Some firecrackers explode like bombs. Others let out pretty sprinkles of light. Some whoosh into the sky and burst into colours. And then there are those that go round and round like a circle of fire enveloping the ground. People enjoy crackers of many different types every Diwali. But there is one common factor that binds them together despite their varied functions, and that factor is science.

That's because each firecracker gets its unique personality based on the metals, gases and salts that feature on the periodic table. So this being the International Year of the Periodic Table, and it being only a couple of weeks from Diwali, there is a talk scheduled at a Matunga college where attendees will get an insight into what these wondrous chemicals are.