Is a lighter effective because it’s on fire? Or just because it’s hot?

If you made a lighter that was just as hot as another lighter, would it work just as well even if it had no fire?

  • honeyontoast
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    2 years ago

    Cars have (or had, I don’t know if they’re still included) an electric lighter that you pushed in to heat up. It was basically a little metal ring that got really hot. So I think it probably is the heat.

    I remember my friend also had a plasma lighter, that unsurprisingly used plasma to light things. It made a really scary noise in the wind and hurt like a motherfucker to touch. We were 18 and dumb.

    • DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca
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      2 years ago

      It’s the heat and no, cars don’t come with lighters anymore. The power sockets are still there but they even come with warning labels to not try use a lighter in them. No idea what happens if you try.

      • Junkers_Klunker
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        2 years ago

        Itll melt the plastic around the socket as they arent designed to tolerate heat anymore.

          • charles
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            2 years ago

            Could be chromed plastic

            • ZephrC@lemm.ee
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              2 years ago

              Driving off a cliff is even dumber still. Its not a dumbest thing contest though

                • ZephrC@lemm.ee
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                  2 years ago

                  Nah, that was all you. Nobody said smoking was a good idea. Just that it’s stupid to create a fire hazard to make a car 0.0001% more profitable. You barged in with a weird non sequitur. I was just pointing it out.

            • MotoAsh
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              2 years ago

              You don’t have to light a cigarette with a lighter. What’s truly dumb is forgetting how useful fire is…

              • SpaceNoodle
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                2 years ago

                Yeah, fire is super handy for all sorts of things while I’m driving a car.

                • MotoAsh
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                  2 years ago

                  Ah yes, why have the ability to do anything you don’t immediately need to do?! I am a smart person!

                  • SpaceNoodle
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                    2 years ago

                    We’re talking about lighters in cars, buddy.

      • wiccan2
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        2 years ago

        My car seems to be from the transition period, it has a lighter but no ash trays in the front, only in the back.

        I guess it’s fine for the kids to smoke while watching the in built DVD players but not the driver and front passenger /s

        • XeroxCool
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          2 years ago

          There may have been an accessory package available that gave you a cup-shaped ashtray to put in the cupholder