Orville Redenbacher vs.

James
Smith
As presented by: Corbin Powell, Dylan Hasty, Tori Neal, RaeAnne Smith,
Roxanne Bentley, Drew Fletcher, Samantha Smith, Elizabeth Rice, Riley
Bercik & Cheyenne Karst
Introduction
● In the claim, James Smith stated that he was watching
a movie with his family and decided to grab popcorn.
● It was also stated that he had to apply extra pressure
in opening the bag.
● Once the bag was open he claims that a kernel flew
out of the bag and hit him in the eye.
○ With that claim, he states that he is in need of
compensation due to his acclaimed injuries.
Introduction (Cont.)
● Further background into this case should note things
such as:
○ Type 1 Diabetes
■ Cause Retinopathy
○ Mr. Smith’s Retinopathy
■ The information and background
○ Genetically Modified Engineering
■ ConAgra Partnership
○ Gas Laws
■ Their effect on the outcome and explanation
Introduction (Cont.)
❖ What happened that day?
➢ Layout of Day
MAIN POINT: ❖ Gas Laws
➢ Ballistics & Physics
❖ Eye Anatomy
We can claim with great ➢ Structures & Function of Eye
factual evidence that ➢ Retinopathy
the events claimed by ❖ Medical History/ Company History
➢ Retinopathy / Type 1 Diabetes
James Smith didn’t ➢ Past Lawsuits
occur in the manner ❖ Labeling
stated by him. ➢ Packaging
➢ Warning
❖ GMO
➢ Hybrid Popcorn
❖ Conclusion
What Happened
During this day due to the high improbability of what is claimed
occurring, we believe what really happened is;

1. Family Movie Night

○ Popping our DELICIOUS popcorn
2. Extra force was exerted as the sealant on the bag wasn’t fully
heated
○ Therefore not finished cooking
3. Kernel’s wouldn’t be able to fly upward through all the padding of
popped popcorn
○ At MOST a kernel would’ve barely touched his face if his face
was within centimeters of the bag
INTRODUCTION
FINISHED
Why does popcorn pop?
● Popcorn kernels contain water, as heated these
water molecules will move faster.
● Eventually the water molecules turn into gas, these
gas molecules spread out. This will all eventually
cause the kernels to pop.
Gas Law Relations
● Gay-Lussac’s Law: “If volume is held constant, than
temperature has a direct correlation with pressure.”
● Boyle’s Law: “Pressure and volume are inversely
related”
● Gay-Lussac’s Law (Popcorn): Because the volume of
the popcorn kernel is held constant, the temperature
will have a direct correlation with pressure.
● Boyle’s Law (Popcorn): Because of the popcorn
kernel’s fixed volume, the pressure and volume are
inversely related.
Addition Ballistics In Kernels
● The average Popcorn kernel needs a
pressure difference of 9.2 atm.
● On average, Orville popcorn needs
higher pressures to pop, but recorded
to lose force faster once it pops.
● The average speed of the popcorn is
82.93 feet per second.
● With the addition of microwave
popcorn, this only adds more
variables, and makes it less likely to
pop out.
Additional Factors
● Due to the extra tug on the bag, we firmly believe
that the popcorn wasn’t finished.
GAS LAWS
FINISHED
Basic Structures

● Main Ones For

Presentations
● Retina
● Macula
● Vitreous Humor
 Eye Anatomy
● Retina**
○ A layer at the back of the eyeball of light sensitive
cells that will send impulses to the optic nerve
● Retinopathy
○ Light sensitivity in back of the eye
○ Blood
eevesselsss/.;z//sx///////sx/////////////////////sd//s
dddsd
○ Detached retina; cause blurred vision but is treatable
● Ultrasensitivity
○ If you were to rub your eye you can burst a blood
vessel, it is likely that he just rubbed his eye.
** More information on next slides
Retinopathy
● Retinopathy is a disease
taking place in the retina
which can CAUSE blurriness
or even vision loss
○ It often is noted to involve
changes in blood vessels
● Leading cause in blindness
among working age adults
● Causes swelling within the
macula
● Curable with scatter laser
surgery
Retinopathy and Blood Vessels
● High blood sugar, associated with Diabetes, can
cause damage to blood vessels
○ This can cause or lead to retinopathy
● With the blood vessels leaking in your eye you can
have distorted vision or blurriness
Blood Vessels
EYE DIAGRAM
Possible Damages to Retina
● Retinal Tears
○ When a vitreous pulls on the retina and it is hard
enough to tear it. (TREATABLE)
○ Can occur in advanced stages of retinopathy
● Retinal Detachment
○ A vitreous pulls on retina and it could rip and fluid fills
and is able to move the retina. (TREATABLE)
○ Can occur in the more advanced stages of
retinopathy, which James Smith has
EYE ANATOMY
FINISHED
Medical History/ Company History
● Retinopathy

A complication of diabetes that affects the eyes. Diabetic retinopathy

is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the tissue at the back of
the eye (retina).

● Type 1 Diabetes

A chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin

● http://www.orvilleredenbachersux.com/
MEDICAL
HISTORY/
COMPANY
HISTORY
COMPLETED
Labeling
● Instructions- easy to read, big bold pictures
○ Hold away from your face.
○ Let sit before opening.
○ Wait for popcorn to stop popping to open.
Helpful Hints
● “Popping times are affected by model, age, and
power of microwave”
● “Do not use popcorn button”
● “It is normal for some unpopped kernels to remain in
a fully popped bag. Do not reheat unpopped kernels
or reuse bag”
● LISTEN TO THE POP TO KNOW WHEN TO STOP
● “Open bag carefully”
Packaging Adhesive
● ‘High softening point’
○ Adhesive melts as the heat in the bag radiates
○ Proper completion will require NO extra effort
● Mr. James Smith said it had required extra effort
○ With proper completion this popcorn bag wouldn’t
have require extra strength
Warnings & Instructions
LABELING
COMPLETED
Bioengineering and GM/GE
Bioengineering

● Transgenic crops
○ Any plant that contains a gene or genes which have been introduced artificially

Genetic Modification

● Conventional methods
○ All crops have been genetically modified due to domestication, selection, and controlled
breeding since ancient times
Hybrid Popcorn
- A traditional breeding technique where the pollen from
one plant is used to fertilize another related or
unrelated species.
- 95% of corn in the US
- Traditional breeding techniques can be classified as
organic, conventional, and GM
Hybrids and Orville Redenbacher’s
- Created hybrid popcorn in 1963
- Light, fluffy, leaves hardly any unpopped kernels, improved taste
- 44:1 ratio popped to unpopped

“First significant genetic improvement in popcorn in more that 5,000 years.”

SH 4862
- Stalk strength, root strength
- Disease resistance
- Grey Leaf Spot and Anthracnose
- Used as gourmet popcorn
- Works for high stress environments
- Uniform kernel size
- Pops well in microwave
Importance of hybridization
- Hybridization is a natural process
- Could not cause corn to pop with such force as to harm a human
eyeball.
- Protect crop (pest, drought, flood, chemicals)
- Increased yields allow for more product
- Lower yield cause lower pay for employees
- Other popcorn marketers
- Most likely product is sold to other producers and marketed
under another name
- Increases work for other companies, creating more pay
GENETIC
MODIFICATION
COMPLETED
Conclusion

MAIN POINT: This has been shown

proven by the use of:
We can claim with great ● Gas Laws
factual evidence that ● Eye Anatomy
the events claimed by ● Medical History/
James Smith didn’t Company
History
occur in the manner ● Labeling
stated by him. ● Genetic
Modification
CASE CONCLUDED,
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME!