NC Science Festival breaks Guinness World Record for highest launch from a Galilean cannon

The massive festival, which had to go virtual because of the pandemic, has a little something to celebrate this year.

Posted 3:49 p.m. Apr 30, 2020 — Updated 4:11 p.m. Apr 30, 2020

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

, Go Ask Mom editor

The North Carolina Science Festival had big plans in April for its 10th anniversary. More than 800 events were on the schedule to spotlight science in North Carolina. Hands-on activities, nature hikes, workshops and stargazing parties were expected to draw tens of thousands to parks, museums and other destinations across the state.

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, turned those plans upside down. The events were canceled or postponed. Some activities were still offered online, but the celebration was muted.

But on Thursday, there was some good news to share: The festival had officially broken a Guinness World Record for the highest launch from a Galilean cannon.

On March 6, a team launched a ball 44 feet and 6.5 inches into the air, breaking the previous record of 37 feet and 8 inches that was set by a South Carolina teacher and his AP Physics class in 2018.

Organizers hope the honor sparks some excitement about science during these difficult times.

“What better way to celebrate STEM than with a world record!”, says Erik MacIntosh, NC Sci Fest programs manager, in a press release. “Our team is excited to share the news and we would like to issue a challenge to see if others in our state can top our record.”

So what exactly is a Galilean cannon? It's a "demonstration of the conversation of linear movement," according to the festival.

Here's how the festival describes it: The cannon, consisting of a stack balls arranged by weight from heaviest to lightest, demonstrates the transfer of kinetic energy between objects. When the stack of balls is dropped, the kinetic energy from the lower balls transfers through them to launch the topmost ball into the air, providing it enough energy to bounce much higher than normal.

Dr. Duane Deardorff and Shane Brogan from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Physics and Astronomy helped the NCSciFest team devise and build a device that would allow them to use the commercially available “Seismic Accelerator” to set the record, according to the press release. Their help ensured the team could maximize the height and achieve repeatable results.

The event took place in front of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, which is the festival's producing institution. As required, four witnesses observed the attempt, which was recorded using multiple high-quality cameras.

As part of the festival's digital learning collection, it also as created an at-home version of the Galilean cannon launch that families can try at home. More information is on the festival's website.

“Our team was drawn to this record because we wanted something that everyone in North Carolina could attempt too,” says Wayne Capps, Morehead educator, in the press release. “We may hold the current record for the world’s highest launch from a Galilean cannon, but we are challenging every science enthusiast in the state to break it. Let’s see how high Galilean cannons can really get!”

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