Monday, June 26, 2023

Firework science

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6/26/23

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Coming Soon

Bang, boom, pow! Fourth of July fireworks aren’t just a feast for the eyes — they’re feats of science and engineering. This summer, learn more about how pyrotechnic displays work and the scientists who design them. But also check out our story on the spikes of pollution that such tremendous light shows inject into the atmosphere. There’s a science to everything, from the fabulous intricacies to the environmental impacts of pyrotechnic technology

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fireworks lighting up the sky behind a clock tower

Catch up with the latest from Science News Explores

Scientists Say: Explosion: Explosions happen when chemical or nuclear reactions blow out a lot of heat, noise and expanding gas. Readability: 6.0 Resources: power words, audio recording

An ‘einstein’ shape eluded mathematicians for 50 years. Now they found one: The shapes can form an infinite tiled pattern that never repeats. The first is a 13-sided shape nicknamed “the hat.” Readability: 6.0 Resources: power words, alternate version at Science News 

Shouting into the wind may seem futile — but it’s really not: Sending a sound upwind, against the flow of air, actually makes the sound louder — only it doesn’t sound that way to the person making the noise. Readability: 6.4 Resources: power words, video, alternate version at Science News 

Analyze This: A new fabric mimics polar bears’ pelts for warmth: With layers that work like polar bears’ skin and fur, a material absorbs light and keeps it from escaping. Readability: 6.5 Resources: power words, graph

Fairy tale inspiration could help rovers explore risky places: Taking a cue from Hansel and Gretel, scientists propose a way for rovers to send back data from treacherous terrain. Readability: 7.4 Resources: power words, alternate version at Science News 

This astronaut took a winding journey into space: Astronaut Kjell Lindgren has flown into space twice and performed more than 100 scientific experiments. He is now part of the crew planning a return to the moon. Readability: 7.3 Resources: power words

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