...is like arguing with the creationists.

You can't argue geology, biology, zoology, or astronomy with creationists, because they don't care about rocks, animals, life or space; they only care about proving their religion and nothing else.

But guess what: once you understand that the age of the earth is over several billion years, the biblical story of creation is finished. There is no need to worry about all the other 'evidence' that creationists are constantly coming up with. How about those 'fossils' down in Texas that show human footprints side by side with dinosaur footprints? You can just go, "Pfft! It's nonsense! It doesn't fit with the enormous evidence that shows dinosaurs died out ages before man evolved." And you can forget about it, even if you can't make the creationists forget about it.

Same with the WTC towers: once you understand that each floor was designed only to hold its own weight, then you can understand why they pancaked when the floors above fell on them. Once you understand that the strength of the WTC towers lay in their boxlike frames, then you can understand why they fell apart as each box was torn apart one by one. Once you understand that the resistance to the collapse lay in the floor joists, and not in any columns below, you can understand why it fell near the speed of free fall.

But you're probably not going to understand that, because you're not interested in any of that. You're not interested in physics or even in thinking. You just have a political point of view that you want to push. Unfortunately, your PPOV just doesn't happened to fit reality as it exists.

http://vincentdunn.com/wtc.html

Quote:

The computer has allowed engineers to reduce the mass of a structure by its ability to more accurately determine the load bearing capability of structural framework. Years ago before the computer, builders were not sure of a structural elements load bearing capability, so they over built by using a so called “safety factor”. This built in safety factor could result in a structure with twice the required load bearing strength. Because of computer calculation this no longer occurs. The older buildings use to have built in a so called “safety factor” of two-to-one. Not so today, if the building code requires a load bearing factor of 40 pounds per square foot that is exactly what you get. There is no margin for error.

end quote from the fire chief.

Thus if the floor above falls on the floor below, the floor below can't hold both and pancaking will occur. In the WTC towers, the floors were bolted on to the outside frame. These joists were the only thing that held the floors up. There were no other columns or anything else holding up the floors. Thus when the floors went, there was NOTHING to stop them and they fell practically at the speed of free fall.

Furthermore, the only thing that tied the frame together were the floors themselves. The floors stiffened the outside frame and allowed it to stand. Once the floors detached from the frame, the struture at that point completely disintgrated.

The central core did not in any way hold the building up. The OUTSIDE walls were the load bearing surfaces. When see pictures of the WTC rubble, you can see sticking out what sort of looks like giant sized grille work. That is part of the outside frame which actually held the building up. I assume the central core simply disintegrated.

I keep repeating all of this because it is an absolutely key point that needs to be understood. Once you understand the structure of the building, you can readily understand why it collapsed and you can see why it is complete nonsense to say that only explosives could have taken down the building.

...explains very well the difference between the WTC towers and the Empire State Building.

The ESB is essentially a tower of concrete. It's massive and the floors would not collapse on each other because they are resting on concrete and steel pillars.

The WTC OTOH was a light framework of steel. Once the joists broke, the floors had nowhere to go but down.

Hate me all you like, but these are facts.

...back in 94, and I guess I have to hate it now.

If I was a Republican congressman, and a Bush supporter, you wouldn't be able to separate me from Bush right now. And if I lost my seat because of it, so be it. At least I would still have my self respect.

Goddamn it, why are all congresscritters such cowardly weasels?