1 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Tech Stuff, a production from iHeartRadio. Hey there, 2 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: and welcome to tech Stuff. I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. 3 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: I'm an executive producer with iHeartRadio. And how the tech 4 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 1: are you well, folks. Originally I planned on having all 5 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: new episodes this week, but I had forgotten that my 6 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 1: vacation budded right up to the Fourth of July holiday 7 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: here in the United States, and as such, we are 8 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: going to have a couple of reruns. These are going 9 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: to be my traditional reruns for this holiday, I think, 10 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 1: because I think I did this last year too. But hey, 11 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: if you want a little insight into Jonathan's Fourth of 12 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: July celebrations, every Fourth of July, I sit down and 13 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: I watched the musical seventeen seventy six. This is a 14 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: heavily fictionalized telling of the drafting and then signing of 15 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: the Declaration of Independence. It turns out in history there 16 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,320 Speaker 1: were way more musical numbers, because in seventeen seventy six 17 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 1: they kind of they kind of stop for about two 18 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: thirds of the movie, Like there's some of the beginning, 19 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: there's a lot of the beginning, and then there's a 20 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: little bit at the end and there's not a whole 21 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: lot in the middle. It turns out that in actual 22 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: history they sang and danced the whole time. But in 23 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: order to celebrate that, we're going to listen to a 24 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: classic episode tech Stuff Lights Some Fireworks. This is a 25 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: part one of a two parter and this was when 26 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: Lauren Vogelbaum, who hosts Brain Stuff and Other Stuff, she 27 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: was a co host on the show. So I hope 28 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: you enjoy this classic episode from July twenty third, twenty fourteen, 29 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: tech Stuff Lights Some Fireworks. I'll talk to you again 30 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: in just a minute. There's a lot of science there is. 31 00:01:57,600 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 2: There's much, many much sciences. 32 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: In fact, we say more science than tech when you 33 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: get down to it. 34 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 2: However, it's a technology of chemistry. 35 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, it is applied chemistry. 36 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 3: Yeah. 37 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 2: And there is UH. And we have demonstrated on the 38 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 2: show previously that we like fire. 39 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, we did a full episode. Oh by the way, 40 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: sorry we didn't talk about compression fire starters. I had 41 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: it in my notes, did not fill it out, and 42 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: then we were taken to task for it rightfully, So 43 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: I would say, but we're gonna we're gonna be very thorough. 44 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: As it turns out, with fireworks, because while I was 45 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: thinking about it, you know, just covering the basics, the 46 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: more I got into the chemistry, the more exciting it was, 47 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: the more interesting it was, and the more I was like, well, 48 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: I'm in for a penny, in for a pound if 49 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: the government's going to see how I'm looking about, you know, 50 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: how to make gunpowder and as we'll go all in, 51 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: so we're going to talk all about it. 52 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: Definitely one of those that were like, Okay, what interesting 53 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 2: watch lists are we on this? 54 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: Yeah? 55 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 3: Week, at least three or four more. 56 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: So we should probably define what a firework is for 57 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: just just the purposes of framing the discussion, right, Ah. 58 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,679 Speaker 2: Sure, Well you know, at its base, I suppose it's 59 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 2: something that explodes for fun. 60 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: Yes, that's pretty much it. Firework is something that is 61 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: explosive or combustible, and it's meant for display purposes, to 62 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: create an impressive light display. 63 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,839 Speaker 3: Or noise noise exactly. Yeah. 64 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: You could get a firecracker, which is really meant to 65 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: make a lot of noise, or you you might get 66 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: a Roman candle, which doesn't make a lot of noise 67 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: but is very impressive light show. And of course then 68 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: there's all the stuff that also falls into the fireworks category. 69 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 3: Including things like Sparkler's that kind of stuff. 70 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: We're mostly gonna be focusing on your traditional fireworks, the 71 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: stuff that you would go and look up into the 72 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: sky and see that. 73 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 2: Stark displays that are launched from something into the air. 74 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: Exactly, so big botty boom. Your common basic ingredients and 75 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:53,119 Speaker 1: fireworks are well, it's black powder, also known as gunpowder. 76 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 3: You know, pretty pretty simple. 77 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 2: Relatively simple. It's traditionally made from sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate, 78 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 2: which back in yie old days was called saltpeter. 79 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, and back in ye old days, he mostly got 80 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: it from India, at least if you were in the 81 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: Western hemisphere, you got it from India. In fact, I 82 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: read an interesting article published in eighteen sixty one by 83 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: the New York Times about the various powder mills, which 84 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: we'll talk about a little bit in the United States, 85 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,559 Speaker 1: and essentially it was running down how the South didn't 86 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: have enough powder mills for this Civil War thing to 87 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: be a big deal. As it turns out, four more 88 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,040 Speaker 1: years later, they probably felt like that was maybe a 89 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: little premature. 