Corn Commentary

Corn in Space

I really don’t know why anyone would even ask this question, but Popular Science answered it: If You Dropped a Corn Kernel From Space, Would it Pop During Re-Entry?

The answer – if you care – is “it depends.” It’s all pretty technical – kind of rocket science, if you will – but here is the basic answer:

There’s a little bit of water inside each kernel of popcorn, and if you can heat the kernel above 212°F, that water should boil, turn into high-pressure steam, and pop the kernel. But in orbit, things aren’t so simple. First off, the cold vacuum of space would suck all the water out of the kernel before it could pop the corn. So any ordinary kernels would drop, not pop. But let’s say we figured out a way to keep the kernel watertight. In that case, it all depends.

Just a little trivia question for your New Year’s Eve party tonight!