicals used to make booms do have other legitimate chemistry uses but if all found together what is stopping the law from labeling you as a bomb maker? this is a concern and after todays find i am becoming very concerned for Queenslanders who enjoy amateur chemistry like myself.
what are your thoughts on this?

greenlight - 9-11-2014 at 01:29

Seen this same guy on the ABC news website (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-09/bombs-discovered-in-ro...) who got found from posting pics on facebook.
I think the police are go a bit far when the majority of us aren't trying to hurt anyone and they say high explosives were found but all i can see from the pictures are ammunition, some small rockets, visco fuse and what looks like 12 salutes (don't know what that large tube in corner of pic is though).
It's annoying that people have to be so stupid and brag on facebook because every time someone is busted it just makes it harder for the rest of us to acquire chemicals and equipment and we have to be more careful. It is true these days that if you have chemicals or glassware, you are either labelled as a "bomb maker" or a "drug cook".
I especially like the part where the superintendent states that someone having an interest in explosives and energetics is "unhealthy".




[Edited on 9-11-2014 by greenlight]

j_sum1 - 9-11-2014 at 01:51

I haven't heard of many cases. And if it comes down to it I think the clandestine drug labs are probably more prevalent and more of a problem.
I doubt that a few cases like this will have much effect on home chemistry.The law as it stands is plenty powerful enough to deal with these cases. (Look at what this guy got pinged with!) There really isn't any need to tighten the legislation further. What it may change is public perception. So in terms of hobby chemistry it all comes down to how you present and how well you get on with your neighbours.
In my particular case, I am really unconcerned. I have mostly otc chemicals. I have a very explicit and definite goal in my chemistry -- element collecting. I am focusing on inorganic rather than organic. I have nothing of consequence that is nitrogen based. Even a cursory look at what I am doing will indicate that I have neither the expertise nor the equipment to make drugs or explosives. I have extremely limited glassware and most of that is small volume. I have a lab journal documenting everything that I do. If I am ever called into question then it is all there ready to explain itself. And I have good relationships with neighbours, who incidentally are unaffected by anything that happens in my feeble little lab.
It seems to me that if you keep your nose clean, take a few simple precautions and communicate well with anyone affected then you should not have anything to worry abut.

Tdep - 9-11-2014 at 02:49
Quote:

Superintendent Powers said police would be looking into how the man got his hands on the chemicals.

"That is something we will be finding out," he said.

"The availability of material you can buy through chemists, the amount of stuff you can buy online from overseas raises concerns too. These are all things that we will follow up."

He said police relied on information from the public in cases such as this one.

"If there is information out there of activity that causes people's suspicions to be aroused, don't be afraid to pick up the phone and call us, don't be afraid to report something that may be a little suspicious to you," he said.

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said even small amounts of the chemicals found had the potential to injure people.

"It is hard to understand why someone would do this in a suburban environment," he said.



I did not enjoy reading this

Welp, guess i'll be destroying that picric acid that somehow ended up in my possesion. Shame, was looking forward to dyeing some stuff.
Storing an explosive looks like one grey area that is more black than the others, and if they can easily get possession, they have manufacture. Was never too worried, but things seem to be getting bad, with the terror alert and the G20 and all. Now's not a good time for some chemicals

[Edited on 9-11-2014 by Tdep]

Oxirane - 9-11-2014 at 03:17

No pun intended, but Australia shows up being one single arsehole for most sectors. They have almost total ban on everything including guns, even such toys, chemicals, lab equipment, their customs are freakish and after that they're strongly pushing for totalitarian regime in means of mass surveillance and intelligence authorities.

This same phenomenom goes for UK and Canada too. These 3 countries seem to be troubled with some kind of authority and control syndrome. Canada probably being least bad, then UK, and Australia's the worst.

And the rest of the world is going close behind. Things are not made that big number in my country yet, but hysteria is clearly noticeable.

Chemosynthesis - 9-11-2014 at 06:35

Given the recent beheading scandals in the UK and the attempt in Australia, as well as the auto attack and shooting in Canada, public perception may be primed for eventual additional regulations if someone has a fairly "successful" energetic or even chemical attack.

The Volatile Chemist - 9-11-2014 at 14:45

Sheesh. Pretty soon people will be arrested for making thermites in their backyards and posting pictures.
I'm surprised arkoma hasn't ranted on here yet.
It surely is unnerving.

Oscilllator - 9-11-2014 at 17:04

Quote: Originally posted by Oxirane  
No pun intended, but Australia shows up being one single arsehole for most sectors. They have almost total ban on everything including guns, even such toys, chemicals, lab equipment, their customs are freakish and after that they're strongly pushing for totalitarian regime in means of mass surveillance and intelligence authorities.

It is true that the gun regulations are very tight here, but this is actually supported by most of the population. We don't want people to be able to go out an buy a lethal weapon as we (by and large) feel such things are unnecessary. It is entirely possible for farmers to buy rifles and for people to go to a gun range, but that's about it.

With regards to the chemical regulations though, you are absolutely right that they are way over the top. The recent hysteria though has a fair deal to do with the current prime minister though, who is widely regarded as an idiot.

Tdep - 9-11-2014 at 17:13

Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
Sheesh. Pretty soon people will be arrested for making thermites in their backyards and posting pictures.


Thought the same thing, spent last night cleaning up my Facebook account iof backyard thermite photos and the like.

Guess it's sort of pointless given the shit I post to youtube but oh well

The Volatile Chemist - 10-11-2014 at 12:08

Quote: Originally posted by Tdep  
Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
Sheesh. Pretty soon people will be arrested for making thermites in their backyards and posting pictures.


Thought the same thing, spent last night cleaning up my Facebook account iof backyard thermite photos and the like.

Guess it's sort of pointless given the shit I post to YouTube but oh well

I was about to say "Yeah, Explosions and Fire needs to watch out!", but then I realized that was you :)
Obviously some of the youtubers should slow down on the explosives they post. The Home Scientist is probably the most trust-able in the eye's of the police, but still.

NeonPulse - 11-11-2014 at 16:22

I guess the thing about YouTube videos is you can argue the point that you didn't make the video, only found it elsewhere and uploaded and there is some anonymity with that.just upload it to a few places first.whereas with facebook you can't do that. An old video I made has found its way around the net from YouTube.

Fantasma4500 - 12-11-2014 at 13:54

every day we find out how deadly we all are in the medias
a wonder to me how we havent all built nuclear weapons and EMP's to kill each other and break down society, really..
perhaps im just new to this whole mass media thing, but anyhow.. great luck the cops happened to bust these super criminal terrorists before they blew up the constitution and the white house!

Metacelsus - 12-11-2014 at 17:47

In general, if you're smart enough to enrich uranium or make a explosively pumped flux compression generator, you're smart enough not to destroy society.

Making fertilizer bombs, on the other hand, any idiot can do.