90 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 2: I think, yeah, that turned out to be less correct. 91 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: I had hoped it was. Certainly, you know, I think 92 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: it was an optimistic take on what ended up being 93 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: a very trying time in US history. But we're going 94 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 1: to focus on the fireworks. So speaking of history, looking 95 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 1: at the history of fireworks, this is stuff of legend, 96 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: as it turns out. 97 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 2: Oh, certainly, because I mean, I guess that's what neither 98 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 2: of us were around two to three thousand years ago 99 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,159 Speaker 2: to observe, and we don't have a real way back machine. Yeah, 100 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 2: I'm really sorry, guys, we've been lying to you. It's 101 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 2: just a special effect. 102 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: It's a really special effect. It is. 103 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 2: It is very special. 104 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:19,720 Speaker 1: Unfortunately, if someone has not actually documented it in a 105 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: way that is verifiable, we cannot in fact go back 106 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: and say exactly what happened. But we can tell you 107 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: what the legends are. 108 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 2: Yes, there's a legend that over two thousand years ago 109 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 2: in China, a chef, a chef, yeah, was mixing together 110 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 2: some charcoal, some sulfur, and some saltpeter. 111 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: And those were all ingredients that were found in field kitchens. Okay, 112 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:46,159 Speaker 1: so yeah, apparently just accidentally happened to measure these in 113 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: the or mix these in the right amounts. Because it's 114 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: not like you have equal parts of each ingredient. It's 115 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: actually more precise than that. We aren't going to talk 116 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: about that because I don't want you guys making gunpowder. Yeah, 117 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: so don't try that at home. 118 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 2: But this chef happened upon this recipe. 119 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, uh, discovered that if you compress it, like if 120 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: you put it into a container of some sort, and 121 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 1: then if it were to I don't know, come into 122 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: contact with any kind of flame, it blows up. I 123 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: don't know if that chef survived this discovery, because I 124 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: don't even know if the chefs existed, So it's all 125 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 1: up in the air really literally possibly depending upon where 126 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 1: the gunpowder was. Now, if you look up the history 127 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: of fireworks online, like if you were to actually go 128 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: and put into your favorite search engine history of fireworks, 129 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 1: you're going to find a particular story told repeatedly throughout 130 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: numerous links, most of which go to like fireworks manufacturers. 131 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 2: And as like many other research topics on the internet. 132 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 2: They all tell basically the same story and basically the 133 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 2: same wording. 134 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, they without without. 135 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 2: Any particular reference to anything real. 136 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's no citation, right, Yeah, So what the legend 137 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:01,720 Speaker 1: is is that there was a monk in China named 138 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: Li Chian who lived around quote a thousand years ago. 139 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: That is always the way it's put, by the. 140 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 2: Way, around a thousand years ago. 141 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: It's never given a date. It just says around a 142 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: thousand years ago. And so depending upon when this was written, 143 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: you know, and anyway, so much so many different sources 144 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: use the exact wording. I expect they all took their 145 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: information from either the same source or they're just borrowing 146 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 1: it from each other. It's just this big circle of 147 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: people borrowing. 148 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 3: The same stuff. 149 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: But the best scholarly source I could find simply said 150 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: that the first firecracker was made sometime around eleventh century 151 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: Common era in China, so eleventh century a d if 152 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: you prefer, in China. And this was the time when 153 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: Chinese alchemists were searching for something called the elixir of life. 154 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: And along the way, while trying to find this elixir 155 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: of life, they mixed a bunch of different kinds of 156 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: stuff together and found lots of interesting things, not the 157 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: elexir life. 158 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 3: But as it turns out, they found out about gunpowder. 159 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 2: Just kind of like a serve death. When you think 160 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 2: about it. 161 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 1: It can be certainly with the incorrect application. So the 162 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: first firecracker was probably a parchment tube loosely filled with 163 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 1: this mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, and willow charcoal. Willow charcoal, 164 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: by the way, one of the more popular forms. As 165 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: it turns out, you want to use softer woods to 166 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 1: create the charcoal because the harder woods tend to create. 