Chilling champers could save your eyesight

They found that just five percent of the energy inside a champagne bottle actually propels the cork.

They found that just five percent of the energy inside a champagne bottle actually propels the cork.

Published Dec 30, 2013

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London - Nothing says “party” like the sound of a champagne cork popping.

And the even better news is that its bang could also be saving your friends and family from a serious injury. So say fluid dynamicists at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, reacting to news from the American Academy of Ophthalmology that cork-popping is “one of the most common holiday eye hazards”.

They found that just five percent of the energy inside a champagne bottle actually propels the cork. Thankfully, as far as your eyesight — and the plaster on your ceiling — is concerned, the rest of the energy is released in the “pop”. But if you want to be certain to avoid injury while celebrating, the Gallic researchers say you need to be sure to properly chill your champers.

The warmer the fluid, the greater the cork’s velocity, rising from 24mph at 4c to 34 mph at 18c. It could mean the difference between a black eye and blindness. - Daily Mail

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