logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2011
2m 23s

What is dynamite? How does it work?

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode
Dynamite is a type of chemical explosive. Discover how explosives from gasoline to dynamite work in this episode of BrainStuff. 
Up next
Apr 23
How Do Fainting Goats Work?
Fainting goats don't really faint -- their muscles just lock up for a few extra seconds when they startle or get excited. Learn how myotonia works and why it can actually be a useful trait in goats in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://animals.howstuffwork ... Show More
9m 4s
Apr 22
Does Smog Make Sunsets More Beautiful?
Although a little air pollution can bring out brilliant colors in sunsets, most of it just causes a washed-out haze. Learn how both sunsets and smog work in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/smog-sunse ... Show More
8m 23s
Apr 21
Why Does Albania Have Hundreds of Thousands of Bunkers?
When Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha started building concrete bunkers during the Cold War, it was part paranoia and part propaganda. Learn more about these mysterious bunkers and how they're being repurposed today in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://histo ... Show More
8 m
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2015
BOOM! The Bang behind the bomb, and how to stop it
Things get a little dangerous as we don our body armour and head out into the battlefield. How do explosives work and what can we do to protect against them? We take a sneak peek at AnUBIS, a device that uses donated human body parts to help to understand the injuries an explosio ... Show More
57m 44s
Oct 2024
Can you remotely blow up a mobile device?
On September 17th, 2024 thousands of pagers intended for use by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon and Syria. The next, hundred of walkie-talkies detonated in the same manner. This operation was precedented in design, but not in scale -- and across the planet, people began to wond ... Show More
1h 10m
Nov 2023
Episode 145: 2020 Beirut Explosion
<p>storing massive quantities of ammonium nitrate goes wrong again. who could have seen this coming?</p> <p>Seamus's Substack: https://www.seamus-malekafzali.com/ Seamus's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Seamus_Malek</p> <p>Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wtyppod/</p> <p>Send u ... Show More
1h 40m
Aug 2024
How Bomb Disposal Works
Out of all the jobs a person can have, few are as overtly dangerous as making sure bombs don’t go off and if they do, making sure they’re away from people. Learn how bomb technicians do it safely, without a 100% turnover rate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
47m 36s
Oct 2023
Strange News: Massive Dime Heist, Big Bang Science, US Drug Stores Close
A crew of professional heisters accidentally hits a truck from the US Federal Mint, and struggles to unload hundreds of pounds of dimes. Scientists verify certain cosmic explosions create ingredients of organic life. In the US, thousands of pharmacies close. All of this and more ... Show More
49m 18s
Jan 2025
Does It Fly? Putting science in entertainment to the test
<p>This week, we discuss how to examine the science behind our favorite TV shows and movies with the co-hosts of the "Does It Fly?" podcast, Hakeem Oluseyi and Tamara Krinsky. Produced by Roddenberry Entertainment, "Does It Fly?" takes an expert approach to breaking down the scie ... Show More
56m 52s
Jun 2024
Dr. Soham Mandal -- What Happens to Supernovae After they Explode?
When a star explodes, it's not finished having an impact on its surroundings. For the next thousand years or so, we can still see it as a supernova remnant, when the explosion has expanded to large enough scales that we can actually resolve an image of the explosion with modern t ... Show More
50m 48s
May 2019
Chocolate Chicken Chicken Cake
If there's one thing that sets people apart from machines, it's creativity, right? Automation may take over certain jobs, but what happens when algorithms start to learn from our work to create their own? This episode, we speak with people using AI to generate films, poetry, musi ... Show More
29m 33s
Nov 2025
How Science Can Hack Flavor
Will eating mint cancel out the feeling of spice in your mouth? How do you manipulate aroma compounds to mimic the taste of lemon? When it comes to the science of flavor, there is no shortage of questions to ask. On this episode, Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by renowned flavor ... Show More
30m 20s
Oct 2025
The Meteorite That Vanished: El Ali’s Strange Journey
A massive iron meteorite sat undisturbed in the Somali desert for generations—until armed men stole it in 2020. The El Ali meteorite contains at least three minerals never before seen on Earth, making it scientifically priceless. But its journey from landmark to black market rais ... Show More
17m 53s