167 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 3: Too much ash. 168 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: I learned that while I was doing all this research. Now, 169 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: once these things were invented, they started to spread throughout 170 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: the world gradually, usually through trade. Sometime between twelve thirty 171 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: five and twelve ninety A. D. Roger Bacon began to 172 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: experiment with an early form of black powder. This was 173 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: again stuff that had probably been brought to the Western 174 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 1: world through trade rates. Yeah, mostly through Arabic traders. Yeah. 175 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 3: Most likely the story. 176 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 1: Goes that Marco Polo brought some over, but it's much 177 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: more likely that it was Arabic traders well before Marco 178 00:08:58,240 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: Polo's journeys. 179 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 2: But at anyway, Bacon's work would lead to the development of 180 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 2: what we know as gunpowder today. 181 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: Yes, he would sort of refine this mixture, finding the 182 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: right proportions of mixing these ingredients together. To get something 183 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: that would work very well if you wanted to, you know, 184 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: launch something at somebody, like say a cannon ball. 185 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 2: Sure, because if you mix all of these things together 186 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 2: you get a good bright flash, and if you compress 187 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 2: them beforehand, you get a big boom as well. 188 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 3: Yep, yep. 189 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 1: Otherwise, like if you've ever seen those videos or films 190 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 1: of people taking the old timey photographs with the flash powder, 191 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: where it just it just lights up, and that was 192 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: how they created a flash since they didn't have the 193 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,959 Speaker 1: capacitors to make a flashing light bulb. That's what gunpowder does. 194 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: If it's just out in the open. You've probably seen this. 195 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 1: It's you know, it's also really popular in like cartoons 196 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:50,599 Speaker 1: and stuff. You see the long trail of gunpowder and 197 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: exactly so that really is how it just burns really 198 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: really quickly. Now, the gunpowder industry and fireworks industry are 199 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: very closely linked together. Improvements in developing gunpowder and the 200 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: methodology for producing it were ported over to work in 201 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 1: fireworks as well, and early fireworks displays were developed in 202 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 1: China and India for religious festivals. There aren't really written 203 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: accounts of how these fireworks spread throughout the world. But 204 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: again we think that Arabic traders probably brought this stuff 205 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: over into Europe and the Europeans said, Wow, that's amazing. 206 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 2: That's awesome, let's blow stuff up here too. 207 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 3: Yeah. 208 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: And in fact, for a long time they were importing 209 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: this stuff from the East, and in fact would even 210 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: hire experts from the East to come and do the 211 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: displays in Europe. It would only be in the late 212 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 1: Middle Ages early Renaissance when you'd start seeing Europeans try 213 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: and take on this responsibility themselves. Now, by the Italian Renaissance, 214 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: fireworks creators began to experiment with adding extra ingredients to 215 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: mixtures to produce different colors of light, so for example, 216 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: adding copper to create blue light. We'll talk more about 217 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: adding color to fireworks a bit later. 218 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 3: So the thing is, if you want to learn. 219 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,079 Speaker 1: More about what the displays back in the Middle Ages 220 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: were like, there are only a few accounts. A lot 221 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: of the though come from England, because it turns out 222 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:16,520 Speaker 1: the English were bananas over this stuff. The Italians and 223 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 1: Germans were working really hard on improving fireworks technology, and 224 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: the English were enjoying the heck out of it. Lauren 225 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: and I will be back to talk about some fireworks 226 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: in just a moment. So one of the accounts says 227 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: that during the wedding of Henry the Seventh also known 228 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 1: as Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York in fourteen eighty six, 229 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: there were fireworks displays. Others talk more about Elizabeth's coronation, 230 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 1: so there's a little bit of a argument there. Same 231 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 1: is true for Henry the eighth wedding and Bolin, which 232 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: was a wife number two. I think I think she 233 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: had a good head on her shoulders, not for long. 234 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 3: Spoiler alert. 235 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: James Anthony Froud wrote that there were quote wild men 236 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: casting fire and making a hideous noise end quote, which 237 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,719 Speaker 1: I think is a fantastic description of fireworks. Yeah. When 238 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:20,199 Speaker 1: I was a kid, I hated them because I didn't 239 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,959 Speaker 1: like loud noise, and even just seeing the fireworks burst 240 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: in the sky made my anxiety levels go up because 241 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: I knew a loud noise was coming right right. 242 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 2: I remember having one year where I was really upset 243 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 2: by them, like I loved them and then suddenly was 244 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 2: like that's loud and I'm against it. 245 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. 246 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: I've come back around now, but for a long time 247 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: I was. I was certainly the person who's like, I 248 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: don't want to be here when the fireworks. 249 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 2: Start agrees with you. 250 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:49,559 Speaker 1: For the record, Yeah, yeah, most dogs I've encountered shared 251 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: my feeling. I think I finally evolved beyond dog stage. 