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Blast

Blast is an Layer-2 () scaling network that utilizes optimistic rollups to process transactions off the main chain, thereby improving speed and reducing fees while maintaining security through 's settlement layer. Distinctive for being the first to incorporate native yield generation, Blast automatically compounds returns on deposited and stablecoins—such as its USDB—sourced from decentralized protocols including staking for and MakerDAO's T-Bill yields for stable assets. Developed by Tieshun Roquerre, known as and the founder of the NFT marketplace, Blast raised $20 million in seed funding from investors including and Standard Crypto, with a team comprising alumni from institutions like and Yale as well as experience from FAANG companies and MakerDAO. The project emerged post-Ethereum's Shanghai upgrade in 2023, enabling staked withdrawals, and progressed from a phase incentivizing participation via points to mainnet launch in February 2024, followed by the BLAST airdrop and trading debut in June 2024. Blast's EVM compatibility supports seamless deployment of Ethereum-based decentralized applications, with yield mechanisms designed to attract liquidity and foster an on-chain economy through auto-rebasing balances and gas revenue sharing. Blast achieved rapid adoption, amassing over $600 million in total value locked (TVL) within days of its pre-mainnet deposit phase and peaking at approximately $2.2 billion shortly after launch, ranking among top L2s by at the time. However, its TVL subsequently declined sharply to around $67 million by mid-2025 amid broader market conditions and incentive exhaustion, with current deposits reported at over $161 million. The project's pre-launch strategy, which encouraged early deposits for points redeemable in the BLAST , drew criticism from backers like for aggressive marketing perceived as crossing ethical lines and resembling unsustainable incentives, contributing to post-launch user and scrutiny over long-term viability. Despite these challenges, Blast has hosted developer competitions and integrated features like mobile apps to bolster U.S.-focused growth in the sector.

Physical sciences

Explosive blasts and shock waves

An blast occurs through the rapid of an material, liberating energy that compresses the surrounding air into a supersonic propagating outward from the point. This shock front features an abrupt rise, termed , typically measured in pounds per (), which decays with distance according to empirical scaling relations derived from test data. The wave's destructive potential stems from the , the of over time, which imparts to objects, coupled with secondary fragmentation from the casing or environment. The etymology of "blast" traces to blæst, from Proto-Germanic bles-, originally denoting a or blowing, extended in modern usage to the expansive gas dynamics of explosions where volumes expand violently at high velocities. Explosives are classified by reaction type: high-order detonations propagate supersonically via a self-sustaining front, achieving velocities over 1,000 m/s in materials like , whereas deflagrations involve subsonic flame propagation below the , approximately 343 m/s in air at standard conditions. TNT equivalence standardizes yield comparisons, expressing an explosive's energy release relative to trinitrotoluene, where 1 kg yields about 4.184 MJ, facilitating predictions of parameters from historical tests. Blast effects scale via the Hopkinson-Cranz law, a cube-root relation Z = R / W^{1/3}, where R is standoff distance in meters, W is explosive mass in kg , and Z is scaled distance; this empirically holds across and conventional detonations, enabling radius predictions for overpressures like 5 (lethal threshold in open air from 1940s tests). Validation comes from large-scale experiments, such as U.S. yields up to 15 megatons at in 1954, confirming geometric similarity in wave profiles for scaled distances beyond 10 m/kg^{1/3}, though deviations occur near the source due to nonlinear gas dynamics. These models underpin causal analysis, linking peak (e.g., 1,000 at 1 m from 1 kg ) to structural failure via , independent of specific chemistry.

