Here's why popcorn kernels jump when they pop, explained in 1 minute

Popcorn leaps in the air for a reason, scientists have discovered
(Image credit: The New York Times)

Popcorn has been around for at least 6,000 years, James Gorman says at The New York Times, but French scientists only just discovered why corn kernels not only pop — it's been known for a while that heated water vapor inside makes the hull open with a popping noise — but "also vault into the air and somersault like an oddly shaped gymnast, with one puffy white leg." You can read the study by Emmanuel Virot and Alexandre Ponomarenko, published in the journal Interface, or Gorman's summary of it. Or, you can watch Gorman narrate the process in the video below. It will take about a minute, and the slow-motion popcorn ballet is pretty amazing to watch. —Peter Weber

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Peter Weber

Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.