252 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 2: So Henry the Eighth and Ann Berlin had a daughter. 253 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:01,720 Speaker 1: Elizabeth, Yeah, somewhat famous. Yes, became Queen of England and 254 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: sat on her thorn for many years. Thrown thrown, Sorry, 255 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: I was just misreading my notes. But no, Elizabeth obviously 256 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: one of the most influential monarchies of all time. Really, yes, yes, 257 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 1: and she loved the sparkles. She did. 258 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 2: She created a position for it. 259 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, fire Master of England. It would be. 260 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 1: I think it was after in the ruling of James 261 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 1: the First when that position came along with a knighthood. 262 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: At any rate, you had people who suddenly really wanted 263 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: to pursue the craft and become the best at it 264 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: in order to land this cushy job of being the 265 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 1: fire Master of England, because you would imagine that comes 266 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,080 Speaker 1: with some sweet you know, bonuses like money. 267 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so a lot of people were trying new 268 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:55,359 Speaker 2: and different things to kind of impress the Queen that juncture. 269 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, according to some accounts, one of the things you 270 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: might expect to see at a truly outrage display would 271 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: be a dragon with paper machede scales that was loaded 272 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: up with fireworks so that it would breathe fire. 273 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 3: It would appear to be. 274 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: Breathing fire, and sometimes they would have more than one, 275 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 1: and then you would have dragon fights, yes, and then 276 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 1: maybe one of the women's up catching on fire and 277 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: the other one is slightly less on fire, and so 278 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: that's the one that wins. But they would battle one another. 279 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: And so you read about this kind of stuff and 280 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 1: you're like, wow, these had to be pretty spectacular. And 281 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: then you also think, remember, they had no automated way 282 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: of doing this. There was probably some poor jerk who 283 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: had a match stick or some form of torch or 284 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: something that was lighting this stuff manually and then trying 285 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: to get the heck away from it before he burnt up. 286 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, or possibly a couple guys on the ground like 287 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 2: with sticks holding these things up. I'm a little bit 288 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 2: terrified about the entire concept, but yeah, no, they were 289 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 2: very impressive. Shakespeare wrote about them in some of his plays, right. 290 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: Yep, Romeo and Juliet. There is a quote that says, 291 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 1: these violent delights have violent ends, and in their triumph 292 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: die like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume. Now, 293 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 1: in that case, of course, he's referring to the lovers 294 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: Romeo and Juliet and the passion they have for one another, 295 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: and he's likening it to a fireworks display, which you know, 296 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: has been a pretty powerful image that has been repeated 297 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: ad nauseum ever since. The whole thing where the two 298 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 1: lovers kiss and then you see the fireworks going off 299 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 1: in the background very much. It's interesting that it seems 300 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: to have originated with Shakespeare, as many so many things have. Also, 301 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 1: fireworks were deemed to be an illegal possession for regular 302 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 1: citizens right around sixteen oh five. 303 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's about when a certain persona yeah, now publicly 304 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 2: known because of a certain movie and comic book series. Yes, 305 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 2: guy Fox got into some trouble with the gunpowder plot. 306 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 1: Yes, he was part of a conspiracy to blow up 307 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: the Houses of Parliament by store something like thirty something 308 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: casks of gunpowder underneath. They were going to tunnel underneath 309 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 1: the Houses. 310 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 2: Of Parliament, will barro all that stuff in there. 311 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 3: And then light it and blow it up. 312 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: And the conspirators were caught before they could execute their plan, 313 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 1: and Guy Fox himself, who was not necessarily the ringleader, 314 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: he was one of the members, was really made an 315 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: example of in some of the most horrifying ways you 316 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: can imagine. Now, granted he was playing on committing a 317 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 1: terrible act, yes, but they did a really terrible act 318 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: him and drawn quartered And of course they had Guy 319 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: Fox Day for you know, the early Guy Fox days 320 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: involved lots of burning of Guy Fox and effigy. And 321 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 1: then there's a whole story there that's amazing, but stuff 322 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: you missed in history class would really be the best 323 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:47,239 Speaker 1: place to cover that. And yeah, sure they have Actually. 324 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,320 Speaker 2: I think I feel like it's likely. Yeah, these these 325 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 2: days we have the charming anonymous masks. 326 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 3: Yes, based off off Guy Fox exactly. 327 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: So at that point it was made illegal for the 328 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: common citizen to possess fire wars. It's the only people 329 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: who are allowed were specifically given that responsibility by the crown. 