LAWRENCE CO. – There’s no question that we love fireworks.
On the Fourth of July, the skies will be ablaze with exploding art, and happiness for the soul – bursting like hot brilliant umbrellas of twinkling lights.
Firework displays are a rare mix of controlled, careful choreography with that exciting sense that anything might happen. It’s a hypnotic cocktail of science and spectacle, raw power and beauty, color, and noise.
Southern Indiana Classic Hits WQRK 105.5, LiteFM 102.5, and WBIW 1340 have done all the work and have put together a list of where you can enjoy the entertaining night artwork. To amplify the view make sure you pick up a pair of FREE 3D glasses to make the experience even more special.
You can find a list of fireworks events and where to get your free 3D glasses by clicking here.
But what about fireworks makes them so appealing and euphoric? The answer might not be what you expect.
Daniel Glaser, a neuroscientist and the director of Science Gallery London at King’s College in the United Kingdom, says the reason we like fireworks is because they scare us.
Like lightning, the bright flashes warn us something that something is about to happen. This activates the amygdala, a little ball of nerves in the brain that detects fear. After the lights have stimulated the anticipation of a threat, the resounding boom of the firework confirms this perception in our brains. In response, our reward centers release a surge of dopamine, a chemical that regulates pleasure.
Fireworks are also mesmerizing because of their novelty. As we watch these magnificent pyrotechnic stars explode, we’re exposed to injections of color we don’t normally see. These surprising bursts of color also explain why we’d rather get up close and personal with the action by attending fireworks at a public display.
