[rescue] nuking from orbit

[BSD Bob the old greybeard BSD freak]

> Hmm... I wonder if a device could be made with a bit of thermite in it, so
> that pushing a button would actually melt the whole drive (and probably kill
> the computer too) so that that the data is unreadable. Sort of like the
> flash paper the bookies used to use :)`

Well, back in the WWII era (anyone here that old?) there used to be just
such a thermite thingy in certain radar sets of highly classified nature.
If they were triggered, the set was destroyed so the enemy could not use
them.  In the 'Nam era, the village hooch radios had a red panic destroy
button across the AC input lines.  That only melted the power supply, but
it helped to render them inoperative to the enemy, if necessary.  I can't
really imagine having to go to those extremes on computer bits, except
very rarely.

Bob