Blast effects on materials and biology

Blast waves from explosions propagate as high-pressure shocks that induce in materials through compressive, , and tensile stresses, with shock states across the wave front governed by the Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions relating , momentum, and energy. In solids like and metals, incident pressures cause initial compression, but reflections from free surfaces generate tensile pull-back waves leading to spallation, where layers detach due to localized tension exceeding material strength, often at rates exceeding 10^3 s^{-1}. Shear stresses dominate in dynamic loading, promoting failure modes such as adiabatic banding in metals, where localized heating softens material and initiates fracture. formation in soils or targets occurs from coupled gas expansion and material ejection, with depth scaling with explosive yield via empirical relations derived from hydrodynamic simulations matching field tests. Peak in ideal spherical blasts decays with distance roughly following an inverse cube law in the self-similar strong-shock regime, as predicted by point-source blast models where scales with over volume, confirmed by numerical solutions of Euler equations for air blasts. Empirical data refine this for finite charges using scaled distance Z = r / W^{1/3} (r in meters, W in ), showing overpressures drop from thousands of near-source to below 1 at tens of meters for kilogram-scale yields. Primary biological effects stem from overpressure-induced in air-filled organs, distinct from secondary fragmentation or tertiary inertial injuries. Tympanic membranes rupture at incident overpressures as low as 5 (35 kPa), with 1% incidence at 5 rising to near-100% at 45 , based on and exposure . Pulmonary , including alveolar rupture and leading to hemorrhage, thresholds at 15-40 (100-275 kPa), where rapid compression-expansion cycles exceed tissue compliance, as observed in blast from controlled detonations. Gastrointestinal tract injuries follow similar mechanics at pressures above 70-100 , though less common due to body shielding. These thresholds derive from scaled models and incident reports, emphasizing wave duration and rise time over peak alone in damage causation.

Engineering and industry

Industrial blasting techniques

Industrial blasting techniques in mining and quarrying rely on the drill-and-blast to fragment for efficient extraction, consisting of , loading, , and material removal. This method enables high-volume production in open-pit operations by creating controlled fractures that facilitate loading and hauling. Explosives commonly used include , a mixture of and valued for its low cost and high velocity of in dry environments, and water-gel emulsions, which provide superior water resistance and stability in wet conditions. Fragmentation quality is enhanced through inter-row delay timing in sequences, which promotes uniform rock breakage and reduces oversized fragments; empirical tests show that optimized delays between rows yield fair mean fragment sizes and improved muckpile profiles. Technological advances in 2025 include AI-integrated for predicting blast-induced ground vibrations, allowing precise charge designs that minimize overbreak by up to 35% and boost mineral extraction efficiency by 30% while reducing worker exposures. systems are increasingly applied for tracking of inventories, supporting and audits by providing immutable records of handling from storage to . Compared to mechanical excavation methods like roadheaders or tunnel boring machines, drill-and-blast demonstrates economic advantages in hard-rock settings, with life-cycle assessments indicating 28% lower and 75% reduced fuel-related metal emissions in quarrying operations. Precise charge calculations via empirical models further increase yields, as optimized blasting parameters correlate with lower costs and higher advance rates exceeding 19 meters per day in suitable conditions. Non-explosive analogs, such as laser-based in agricultural , employ directed energy to achieve selective fragmentation at rates of 100,000 targets per hour, offering productivity gains without chemical residues.

