Fourth Of July

This Is How America Celebrated July 4 During the Coronavirus Pandemic

This Fourth of July is unlike any other in recent memory. In many places, absent are familiar scenes of fireworks and get togethers, replaced by warnings and worry about the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has infected at least 2.8 million Americans and killed more than 129,000. But in other places, the celebration goes on, despite…

Tech News Jody Serrano Jul 4 '20

Hulu’s Into the Dark Takes on the Border Crisis in Its Most Dystopian Episode Yet

Into the Dark, Hulu’s collaboration with Blumhouse, seemed like a bit of a gimmick when it was first announced: a new horror film every month, themed to tie in with an upcoming holiday. But the series has been surprisingly diverse, particularly when it comes to tone—and “Culture Shock,” the Fourth of July entry, is maybe…

Television Cheryl Eddy Jul 4 '19

You’re Not Doing the Fourth of July Right If You’re Not Blowing Up the World’s Largest Fireworks Tank

There’s an overwhelming variety of fireworks to help you celebrate the Fourth of July, including staples like burning schoolhouses, Roman candles, and those tiny tanks that roll around and shoot sparks. Those tanks were apparently a childhood favorite of Peter Sripol, who decided to build, and immediately destroy, a gigantic near life-size version now that…

Sploid Andrew Liszewski Jul 4 '19

The 5 Best Worst Jaws Rip-Offs

Fourth of July classic Jaws was released back in 1975, and we’re still feeling its effects. It helped launch both the summer blockbuster and Steven Spielberg’s career; it influenced how we perceive sharks in real life; and it spawned a tsunami of inferior (but often stupidly entertaining) movies about shark attacks. With that in mind,…

Movies Cheryl Eddy Jul 4 '19

Slo-Mo Footage of Fireworks Blowing Up a BBQ Is the Best Way to Spend the Fourth of July

You’re doing the Fourth of July wrong if you’re not spending it with lots of food, lots of fireworks, and lots of tiny flags. But if you’d rather just stare at your phone all day, director David Ma has combined all the requisite Fourth of July traditions into a slo-mo extravaganza of patriotic destruction. Red,…

Sploid Andrew Liszewski Jul 4 '18

The Government’s Latest Fireworks Safety Video Is Horrifying as Hell

Every year around the Fourth of July the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission puts on a graphic demonstration of why you should be really careful when setting off fireworks. The video of the demo arrived a little late this year, but if you’re a fan of horror movies, it was still totally worth the wait.…

Sploid Andrew Liszewski Jul 20 '16

How Does A Sparkler Work?

Today’s the day that we celebrate our independence—and the best way to do that is by lighting-up a sparkler and holding a little bit of fire in your own two hands. But what’s in that sparkler that burns so bright? That’d be the eternal flame of freedom. (Also incredibly hot-burning chemicals.) The ingredients of a…

Tech News Ria Misra Jul 4 '16

The Government’s Annual Fireworks Safety Video Gets Quiet and Personal

Last year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released a fireworks safety video that was tough to take seriously. In this year’s PSA, the organization turned down the explosives and instead focused on a story that recently impacted someone in the public eye. New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who appears in the PSA…

Tech News Carli Velocci Jul 3 '16

Here’s the Government’s Horrifying New Fireworks Safety Demonstration

Do you love watching fireworks? What about watching fireworks that blow the shit out of poor, unsuspecting mannequins? Well, have we got a treat for you. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently conducted their annual fireworks safety demonstration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. And just like past safety demonstrations, it’s more hilarious than…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 3 '15

Which Fireworks Are Legal In Your State?

It’s that time of year again, when you find yourself driving furiously across state lines because your puritanical lawmakers don’t want you sparking up some Black Cats in your backyard. Before you go, check this list of the fireworks that are allowed near you. According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, 47 states plus DC permit…

Tech News Alissa Walker Jul 3 '15

5 Surprising Facts About America’s Favorite Exploding Pastime

Firecrackers are essentially un-American, even though we associate them our most deeply patriotic celebration, the Fourth of July. The fact is that firecrackers are foreign-born novelties, and have been as long as Americans have lit them for a noisy salute to the nation’s birth. As it turns out, firecracker history is as colorful and complicated…

Tech News Lisa Hix - Collector's Weekly Jul 4 '14

Cross Section Views of Firecrackers Are As Cool As their Explosions

As a kid, you couldn’t care less about what was inside the firecrackers that your parents wouldn’t let you play with. All you cared about was BOOM. But the chemical mixtures inside those colorful capsules are fascinating to look upon, as proven by the photographs of Andrew Waits. The series is entitled Boom City, which…

Tech News Michael Hession Jul 3 '14

How to Keep Your Dog Happy When Fireworks Go Off — Using Science!

