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Weaponology: Booby Traps 1

Related Article: Learn more about explosives.

From ancient "wolf pits" to the pungi sticks of the Vietnam War, the simplest trap has always been one of the most effective.

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MythBusters: Grenades and Guts (1:35)

Would throwing yourself on top of a live grenade, Hollywood style, really save the people around you? The MythBusters use a dummy and lots of explosives to find out.

Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (3:48)

The Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb packs an overwhelming 21,000 lbs punch.

Russia Has a Big Vacuum Bomb (1:04)

Watch this video about Russia's big vacuum bomb - the biggest non-nuclear weapon in the world - on HowStuffWorks. The vacuum bomb is an explosive device that unleashes a shockwave with the power of a nuclear weapon. The U.S. military has used a... More »

Future Weapons: Gate Crasher (4:27)

This explosive tool provides a novel method of breaching walls.

Japan Sets Up Patriot Missile Defense (0:52)

Watch this video about missiles on HowStuffWorks. The advanced capability-3 interceptors (PAC-3s) are part of a shield being introduced by Japan in response to North Korea's ballistic missile tests. See how missiles work in this news video from... More »

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Weaponology: Booby Traps 2 (2:01)

Triggered traps, which are activated by a trip wire, are one of the oldest and most familiar types of trap known to man.

Weaponology: Booby Traps 1 (3:21)

From ancient "wolf pits" to the pungi sticks of the Vietnam War, the simplest trap has always been one of the most effective.

Weaponology: Artillery 2 (2:22)

By the latter part of World War II, artillery became airborne. This development changed the state of modern warfare.

Weaponology: Artillery 1 (3:13)

Mobile artillery is one of the most powerful demonstrations of the gunpowder's profound effect the battlefield.

Warbots: Bomb Disposal (2:19)

The Army's latest "bomb squad" robots are the front-line soldiers in Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD).

Warbots: The Talon (2:06)

The Army and the Marines will soon deploy tele-operated robots that pack a lethal punch while keeping human operator out of harm's way. Here's a look at the Army's version, the compact, all-weather, all-terrain Talon.

Booby Trap (2:17)

From the archives of Discovery: Booby traps are used to ambush, capture or wound the unprepared. Learn more about booby traps.

Atomic Bomb Explosion (0:13)

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in an attempt to end World War II. See the explosion in this video.