Blast furnaces and metallurgy

The blast furnace operates as a countercurrent reactor where descending , , and (typically ) encounter ascending hot gases from the of with preheated air blasted through tuyeres at the furnace base. This process reduces iron oxides primarily via (CO) in indirect reduction reactions—such as Fe₂O₃ + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO₂—and direct reduction by carbon at higher temperatures, yielding molten at hearth temperatures of 1450–1550°C. serves dual roles as fuel, generating the necessary heat through exothermic reactions like C + O₂ → CO₂, and reductant, with (C + CO₂ → 2CO) sustaining the ; typical coke rates are 300–400 kg per metric ton of hot metal, varying with ore burden quality and operational parameters like blast temperature (up to 1200°C). forms from minerals (e.g., SiO₂, Al₂O₃) fluxed with CaO to produce low-melting calcium silicates, which float atop the denser iron for . Archaeological evidence traces blast furnace origins to ancient , with artifacts dating to the 8th century BC during the , and operational furnaces documented from the Warring States era (475–221 BC), utilizing natural draft or bellows-driven blasts on ore-coke charges to produce liquid iron two millennia before European adoption. Technology transfer to Europe occurred via medieval advancements, but large-scale industrialization accelerated in the , exemplified by Abraham Darby II's coke-fueled furnaces at (1760s) and James Beaumont Neilson's patent (1828), which halved fuel needs and enabled output scaling to thousands of tons annually. Contemporary optimizations, such as pulverized coal injection (PCI) introduced widely since the 1980s, replace up to 200–250 kg/ton of coke by injecting fine coal (10–30 μm particles) with the blast, enhancing combustion efficiency through rapid devolatilization and char gasification while minimizing unburned residues; this has lowered overall reducing agent costs by 20–30% in high-PCI operations without compromising furnace stability. Thermodynamically, the process's high —requiring ~12–15 / of hot metal—stems from endothermic and , with incomplete yielding ~1.8–2.0 metric s of CO₂ emissions per of , predominantly from C + O₂ → CO₂ and Boudouard equilibrium shifts. While resource demands and emissions profile blast furnaces as less viable for low-carbon transitions compared to furnaces (EAFs), which emit 0.3–0.7 t CO₂/t using , blast furnaces retain causal superiority for primary bulk production, processing virgin ores at scales of millions of s yearly where supply constrains EAF capacity, ensuring cost-effective virgin for infrastructure-scale demands.

Military and security

Blast weapons and improvised explosives

Blast weapons encompass conventional munitions engineered to generate high-velocity shock waves and fragmentation for tactical destruction in warfare. These devices rely on high explosives such as trinitrotoluene (TNT) or cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), which detonate at velocities exceeding 6,000 m/s, producing overpressures that can exceed 100 kPa at lethal distances. Artillery shells and aerial bombs often incorporate fragmentation casings to maximize area denial, with lethality modeled through probabilistic distributions of fragment mass, velocity, and hit probability against targets. Shaped charges represent a specialized blast weapon variant, directing explosive energy via the Munroe effect to form a high-velocity metal jet for armor penetration rather than omnidirectional blast. Employed in anti-tank shells and bombs since , these achieve penetration depths of 5-10 times the charge diameter, as demonstrated in early designs patented in the and refined for warheads by 1942. In modern applications, (HEAT) rounds in tank guns or shoulder-fired systems exploit this principle, with jet velocities reaching 8,000-10,000 m/s. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) adapt commercial or household precursors like ammonium nitrate-fuel oil (ANFO) for asymmetric threats, bypassing industrial supply chains to create low-cost blast effects in insurgencies. In Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts from 2003-2014, IEDs accounted for over 60% of U.S. combat fatalities in Iraq and approximately 50% in Afghanistan, totaling more than 3,500 deaths, primarily from buried or vehicle-borne variants producing localized overpressures of 200-500 kPa. These devices often combine blast with fragmentation from scavenged metal, enhancing lethality in urban environments where conventional forces face detection challenges. Historical precedents include carpet bombing campaigns, such as the 1943-1945 Allied raids on German cities, where thousands of tons of high-explosive bombs generated sustained blast waves and firestorms, as in the operation on July 27-28, 1943, which leveled 60% of structures through combined and incendiary effects. Fragmentation lethality in such munitions is quantified via models like those integrating for initial fragment velocity (typically 1,000-2,000 m/s from casings) and exponential decay in density, informing warhead design for optimal casualty radii. A recent industrial incident underscores overlaps in explosive handling for military applications: on October 10, 2025, a detonation at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant in Humphreys County, Tennessee, killed 16 workers and destroyed the facility producing propellant and energetic materials for munitions, with the blast equivalent to handling thousands of pounds of high explosives and felt over 20 miles away. Investigations point to a failure in a mixing kettle for batch production, highlighting vulnerabilities in scaling military-grade blasts even in controlled settings.

