I found several crazy stories about nitroglycerin's (mis)use in East Central Indiana during the gas and oil boom of 1886-1910. One story involves Muncie’s ...

To create an artificial structure that surpasses the sensitivity, selectivity, and speed of the olfaction system of animals is a challenge. In a study published in National Science Review, researchers ...

While searching for new hikes to try in San Francisco, Bay Curious listener Ryan Flynn stumbled across a pin on Google Maps for ‘The First Dynamite Factory in America.’ The pin marked a spot in Glen ...

Gunpowder was first used in 1679, to build an underground section of the Canal du Midi, a canal connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The tunnel was 157 meters long. Nitroglycerin ...

Blasting explosives like gunpowder, nitroglycerin, and dynamite all work well for carving a tunnel through a mountain. The dense rock walls can support themselves, and they won't collapse into the ...