I think people seriously underestimate how incredible Tony Stark’s arc reactor is. As someone who has a fairly good understanding of the functionality of nuclear reactors, I can say that a self-sustaining nuclear reactor is theoretically possible, but it would have to run at ridiculously high temperatures at the same time as taking in more heat than it puts out. So Tony not only managed to make this work, but he managed to make it work within a survivable temperature range (very difficult to do)

pensversusswords:

squeeful:

the-pluto-fandom:

rendingrosencrantz:

pensversusswords:

How did I not see this the other night omg. But yes you are totally right… in fact sometimes I get myself worked up (who, me??????) over how freaking amazingly BRILLIANT Tony is, because he IS, his mind just blows me away sometimes like wow.

#okay but now I’m picturing scientists fangirling/boying over tony stark #but having to pause the conversation occasionally #(to their non-scientist friends continued frustration) #and go #‘BUT WHAT EVEN IS THAT THING???’ #‘what does it matter karen c’mon’ #‘HE SHOULD BE BURNING ALIVE IN FRONT OF US’ #‘karen seriously-’ #‘YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW DID HE DO THAT’#‘i do understand you do this every time-’#‘AND IN MINIATURE! HE MINIATURIZED IT! AND PUT IT IN HIS CHEST’ #‘karen’ #‘HOW’ #‘karen pls’ #‘I DON’T UNDERSTAND HIS GENIUS IS IMPOSSIBLE SOMEONE NEEDS TO TELL HIM THAT THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE’ #‘karen it’s a pic of shirtless tony stark FOCUS PLS’ #karen does not focus (via hurricane-in-a-teacup)

the ‘he should be burning alive’ is a serious understatement honestly. to expand on the ask i sent, an arc reactor would work by combining a fission and a fusion reactor, probably in separate chambers. fission is pretty normal, only a couple of hundred degrees above human temperature usually. FUSION, however, is easiest sustained at temperatures of over 150 million degrees (celsius). and on top of that, to make the reactor self-sustaining without having to refuel it, it has to contain all of that 150 million degree heat within a tiny volume AND intake a ridiculous quantity of environmental temperature from the center of the light (the only place that would stop it from flash-freezing Tony’s flesh), because that temperature is what gets converted into the energy output.

with temperature ranges like that, Tony Stark has managed to find a way of avoiding simultaneously getting frozen and vaporized by the reactor.

It’s not an exaggeration to say he stuck a star in his chest.

People keep adding to this and it’s making me more and more emotional every time omg.