Not that it is something to be taken completely lightly, but the power of the vaccuum in these tubes is being a little exaggerated in this post.
First, a vacuum tube cannot heat up to the point that it explodes, since there is nothing inside to expand. Though most CRT tubes aren't absolute perfect vacuums, the negligible amount of gas inside is essentially impossible of heating to the point that it could generate enough pressure to explode the glass.
Glass has a rediculously high tensile strength, in the lower range of glass it is still over 3000 psi. Atmospheric pressure is what is pushing against a vacuum tube is roughly 15 psi, well within the range of what glass can maintain. When the seal is broken on the vacuum the forced of the air being pulled in isn't that high. The volume of the tube is relatively small, which is thus propotional to the 'suck' of the vacuum created, not strong enough to suck your guts out but maybe enough to give you a hickey.
The glass could explode from being hit, but this is not because of the vacuum, it is most likley because the glass is tempered like the side windows of a car.
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