The images of dragons unleashing torrents of flames on the new series of House of the Dragon got me thinking: if dragons existed, what real-world biological mechanisms and chemical reactions might they use? But first, a chemistry recap. To ignite and sustain a flame, we need three components; a fuel...

The images of dragons unleashing torrents of flames on the new series of House of the Dragon got me thinking: if dragons existed, what real-world biological mechanisms and chemical reactions might they use?

  • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
    0·
    5 months ago

    Terry Pratchett already sorted it out; it’s a little bit of a creative interpretation I guess but my reading of “Men at Arms” was that it is hypergolic fuel and oxidizer in two separate belly chambers and then they spray the two together and it ignites immediately in air. Like fireflies or bombardier beetles they just make the right stuff that they need.