[ryanlol]

Even then, for an IED to actually be of any use it needs to have an explosive compound, likely in a container of some kind.

Anyone with half a brain would understand that you can't just magically make circuitry explode. That's a whole new level of ignorance, they teach this stuff in elementary school for gods sake.

[Someone1234]

> Anyone with half a brain

That's the problem right there. These people have let their common sense be overtaken by their sense of fear, they're so afraid they aren't thinking.

That's why going after a 9 year old or MIT student with a t-shirt[0] makes sense, because they literally aren't thinking straight because they're so convinced there is a threat around every corner (thanks mass media!).

[0] https://boingboing.net/2007/09/21/mit-student-arrested.html

[knowaveragejoe]

This isn't a "whole new level" of ignorance. If you think so, then you probably don't understand how stupid a significant portion of the population is. There are people out there who think that Google, Facebook, so on, are actually on their computer. It makes complete sense that some people think a bomb looks like some caricature envisioned for the audience's benefit in a movie or TV show. Many people's entire lives revolve around motion picture entertainment of some sort.

[userbinator]

Unfortunately, entertainment is making people think everything can explode:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MadeOfExplodium

[yellowapple]

> they teach this stuff in elementary school for gods sake.

Haha. No, they don't. Not anymore at least.