Video & Multimedia
In reply to the discussion: For the undying 9/11 MORONIC JET FUEL ARGUMENT [View all]PosterChild
(1,307 posts).....I'm generally uninterested in the topic. I work for a University Affiiliated Research Center and we have monthly lectures on interesting science and technology topics that I regularly attend.
This particular lecture focused on the data collection and handling techniques that went into creating the chronological and spatial evolution of the fires in the buildings. This effort was conducted by the fire research division of the national Institute of standards and technology (NIST) engineering laboratory.
http://www.nist.gov/fire/
http://www.nist.gov/el/fire_research/
It was quite an impressive effort. They collected a hugh amount of photography and video of the incident, arranged it chronology and examined it in detail for evidence of the extent of the fire. They correlated the exterior images with engineering and architectural diagrams of the buidings. They produced a minute by minute model showing where the fires had spread within the structure. This was then used by the other investigative teams to inform their anslysis.
Although this effort cannot literally be compared to the heroism of the first responders, I none the less consider this to have been a heroic effort. It was a critical challenge that had to be accomplished quickly and accurately since it was an important input into the other investigative efforts. They assembled a team, including students from around the country who were brought in for the effort, put together a plan, established rigorous analytical standards, collected the evidence, performed the analytics, and produced the needed information under very demanding conditions and deadlines.
I'm very glad that our country has scientists and engineers who have the intelligence, capability, motivation and integrity to meet these challenges and can be counted on when called to duty.