Blast injuries and protective measures

Blast injuries are categorized by mechanism: primary injuries result from the direct effects of the blast wave on the body, particularly gas-containing organs such as the , , , and ; secondary injuries from flying fragments; tertiary from blast wind-induced displacement and ; and quaternary from secondary effects like burns, toxic inhalation, or crush injuries. Primary blast injuries predominate in enclosed or close-proximity explosions, where waves transmit through tissue interfaces, causing such as rupture at approximately 5 psi and lung contusions at 15 psi, with fatalities common above 100 psi due to massive . In contexts, repeated low-level blast (LLB) exposures—typically below thresholds for diagnosed —have been linked to mild (mTBI) symptoms, including cognitive deficits, altered functional connectivity, and neurovascular changes, as observed in U.S. service members handling explosives or breaching operations. Autopsies and animal models confirm primary blast effects on the via forces at interfaces and vascular disruption, of head impact, though long-term causality for conditions like PTSD remains correlative rather than definitively causal without confounding factors like combat stress. U.S. studies report higher mTBI incidence in blast-exposed veterans, with cumulative exposures predicting chronic vestibular and inflammatory markers, but emphasize verifiable thresholds over speculative neurodegeneration. Protective measures against primary blast effects are limited, as conventional primarily mitigates secondary fragment injuries rather than transmission; however, configurations covering the chest and have demonstrated reduced and mortality in simulations by attenuating wave propagation to vital organs. Helmets provide negligible protection against blast waves entering via the face or , with designs no more effective than World War I-era models in reducing transmitted to the . For vehicular protection, up-armoring high-mobility vehicles like HMMWVs against (IED) underbody blasts has shown mixed empirical results, often increasing overall mass and compromising mobility while failing to fully prevent occupant injury from floor-transmitted impulses in real-world deployments. protocols now incorporate blast monitoring, standoff distances, and exposure limits during to minimize cumulative LLB risks, prioritizing empirical data from gauges over unverified long-term projections.

Computing and bioinformatics

BLAST sequence alignment tool

The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) is a heuristic algorithm for comparing biological sequences, primarily nucleotide or protein, to identify regions of local similarity indicative of homology. Developed in 1990 by Stephen F. Altschul and colleagues at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), it approximates optimal local alignments by prioritizing computational efficiency over exhaustive dynamic programming methods like Smith-Waterman, which are slower for large databases due to their quadratic time complexity. BLAST's core innovation lies in its seed-and-extend strategy: short, exact word matches (seeds, typically 3-11 residues long depending on the variant) serve as anchors for bidirectional extension using a scoring matrix (e.g., BLOSUM for proteins), with gaps introduced via affine penalties to refine high-scoring segment pairs (HSPs). Statistical significance in BLAST is assessed via the E-value, which estimates the number of alignments with scores at least as as observed that would arise by in a database of given size, incorporating factors like alignment score (S), query length (m), database size (n), and scoring parameters (e.g., lambda and K from extreme value distribution). Lower E-values (e.g., below 10^{-5}) indicate reliable , enabling prioritization amid database noise; this probabilistic framework outperforms raw bit scores by normalizing for search space scale. To mitigate artifacts from repetitive or low-complexity regions (e.g., poly-A stretches), BLAST applies SEG or DUST filters pre-search, masking such segments to prevent spurious high-scoring matches, though disabling filtering can reveal biologically relevant repeats at the risk of false positives. BLAST variants tailor the algorithm to input types: BLASTN for nucleotide-to-nucleotide queries (using match/mismatch scores like +1/-3), BLASTP for protein-to-protein (with substitution matrices), and translated variants like BLASTX (nucleotide query against protein database via all frames) for uncovering coding potential in unannotated sequences. Applications center on empirical inference of evolutionary relationships and function: homology detection aids identification, ortholog prediction for phylogenetic trees, and annotation transfer (e.g., assigning enzymatic roles via similarity to characterized proteins in databases like or ). Despite heuristics potentially missing remote homologs (sensitivity trade-off for 50-100x speed gains over Smith-Waterman), BLAST remains foundational for causal analysis in , as validated by its role in over 90% of sequence similarity searches. Subsequent enhancements include BLAST+ (introduced 2009), a standalone for local execution on custom databases, supporting multithreading and formatted outputs for high-throughput pipelines, with version 2.17.0 (2025) optimizing protein searches via CSV exports and performance tweaks. Integration with next-generation sequencing data has expanded via tools like Magic-BLAST, which aligns reads accounting for splicing and errors, facilitating calling and metagenomic against references like . Limitations persist in handling compositional bias or divergent sequences, underscoring the need for complementary methods like for profile-based detection.

