Curious About Fireworks

PODCAST 249: CURIOUS ABOUT FIREWORKS

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, JULY 9TH, 2023

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO THIS PODCAST ON OR JUST AFTER RELEASE DAY, A MAJOR AMERICAN HOLIDAY JUST PASSED.  THAT HOLIDAY IS THE 4TH OF JULY, ALSO CALLED INDEPENDENCE DAY.  INDEPENDENCE DAY IS AMERICA’S BIRTHDAY.  WHY DO WE CELEBRATE IT ON JULY 4TH?  WELL, THERE’S AN INTERESTING STORY ABOUT THAT.  ALL THE WAY BACK ON JULY 2ND, 1776, THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS VOTED TO DECLARE INDEPENDENCE FROM GREAT BRITAIN.  AGAIN, THAT HAPPENED ON JULY 2ND, AND NOT ON JULY 4TH.  TWO DAYS LATER, THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS ADOPTED, AND THE OCCASION WAS CELEBRATED WITH THE RINGING OF THE LIBERTY BELL IN PHILADELPHIA.  AT THE TIME, JOHN ADAMS, WHO WOULD LATER BECOME THE SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, THOUGHT THAT AMERICANS WOULD CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY ON JULY 2ND, NOT JULY 4TH.  HE ACTUALLY WROTE THIS IN A LETTER TO HIS WIFE ON JULY 3RD OF THAT YEAR.  “THE SECOND DAY OF JULY 1776, WILL BE THE MOST MEMORABLE EPOCHA, IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA.  I AM APT TO BELIEVE THAT IT WILL BE CELEBRATED, BY SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS, AS THE GREAT ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL.”  EVEN THOUGH HE WASN’T CORRECT ABOUT THE DATE, THE WAY AMERICANS CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY IS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH WHAT JOHN ADAMS ENVISIONED.  HE STATED THAT AMERICANS SHOULD CELEBRATE THE DAY WITH “POMP AND PARADE, WITH SHEWS, GAMES, SPORTS, GUNS, BELLS, BONFIRES, AND ILLUMINATIONS FROM ONE END OF THIS CONTINENT TO THE OTHER FROM THIS TIME FORWARD FOREVER MORE.”  FROM THAT POINT IN HISTORY, AMERICANS HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING THEIR INDEPENDENCE ON JULY 4TH, EVEN THOUGH IT DIDN’T OFFICIALLY BECOME A FEDERAL HOLIDAY UNTIL THE YEAR 1870.  THESE DAYS, THE 4TH OF JULY IS CELEBRATED WITH BARBECUES, CONCERTS, PARADES, AND OF COURSE, FIREWORKS.  THIS WEEK, WE ARE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT SOME SPECIAL DISPLAYS, OR AS JOHN ADAMS WOULD CALL THEM, “ILLUMINATIONS”, THAT HAVE BECOME ONE OF THE SPECIAL WAYS THAT AMERICANS CELEBRATE THE 4TH OF JULY.  

O:  TRIPLE-MAILBAG!

D:  TRIPLE-MAILBAG!

“HELLO!  WE LOVE YOUR PODCAST!  SOME OF OUR FAVORITE EPISODES ARE CURIOUS ABOUT BIGFOOT, SHARKS, SNAKES, AND LEGO.  WE WOULD LOVE TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT FIREWORKS.  WE JUST SAW THE 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS SHOW LAST NIGHT IN OUR TOWN AND THEY WERE AWESOME!  HOW ARE FIREWORKS MADE?  HOW DO THEY ALL LOOK SO DIFFERENT WITH THE COLORS AND SIZES?  WHY ARE THEY SO LOUD?  THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING OUR REQUEST!

-LOVE, THE BUEHNER FAMILY FROM CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS”

“DEAR OLIVIA, WE JUST FOUND YOUR PODCAST AND ARE LOVING IT.  WE WERE WONDERING IF YOU COULD TEACH US ABOUT FIREWORKS.  THANK YOU!

-LOVE, VIOLET FROM OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA”

*VM FROM AYLIN AND BRANDON OF BOISE, IDAHO*

O:  MY GOODNESS!  THOSE WERE THREE AMAZING MESSAGES WE RECEIVED FROM LISTENERS ALL AROUND THE UNITED STATES.  WE CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN ALL ABOUT FIREWORKS THIS WEEK FOR THE BUEHNER FAMILY, VIOLET, AYLIN, AND BRANDON.  I’M SO EXCITED TO LEARN ABOUT FIREWORKS, THAT I COULD EXPLODE.  

D:  LET’S GET ALL OF THE LEARNING KICKED OFF WITH THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.

