Mike explores the sonic aspects of fireworks: What is an explosion, and why do they sound the way they do? These questions lead to a breakdown of combustion versus detonation; low explosives versus high explosives; the phrase “the boom is sort of like a pop with a diploma;” and a fascinating tangent about trying to learn card tricks in the ’90s.

Plus: The joys of taping a ref’s whistle to the hood of your car.

-- SOURCES --

Celebrate the independence of your country by blowing up a small part of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqfxmWbelcQ

SkunkBear on Fireworks
http://skunkbear.tumblr.com/post/90696652324/boom-awww

SkyLighter on the new Dragon’s Egg recipe
http://www.skylighter.com/fireworks/how-to-make/bismuth-subcarbonate-dragon-eggs.asp

NOVA on the construction (incl Sound Charges) of Fireworks
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/anat_nf.html

A Fireworks Manual about sound I couldn’t buy if I wanted to, it seems
http://www.skylighter.com/mall/product-details.asp?id=463

-- A previous version of this episode contained the following MUSIC --

Intro/Outro: Explosion Alarm by Mark McGuire from A Young Person’s Guide to Mark McGuire

Break #1: Firework of Echoes by Motion Sickness of Time Travel from Slow Architecture

Break #2: Firework (Jump Smokers Remix) by Katy Perry and Jump Smokers from SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/jumpsmokers/katy-perry-firework-jump-smokers-remix

Break #3: Whistle Tip (Remix) by Doo Bachary on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpl_ey5cVnk