Aug 29 2024

How Bomb Disposal Works

48 min 6 movies discussed
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Out of all the jobs a person can have, few are as overtly dangerous as making sure bombs don’t go off and if they do, making sure they’re away from people. Learn how bomb technicians do it safely, without a 100% turnover rate.

AI Summary

# Stuff You Should Know - Bomb Disposal Episode Summary

Josh and Chuck dive into the fascinating and terrifying world of bomb disposal, tracing the profession from its Victorian-era origins in 1870s England through to modern-day techniques and technology. They explore how bomb disposal has evolved as a constant cat-and-mouse game between bomb makers and the specialists who disarm them, highlighting the bravery required when technicians must approach unexploded devices with no idea how or when they might detonate. The episode covers the history of famous bomb disposal pioneers, the tools and robots used today, and the intense training required for this incredibly dangerous profession that has claimed countless lives throughout the past 150 years.


Movies Discussed

A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange
1971 2h 17m
★ 8.2
"Everything has a real clockwork orange look to it still. — Chuck describes the visual aesthetic of a 1974 BBC documentary about bomb squads in Northern Ireland as having a Clockwork Orange-like appearance." — Chuck
Near Dark
Near Dark
1987 1h 34m
★ 6.8
"She did a movie, a vampire movie called Near Dark back in the day, it was great. — Chuck describes director Kathryn Bigelow's earlier vampire film Near Dark as part of her filmography." — Chuck
No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men
2007 2h 2m
★ 7.9
"I remembered Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. It's essentially, they're kind of saying it's the same thing as that. — Josh references Anton Chigurh's captive bolt pistol from No Country for Old Men when explaining why bomb disposal technicians call a water disruptor device a 'pig stick.'" — Josh
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker
2008 2h 11m
★ 7.3
"Had you just seen the Hurt Locker or something? I've never seen the Hurt Locker. — Chuck asks Josh if he had recently seen The Hurt Locker, a film about bomb disposal technicians, after Josh mentions pulling the trigger on the bomb disposal episode topic." — Chuck
Uncommon Valor
Uncommon Valor
1983 1h 40m
"The last war movie that I saw that I really liked was probably Uncommon Valor. — Josh mentions Uncommon Valor as the last war movie he enjoyed, noting he's not a fan of war movies in general." — Josh
Zero Dark Thirty
Zero Dark Thirty
2012 2h 37m
★ 7.0
"What else has she made besides Zero Dark Thirty? Well, she did movies... Near Dark... and zero dark 30. — Chuck mentions Zero Dark Thirty as another major film by Kathryn Bigelow, alongside Near Dark and The Hurt Locker." — Chuck

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