Welcome to brain Stuff from how stuff works dot com where smart happens Hi Marshall Brain. Today's topic popcorn, the question what the heck is going on when you turn a hard corn kernel into a white, fluffy snack. It turns out that lots of grains will puff like that if you help them. People eat puffed rice, puffed wheat, and puff corn for breakfast all the time. If you soften a kernel with steam, pressurize it, and then rapidly release the pressure, most grains will puff. Popcorn is cool
because it does it all by itself. The outer shell of the kernel is important. It has to be sealed. If you puncture a kernel with a pin, it won't pop. Moisture is also important. If a popcorn kernel is too dry, it won't pop either. When you heat a popcorn kernel, the moisture inside creates so much pressure that the outer shell burst like a balloon. The starch inside pots during the explosion, and you have an instant snack. Be sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff from the Future.
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