Editing 2829: Iceberg Efficiency

Black Hat then absurdly suggests that his lightweight iceberg can still pose a threat to ocean liners (as if that's the "purpose" of icebergs – in the 20th century, at least {{w|List of ships sunk by icebergs|six ships sank as a result of iceberg collisions}}, most famously the ''{{w|RMS Titanic}}'') through the use of torpedoes. In addition, given that Black Hat is promoting the idea that icebergs ''should'' be able to damage ships, it's not really so inefficient to have much of the iceberg underwater, since ocean liners also have a significant portion of their hulls underwater, where they can be damaged by icebergs. The second panel shows that the foam-filled iceberg has a small attachment underneath it, perhaps a turret for launching torpedoes.

Black Hat then absurdly suggests that his lightweight iceberg can still pose a threat to ocean liners (as if that's the "purpose" of icebergs – in the 20th century, at least {{w|List of ships sunk by icebergs|six ships sank as a result of iceberg collisions}}, most famously the ''{{w|RMS Titanic}}'') through the use of torpedoes. In addition, given that Black Hat is promoting the idea that icebergs ''should'' be able to damage ships, it's not really so inefficient to have much of the iceberg underwater, since ocean liners also have a significant portion of their hulls underwater, where they can be damaged by icebergs. The second panel shows that the foam-filled iceberg has a small attachment underneath it, perhaps a turret for launching torpedoes.

The title text introduces the concept of an "experimental aerogel iceberg with helium pockets." {{w|Aerogel|Aerogels}} are a class of solid, porous materials known for their extremely low density (making them among the lightest solid materials yet synthesized). Their low density should make them float well in liquids, though their low mass and their porous and brittle material properties make them unsuitable as a ramming implement. They are very strong for their mass, but would not be able to support iceberg-sized amounts without collapsing without internal supports which would vastly outweigh the aerogel. Most aerogels cannot float in water without some kind of surrounding coating or container, since the water would soak into the aerogel as it does a sponge. Worse, most aerogels are very hygroscopic, and [http://www.aerogel.org/?p=1433#:~:text=It%20is%20possible%20to%20make,superinsulating%20abilities%20without%20supercritical%20drying. contact with liquid water can destroy them] because attraction to the water collapses the structure. (This can be prevented by treating the aerogel with a hydrophobic material that coats the aerogel particles.) The structure of an aerogel surrounds pockets of air, leaving spaces that could be infused with a specific gas such as helium. {{w|Helium}} is lighter than air, and is often used to make gas-filled objects such as balloons float. An aerogel iceberg infused with helium gas could theoretically hover or fly like a balloon as suggested in the comic. This idea of producing a man-made flying iceberg for the sole purpose of endangering cruise liners is preposterous, as there's no reason to do this - and even if there were, more practical or direct methods of attacking such vessels exist{{citation needed}}.  

The title text introduces the concept of an "experimental aerogel iceberg with helium pockets." {{w|Aerogel|Aerogels}} are a class of solid, porous materials known for their extremely low density (making them among the lightest solid materials yet synthesized). Their low density should make them float well in liquids, though their low mass and their porous and brittle material properties make them unsuitable as a ramming implement. They are very strong for their mass, but would not be able to support iceberg-sized amounts without collapsing without internal supports which would vastly outweigh the aerogel. Most aerogels cannot float in water without some kind of surrounding coating or container, since the water would soak into the aerogel as it does a sponge. Worse, most aerogels are very hygroscopic, and [http://www.aerogel.org/?p=1433#:~:text=It%20is%20possible%20to%20make,superinsulating%20abilities%20without%20supercritical%20drying. contact with liquid water can destroy them] because attraction to the water collapses the structure. (This can be prevented by treating the aerogel with a hydrophobic material that coats the aerogel particles.) The structure of an aerogel surrounds pockets of air, leaving spaces that could be infused with a specific gas such as helium. {{w|Helium}} is lighter than air, and is often used to make gas-filled objects such as balloons float. An aerogel iceberg infused with helium gas could theoretically hover or fly like a balloon as suggested in the comic. This idea of producing a man-made flying iceberg for the sole purpose of endangering cruise liners is preposterous, as there's no reason to do this - and even if there were, more practical or direct methods of attacking such vessels exist{{citation needed}}.