Amadeo Enriquez-Ballestero, a Spanish-born science educator at the Otago Museum, quickly explained the difference between the burning of hydrogen in a small balloon, and hydrogen fusion - the latter process taking place in our sun.
The educational event was part of the University of Otago's Advanced School Sciences Academy programme, which each year aims to challenge and stimulate 60 year 13 pupils from low-decile secondary schools throughout the country.
The programme also aims to build the pupils' confidence in communicating with fellow scientists and to a wider audience.
Two Dunedin residential science camps are held each year and the first took place this week.
Mr Enriquez-Ballestero shared science teaching ideas with about 20 teachers from throughout New Zealand who have accompanied their pupils to Dunedin.
Two visiting teachers then produced the ''bangs'' when they applied a small flame at the end of a stick to small balloons containing hydrogen.
Mr Enriquez-Ballestero explained that the explosions resulted from the burning of hydrogen.
A great deal more energy and light was generated by a different process- involving the fusing of hydrogen - that was going on in the sun, he said.
