Fire Flowers: How Ancient Alchemists Accidentally Changed the Sky скачать в хорошем качестве

Fire Flowers: How Ancient Alchemists Accidentally Changed the Sky

Did you know that fireworks started with exploding bamboo? Join us as we journey from the mountain villages of ancient China to the high-tech computerized displays of today. Discover the 'accidental' invention of gunpowder and the science that paints the night sky in every color imaginable. *The Origin: "Bao Zhu" (Exploding Bamboo) The First "Firecrackers": Over 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty (200 BCE – 900 CE), villagers in rural China threw hollow green bamboo stalks into fires. The Science of the Pop: As the bamboo heated up, air trapped inside would expand until it exploded with a sharp crack. Cultural Purpose: This practice, called "bao zhu," was believed to frighten away evil spirits and malevolent ghosts. The Accidental Invention: Between the 7th and 9th centuries (Tang Dynasty), Taoist alchemists searching for an "elixir of immortality" accidentally discovered gunpowder. The Original Recipe: They mixed sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter (which they called "Chinese snow"). Early Warnings: Early texts referred to it as "huo yao" (fire drug) and warned that it could burn down buildings if handled incorrectly. Song Dynasty Sophistication (960 CE): Craftsmen began stuffing black powder into bamboo tubes, creating the first true firecrackers. They eventually learned to add mineral salts to produce early colors. Japanese "Hanabi": Reaching Japan in the 16th century, fireworks were refined into "hanabi" (fire flowers). Japanese artisans specialized in "kamuro" shells—stars that change color as they burn and drift down like cherry blossoms. English "Green Men": In the 16th century, England featured "Green Men" or "Wild Men" who wore suits embedded with slow-burning fireworks and ran through crowds emitting sparks. The vibrant colors we see today were revolutionized by Italian pyrotechnicians in the 18th century who systematically explored metallic salts: Red: Strontium carbonate or strontium nitrate. Green: Barium compounds. Yellow: Sodium compounds. Blue (The Hardest Color): Created using copper compounds, which are extremely difficult because they must burn at a very precise temperature—too hot and they turn white, too cool and they vanish. The Mechanism: A modern shell contains "stars" (colored pellets) and a bursting charge. It is launched from a mortar tube by a lifting charge, while a time fuse determines exactly when it bursts in the air. Computerized Choreography: Today, microprocessors control electrical firing circuits, allowing shows to be synchronized to music down to hundredths of a second. The Giants: The world's largest shells, like the "yonshakudama" from Japan, are four feet in diameter and weigh over half a ton.