Science News Archive

Birthday Candle Lighting Problem Solved !

Once you start to get a bit older it can take so long to light all of the candles on your birthday cake that the first-lit candles have almost burned down by the time you light the last ones. But that could all change thanks to American Christian Myerchin who has come up with a simultaneous birthday candle lighting device ! Pads containing nitrocellulose and magnesium wire, and linked up by a nitrocellulose fuse, are pressed over the wicks of each of the birthday candles. All you have to do it to light one-end of the nitrocellulose fuse which burns very quickly, lights all of the pads which in turn light the candles at the same time !

13th Jul 2002