O:  ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ANNUAL FIREWORKS SHOWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD IS THE MACY’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS SHOW.  IN RECENT YEARS, THE EPIC FIREWORKS SHOWS HAVE COST OVER SIX MILLION DOLLARS EACH TO MAKE.  EVEN THOUGH THAT IS VERY EXPENSIVE, IT IS FAR FROM THE MOST EXPENSIVE FIREWORKS SHOW EVER MADE.  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, HOW MUCH WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE FIREWORKS SHOW EVER, AND IN WHICH CITY DID IT TAKE PLACE?

D:  IT’S CRAZY TO THINK THAT ANY CITY WOULD WANT TO SPEND LOTS OF MONEY ON FIREWORKS, BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT MAJOR CITIES USUALLY BENEFIT FROM BIG FIREWORKS DISPLAYS, BECAUSE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TRAVEL TO SEE FIREWORKS SHOWS, SPENDING LOTS OF MONEY IN THE CITIES THAT THEY VISIT.

ALSO, FIREWORKS ARE AMAZING TO WATCH.  THEY ARE SO BIG AND COLORFUL.  THEY ALMOST SEEM MAGICAL.

O:  THEY MIGHT SEEM LIKE MAGIC, BUT FIREWORKS INVOLVE LOTS OF SCIENCE.  

D:  IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND HOW FIREWORKS WORK, IT HELPS TO KNOW THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF A FIREWORK.

O:  THERE IS A STICK, A FUSE, AN EXPLOSIVE, AND LITTLE COLORFUL PELLETS CALLED STARS.  THE EXPLOSIVE AND STARS ARE LOCATED INSIDE A SPHERICAL SHELL.    

D:  IF YOU’VE EVER HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE FIREWORKS LIVE, YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT THE FIREWORK SHELLS ARE LAUNCHED FROM CYLINDERS ON THE GROUND.  EACH CYLINDER HOLDS A SINGLE SHELL.    

O: STICKING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF EACH SHELL IS A STICK.  IT POINTS THE SHELL IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION… UP.  

D:  WHEN THE SHELL IS LAUNCHED FROM THE CYLINDER, THE FUSE IS LIT.  WHEN THE FUSE HITS THE EXPLOSIVE INSIDE THE SHELL, THE SHELL EXPLODES.  

O:  THE EXPLOSION LIGHTS UP THE STARS THAT WERE INSIDE THE SHELL AND SENDS THEM SOARING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.  

D:  AND DIFFERENT COLORS ARE FORMED BY DIFFERENT CHEMICALS INSIDE THE STARS.  FOR EXAMPLE, COPPER FORMS BLUE AND SODIUM FORMS YELLOW.  ALL THE WORK OF PUTTING THE FIREWORKS TOGETHER IS DONE BY PYROTECHNICIANS.  

O:  PYROTECHNICIANS KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO GET THE AMAZING COLORS AND SOUNDS YOU SEE IN A BEAUTIFUL FIREWORKS SHOW.  THEY CUSTOMIZE EACH SHELL TO CREATE THE COLORS AND DESIGNS YOU SEE WHEN FIREWORKS EXPLODE.  FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY WANT TO MAKE A SMILEY FACE WITH A BLUE MOUTH AND YELLOW EYES, THEY ARRANGE STARS INSIDE THE SHELL IN THE SHAPE OF A SMILEY FACE, AND THEY USE STARS WITH COPPER TO FORM THE MOUTH AND STARS WITH SODIUM TO FORM THE EYES.

D:  THAT’S AMAZING.  PYROTECHNICIANS WORK SO HARD TO PLAN INCREDIBLE FIREWORKS DISPLAYS.  FOR EXAMPLE, THE WORLD FAMOUS MACY’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS SHOW THIS YEAR FEATURED THE EXPLOSION OF 65,000 SHELLS DURING THE 25 MINUTE SHOW.  THAT’S MORE THAN 2,500 SHELLS A MINUTE.  AND EACH SHELL IS DESIGNED TO BURST AT A SPECIFIC HEIGHT, WITH BEAUTIFUL COLORS, FORMING BEAUTIFUL DESIGNS.  THE PLANNING OF THE MACY’S FIREWORKS SHOW IS DONE BY ABOUT 60 LICENSED PYROTECHNICIANS THAT PLAN EVERY DETAIL OF THE SHOW FOR MONTHS BEFORE THE BIG DAY.

O:  EVEN THOUGH FIREWORKS MIGHT SEEM LIKE A RECENT INVENTION, THEY WERE ACTUALLY DISCOVERED MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO, IN CHINA.

D:  PEOPLE IN CHINA REALIZED THAT WHEN THEY THREW STICKS OF BAMBOO INTO FIRE, THE HOLLOW BAMBOO STICKS WOULD EXPLODE, MAKING A LOUD SOUND.  THEY USED THAT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE BY EXPLODING BAMBOO TO SCARE ENEMIES AWAY.