330 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: So that's kind of the early early history. But let's 331 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: talk about what's actually going on inside of firework is 332 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:16,679 Speaker 1: what is making it work? 333 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 2: Well, this is mostly chemistry, but let's let's talk about 334 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:24,439 Speaker 2: black powder, since that is the basic what is going on. 335 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, so we talked about sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter or 336 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: potassium nitrate. You might wonder what are these things actually 337 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: doing within gunpowder. So sulfur and charcoal are acting as fuel, right, 338 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 1: and the potassium nitrate is acting as an oxidizer. So 339 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:44,640 Speaker 1: oxidizers in this sense are the chemicals that fuel requires 340 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: no order to burn. If you remember the great triangle 341 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: of what is required to make fire, you have to 342 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: have fuel, you have to have oxygen, and you have 343 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 1: to have heat. Those are the three things that together 344 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: will allow you to have fire. And if you're lacking 345 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:57,919 Speaker 1: any of those, you're not going to get it. If 346 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: you have just oxygen and fuel but not heat, it's 347 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 1: not gonna happen. Same thing with just oxygen and fire. 348 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:04,200 Speaker 1: You've got to have some fuel there. 349 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,919 Speaker 2: So oxidizers are chemicals that are really good at getting 350 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 2: oxygen into the mix. 351 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 1: Yes, and in fact, potassium nitrate is inredibly good at this. 352 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: So let's look at these ingredients each on their own. 353 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 1: If you look at just charcoal, which is essentially carbon 354 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: and you want to try and burn it. If you 355 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: were to light a match and just hold it to charcoal, 356 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 1: it doesn't really ignite very well. 357 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, it kind of smolders, yeah, and smokes. 358 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. 359 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 2: And if you get it hot enough, like it will 360 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:36,400 Speaker 2: start to burn, certainly, it'll. 361 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: Start to glow glow, doesn't. You don't get a lot 362 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: of flame out of it. 363 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:43,200 Speaker 2: You've probably done this at home, perhaps on a charcoal grill, 364 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 2: or when you have burned a log down to the coals. 365 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, you've got those those coals, or that's charcoal that's 366 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: just glowing because of the heat that's coming through. We'll 367 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 1: talk about the actual mechanism of glowing a little bit 368 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:59,880 Speaker 1: later too. So again, you don't get a lot of ignition, 369 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,360 Speaker 1: not in a lot of flame. It's certainly not explosive ignition. 370 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 2: Yet, unless you've done something very strange. 371 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: Right, unless your charcoal has got some other funky ingredients 372 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:09,439 Speaker 1: in it. 373 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 2: Or I guess you've compressed it a lot. 374 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 3: Maybe I'm not sure. 375 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:18,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, that would be incredible eventually you would get a diamond. So, 376 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 1: but sulfur it burns at a lower temperature than charcoal 377 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: does that carbon does. It ignites more easily, but not 378 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: really at room temperature. So if you had a little crucible, 379 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 1: let's say, a little ceramic crucible filled with some sulfur 380 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 1: and you put a match to it, it wouldn't really 381 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 1: light up. But again, if you were to heat it, 382 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:39,959 Speaker 1: it'll start to melt and then it will burn if 383 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 1: exposed to even higher temperatures, and that gives off sulfur dioxide, which, 384 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: by the way, not good to breathe in. No, it 385 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 1: can irritate your lungs. 386 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 2: One of the many reasons why you shouldn't melt sulfur 387 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 2: at home. 388 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 3: Yeah. 389 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, these things like charcoal that's fairly, fairly benign as 390 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: things go, sulfur a little bit less. 391 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:03,360 Speaker 2: So, potassium nitrate less so than either of the other two. 392 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is what increases that rate of combustion significantly 393 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: when it's added to a mixture of carbon and sulfur, 394 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: again in the correct amounts, so when it's mixed properly, 395 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 1: that combination will ignite and burn really really quickly. 396 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 2: And it is the of course, the traditional oxidizer in 397 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 2: this combination of stuff that goes into black powder, but 398 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,360 Speaker 2: lots of other things can be used, for example, potassium chlorate, 399 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:31,679 Speaker 2: potassium perchlorate, or barium nitrate, and as of twenty eleven, 400 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 2: organizations from like Walt Disney Company to the US Department 401 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:40,120 Speaker 2: of Defense have started looking at green alternatives to all 402 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,560 Speaker 2: of these oxidizers. And I say green, and you go, 403 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 2: like you're making stuff explode? How green does it need 404 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 2: to be? 405 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:47,879 Speaker 3: Right? 406 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 2: But the thing is is that okay? So it turns 407 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 2: out the dangerous chemicals can present health and environmental hazards, 408 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 2: and potassium nitrate specifically is a really common ingredient in herbicides. 409 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 2: Passium chlorate is a harsh ingredient in disinfectants. Potassium perchlorate 410 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 2: can disrupt the production of hormones and the thyroid and 411 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,360 Speaker 2: harm unborn babies, and barium nitrate can interfere with heart 412 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,400 Speaker 2: and breathing functions. So none of that is good fun times. 