There was a great program on tonight on NOVA tonight (a program on public television (pbs) in the US). Did anyone else catch it? I was pretty impressed with the quality of information presented. Usually tv programs "dumb down" fireworks for the uneducated masses. not this one! It not only named the ingredients of bp (I've seen a program that said it's "a composition of saltpeter, sulfur, and honey"), but the proportions too! It also went in-depth on different kinds of devices, plus it interviewed the Zambellis (http://www.fireworkscompany.com/home.html), a famous Italian family of master pyrotechnicians. There was actually a lot of good information, and I even learned a bit!

It talked about the history of fireworks and how modern technology has allowed more advanced shows coordinated with music and lasers (not sure how I feel about that), and showed how the Zambellis wired up their entire show on a barge on a river in Boston.

I was a little disappointed that the producers chose to include this idiot (http://www.gwally.com/pyroboy/) in the show. I guess you need to contrast the cautious, wise masters with a young, reckless fool. The interview with him really portrayed him as antisocial and a bit crazy. he basically dons a nascar suit and duck-tapes commercial fireworks to himself and lights them. This is a direct quote from him: "I strap pyrotechnics to myself and blow myself up." Thumbs DOWN to that. It was funny though, because the way he spoke and behaved was a spitting image of the way kewls talk on BB!

In all, a great program. Check out the site's web page here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_4_novabrfireworks_2008-07-01
There's bound to be some good stuff there.

I've got it on VHS at home. If there were a way to digitize it I'd happily put it up for everyone. I've also got Kaboom! (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/kaboom/)

OH thats a great program, i watched it in chem. class it was really interesting, and we did the flour and candle in a tube experiment

ME LIKIE!

at a wedding party i was talking to a PHD of educational psychology (she called me a scholar :P) and we speculated on ways to improve PBS.

glad to see other people watch the good channels

you can take your VCR and hook up the AV cables to a DVD recorder...

I think that I saw this program last year, but it was still very good. I <3 PBS. Kinda unrelated, but I saw a show about Les Paul on there a few days ago, it was really cool.

OH thats a great program, i watched it in chem. class it was really interesting, and we did the flour and candle in a tube experiment

I think i saw the program in school too. And I tried the flower experiment, but my tube was way to short and it didn't work. :(

I think i saw the program in school too. And I tried the flower experiment, but my tube was way to short and it didn't work. :(

I'll probably make a vid of this when I get home if I can find the pipe I used for the flour FAE thing again. It smells like burned cake.