Natural or man-made, explosions go BOOM for many reasons, and science can explain them all. Who knew that some insects can create explosions to get food? Or that fireworks were once used to fight wars? Explosions are all around us, from the Big Bang that created the universe to the "pop" of a seedpod, and from solar flares to the explosive gases lurking in a coal mine. Full of fun facts, dramatic images and highlights of momentous blasts in history -- including the infamous Halifax explosion of 1917, which killed thousands of people -- "Kaboom " Examines an astonishing variety of explosions and the science behind them. Many remarkable blasts are a result of human ingenuity, from carving the faces of four American presidents into a wall of granite on Mount Rushmore to the development of asthma inhalers based on a beetle's explosive pulses to scare predators. They include: Down to Eath (volcanoes, geysers) Outer Space (the Big Bang, supernovas) Plant and Animal Explosions (seedpods, Bombardier beetles) Destructive Explosions (gunpowder, dynamite, bombs) Constructive Explosions (building demolition, internal combustion engines) Just for Fun (fireworks). The many exciting guises of explosions are revealed in ways both engrossing and surprising.