413 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 2: And so a lot of research has been put in 414 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 2: recent years into trying to figure out better ways of 415 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 2: burning stuff. Yeah, yeah, that isn't releasing these chemicals into 416 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:27,160 Speaker 2: the environment and showering them over crowds of fawning onlookers 417 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 2: or you know, into your water supply or etcetera. 418 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,360 Speaker 1: For example, potassium chlorate is a great example. Potassium chlorate 419 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,400 Speaker 1: is this stuff a great example of a bad ingredient 420 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:38,879 Speaker 1: as opposed to one that's green. 421 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 3: Poassium chlorate ends. 422 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:45,639 Speaker 1: Up creating a more explosive burn than say, potassium nitrate. 423 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:45,920 Speaker 4: Dots. 424 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: Poassium nitrates already pretty impressive. But if you ever watch 425 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: someone create potassium chlorate a mixture of sulfur, charcoal and 426 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: potassium chlorate in the right amounts and then light it, 427 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 1: it lights. It burns even faster than the regular black 428 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: powder mixture, and so it's often used in something called 429 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 1: a burst charge, which we'll talk about later. Okay, But 430 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: like you said, it leaves some pretty nasty stuff behind chlorate. 431 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: If you look at that word chlorate, you realize that 432 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: chlorine is one of those things that's involved in this, 433 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 1: and that's one of the byproducts is you get this 434 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: chlorine released as one of the remnants after the chemical 435 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 1: reaction that happens when you ignite this stuff. Chlorine is 436 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 1: not good stuff. Folks don't want just pure chlorine all 437 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 1: over the place. It's it's toxic. So you know, that's 438 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: one of those things where a lot more research needs 439 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 1: to be done in order to make this stuff really safe. 440 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 2: Right now, two things, sodium parietate and potassium parietate are 441 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 2: starting to move into use as substitutes more clean substitutes 442 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 2: for the traditional one. 443 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:52,639 Speaker 1: Because the trick is that you have to find something 444 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: that's going to facilitate this rapid burning. If you don't 445 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: have that, then obviously you can't do the fireworks, at 446 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 1: least not the way where accustomed to. Yeah, so well, 447 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 1: you know, hope that that kind of stuff gets further 448 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:09,239 Speaker 1: distributed throughout the entire industry so that we have a 449 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 1: less you know, negative impact on the environment and potentially 450 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:16,960 Speaker 1: on the viewers of fireworks displays. Are just the people 451 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,200 Speaker 1: who happen to live around those areas. 452 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,440 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, this this also goes into I mean, the 453 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 2: Department of Defense wasn't involved in that because of the 454 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 2: fireworks displays necessarily, so much as this is useful also 455 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 2: for anything else that you're using gunpowder for, right, for 456 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,639 Speaker 2: the Department of Defense as many things, and you know, 457 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 2: trying to protect the lives of our munitions workers and 458 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 2: also our soldiers and troops and everyone else. 459 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: Absolutely, we got a little bit more to say about 460 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:44,120 Speaker 1: fireworks and then yeah, I'll wrap things up. 461 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 3: So how is it made? 462 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:00,399 Speaker 1: Don't try this at home, yes, do not. This is 463 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: one of those things that if you are if you're 464 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:04,879 Speaker 1: part of a lab and the lab has the facilities 465 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: to do it, and you can make it in small amounts. 466 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 1: It's a very interesting process. But this is not something 467 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:12,400 Speaker 1: for you to ever try on your own because if 468 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:15,359 Speaker 1: you got the mixture either just right or just wrong, 469 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:18,360 Speaker 1: bad things can happen. Yes, but generally speaking, here's what 470 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 1: the process is, and I'm not again going to explain 471 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,880 Speaker 1: the specific amounts. First, you would have to reduce each 472 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 1: ingredient to fine grains of powder, and you would want 473 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 1: to do this separately, yes, right, you don't mix them 474 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,360 Speaker 1: together first. So you get your charcoal and you mash 475 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,199 Speaker 1: it up. So you got charcoal powder, You get your sulfur. 476 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: You make sure you pound out any clumps so that 477 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: you just get a fine powder. Same thing with your saltpeter. 478 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 1: You want to make sure all of that stuff is 479 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 1: as fine as you possibly can make it. Then you 480 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: mix those ingredients together with a little water or some 481 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 1: other liquid. For example, and I'm not making this up, 482 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: one of the liquids I saw was stale urine. Stale 483 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: urine stale urine specifically stale Yes, I am not joking, 484 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 1: because it allows for a more consistent burn. 485 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 3: All right, I sh. 486 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, all right, So anyway, you mix it in with 487 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: this liquid to help these different ingredients bind together. Usually 488 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: you have some sort of binding agent, want some something 489 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 1: that's going to help them stick together in the right 490 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 1: in the right amounts. Saltpeter, as it turns out, is 491 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: really soluble and it'll fill in all those nice little spaces, 492 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: and charcoal pretty easily. Charcoal has a lot of surface area, 493 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:32,639 Speaker 1: so it's it's a good mix. Then you let the 494 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 1: mixture drys becomes kind of like a cake like mass. 495 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 3: It's solidified, like a hard biscuit. 