Talk:2638: Extended NFPA Hazard Diamond
Are we going to try identifying what material this is? 172.70.82.179 01:50, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
- first one off the top of my head, aqua regia? 172.70.38.69 02:46, 28 June 2022 (UTC)Bumpf
- Doesn't aqua regia score a 0 in reactivity? N-eh (talk) 03:23, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
- Or maybe Aqua Velva? That would explain the orange square, although maybe it would be a number larger than 1. 172.70.34.171 22:49, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
- My guess would be something radioactive, like uranium or plutonium. Clam (talk) 03:29, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
- There are very, very few Health 4 / Fire 0 / Instability 2 compounds. The NIH database lists 4: nitrous oxide, phosphorus oxychloride, phosphorous trichloride, and thionyl chloride (although it's important to note these values aren't always standardized; some authorities consider phosphorus oxychloride to be Health 3, for example). Based on the street value and the number of US agencies who would be concerned about it, my guess is thionyl chloride, a useful industrial chemical which is also used in at least one meth lab synthesis pathway... AND highly regulated as a chemical weapon precursor (to both sulfur mustard and G-series nerve agents). Oh, and it is absolutely a Disposal Pain 4 candidate, too. Qalyar (talk) 04:52, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
- Not sure what source you consulted for this? Nitrous oxide is 2/0/0/OX and phosphorus oxychloride is 3/0/2/W. The last two you mentioned are 4/0/2 but also carry the W (reacts with water) which is missing in Randall's sign. 172.70.214.81 01:04, 29 June 2022 (UTC)
- There are very, very few Health 4 / Fire 0 / Instability 2 compounds. The NIH database lists 4: nitrous oxide, phosphorus oxychloride, phosphorous trichloride, and thionyl chloride (although it's important to note these values aren't always standardized; some authorities consider phosphorus oxychloride to be Health 3, for example). Based on the street value and the number of US agencies who would be concerned about it, my guess is thionyl chloride, a useful industrial chemical which is also used in at least one meth lab synthesis pathway... AND highly regulated as a chemical weapon precursor (to both sulfur mustard and G-series nerve agents). Oh, and it is absolutely a Disposal Pain 4 candidate, too. Qalyar (talk) 04:52, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
- It could be the drop ceiling - if it's even moderately unstable that would certainly make it a hazard; it would be a pain in the arse to dispose of; there are probably a few agencies with an interest building regs, etc. that would want to know about it. I'm not sure what kind of street price it would command, though. 172.70.85.211 16:20, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
- It could be something that wouldn't normally be classified as a material, like a velociraptor. I'd think more government agencies would want to know about their existence in reality, but it's possible in this universe their existence is less atypical. Edda (talk) 00:03 29 June 2022 (UTC)
The center square is a free space, but if you win without it you get a special bonus prize. 172.70.42.129 04:18, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
Given Randall's fixation with velociraptors, is anyone else thinking the "dropped ceiling" may be a reference to the labs in Jurassic Park?
- Possible. The first thing I had to think of was HalfLife (ie Black Mesa). Elektrizikekswerk (talk) 07:34, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
- Since as a German I never heard of a dropped ceiling before, I automatically assumed it's a ceiling that drops on you. Ouch. 172.71.102.117 19:28, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
Does Randall watch Warsaw local news? Yesterday there was an article about an accident with dropped ceiling. Accident with dropped ceiling next day on xkcd gave me uncanny feeling. Tkopec (talk) 09:31, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
- I was wondering whether the whole thing was inspired by the 2022 Aqaba toxic gas leak, that it was published well within a day of. Probably not (because 'too soon', especially with deciding what humour to add, assuming he started from scratch) but he might well have heard of it even as he was already mid-way through the drawing/publishing process and felt it ok to press ahead (perhaps modified to make it less likely to be directly associated in some way).
- Not worth an in-explanation (or Trivia) mention, but saying it here as a dismissable aside. 172.70.162.5 13:58, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
The "Number of times it's caused one of those terrifying lab accidents that chemists tell scary stories about late at night -> 2" reminds me of the Things I Won't Work With category on Derek's Lowe blog, including famous Sand Won't Save You This Time article about dangers of chlorine trifluoride, with a few scary stories included. --JakubNarebski (talk) 11:04, 28 June 2022 (UTC)
- The "smelling weird" one made me remember the one about thioacetone--172.71.114.63 12:53, 28 June 2022 (UTC)