[TML] [OT] One for Gun Safty

[Anthony Jackson]

Bruce Johnson wrote:

> Of course the follow-on question is"Will this shockwave destroy his  
> eardrum, middle ear and inner ear before the noise reaches his brain?"

The shockwave might not, but the bullet will. Nerve signals vary in 
speed, but generally not above 120m/s, which is slower than any bullet.
> 
> Channeling that barrel-sized column of compressed air into his ear  
> canal could have an effect little different from the bullet's in fact.

People do occasionally get killed by blanks, though even then I think 
it's solids that cause the damage. Compressed air isn't terribly 
dangerous, though you'd probably get a burst eardrum.