
Meme Instructions Make Bombs, Not Glow Sticks - okket
http://www.snopes.com/bernie-sanders-glow-sticks/
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thebrettd
I had a hard time parsing this - couldn't tell if the Bomb part was false, or
the glowstick part.

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okket
> The instructions given in the above-displayed meme don't create a glow
> stick, but it will create an explosion. Mixing chlorine and isopropyl
> alcohol creates a violent chemical reaction, which — when it is confined to
> a sealed container — has dramatic, potentially dangerous results. A video
> posted by the Backyard Scientist in 2013 demonstrated the phenomenon:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgWDMPfvXSg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgWDMPfvXSg)

~~~
daveguy
Also from the Snopes site -- what actually happens if you close the container
tightly and confine it to a bottle:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H13dLQnLFfI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H13dLQnLFfI)

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atomicbeanie
My goodness. Future terrorism delivered as memes. Terrible genius?!

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Crito
I find it hard to believe anybody could actually fall for this.

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pmiller2
Why? I can see how people ignorant of chemistry (most people, in other words),
might.

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Crito
You really think most people might fall for this?

People might be ignorant, but that chemistry ignorance extends to being afraid
of words like "chlorine", and for that matter, trying chemistry experiments
they found on the internet. Furthermore _" cap the bottle TIGHTLY, and shake
it up"_ should set off alarm sirens for anyone who's ever heard of a dry ice
bomb (what teenager hasn't?) They might not understand the chemistry behind
it, but they'll see the end result coming from a mile away.

Shit, _I_ can't claim to understand the chemistry behind it, but as soon as I
read it (weeks ago, not on this snopes article) I knew exactly what it would
do.

Doubtlessly thousands of people have seen this 'meme', but who has fallen for
it?

~~~
shaftway
I tested it on some friends who aren't particularly smart. Just smart enough
to get in trouble. Just shared the instructions, then when they said we should
try it I shared the results.

The problem comes up when people don't understand what they're resharing, but
do it because "it's cool". The same problem happens when people share
something "just in case."

Sharing is seen as a form of endorsement. It is generally taken to mean "I
have done this" or "I want to do this" when it usually means "this caught my
attention for 5 seconds."

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alva
Gives me flashbacks to the Temple Of The Screaming Electron.

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mmagin
The internet's asshole problem rears its ugly head.

Now if only people read the warnings on pool chlorine more carefully, they
probably wouldn't even think about doing dumb shit like this.