496 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's like a red velvet cake. 497 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 3: Right. 498 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, No, it's it's much more dense, also much more 499 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 1: likely to explode than your traditional red velvet. 500 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 2: Uh. 501 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:48,679 Speaker 3: Yes. 502 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 1: You then crush this dry mass with something that will 503 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:54,440 Speaker 1: totally not cause sparks. 504 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 3: Please. Yeah. 505 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 1: You don't use any nothing that's gonna potentially create a spark. 506 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: So it's ceramic or non sparking metals or something along 507 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: those lines of stone, just regular stone, not like flint steel, 508 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: because that'd be a terrible idea to turn it into 509 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: a powder. This is one of the reasons why it's 510 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: challenging to make this stuff in huge amounts, particularly for 511 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: someone who doesn't have like a powder mill at their disposal. 512 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 1: The accounts I read were especially for people who are 513 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 1: like military recreationists. 514 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 3: People who create. 515 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: They recreate like the famous battles, and they want to 516 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: have black powder muskets. They're not firing musket balls, but 517 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:36,440 Speaker 1: they want to be able to have that big, loud 518 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,840 Speaker 1: bang of smoke they talk about. Making us say, it's 519 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:41,440 Speaker 1: a little hard if you want to make more than say, 520 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: ten pounds of the stuff at a time, like you know, 521 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:46,479 Speaker 1: keeping in mind that ten pounds of gunpowder, especially if 522 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 1: it's in a compact container, could be incredibly dangerous. 523 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 2: I just had a very mild panic attack thinking about 524 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:55,920 Speaker 2: any of the people that I personally know who dress 525 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 2: up in costumes and run around the woods firing fake 526 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 2: guns at each other, having ten pounds of gun powder 527 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 2: at your disposal. 528 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, it certainly is one of those things where you 529 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,600 Speaker 1: do need to know the best practices to safely handle 530 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 1: this stuff because it really is incredibly dangerous. But at 531 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 1: that point in this process, you're done. You've got your 532 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 1: gun powder. 533 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:18,719 Speaker 2: If you do want to make large quantities, how did 534 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 2: those powder mills work that you were mentioning earlier. 535 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:24,199 Speaker 3: So yeah, usually you would have some sort of. 536 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 1: Bowl like surface, and then you'd have a grinding wheel 537 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:34,119 Speaker 1: that would be powered either by horsepower, manpower, or water wheel, 538 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:36,159 Speaker 1: that kind of thing. So it's a mill, you know, 539 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: the kind of mill that you would see for any 540 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: other sort of thing, grinding grain, for example. And what 541 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: you would do is you you would mix all these 542 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 1: ingredients together and then you would put that in the 543 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:48,920 Speaker 1: mill for it to grind up into the proper fine 544 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: powder that you would need to use as black powder. Again, 545 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 1: you would have to make sure that all the equipment 546 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:57,720 Speaker 1: you had was not likely to cause a spark right. 547 00:27:57,600 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 2: Wood or stone or something very. 548 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,439 Speaker 1: Uh, non spark making. Yeah, it's hard, non spark worthy. 549 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: It's kind of hard to put it into words properly. 550 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 2: It is incombustible, Yes, that's good. 551 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: One other interesting feature that a lot of these powder 552 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:14,159 Speaker 1: mills had was that at least one wall, sometimes more 553 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,440 Speaker 1: than one, was specifically built weaker than the other walls. 554 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,400 Speaker 1: The other walls would support more of the structure's weight. 555 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 2: Uh huh, so that if everything in the factory exploded, 556 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:26,160 Speaker 2: it would be easier for people to. 557 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: Get out well or easier for firefighters to get in. Yeah, 558 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 1: because I mean, if you are caught inside that building 559 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 1: when there's an explosion, there's probably parts of you got out. Yeah, 560 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 1: it's it was meant so that it could open up 561 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 1: an easy pathway for any reactionary measures measures, right, whether 562 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 1: that's putting out fires or you know, dealing with the aftermath. 563 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:56,520 Speaker 1: I mean, you didn't necessarily have people inside these things 564 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 1: all the time while they were grinding away anyway. 565 00:28:58,520 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 3: But it was meant as this. 566 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 1: Like, let's say, if you have it as a water wheel, 567 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 1: you know, it means you're near a source of water, 568 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: running water, you might have the wall that is closest 569 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: to the running water blowout, so that way, if there 570 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 1: is a fire, you can you've got the water right 571 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: there there, so you can start a bucket brigade type thing. 572 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 2: No, that's I kind of had a face palm moment 573 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 2: thinking about that one, But now that you mention it, 574 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:23,800 Speaker 2: really that's I sort of want all my buildings to 575 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 2: be structurally weaker. On one side. I mean, if nothing 576 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 2: else that I could just cool aid Man right out 577 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 2: of anything. 