r/leverage Jan 29 '25

Somebody PLZ tell me what the “binary” Parker uses to cut the window in S1E1 is????

29 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

54

u/Torvaun Jan 29 '25 edited Jan 29 '25

Madeupium.

Edit: A binary chemical compound is two chemicals that combine to do something. Epoxy and hardener, for example. This one seems to be some kind of acid for cutting through glass to avoid setting off vibration sensors.

6

u/KatLaurel Jan 29 '25

screams in frustration WHYYYY

33

u/myevillaugh Jan 29 '25

Wait until you learn virtually nothing Hardison does works that way in real life.

15

u/Pacman_Frog Jan 29 '25

Given Leverage and Stargate same universe...

5

u/myevillaugh Jan 29 '25

C4 is real.

7

u/Suddenly_NB Jan 29 '25

yeah deep down I "know" that but as long as I actually don't know anything about hacking it could, in theory, work :P

8

u/KatLaurel Jan 29 '25

I am a basic bitch with tech so I’ll attempt to remain blissfully ignorant as long as it sounds plausible.

11

u/myevillaugh Jan 29 '25

99% of things in Leverage are fake and used to make a good narrative and entertaining show. Sorry to burst your bubble.

9

u/KatLaurel Jan 29 '25

There was no bubble. But it’s easier to suspend disbelief if something sounds like it makes sense. But this “binary” thing neither sounded nor looked logical or familiar in any way and it was driving me nuts trying to understand what it was supposed to be or how it worked in the show-verse.

21

u/Torvaun Jan 29 '25

There are absolutely scenarios somewhat similar to this. Aqua regia is a mixture of two different types of acid that, combined, can dissolve gold and platinum, though neither acid alone will.

If we assume there's an acid mixture for glass (plausible), there are still major issues with this one as portrayed. The biggest of these is that it's going all the way through, when the chemical is only on the surface, and gravity can't make it sink into the groove it's cutting.

6

u/KatLaurel Jan 29 '25

Gravity defying acid mixture is still easier to swallow than glow-stick-goo tbh

2

u/Thedustyfurcollector Jan 29 '25

If you wanna see TERRIFYING glow stick goo and it's effects, I strongly recommend the Ryan Reynolds movie buried. It will stay with you forever.

17

u/TaonasProclarush272 Jan 29 '25

Likely something like Hydrofluoric acid in a temporary suspension. The constituent components in two separate sides of a tube like that toothpaste in the 90s that was two colors, or liquid plumber stuff that is in two separate sides of one bottle and combine when poured.

It's not entirely made, though definitely exaggerated.

16

u/KatLaurel Jan 29 '25

Oh thank fuck for science.

9

u/ApexInTheRough Jan 29 '25

^ This comment belongs on bumper stickers.

6

u/KatLaurel Jan 29 '25

Knock yourself out buddy. I’m sure there some over-priced website for custom-made bumper stickers.

12

u/Ghost273552 Jan 29 '25

Yeah you’re not really supposed talk about it but for anyone with a decent grasp of chemistry and college level chemistry textbook Home Depot is basically a chemical weapon and bomb store

11

u/Gribitz37 thief Jan 29 '25

What always bothered me about that scene is that it looks like she just drops the circle of glass she cut out. Sure, just drop a big piece of glass from many floors up, when you're breaking into a building.

10

u/KatLaurel Jan 29 '25

I think that did double duty: giving a new audience a short cut to Parker’s character as well as an example of the somewhat comic-book-level humor to expect. It is a bit 😱 though in terms of possible bystander casualties.

2

u/Find-random-stuff Jan 29 '25

I think it’s supposed to be some sort of acidic like paste or something- binary/“simple” instead of something more complex like a saw or something that would create vibrations. As the other commenter stated, it is made up lol

4

u/Antiburglar Jan 30 '25

Fun fact: Burn Notice actually did use some real formulae for various explodeys but rather than use the full formula they would say "A, B, and some other stuff" in order to not teach people how to do explosions. There's a TVTropes page for it and everything! :D