In August 1931, New Zealand farmer Richard Buckley hit the local headlines - or rather his trousers did. This is the story of how Farmer Buckley's trousers exploded. The culprit? A popular pesticide of the day, which when combined with clothing fibres unexpectedly formed a highly combustible compound. This incendiary tale is a striking example of how scientific advances meant to improve people's lives can sometimes backfire. *wrong ISBN*