I don't think it's a silly question, my first thought about explosion proof would also be able to survive some level of explosion.
Especially for cameras in potentially hazardous or critical areas, being able to capture details of their final moments could be important (obviously great to have cameras which [also] don't cause explosions in the first place).
I can also think of many situations in which you would want motors which are rated to survive for some time through an explosion, for example something which is powering a fire sprinkler or ventilation system to give people time to escape. The military has "battle switches" on lots of equipment for this reason, better to remove safeties and destroy the equipment than have the equipment protect itself and stop working in a critical situation, potentially costing a soldier their life.
It's definitely not a silly question. I shared it because I really enjoyed the image that came to my mind when it happened.
It was a formative experience for me, too. I try really, really hard to explain terms-of-art to my audience if I'm unsure of their familiarity. "Reading the room" can be difficult sometimes so I try to always preface w/ "Stop me if you know this already...".
I also learned not to be afraid to speak up when terminology isn't familiar to me. I've no doubt that's made me look ill-informed in some situations. I'll always take the judgement of others re: my knowledge vs. acting on a bad assumption later.
There are consequences (sometimes significant ones) from assuming somebody knows what you're talking about. People who act like they understand something when they don't (either because they're afraid to ask, or because they don't know they don't understand) are dangerous.
> I also learned not to be afraid to speak up when terminology isn't familiar to me.
100% agreed. I don't care much if others think I'm stupid. I care about actually being educated and understanding the situation. If someone thinks me asking questions makes me stupid, I'm probably better off with them thinking that and avoiding me for it :)
I could have phrased that better. It was clearly awkward for the tour guide. I think the guide could have handled it in a less awkward way— maybe with some humor.
I found it amusing by way of the image it created in my mind, but that shouldn’t be taken as me discouraging others asking questions.
Especially for cameras in potentially hazardous or critical areas, being able to capture details of their final moments could be important (obviously great to have cameras which [also] don't cause explosions in the first place).
I can also think of many situations in which you would want motors which are rated to survive for some time through an explosion, for example something which is powering a fire sprinkler or ventilation system to give people time to escape. The military has "battle switches" on lots of equipment for this reason, better to remove safeties and destroy the equipment than have the equipment protect itself and stop working in a critical situation, potentially costing a soldier their life.