Hollywood Voodoo or True Blue?

[Kentucky Colonel]

The problem with this particular question is that the physics makes it possible... in theory. 
However, in execution? It has not been credibly duplicated.

[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]The original story of 'dueling rifles' came from the Civil War, as I understand it. [/font]

[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]Two soldiers faced each other on the battle field and fired -only to have their bullets [/font]
[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]meet and stop each other in mid air.[/font]

The MythBusters first tried to mount two Civil War rifles in front of each other so that when fired, 
the bullets would collide in midair. However, they were unable to get the bullets to collide.

This was due to the [font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]differences in timing, arc, and imperfections/differences in the guns. These all [/font]
[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]made it impossible to [/font]capture a bullet-to-bullet collision under the most optimal of circumstances.

(If anyone is wondering about how they did it for the movies, well, that was special effects.)

They ended up [font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]hanging one bullet and firing at that. Then they were able to hit it and the two [/font]
[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]bullets fused together into one mass.[/font]

So, though incredibly unlikely, it is possible for two bullets to collide and fuse together in midair. 

[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]In fact, I would guess that it has happened some where in all the world wars that mankind has [/font]
[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]fought. But, the combatants likely never knew about it when it happened.[/font]

[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]But, the idea that two people could shoot at each other with the intent to stop one bullet with another [/font]
[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]bullet? At will? Preposterous.[/font]

[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]This one is a Hollywood Voodoo.[/font]

[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]No points awarded. [/font]

[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]And, further? Bob loses points for claiming not to have never looked at the naked picture [/font]
[font=verdana, arial, sans-serif]of Angelina Jolie. [/font]She is naked and... well, Angelina Jolie... that story is just a 'dog that won't hunt.'

 

[patocazador]

"Picture" = photo. "Picture" also = movie.

By my answer, which do you think I was referring to?
Of course I have seen pictures (photos) of Angelia Jolie. How could I go through a checkout lane without seeing multiple tabloid covers of her and her mastectomies, husband, lovers, unlimited adopted kids, ad nauseum.

BTW, you are wrong about the bullets. If it is theoretically possible, then it is true. You just have not tested it enough times to have it happen.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

"Picture" = photo. "Picture" also = movie.

By my answer, which do you think I was referring to?
Of course I have seen pictures (photos) of Angelia Jolie. How could I go through a checkout lane without seeing multiple tabloid covers of her and her mastectomies, husband, lovers, unlimited adopted kids, ad nauseum.

:lol!:

And, I stand by the conclusion. If it can not be duplicated under the best of conditions, 
it is not possible for mortal man with present day firearms to do on command. Want to 
test this theory? Let me shoot you and you stop the bullet with your own to save you!   :evil:

It is theoretically possible for man to go to Alpha Centauri. But, right now, we can't. 
So, saying that the average person cannot do it is the 'most true' statement.

 

[Sharpsman]

I asked a black laborer onetime if he wanted to take a ride in my airplane. His reply was....."Naw sur....I ain't a gwine no higher than corn pullin and no lower than tater diggin!"

 

[patocazador]

"Want to test this theory? Let me shoot you and you stop the bullet with your own to save you!"


Why would I try to stop your bullet? I'd just shoot you before you pulled the trigger.


But, according to your misguided reasoning, the "God particle" (Higgs boson) doesn't exist because it was theorized in the 1960s but took 50 years of trying before it was proven to be. Now that it has been proven, it still doesn't exist because it can't be produced on command.



BTW, it is not possible for a live human to go to Alpha Centauri for three reasons: 1) He would be dead before he got there and 2) He would be incinerated prior to reaching it since the Alpha Centauri A is a larger star than our sun and 3) Alpha Centauri is a cluster of 3 stars and Hal would veto any attempt to land.
Of course, you could solve the last 2 problems by going at night. :say whhhhhat:

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

"Want to test this theory? Let me shoot you and you stop the bullet with your own to save you!"

Why would I try to stop your bullet? I'd just shoot you before you pulled the trigger.

But, according to your misguided reasoning, the "God particle" (Higgs boson) doesn't exist because it was theorized in the 1960s but took 50 years of trying before it was proven to be. Now that it has been proven, it still doesn't exist because it can't be produced on command.

BTW, it is not possible for a live human to go to Alpha Centauri for three reasons: 1) He would be dead before he got there and 2) He would be incinerated prior to reaching it since the Alpha Centauri A is a larger star than our sun and 3) Alpha Centauri is a cluster of 3 stars and Hal would veto any attempt to land.
Of course, you could solve the last 2 problems by going at night. :say whhhhhat:

I give you credit for a rousing and entertaining defense! Fun!

