Gunpowder
Description
Few substances in history have had as profound an effect on mankind as gunpowder. And yet its discovery was probably an accident--a big bang, for one. This program examines the invention and history of gunpowder, as well as its surprising ingredients. As you can imagine, making gunpowder takes some effort. Gunpowder once needed saltpeter, and saltpeter needed poop. It turns out that secretions have such an explosive character due to microscopic bacteria, which produce the nitrates as byproducts of digestion. How did the man who founded the Nobel Peace Prize revolutionize gunpowder? And is gunpowder about to be replaced? Part of the series Quirky Science.
Runtime
24 min
Series
Subjects
Genre
Date of Publication
2011
Database
Alexander Street