Recent advancements in computational blasting simulations

Advancements in finite element analysis software, such as ANSYS AUTODYN, have improved the modeling of nonlinear dynamic responses to explosive loads, enabling coupled simulations of solids, fluids, and gases under high-strain-rate conditions like propagation. These tools incorporate material failure models, such as the Riedel-Hiermaier-Thoma (RHT) model, calibrated for blast scenarios to predict damage with reduced computational overhead compared to earlier uncoupled methods. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods have advanced propagation predictions by resolving multi-phase interactions and geometric complexities, with solvers like and FLACS demonstrating accuracy in confined and semi-confined environments through finite volume discretizations. Recent CFD validations against explosion tests reveal that real atmospheric and effects—such as and —deviate from idealized spherical wave assumptions, often amplifying overpressures by 20-50% in or obstructed settings. Machine learning integration has optimized simulation parameters and surrogated expensive physics-based models; for instance, graph neural networks like predict structural blast loads with precision surpassing traditional empirical formulas, while hybrid ML frameworks (e.g., with optimization algorithms) forecast blast-induced vibrations with errors under 10% in validations. These approaches reduce overprediction biases by training on empirical datasets from controlled blasts, incorporating causal factors like charge geometry and rock properties absent in purely deterministic models. Model validation against physical experiments remains critical, with blast load simulators and drop-tower tests confirming computational fidelity for internal and close-range blasts, achieving correlations within 5-15% for peak pressures when and multi-material interfaces are accurately parameterized. In 2025 applications, such as deep-hole stope simulations, these validated models have quantified charge structure impacts on fragmentation, enabling pre-blast adjustments that minimize ground while maximizing utilization.

Blockchain and finance

Blast Ethereum Layer 2 network

Blast is an Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution operating as an EVM-compatible optimistic rollup, launched on mainnet on February 29, 2024, by Tieshun Roquerre, the founder of the NFT marketplace . The network enables users to deposit and stablecoins such as USDC, , and , automatically generating native yields through investments in protocols and real-world assets like U.S. Treasury bills, without requiring active staking or liquidity provision. Baseline yields stand at approximately 4% (APY) for and 5-8% for stablecoins, derived from protocol fees and external yield sources, with tokens rebasing to compound returns directly in users' wallets. The platform's bridge mechanism batches transactions off-chain before settling proofs on Ethereum's Layer 1, reducing congestion and gas fees compared to mainnet operations; empirical data from similar optimistic rollups show costs typically 10-100 times lower and times under 10 seconds versus Ethereum's variable blocks of 12-15 seconds. Blast achieved over $2 billion in total value locked (TVL) shortly before launch, driven by pre-deposits and yield incentives, though TVL subsequently declined amid market outflows and competition from other Layer 2s. On-chain metrics, verifiable via explorers like Dune Analytics, highlight Blast's focus on tamper-evident records, prioritizing settlement security through Ethereum's data availability layer over unsubstantiated growth projections. Critics note risks from Blast's reliance on a centralized sequencer for transaction ordering, which introduces potential vulnerabilities and single points of failure, as sequencers in most optimistic rollups remain operator-controlled rather than decentralized. While the network mitigates fraud through a 7-day challenge window for invalid state proofs, empirical sequencer incidents across Layer 2s underscore ongoing centralization trade-offs for , with no Blast-specific outages reported as of late 2024 but general L2 sequencer concentration persisting into 2025.

