Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Breaking news: Scientists discover why popcorn pops
“
Study unravels physics of kernel – water contained in the shell rapidly escapes as steam under heat, making the corn ‘pop’—The Guardian
”
by Larry Geller
Tired of all the bad news? Check out this important breakthrough. Scientists discovered stuff like:
Using a high-speed camera, which took 2,900 frames per second, the researchers also show that the kernel is propelled into the air by a “leg” of expanding starch. Previously, scientists had speculated that escaping steam might boost the kernel upwards in a “rocket” effect. But in a freeze-frame analysis, the researchers show the dynamics of a jumping piece of popcorn are similar to an acrobat performing a somersault.
[The Guardian (UK), Scientists now know why popcorns pop, 2/10/2015]
Now that this is completely understood, I’m going to fire up the hot-air popper and make myself some right now.
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