Flamethrowers in space!? why.

there isn't anyplace in the universe i wouldn't want either a flame thrower or a chainsaw.

On the Weyland company website under the timeline this pops up: [i]"Weyland introduces unique expedition security apparatus able to decontaminate indoor and outdoor environments. Apparatus mines surrounding air for flammable compounds, making it ultra light-weight as well as self-replenishing."[/i] I think this flamethrower's capability makes sense in that fire must have three elements in order to exist: heat, fuel, and oxygen. Oxygen is obviously an issue on the planet where the movie takes place, hence the spacesuits and helmets. I think Sir Ridley wanted a plausible explanation as to why these weapons could function in that environment ([b]Apparatus mines surrounding air for flammable compounds[/b]).

Good point. Actually, you could have a flamethrower working in non-oxygen environments, given that the combustible have its own oxygen, like napalm. That´s what made napalm so dangerous, it can burn indefinitely, even into water. The problem is, why this mission would need flamethrowers. If you are going to meet some aliens and don´t know if they are friendly or not, I respectfully would recomend you to stay in orbit and send some drones first. If things went south, you could ever nuke them from orbit...it´s the only way to be sure!

but then that would be a crappy 10 minute movie if everyone took that many security precautions lol.

I think we'll take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

I only saw flamethrowers used in the bay inside the ship for desinfection..

I was hoping for sharks with frickin' lazer beams attached to their heads.

For fire to exist we have that magical triangle of fuel/heat/oxygen, remove 1 and it won't happen. This however doesn't mean fire can't exist, it just doesn't last very long since it get starved of oxygen very quickly. 1 thought maybe Weyland flamethrower uses hydrogen so it has no need for oxygen and works just like the Sun a bit.

lol harasses the power of the sun, can make andriods and now looking the power of our creators, weyland have been busy ^^

It's a story about "Prometheus." You'd have to have a shot of FIRE somewhere just for fun, hello.

RickK.... hopefully they will throw us a freakin bone and not give us mutated sea bass instead of the freakin sharks.

How else could we do the meme "Kill it with FIRE" without flamethrowers?

It is very stupid to fire a gun on a spaceship. Fire is much safer.

thats a joke, right noodles?

No noodles right; heat may not crack a window open, but a gun, yes. Also who said that oxygen did not exist on the planet on which they find the Jockey?

@Heustess - I don't think anybody says it, only that it is implied by the spacesuits and the helmets. If they could breath the atmosphere and simply needed protection from the elements, I'm sure there's some Weyland Sunblock in the carry-on luggage.

Maybe they have experience with other beings that only fire can harm or deter, and carrying flamethrowers is just a standard precaution.

Why do they have flamethrowers? How about asking why people on a scientific expedition would be idiotic enough to expose themselves directly to active alien biological agents of any kind? Suspension of disbelief, isn't a requirement solely for accepting BS technical jargon for how an FTL drive "works."

@Heustess - I don't think anybody says it, only that it is implied by the spacesuits and the helmets. If they could breath the atmosphere and simply needed protection from the elements, I'm sure there's some Weyland Sunblock in the carry-on luggage. Well back in the early Silurian period, oxygen levels on land were so low that if you went back there in time, you'd would have to have an oxygen tank. But guess what oxygen was plentiful, but just not enough for our lungs. Also the atmosphere may be primordial in the sense it can have high quantities of sulphur, methane... and low levels of oxygen making it unbreathable.

Noodle: OK, try to use a flamethrower in the ISS, then...