Yield mechanisms and market impact

Blast's yield mechanisms primarily derive from integrating user-deposited and stablecoins into decentralized for staking rewards and real-world asset (RWA) yields, with these returns automatically rebased and compounded to depositors without manual claiming. This native yield feature distinguishes Blast from standard Ethereum Layer 2 rollups, as bridged assets generate through partnerships like EigenLayer for restaking and RWA income streams, potentially offering annualized percentages (APYs) exceeding 5-10% during peak periods based on underlying performance. However, these yields rely on external DeFi integrations, introducing dependencies on solvency and market conditions for sustainability. To incentivize early adoption, Blast implemented a dual points system—Blast Points earned via deposits of , WETH, or USDB, and Blast Gold for community tasks like referrals—culminating in a airdrop distributed in June 2024, with 50% allocated to points holders proportional to holdings and activity. This gamified approach drove rapid total value locked (TVL) inflows, peaking at over $2.2 billion shortly after mainnet launch in February 2024, but also fueled criticisms of unsustainable hype akin to Ponzi dynamics due to pre-mainnet locking and opaque yield projections. By January 2025, Blast announced a U.S.-focused expansion, including Blast Mobile app integration to facilitate easier onboarding amid regulatory shifts favoring , aiming to capture growing user demand projected to exceed $1 in transaction volume that year. Market impact reflects intense competition among Ethereum L2s like Optimism and Base, where Blast's yield-bearing model initially captured significant DeFi activity but saw TVL plummet 97% to $67 million by August 2025, signaling user exodus amid broader L2 fragmentation and waning incentives. User growth, while surging to millions in early phases through airdrop speculation, has stagnated relative to rivals like Base, which leads in active addresses due to lower fees and Coinbase backing, underscoring Blast's challenges in retaining liquidity without perpetual subsidies. Risks including oracle dependencies—such as reliance on UMA's Optimistic Oracle for dispute resolution—and sequencer centralization amplify vulnerabilities, potentially eroding trust in high-APY promises that critics argue mask underlying unsustainability rather than fostering organic adoption via reduced transaction costs. Despite these headwinds, Blast's innovations have causally contributed to ecosystem evolution by popularizing native yields, lowering effective fees through compounded returns, and prompting competitors to enhance user incentives, though empirical TVL declines indicate that high APYs alone fail to ensure long-term viability without robust security and . Early controversies, including Paradigm's concerns over ethical launch practices and asset locking without proven infrastructure, highlight systemic risks in incentive-driven solutions, where short-term capital inflows often precede corrections tied to market realism over promotional narratives.

Arts and media

Blast magazine and Vorticism

Blast was an avant-garde literary and artistic magazine founded by the painter and writer in , with significant contributions from the poet , who coined the term "" to describe the associated artistic movement. The publication appeared in two issues: the first on 20 June 1914 and the second in July 1915. Intended as a radical intervention against what its editors perceived as the cultural stagnation of Edwardian and , Blast rejected sentimentalism, , and rural romanticism in favor of urban dynamism, , and the vitality of modern machinery. The inaugural issue served as a manifesto, featuring the polemical "Long Live the Vortex!" alongside dual lists of cultural phenomena to "BLAST" (condemn) and "BLESS" (endorse). Items targeted for blasting included English complacency, academic art conventions, and "sloppy & oily" Impressionist tendencies, while blessings extended to engineers, the harsh English landscape, and industrial forms as embodiments of constructive energy. Vorticism, as articulated therein, positioned the "vortex" as a point of maximal energy and intellectual clarity, drawing partial inspiration from Cubism and Futurism but emphasizing British intellectual independence and angular, machine-like forms over speed-obsessed Italian dynamism or fragmented French analysis. The magazine's typography—bold, irregular, and explosive—mirrored this ethos, with contributions from Lewis, Pound, and others like Jacob Epstein showcasing abstract art that prioritized structural vigor over emotional excess. Published on the eve of the First World War, Blast sought to jolt British culture into machine-age modernity, critiquing pre-war softness as empirically evident in the dominance of pastoral poetry and derivative painting. The conflict abruptly curtailed its momentum: Lewis enlisted in the army, several contributors perished, and the second issue, subtitled the "War Number," shifted toward frontline dispatches while retaining Vorticist defiance. Though short-lived, Blast influenced subsequent modernist developments by demonstrating that artistic renewal demanded unsparing rejection of inherited pieties, a stance later critiqued as elitist for its disdain of mass sentiment but defended by adherents as necessary for formal rigor amid cultural entropy.

