TV-PG
S1 • E1
Wacky scientist Beakman and his assistant Josie, and Lester, an actor dressed as a mangy rat, answers an inquiry about where puddles go after it has rained. Although Lester suggests they are licked up by stray dogs, Beakman proceeds to explain the mysteries of rain and evaporation using a variety of household props. In the "Beak-Mania" portion of the show, Beakman attempts to answer, in rapid succession, short viewer inquiries on topics such as living prehistoric animals (the platypus), the most commonly used word in the English language and the heaviest animal in the history of the world (blue whale). Then, after a trick in which he balances a pair of forks atop a toothpick, Beakman forces Josie to reveal the question for the show's final segment, "What is snot?" Turning to volcanoes, Beakman explains the processes in the Earth's interior that create, and then discharge, molten magma. With the aid of film footage of volcanic eruptions, Beakman employs a foam rubber model of the Earth and a rubber glove to show how magma moves from deep inside the Earth and appears on the surface as lava. Finally, asked by Josie about why some volcanoes explode, Beakman uses a cherry pie to demonstrate the power, and mess, of a volcanic eruption.
S1 • E2
Responding to a question about why people who live on the bottom of the Earth don't fall off, Beakman launches into a messy exposition on gravity. Using three toothpicks, a bottle cap and half a watermelon, he demonstrates how people on different parts of the globe perceive its top and bottom based on their own unique perspectives. With the use of his Boguscope, a device that gives a special look at things hard to see, Beakman shows that, while gravity can be counterbalanced, it cannot be defied. In "Beak-Mania," Beakman fields questions about the world's most remarkable fish (the Plaice), the animal that lays the biggest egg (the ostrich), and the amount of ice in Antarctica. Then, asked whether all objects fall at the same rate, Beakman recreates a famous experiment first done by Galileo from atop the Tower of Pisa. Using an eggplant and a piece of paper, Beakman proves that, in the absence of air resistance, they will fall equally as fast due to the Earth's gravitational pull. Portraying one of the giants of physics, Sir Isaac Newton, Beakman addresses an inquiry about why seat belts are necessary when riding in a moving vehicle. Explaining that objects at rest only move if something makes them start, Beakman uses a collection of eggs, toilet paper tubes, a large piece of cardboard and a broom to show how a chain reaction puts things in motion. Then, with a crash dummy and a car, he demonstrates how objects in motion will only stop if they are stopped by some outside force, underscoring the importance of seat belts in the process.
S1 • E3
Asked by a viewer about the creaking noises she hears at night, Beakman reveals they are the result of her house and its contents expanding and contracting with changes in temperature between day and night. Using a balloon in a bath of very cold liquid nitrogen, Beakman demonstrates how, as cooling causes air molecules in the balloon to contract, the balloon makes noises as it shrinks. Reversing the process, he then shows how it expands when removed from the nitrogen and allowed to return to room temperature. Turning to "Beak-Mania," Beakman fields questions about the weight of a hummingbird (less than a penny), the amount of nectar required for a honeycomb (two million flowers worth) and how long a blue whale can go without eating (six months). Then, with help from Lester, he proves it is impossible to sneeze and keep your eyes open at the same time. Embarking on his explanation of the virtues of mucus, Beakman notes that, without it, the human body would be left without a primary defense against disease. Using a giant mockup of the nose, he then demonstrates the power of mucus to trap dirt and infectious agents as they enter the body, allowing them to be expelled before they can do any harm. Finally, after demonstrating how blowing one's nose clears out what it has collected, Beakman brings the show to a slimy close.
S1 • E4
With an inquiry about the human body, Beakman explains how five liters of blood and sixty?three thousand miles of arteries help to deliver food and oxygen to the cells in the body. Dressed as an Italian waiter and an Irish cop, Beakman shows a cell, played by Josie, how blood supplies nourishment, removes waste products and, finally, protects against germs. Turning to "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals how fast the fastest dogs can run (over forty miles per hour), how many words are in the English language (over 400,000), and the longest English word (Floccinaucinihilpilification). Then, in the "Beakman Challenge," he shows how salt and a paper towel tube can make a flimsy piece of toilet paper impervious to an attack by a broom handle. After a nightmare in which he has been fired and the show changed to "Lester's World," Beakman decides it would be a good time to answer a question about dreams. Explaining how the mind is divided between the conscious and unconscious, Beakman reveals how the unconscious mind takes over during sleep. Finally, after Beakman acts out a dream using a box of toys as his memory, he reminds everyone that, with a little practice, they can control their dreams.
