Is this man a good scientist?

[emprworm]

Dr. Louis Fieser, 68, is one of the nation's most distinguished chemists. A professor emeritus at Harvard, he has won a number of national awards for his research into the chemical causes of cancer, and was a member of the U.S. Surgeon General's committee that issued the 1964 report linking cigarette smoke with the disease. Fieser was also a pioneer in developing laboratory production of vitamin K, the body's blood-clotting agent, and antimalarial drugs. And in 1943, Fieser invented napalm

will someone please enlighten me why the US used napalm? Was it to burn the forest cover? I am wondering because it is horrendously evil to burn people alive in torture.

Here are some Napalm facts i learned today:

it is highly stable and ignites at 4,532 degrees farenheit. Compare with a very hot fire, which burns at a measly 600 degrees, yet still horribly painful. Can you imagine what it was like to have 4,532 degree gelatin sticking on your skin? Napalm is almost 8 times hotter than normal fire, and burns slow. Can't put it out. Most painful.

WHy did the US use this stuff...what was their "official" purpose?

Also, what do you think of the Harvard scientist that invented it and turned his invention over to the government (perhaps not knowing how it would be used)

[Davidu]

Well, napalm is like the ancient "greek fire" used by the byzantines in naval battles.

Of course it is torture... and I don't really think why this man, after discovering such a horrible substance has turned it in for the guv... maybe to be used against the Nazis and the Japanese? Who knows?

Nevertheless he is a scientist... and damn good one if he managed to invent napalm.

[Acriku]

Napalm, a syrupy kind of jellied gasoline, was used in Vietnam to burn forests and villages and people, without discrimination. It burned through everything, at more than 5,000 degrees, and it stuck to people and then burned some more, sometimes down to the bone.

Good thing it isn't used anymore.

[Davidu]

I thought is was used during the first gulf war...

[emprworm]

napalm is nasty, NASTY stuff. i just can't believe the US used it.

can someone tell me what its "official" purpose was?

I already know what Edric will say. Does anyone else know? I am looking for some objectivity.

[Davidu]

I don't know... getting rid of forrests? (and people?)

Well USA was the ONLY one that used it.

[Gobalopper]

Probably for similar reasons the nuclear bomb was used. If the enemy knows you have weapons like that they may be less likely to fight. It might have been an easy/cheap weapon that did a lot of damage.

[Davidu]

I don't know if it was cheap but it inflicted a hell of a lot damage.

[DukeLeto]

Originally, Napalm was just supposed to be used to burn forests down. You can't account for every in those forests, though, which is why it is no longer used.

[emprworm]

I don't know if it was cheap but it inflicted a hell of a lot damage.

oh yea. very cheap. for the cost of one patriot missle, you could make tons upon tons of napalm...pretty much for the same price it costs to make gasoline. heck, even i could make the stuff

[Acriku]

Vietnam is covered with jungles, and that was making the war difficult. So, napalm was used to destroy these jungle terrains. The bad part of it is that they used it on villages to destroy the enemy and civilians indiscriminately. You couldn't tell who was the enemy, and who wasn't aiding the enemy.

[Vanguard3000]

Napalm is actually quite easy to make (two ingredients, I think). Because I wish to remain a member of this forum, I won't post the instructions, however. ;)

Anyway, did the firebombs (nasty, nasty weapons!) used in Vietnam use napalm?

[Egeides]

Napalm also has an odd advantage: it diminishes the enemy's strengt. Victims can be in very bad shape for some time (those who aren't too affected) and demand constant help by others. They yawn, they're ugly to see, etc.

So first, they take people's energy to nurse them while these persons could do something else. And second, they are demoralizing and certainly shocking on someone's mind. This is for the human part of the effect (not counting its direct efficiency).

[Caid Ivik]

I think the napalm has same effect as weapons like MOAB - conventional, not-banned weapon with awesome firepower and horrific results on remains. I don't think it's a bad weapon, it isn't based especially on killing people like war gases. Just few palmit and naftalin acidum, little bit of white phosphor and you have a good bomb. Nothing else. Much worse were i.e. casette bombs like CBU-52 or also neutron bombs. Those are killers, nothing else, just killers. Casette bombs are banned, neutrons have to be banished too.

[Egeides]

Heck, stop talking Caid, you give me the impression we're already in Alpha Centauri's world...

[emprworm]

Napalm is actually quite easy to make (two ingredients, I think). Because I wish to remain a member of this forum, I won't post the instructions, however. ;)

Anyway, did the firebombs (nasty, nasty weapons!) used in Vietnam use napalm?

3 ingredients...you are thinking of the "poor mans" napalm.

[quoudam72]

Dr. Louis Fieser (IMO) could be viewd as a good scientist but just like Einstein their (Fieser and Einstein's) "good intentions" can be used for other causes and purposes. Any scientist has to know that working for any government has it's disadvantages.

[exatreide]

Naplam was used to burn forest down but also in air strikes it was highly efectiv in slowing down large troop movments. It also made purty cool light shows from what i hear.

It kills by burning them....Yes...

But many also die from aphsxiation, about 1/3 are from not being able to breath on average. Its highly flamible and can be re lit. Its a very effective weapon. And i dont see why the U.S would shelve it...probly another atempt at political corectness...go figure

[Davidu]

Welcome back to the Politics threads, ExAtreides... :D

[Dude_Doc]

There is a lot of things that is "unuseful". Why construct the atomic bomb if they knew it was going to be a big explosion, killing millions if dropped in the "right" place, or by terrorists. And the place will crawl with radioactivity after detonation...

[Dante]

Why? To kill people.

[Edric O]

Because, Emprworm, despite what you may think, the US government is not wholly made up of saints.

They used it simply because they followed the age-old philosophy "the end justifies the means". That's all there is to it.

[Acriku]

It's more complicated than that Edric, and you know it. In this thread I gave a couple reasons why, instead of ignoring them - why not read them?

[Edric O]

Obviously they believed that the end justified the means, otherwise they wouldn't have used napalm. And of course they used it to burn down forests - that is a known fact. I never contradicted you, Acriku. Both our points are just as valid.

I know how much you like attacking my arguments on every topic, Acriku, but I'm afraid this time you really have no reason to argue against me.

[Acriku]

You over-simplified it. An over-simplified reason is a very weak one.

This reminded me of this quote:

HL Mencken, For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.