- Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) account for about half of the U.S. soldier casualties in Iraq.
- The number of IED attacks has steadily risen in Afghanistan since 2003.
- The number of IED attacks taking place in Afghanistan averages 1300-1500 each month.
- The Joint IED Defeat Organization is responsible for countering the threat of IED attacks with its $2.8 billion annual budget.
- Scientists have had success with initial tests of a new nanomaterial spray that detects and neutralizes terrorist explosives.
- In an effort to combat recent deadly bomb attacks, Russian officials have created a bomb-proof toilet that is virtually indestructible.
- The earliest gunpowder was a mixture of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), sulfur, and charcoal (carbon). It is thought to have originated in China around the tenth century and was used in fireworks and signals.
- The first safety fuse was invented in 1831 by William Bickford, an English leather merchant. His invention made black powder explosives safer, and thus more practical.
September 29, 2011