S1 • E5
In answer to an inquiry about why leaves change color, Beakman first observes that they don't change, but rather turn color in the fall when their loss of chlorophyll, the chemical which makes leaves green, allows other colors already present to show through. Then, asked why the chlorophyll is there in the first place, Beakman adopts the persona of cooking show host Chlora Phyll to prepare a dish of water, carbon dioxide and sunlight to produce food for trees and other plants. This week's "Beak-Mania" answers questions about the world's longest and shortest snakes (the anaconda and the thread snake), and unusual edibles such as escargot (snails) and truffles (fungus). Meanwhile, Beakman challenges Lester to pick up a quarter from a dish of water without getting his fingers wet. Having stumped his partner, using a piece of gum, a jar and a candle, he shows how to create a vacuum that removes the coin without having to touch the water. Having received a number of questions about recycling paper, Beakman begins by noting that it takes a single cord of wood to produce only 250 Sunday newspapers. Explaining how recycling is using something more than once instead of throwing it out, he then adopts the persona of Balance Man to describe nature's state of equilibrium. Finally, in a demonstration of recycling, Beakman uses a shredded newspaper, an old pair of panty hose, a coat hanger, a blender and some glue to show how paper can be made at home.
S1 • E6
After receiving a dirt?covered letter, Beakman claims that soap can be used to clean it up enough to be read. Showing how the surface of water acts like a skin, Beakman applies soap to weaken this surface tension, allowing the molecules to be separated more easily to get in between fibers and clean the dirt from clothing. Then, he proves how soap can also blend oil with water for cleaning, even though the two don't usually mix. Turning to "Beak-Mania," Beakman answers questions like "Do Birds sweat?" (no), "How many shots can a skunk get off before it has to reload?" (six), and "Do aircraft carriers get good mileage?" (no!). Noting that a monarch butterfly can fly 620 miles without eating, Beakman then demonstrates how to make a coffee can roll across a table without touching it. Asked how gas makes a car go, Beakman explains the internal combustion engine's ability to harness the explosive power of gasoline. Using a model of an engine, he then shows how its' pistons, crankshaft and transmission convert this energy into motion. Finally, after wondering why a car's tires don't wear out like erasers, Beakman explains how carbon is added to the rubber to make it wear longer.
S1 • E7
Opening with a viewer's question about why electrical plugs have two prongs, Beakman begins by explaining how the flow of electricity is the movement of energy in a closed circuit. With the help of his East Bay Electrons basketball team, Beakman demonstrates how electrons in motion create electrical energy. Dissecting an electric plug, he shows how the prongs provide the pair of connections required for electricity to flow through an appliance and provide it with the energy it needs to operate. This week's "Beak-Mania" inquiries includes one about the number of beekeepers in the United States (212,000), the world record for walking on your hands (871 miles) and whether or not sharks really kill people (yes, but not often). For the "Beakman Challenge," Lester is asked to balance a dozen nails simultaneously, each one on the head of another. After his friend fails to come up with a solution, Beakman interlocks the heads of the nails and, using a stationary one as a brace, balances them all at the same time. Asked about how light bulbs work, Beakman calls on inventor Thomas Alva Edison to discuss how his improvements on the original light bulb made it practical for widespread use. Then, after Lester and Josie tell the late inventor that many of the new ideas he is working on (Thighmaster, Ginsu Knives and the Clapper) have already been invented, Beakman uses ping pong balls to demonstrate how electrical resistance produces the heat necessary for light bulbs and other electrical devices.
