According to The New Scientist magazine, ancient cannon balls retrieved from shipwrecks are causing some havoc of their own as they explode on the desks of archaeologists who are trying to study them. Robert Child, of the National Museums and Galleries of Wales in Cardiff told the magazine:

“There was smoke coming off the bench. The explosions are happening because the balls developed a lattice-like porous structure over hundreds of years that reacted with oxygen to produce massive amounts of heat.”

Talk about a blast from the past! I’d stay away if I were you.

What do YOU think?