Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site watmath.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!bstempleton
From: bstempleton@watmath.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: net.tv.da
Subject: Was the EMP realistic.  Probably not
Message-ID: <6178@watmath.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 25-Nov-83 02:19:31 EST
Article-I.D.: watmath.6178
Posted: Fri Nov 25 02:19:31 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Nov-83 23:09:43 EST
Distribution: net.tv.da
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 21

When the first nuke blew up over Kansas City, I assume we all noticed
the EMP effects - meters going off scale, power grid blowing and
cars stalling.   On this point I thought the film was a bit off.  The
electrical system of a typical car, and certainly that of a motorcycle,
is very simple and based on high voltage, high current circuits.  Even
a big EMP would not affect this.  A car with a computer controlled
ignition system might die, but little else would.  And certainly there
would be no problems restarting them.

Another note is that the car is encased in a metal box, perhaps
a faraday cage against EM radiation.  On the other hand, the EMP is
a full-spectrum pulse from zero frequency up to x-rays, so I'm not sure
what would happen here.

Finally, aside from a few minor problems, and the silly x-ray effect,
the movie wasn't too bad.  It was just a disaster flick, and didn't seem
that slanted at all.  (I am not pro-freeze or pro-arms)  Not worth
the Moral Minority fuss.  In fact, all that Jerry did was promote the
viewership of the movie.
-- 
	Brad Templeton - Waterloo, Ont. (519) 886-7304