Now that Christmas is over, tinsel is a lot less charming. Yet few people think about why and how it was created in the first place. It's been a holiday decoration staple for decades, and it turns out that silver stuff hanging from your tree has quite a storied past. Tinsel has been made out of everything from real silver, to lead to dangerously flammable materials.
This week's Speaking of Chemistry decks your halls with the history of tinsel.
Source: American Chemical Society