Dogs are terrified of fireworks. How can you enjoy the Fourth of July while also being sensitive to your canine companions’ needs? We reached out to a group of dog scientists to get some answers. Here’s what they had to say. A More Intense Form of Terror Dr. Gregory Berns is a neurobiologist at Emory…

Biology Jason G. Goldman Jul 2 '14

This USA Chalkboard Map Takes You Back to Geography Class

This wipe away USA chalkboard map reminds me of those pull-down maps you had in grade school. Except you won’t get in trouble for drawing all over this one. Mark it up as you please. Plan a road trip. Give a geography lesson. Recreate Lewis and Clark’s historic cross-country trek. Do all of it, because…

Tech News Leslie Horn Jul 4 '13

Here’s a Patriotic Playlist for Your July 4th BBQ

You’ve already checked marching band music off your list if you went to a local parade this morning. Now that you’ve got that covered, here’s a Fourth of July-themed Spotify playlist so you can rock out, America-style today. What’s a party without good tunes? We put some of the usual July 4 offenders on there—some…

Tech News Leslie Horn Jul 4 '13

All the Amazing Facts About Your Fireworks Injury

Fireworks go boom, and when things go boom, sooner or later somebody gets hurt. For a blow-by-blow taxonomy of fireworks injuries, we turn the Consumer Protection Safety Commission, which each year documents the damage we do to ourselves around the Fourth of July. In 2012, 60-percent of the year’s fireworks injuries occurred between June 22nd…

Tech News Mario Aguilar Jul 4 '13

Where the Different Colors of Fireworks Actually Come From

If you want to scientifically impress your friends tomorrow (or look like a hoity toity smartypants), you can tell them what the color of fireworks really mean. See that explosion of electric white? That’s white-hot metal flakes. Gorgeous red array? Strontium Carbonate. It’s all about the chemicals, baby. Every single time a new color pops…

Tech News Casey Chan Jul 3 '12

The Fireworks Laws of Every State

If you’re looking to blow some stuff up tomorrow, it’s probably a good idea to know what sort of fireworks you’re “legally” allowed to use according to state law. This map will give you all the information you need to know on whether fireworks are legal, illegal or incredibly lame in your state. American Pyro…

Tech News Casey Chan Jul 3 '12

An American Flag Full of Tweets

No offense to Betsy Ross, but this is an American flag made for the 21st Century. It’s a digital weave created from the avatars of Twitter users who tweet about Independence Day using a July 4th hashtag. Old Glory can be found at the Code for America website and was created with the help of…

Tech News Kelly Jul 4 '11

Express Your Patriotism With This ANSI Art

It’s Fourth of July here in the states. While most Americans are celebrating with non-stop food, beer and fireworks, Barry Ritholtz took a break from the festivities to create this ingenious ANSI art. Amazingly, this creation only uses 100 characters so it’s Twitter-safe and perfect for some re-Tweet love this holiday afternoon. [Barry Ritholtz (@ritholtz)]…

Tech News Kelly Jul 4 '11

Fourth Of July

This Is How America Celebrated July 4 During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Hulu’s Into the Dark Takes on the Border Crisis in Its Most Dystopian Episode Yet

You’re Not Doing the Fourth of July Right If You’re Not Blowing Up the World’s Largest Fireworks Tank

The 5 Best Worst Jaws Rip-Offs

Slo-Mo Footage of Fireworks Blowing Up a BBQ Is the Best Way to Spend the Fourth of July

The Government’s Latest Fireworks Safety Video Is Horrifying as Hell

How Does A Sparkler Work?

The Government’s Annual Fireworks Safety Video Gets Quiet and Personal

Here’s the Government’s Horrifying New Fireworks Safety Demonstration

Which Fireworks Are Legal In Your State?

5 Surprising Facts About America’s Favorite Exploding Pastime

Cross Section Views of Firecrackers Are As Cool As their Explosions

How to Keep Your Dog Happy When Fireworks Go Off — Using Science!

This USA Chalkboard Map Takes You Back to Geography Class

Here’s a Patriotic Playlist for Your July 4th BBQ

All the Amazing Facts About Your Fireworks Injury

Where the Different Colors of Fireworks Actually Come From

The Fireworks Laws of Every State

An American Flag Full of Tweets

Express Your Patriotism With This ANSI Art

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