Self-destruct
Encyclopedia
A self-destruct is a mechanism which causes a device to destroy itself under a predefined set of circumstances.
Self-destruct mechanisms are also found on devices and systems where malfunction could endanger large numbers of people. The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
rockets, for example, are equipped with explosive charges so that the boosters can be destroyed in the event that they go out of control on launch and endanger a populated area. This feature can be seen in videos of the Challenger
disaster. After the initial disintegration of the shuttle, the two solid rocket boosters continued firing until they had exploded simultaneously 37 seconds later. This occurred when the Range Safety Officer
decided that the separated boosters had the potential to endanger those on the ground and activated the self-destruct system.
Some types of modern land mines are designed to self-destruct, or chemically render themselves inert after a period of weeks or months to reduce the likelihood of friendly casualties during the conflict or civilian casualties at the conflict's end. However, these self-destruct mechanisms are not absolutely reliable, and most land mines laid historically are not equipped in this manner.
The naval procedure of scuttling
is used to destroy a ship or ships to prevent them from being seized and/or reverse-engineered
.
Self-destruct mechanisms are sometimes employed to prevent an apparatus or information from being used by unauthorised persons in the event that it is lost or stolen. For example they may be found in high-security data storage device
s, where it is important for the data to be destroyed to prevent compromise.
stories. The frequency of occurrence has caused it to become a cliché
, or an overused concept. Commonly, self-destructs in fiction are seen on military installations
, spaceships
or the theme
of an artificial intelligence
destroying itself due to cognitive dissonance
. Generally, after a time limit is reached, a large explosion will occur, detonating everything around the site.
A few examples:
Self-destruct mechanisms are also found on devices and systems where malfunction could endanger large numbers of people. The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters were the pair of large solid rockets used by the United States' NASA Space Shuttle during the first two minutes of powered flight. Together they provided about 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. They were located on either side of the rusty or...
rockets, for example, are equipped with explosive charges so that the boosters can be destroyed in the event that they go out of control on launch and endanger a populated area. This feature can be seen in videos of the Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida at 11:38 am EST...
disaster. After the initial disintegration of the shuttle, the two solid rocket boosters continued firing until they had exploded simultaneously 37 seconds later. This occurred when the Range Safety Officer
Range Safety Officer
In the field of rocketry, Range Safety Officer is a generic term referring to an individual who monitors the performance of rockets in flight, and who is responsible for their remote destruction if it should be judged that they pose a hazard...
decided that the separated boosters had the potential to endanger those on the ground and activated the self-destruct system.
Some types of modern land mines are designed to self-destruct, or chemically render themselves inert after a period of weeks or months to reduce the likelihood of friendly casualties during the conflict or civilian casualties at the conflict's end. However, these self-destruct mechanisms are not absolutely reliable, and most land mines laid historically are not equipped in this manner.
The naval procedure of scuttling
Scuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
is used to destroy a ship or ships to prevent them from being seized and/or reverse-engineered
Reverse engineering
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation...
.
Self-destruct mechanisms are sometimes employed to prevent an apparatus or information from being used by unauthorised persons in the event that it is lost or stolen. For example they may be found in high-security data storage device
Data storage device
thumb|200px|right|A reel-to-reel tape recorder .The magnetic tape is a data storage medium. The recorder is data storage equipment using a portable medium to store the data....
s, where it is important for the data to be destroyed to prevent compromise.
Use in fiction
Self-destruct mechanisms are a common plot device in science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
stories. The frequency of occurrence has caused it to become a cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
, or an overused concept. Commonly, self-destructs in fiction are seen on military installations
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
, spaceships
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
or the theme
Theme (literature)
A theme is a broad, message, or moral of a story. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and are almost always implied rather than stated explicitly. Along with plot, character,...
of an artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
destroying itself due to cognitive dissonance
Cognitive dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is a discomfort caused by holding conflicting ideas simultaneously. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance. They do this by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and actions. Dissonance is also reduced by justifying,...
. Generally, after a time limit is reached, a large explosion will occur, detonating everything around the site.
A few examples:
- AlienAlien (film)Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
: Lieutenant Ripley activates a self-destruct mechanism on Commercial Towing Vessel Nostromo in order to destroy a monster that wiped out her entire crew. This system functions by disabling the nuclear reactorNuclear reactorA nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
cooling system, resulting in a time delayed nuclear meltdown. - PredatorPredator (film)Predator is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by John McTiernan, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, and Kevin Peter Hall. It was distributed by 20th Century Fox....
: The Predator decides to destroy itself with honour using a wrist bracer controlled self-destruct device after realizing its defeat at the hands of the film's protagonist. It tries (and fails) to take him with it in the process while laughing menacingly. - The Andromeda StrainThe Andromeda StrainThe Andromeda Strain , by Michael Crichton, is a techno-thriller novel documenting the efforts of a team of scientists investigating a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism that rapidly and fatally clots human blood, while in other people inducing insanity...
: The microbiological laboratory where the story takes place is equipped with a nuclear device capable of destroying the facility; this device activates automatically and can only be disarmed by the team member specified according to the Odd-Man Hypothesis, so that the area will be cauterizedCauterizationThe medical practice or technique of cauterization is the burning of part of a body to remove or close off a part of it in a process called cautery, which destroys some tissue, in an attempt to mitigate damage, remove an undesired growth, or minimize other potential medical harmful possibilities...
and the release of any infectious agent prevented even if it has wiped out the entire personnel of the base. At the end of the book, the researchers disable an self-destruct sequence to prevent a mutation of Andromeda that would have killed millions of humans. - Mission: ImpossibleMission: ImpossibleMission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
films and TV-series: The message to the operatives are later in the canon always delivered on something that self-destructs a few seconds after the message has been played. This has been lampooned in a number of other series, for instance, the cartoon Inspector GadgetInspector GadgetInspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr...
. - Resident Evil: The Resident Evil series often ends with the location the game takes place self-destructing, presumably destroying the final boss of the game as well as all the creatures the player has killed.
- Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
: In Star Trek III, "The Search For Spock," the USS EnterpriseUSS Enterprise (NCC-1701)The USS Enterprise, NCC-1701, is a fictional starship in the Star Trek media franchise. The original Star Trek series depicts her crew's mission "to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before" under the command of Captain James...
self-destructs in orbit of the Genesis planet. The self-destruct mechanism required the approval of three bridge officers before activation. The resulting explosion killed an entire KlingonKlingonKlingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
boarding party that tried to take over the ship. A self-destruct feature is also referenced in Star Trek: First ContactStar Trek: First ContactStar Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s...
, Star Trek: NemesisStar Trek: NemesisStar Trek Nemesis is a 2002 science fiction film directed by Stuart Baird, written by John Logan , and with music composed by Jerry Goldsmith. It is the tenth feature film in the Star Trek franchise, and the fourth and final film to star the cast from the television series Star Trek: The Next...
and in many other episodes of the Star Trek television shows.