Music compositions and bands

Bl'ast! is an American band formed in , in 1983, known for blending hardcore with influences. The band released its debut album, The Power of Expression, in 1986 after recording it multiple times, initially on Records before wider distribution. Subsequent releases include It's In My Blood! in 1987 and Take the Manic Ride in 1989, with the band active until 1991 and reuniting in 2001. Their discography features raw, high-energy tracks like "Surf and Destroy," emphasizing speed and aggression typical of West Coast hardcore. BLAST is a Dutch progressive rock quartet formed in 1989, characterized by complex, angular compositions incorporating avant-garde and free jazz elements alongside rock instrumentation. Core members include saxophonist Dirk Bruinsma and guitarist Frank Crijns, with the group describing its output as "chamber music for rock instrumentation." They released albums such as Purist Sirup in the early , featuring intricate structures and up to ten performers in expanded lineups. Blast, a funk band formed in December 1980, produced self-titled albums emphasizing groove-oriented tracks in the style of contemporary R&B and funk. Their releases include a debut Blast album and a live recording, both from the early 1980s, with limited discographic output focused on instrumental and vocal funk compositions. Another entity, a proto-punk and heavy psych band also named Blast, originated in 1970 and issued singles like "Damned Flame / Hope and Wait" blending garage rock with emerging metal traits.

Films and entertainment

Blast (1997) is an American action thriller written and directed by . The plot follows Jack Bryant (), a former martial artist working as a at an aquatic center, who must stop a team of terrorists led by Viggo () holding the U.S. women's swim team hostage and planning to detonate explosives. Blast (2000), directed by Martin Schenk, centers on four high school friends who investigate a local myth about a (Denis Arndt) who allegedly killed a trespassing years earlier; their prank involving the developer leads to unintended consequences including a they must . Starring Liesel Matthews as one of the teens, the film explores themes of youthful recklessness and moral ambiguity. In Blast (2004), an directed by , former Navy SEAL Lamont Dixon (), now a tugboat captain, teams with an FBI agent to thwart terrorist Michael Kittredge (), who hijacks an offshore oil rig posing as an environmentalist to detonate an electromagnetic pulse bomb over the . Blast (French title Déflagrations, 2021), directed by Vanya Peirani-Vignes, depicts bomb disposal expert Sonia () trapped in her parking garage car with her son and her boyfriend's daughter after discovering an beneath the vehicle; with 30 minutes on a timer and her partner Fred outside unable to intervene directly, she attempts to defuse it.

Etymology and idiomatic uses

The noun blast derives from blǣst, denoting a gust of wind or blowing, from Proto-Germanic \blēstuz ("blowing"), related to the verb blēstan ("to blow"). This root traces to Proto-Indo-European \bhleh₃- or \bhle-, associated with blowing, swelling, or bursting forth. By , the term encompassed sounds like a horn blast, and from the 16th century onward, it applied to explosive forces, reflecting the sudden, violent release of akin to a powerful gust. The verb form, meaning to blow or destroy explosively, parallels this evolution, with early uses in contexts like withering plants (blast as ) by the 14th century. Idiomatic expressions featuring blast often evoke intensity or enjoyment derived from its connotations of force and suddenness. "Have a blast" emerged in mid-20th-century to mean experiencing great fun or enjoyment, as in revelry with explosive energy. "Full blast" denotes operating at maximum capacity, speed, or volume, attested from the early in reference to unrestricted power. "A blast from the past" refers to an unexpected reminder of earlier times, popularized in the via song lyrics and gaining idiomatic status for nostalgic surprises. Other uses include "blast off" for launches (from 1950s terminology) and for harsh criticism ("blast" someone), emphasizing vehement attack.