578 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 3: That would be fair. 579 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:32,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, there are so many times where I just think 580 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: that I need to have the Jonathan shaped dust cloud 581 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 1: and then the wall, the Jonathan shaped hole in the 582 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: wall where I've made my escape. 583 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 2: So these days we don't have so many water wheels 584 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 2: kicking around in large factory facilities. 585 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 1: We do have some machine versions that will do the crushing, 586 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: but again, it's really tricky because you have to make 587 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:55,720 Speaker 1: sure that that machinery is not going to have any 588 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: kind of sparking element to it. 589 00:29:57,600 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 2: Oh yeah. 590 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: So in other words, the motors can't be sparking, not 591 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 1: just the rollers or whatever. So you have to make 592 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: sure that the materials you're using the surface and the 593 00:30:08,280 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 1: rollers that are doing the crushing are not going to 594 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: create any sparks. 595 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 2: And furthermore, that they're going to be cool enough to 596 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 2: not risk igniting it. 597 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, exactly. 598 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 1: So it's one of those things that really took a 599 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: lot of effort to get it right so that it 600 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 1: could be created safely, or at least as safely as possible. 601 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:28,200 Speaker 3: Accidents still happen. 602 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 1: I mean, you've probably heard of accidents, whether they were 603 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 1: in facilities that were processing black powder or a fireworks warehouse. 604 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:37,160 Speaker 3: These things do happen. 605 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 1: So it really drives home the fact that you've got 606 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:41,200 Speaker 1: to treat it with respect. 607 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 2: Oh sure, sure. Okay, So once you've got your black powder, 608 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 2: how do you assemble the fireworks themselves? 609 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 1: Okay, so basically, and we'll talk more about this in 610 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 1: are part two about fireworks, But basically what you need 611 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 1: to do is do it by hand because automated versions 612 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 1: again tend to have equipment that could create a spark, 613 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:08,480 Speaker 1: and so most fireworks are handmade, hand packed. So if 614 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: you were to take a typical firework, like a big 615 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:15,920 Speaker 1: one one that's used in a professional display, these things 616 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 1: tend to weigh several pounds, They can be in lots 617 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 1: of different shapes. It all depends upon the effect you want. 618 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: We'll talk about that in the next episode two. But 619 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 1: if you were to cut it in half, you would 620 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:29,400 Speaker 1: see that you would have a core of this black powder, 621 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 1: whether it was made with potassium nitrate or potasium chlorate 622 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:35,960 Speaker 1: or some other oxidizer involved, but the black powder would 623 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 1: be at the core, and you would have these other 624 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:40,920 Speaker 1: little elements inside the firework that are meant to be 625 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:44,920 Speaker 1: projected outward after the core explodes, all right. 626 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 2: Probably suspended in clay or something stable like. 627 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: That, right, right, And then you would also have another 628 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: at the base of your projectile. If you have, in 629 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 1: fact a two stage firework. We'll talk about the different 630 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: options in the next steppisode. 631 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:01,560 Speaker 3: But at the base of. 632 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: Your firework you would also have a lift charge which 633 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 1: would be ignited from. 634 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:07,840 Speaker 2: The first right, another little gunpowder puck. 635 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:09,959 Speaker 1: Yeah, so you would have that at the base of it, 636 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,600 Speaker 1: and that's what would provide it the energy to lift 637 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 1: out of the mortar. The basically the tube you have 638 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 1: to fire it off into the sky, So it's really 639 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:21,320 Speaker 1: a two chamber at least a minimum of two chamber 640 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: approaches if you're using the traditional method of launching. 641 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:28,960 Speaker 4: Okay, that was the classic episode text Stuff Lights Some Fireworks, 642 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 4: originally published July twenty third, two thousand and fourteen. Hope 643 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 4: you enjoyed it, and tomorrow we will have part two, 644 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 4: and then after that it should be back to business 645 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:46,840 Speaker 4: as usual. I don't anticipate anything else interrupting the normal 646 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,400 Speaker 4: production of tech stuff for a while. I think my 647 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:55,480 Speaker 4: next vacation isn't until December maybe, so I think we 648 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 4: should be good. 649 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 1: But you know these things, you can never really predict 650 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: how one week is going to go based upon the 651 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:05,040 Speaker 1: previous week. Hope you are all well. I hope you 652 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:08,840 Speaker 1: had a great time. While I was vacating, I went 653 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: to a bigfoot museum. Wish I could talk about that, 654 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: but it's not really tech stuff. But anyway, I'll talk 655 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:24,920 Speaker 1: to you again really soon. Tech Stuff is an iHeartRadio production. 656 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 657 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:36,200 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.