O:  IT WASN’T UNTIL THE 7TH CENTURY THAT A MORE MODERN FIREWORK WAS BEING DEVELOPED.  THAT’S WHEN CHINA DEVELOPED A BLACK POWDER THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD THE WAY TO THE DISCOVERY OF GUNPOWDER, WHICH IS STILL BEING USED TO MAKE FIREWORKS GO BOOM TODAY.

D:  EVEN THOUGH FIREWORKS EXISTED SO LONG AGO, THE FIREWORKS STILL LACKED COLOR, AND THEY ALSO DIDN’T YET DISCOVER HOW TO LAUNCH FIREWORKS HIGH UP INTO THE SKY.  

O:  BY THE YEAR 1,200, CHINA HAD DISCOVERED A WAY TO BLAST FIREWORKS INTO THE SKY, SO FROM THAT POINT ON, FIREWORKS BECAME A SPECTACLE FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY. 

D:  EVEN THOUGH CHINA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR INVENTING FIREWORKS, IT WAS THE ITALIANS THAT HELPED TO BRING COLOR TO AMAZING FIREWORKS DISPLAYS.  THE DISCOVERY THAT DIFFERENT CHEMICALS PRODUCE DIFFERENT COLORS HAPPENED

IN ITALY.  

O:  ONCE COLOR WAS ADDED TO THE MIX, THE POPULARITY OF FIREWORKS SKYROCKETED.  THESE DAYS, FIREWORKS ARE A BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS.  LAST YEAR, OVER 400 MILLION POUNDS OF FIREWORKS WERE USED.  BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT’S NEARLY THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT USED JUST 20 YEAR AGO.  THE POPULARITY OF FIREWORKS IS LITERALLY EXPLODING.

D:  THAT MAY BE TRUE, BUT LET’S NOT FORGET THAT FIREWORKS COULD BE DANGEROUS, SO LET’S LEAVE IT TO THE PROFESSIONALS.  

FIREWORKS SEND ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE TO EMERGENCY ROOMS EVERY YEAR.  

O:  AND HALF OF ALL OF THE FIREWORKS INJURIES HAPPEN TO CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 16.  THE MOST COMMON LOCATION FOR FIREWORKS INJURIES IS ON THE HANDS AND FINGERS.  INJURY TO THE HANDS AND FINGERS ACCOUNT FOR A THIRD OF ALL FIREWORKS INJURIES.

D:  EVEN FIREWORKS THAT ARE SEEMINGLY HARMLESS, LIKE SPARKLERS, COULD STILL BE DANGEROUS.  SPARKLERS BURN VERY HOT, AROUND 2,000 DEGREES, SO MANY KIDS SUFFER SEVERE BURNS DUE TO SPARKLERS.  

O:  NOT ONLY DO WE PUT OURSELVES AT RISK BY USING FIREWORKS, BUT STARTING FIREWORKS CAN ALSO CAUSE FIRES.  IN SOME YEARS, FIREWORKS CAUSE OVER 100 MILLION DOLLARS OF DAMAGE DUE TO THE FIRES THEY CAUSE, THAT COULD DAMAGE AND DESTROY PROPERTY.  

D:  LOTS OF STATES HAVE LAWS REGARDING FIREWORKS.  MASSACHUSETTS IS THE ONLY STATE THAT DOESN’T ALLOW PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS, TO USE FIREWORKS AT ALL.  OTHER STATES, LIKE ILLINOIS, OHIO, AND VERMONT, ONLY ALLOW PEOPLE TO USE WOOD OR WIRE STICK SPARKLERS.  MOST OTHER STATES HAVE MORE LENIENT FIREWORKS LAWS.  

ALRIGHT OLIVIA, LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  IN MOST PLACES, YOU CAN BY A WHOLE PACK OF SPARKLERS FOR LESS THAN $5.  THEY AREN’T EXPENSIVE FIREWORKS AT ALL.  NOT TOO LONG AGO, A COUNTRY SPENT A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY ON THE MOST EXPENSIVE FIREWORKS DISPLAY EVER RECORDED.  WHICH COUNTRY PUT ON THE IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY, AND HOW MUCH DID IT COST?

O:  ABU DHABI, IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, SPENT A WHOPPING 20 MILLION DOLLARS ON A FIREWORKS DISPLAY BACK IN 2009.  THE SHOW TOOK PLACE DURING THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES NATIONAL DAY, AND IT LASTED AN AMAZING 55 MINUTES.  

D:  THAT’S LITERALLY WATCHING LOTS OF MONEY VANISH INTO THIN AIR.  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  249 - FIREWORKS.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB TO THE BUEHNER FAMILY, VIOLET, AYLIN, AND BRANDON FOR THE EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION THAT GOT ALL OF US ALL FIRED UP.  JOIN US NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE WILL GET CURIOUS ABOUT BASKETBALL FOR LISTENERS IN MASSACHUSETTS, INDIANA, VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE, CALIFORNIA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.