I can see a few smiley faces. I’m sure most people have enjoyed balloons at one time or the other in their lives. By the way, do you know what they are made of? I hear someone yelling, ‘Rubber! Rubber!!’ Yes, you are right, but can you believe some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig bladder? Yuck! I know how you feel.[break]
So when was the present-day balloons invented? Some of you are curious to find out, right?
Michael Faraday invented the rubber balloons we use today, in 1824, while experimenting with various gases. Now that is amazing. I can see that just the thought of balloons has made you smile. I also know you are thinking, ‘Red, green, blue and yellow, signs of all the fun to follow!’ Yes, they are available in different colors, shapes and sizes. I personally like the long tubular ones that can be shaped into anything you want to make out of it. I remember as a child, someone had made a poodle out of it for me and I had treasured it for a long time till it became limp and would not stand at all.
We have all seen balloons being used for various purposes. Depending on use, they are filled with air, helium, water, or other suitable liquids or gases. We use balloons during Holi, filled with colored water, to splat at each other. Rubber and plastic balloons are used for decoration. When they are filled with helium, they become very light and rise high. However, they stay up for only a day or two. Balloons filled with air usually hold their size and shape for up to a week. These are the general party balloons, but have you seen the ones that look like animals?
Yes, they look very cute and every kid would like to have one. In the late 1970s, balloons made of thin, un-stretchable, metal-coated plastics started being produced. These balloons are very attractive, often printed with color pictures and patterns, and they last longer too. They are lighter and have the ability to keep in the helium gas for several weeks. I’m sure you know about balloons being used for many other purposes as well, but did you know it is also used in military?
Believe it, because balloons are used in military. They are called barrage balloon. They are large balloons held with metal cables, used to defend against low-level aircraft attack. Well, Nepal is not far behind in using balloons in different capacity, either. Did you know they have started taking tourists around Pokhara on hot-air balloons?
Aha! So you want to know about hot air balloons? A hot air balloon consists of a bag called the envelope, capable of containing heated air. A basket that hangs below this envelope carries passengers and a source of heat. In most cases it’s an open flame. The heated air inside the envelope makes the balloon float. I know you read in your science class that hot air rises up. So does the basket with people in a hot air balloon. It is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology.
Another use of balloon is in the medical sector. “How can balloons be used in medicine?” you ask? This procedure is called Angioplasty. It is a surgical procedure, in which very small balloons are inserted into blocked or partially blocked blood vessels near the heart. Once in place, the balloon is inflated to clear the blockage, thus preventing heart attack.
So the next time you are playing with balloons, take a moment and think of their varied uses and sizes, and marvel at it. You might even want to share your knowledge about them with your friends. Think about it, won’t you?
Pokharel is an educationist, consultant and author of several children’s books.
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