Insty, noooooooo!!!!!!!

[ElMondoHummus]

Oh, dammit... Instapundit screwed up:


CONTRA ROSIE O'DONNELL, apparently fire can melt steel. The new NIST report on the World Trade Center is out, (http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4278874.html) and while it won't silence the yammerheads (apparently, nothing does) it's worth noting.


He means well, but... still... that's a screwup. I've emailed him to correct his misapprehension.

But here's my rant: Can we all agree that this is a perfect example of misinformation poisoning the entire subject? NIST has never attributed any steel melting to be the cause behind the collapse. Yet, in popular consciousness, people who are otherwise not truthers think this is so.

[boloboffin]

Wow, yes, that's silly stuff. NIST clearly says that temperatures far below that necessary to even weaken the stiffness and strength of the steel caused the thermal expansion of critical elements.

Of course, it's true that fire CAN melt steel at the correct temperatures. But that's not what NIST is saying happened here. Silly Instapundit.

[Brainster]

It appears to be too obvious a joke (http://ace.mu.nu/archives/271209.php) on Rosie to resist; Ace of Spades uses a similar formulation:

Fire Melts Steel: Google It!

I left a comment; I am hopeful that Ace will change the title.