Point 1: "I'd just shoot you before you pulled the trigger." Yes. I believe you would! Scoundrel! (But, not relevant to the question.)

Point 2: "Now that it has been proven, it still doesn't exist because it can't be produced on command." Maybe not produced on command, but the process can be done AND replicated or it would not be considered 'proven' by science. 

Myth busters, who are a lot more skilled at this sort of thing than I were not able to do it under the best of conditions with present day skills and equipment- even when removing the human element as much as possible. So, it remains a Schrödinger's cat. The possibility of success floats about unproven until you open the box and try it. It has not been observed to date. (Plus, I have never stopped a bullet with a theory.) 

Point 3: I believe it is possible for man to go to Alpha Centauri in theory. However, not in day to day application.
A. We would leave Hal behind. (He was always kinda creepy/stalkery anyway.)
B. Use Cryogenics to preserve life or, institute a 'life ship' with interstellar breeding for population. 
Send cloning and dna genetic materials on ice and whip up a new population of man from the soup 
once the ship arrives.
 
There are lots of solutions possible to get man there. (It does not mean I can/will do it!) 

C. Maybe we land on a moon or build a habitat from the asteroids. If one landing does not work, 
there are always options. (Road trips always require a little flexibility.)
D. I love the humor behind the 'go at night' comment!

Finally you ignored the key parts for this answer...

"impossible for mortal man with present day firearms to do" -Seems True with no proof otherwise

"saying that the average person cannot do it is the 'most true' statement" - Definitely True

And, since the rules of the game specifically cite that 'the most true' answer is the correct one? 
The judges maintain that their decision is the 'most true' one for all of us here. (While noting the 
theoretical possibility of success at some point in the future.)

Point being? No one should try this at home and expect to survive the attempt. Do not point 
guns at one another and expect to shoot down each other's bullets and survive. Why? Because this is 
Hollywood Voodoo.

 

[RonRC]

My assumption was that the event could be staged - the aiming could be such that the bullets make contact. Mythbusters might have had difficulty, but I am betting that one could be successful in a high tech lab. Accelerators do it all the time and shoot subatomic particles at elements or molecules and make a direct hit.
With all the joking about the equations I showed, they are the equations of momentum and deflection in an elastic collision. The equations can predict the results of a collision based on the mass and velocity of each particle.
Ron

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

My understanding of the particle splitting and such is that they don't aim one particle 
and shoot it like at a target. Don't they place one particle and then saturate the chamber 
with a 'shower' of particles they want to see impact it? IDK

I agree that the idea of bullet to bullet impact is theoretically possible. The math does support it. 
(I am taking a lot of that on 'faith' as the math goes higher than my ability to confidently execute.) 
The theory makes it possible. Not likely. Just possible.

The theory is accepted for it's potential. Theory has never stopped a bullet. 
Correct application of theory has. So far, we do not have that for hand held weapons. 
Particle accelerators are not pocket sized.

Plus, the person would need to be able to time their shot inhumanly precisely to the timing of 
the aggressor's shot to make even the best calculations work and that is beyond us. 

Tiny imperfections in rifling, cartridge construction, micro measurement of weights, and bullet surface can screw 
the pooch. I believe this might account for the Mythbuster's failure. I know my digital powder measure is only so accurate.

The final argument is a legal one. If this were rated 'True Blue' and some idiot tried it, I would get my 
ass sued because under perfect conditions it is exceedingly unlikely to work.

But, I am glad this is engaging our thinking about truth and Hollywood and firearms. It seems fun to me.
However, let me know? If this is not fun for everyone there is no point in doing it.

 

[RonRC]

There is a simple, irrefutable logic, here.
If a movie good guy can
a. shoot 26 rounds out of a revolver without reloading, or
b. 27 shots from a 1911 with a 8 round mag installed, and
c. shoot 2 pistols, one in each hand, and
d. do this while somersaulting, and
e. hit all 10 bad guys
f. while the bad guys fire automatic weapons and miss the good guy,
then that same good guy can shoot another bullet out of the air. :cheers:

 

[patocazador]

While all of this provokes thought (always a good thing), it also involves Physics. I don't trust Physics because more advanced Physics seems always to involve Philosophy. And the "tree falling in the forest" guys are on the verge of being whackos in my book.

The latest I heard was the theory that states, as more events are shown to follow definite laws of Physics and Mathematics, the more likely it is that we live in an artificial environment and the universe is analogous to a hologram created artificially by more intelligent beings.
The physicists theorize that if the universe were real, the laws wouldn't work as well and everything would be more chaotic. The TV astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson is a proponent of this theory.