• Question: Do you guys like explosions? I like explosions :) If I was a scientist, I'd like too work with pyro!

    Asked by smg84 to Chris, Emily, Martin, Natalie, Tamsin on 24 Mar 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Tamsin Gray

      Tamsin Gray answered on 24 Mar 2010:

      I like explosions too – do you watch Braniac?

      Some of the scientists here in Antarctica make big explosions in the snow to find out what the land is like underneath. Have a look at this film that a Sky News team made earlier this year when they visited Antarctica (if you’re patient you’ll see a big explosion): http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Climate-Change-Antarctica-Feels-The-Effects/Article/200912115488084
      Scientists bury speakers in the snow and listen as the noise from the explosion is reflected from the rock under the glacier. They can tell by the reflections how deep the ice is and what shape the rocks are. Sometimes they discover lakes buried deep beneath the ice where some people think their might be life similar to life that could exist on other planets.

    • Photo: Martin Coath

      Martin Coath answered on 24 Mar 2010:

      The study of explosions and explosive processes has a long history in science and explosives are an important technology – even for peaceful uses.

      Like most people I love fireworks and I was lucky enough to do chemistry at university where I got the chance to do a small amount of loud, bright, reactions.

      I still do some of these on stage for demonstration purposes – and I LOVE fireworks! 🙂

    • Photo: Chris Cooper

      Chris Cooper answered on 24 Mar 2010:

      I like explosions, but try to avoid them in my work. Mind you I got a lot of my equipment upgraded when a fire burnt down the chemistry labs at Essex (definitely an accident I should add in case the insurers are watching!). So that explosion I liked a lot…..

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