S1 • E8
After a blaring demonstration of his new nap alarm, Beakman fields a question about noise. Explaining that vibrations in the air cause vibrations inside the ear which the brain then perceives as sound, Beakman uses an oscilloscope in a visual demonstration of sound. Then, using a small can, a balloon, some masking tape and glue, a small mirror and a flashlight, he constructs a simple device that can be used to show sound's vibrations. After explaining how these waves travel though a variety of media, including wood and water, Beakman shows Josie and Lester how a simple phone can be made using two tin cans and a piece of string. After "Beak-Mania" reveals that humans shed about forty pounds of skin each year, that fish can get seasick, and that the average caveman lived to the age of eighteen, Beakman challenges Lester to keep a playing card attached to a glass of water when it is turned upside down. Though his feral friend doubts that it can be done, Beakman shows how the air pressure outside more than counters the weight of the water inside the glass, keeping the Queen of Hearts magically in place. Responding to a viewer inquiry, Beakman begins by explaining that explosions are what happens when something gets very big very fast. Demonstrating how a small amount of water in a corn kernel causes it to pop when heated (popcorn), Beakman then calls on his own personal bomb squad for help in creating an explosion. However, while his harmless demonstration is a success, Beakman is surprised when Lester's casual handling of highly explosive materials results in a dramatic blast. Finally, after explaining how Lester's liquid nitrogen produced such a spectacular event, Beakman describes how explosions can be useful, such as in destroying old buildings and extinguishing oil well fires.
S1 • E9
Asked why a straw in a glass of water appears to be bent, Beakman explains it is due to refraction, or the bending of light waves. Beginning with a demonstration of how objects reflect light, he shows how light travels at a slower speed through water than it does through air. Explaining how lenses are used to bend light in a variety of ways, Beakman reveals refraction's uses in telescopes, microscopes, eyeglasses and other useful items. During "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals the only natural enemy of the skunk (Horned Owls), the longest recorded flight by a chicken (over 100 yards), and that penguins, though they can't fly, can jump up in the air over six feet! In the "Beakman Challenge," Lester is asked to crush an aluminum can by plunging it into a bowl of water. When his partner is unable to provide a satisfactory solution, Beakman shows how, by using a small amount of boiling water, he can create a difference in air pressure that crushes the can. In response to a question about compass needles, Beakman reveals that, because magnets tend to line up with each other, the needle in a compass will always line up with the Earth's magnetic field. With the aid of a refrigerator magnet, a piece of aluminum foil, a bowl of water and a needle, Beakman demonstrates how a small magnet (the needle) aligns itself with the field of a much larger magnet (the Earth). Finally, in a display of magnetically inspired magic, he levitates a string of paper clips and then himself with the aid of a pair of iron?plated shoes.
S1 • E10
Taking a question from a student puzzled by levers, Beakman uses a teeter-totter and a large boulder to explain how these simple machines work. Noting that there are first, second and third class levers, Beakman goes on to describe their essential parts -- the fulcrum, the resistance and the effort -- and why their relative positions determine how levers are classified. Then, with help from Lester and Josie, he demonstrates some common levers used everyday -- pliers & scissors (first class), wheelbarrows & bottle openers (second class), and hammers & golf clubs (third class). In "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals the length of the longest tapeworms (32 feet), the amount of electricity it takes to operate the human brain (10 watts), and the number of teeth in a snail (up to 25,000). For the "Beakman Challenge," Lester is asked to balance a pair of forks on the tip of a toothpick. Puzzled with this seemingly impossible task, Lester watches as Beakman connects the forks and sets them atop a toothpick which he then balances on the tip of another inserted in a salt shaker. Asked how television works, Beakman conjures up Philo T. Farnsworth, the young genius who conceived the idea when he was only 14 years old and produced the first TV in 1927 at the age of 21. After using a walkie-talkie to show how transmitters and receivers work, Farnsworth enlists Josie to demonstrate how a TV uses a set of lines on its screen to reproduce a video camera's pictures. Finally, with a simple flipbook, Beakman shows that anyone can replicate how a television turns still images into a moving picture.
S1 • E11
In response to a question about why a boat made of steel can float in water while a nail sinks, Beakman explains that, for any object to float, it has to be less dense than the liquid it is in. Using equal volumes of marshmallows and nails, Beakman shows how they behave distinctively when placed in water because of their different densities. To provide the next piece in the puzzle, Beakman uses his own body to illustrate displacement, noting that when an object which displaces an amount of water weighing less then it does, the object (such as a large steel ship) will float. Turning to "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals why woodpeckers peck (to eat); the cause of waves in the ocean (wind, earthquakes, landslides) and the most common name in the world (Muhammad). After stuffing a straw into an uncooked potato, Beakman explains that cylinders like the straw are among the strongest of all shapes. After showing how increasing the number of legs on a table make it even stronger, Beakman makes a simple cylinder from a piece of paper that is strong enough to carefully support the weight of a brick. Recalling the first flight by the Wright Brothers in 1903, Beakman shows how it is the shape of their wings, not the power of their engines, that allow airplanes to fly. Called to demonstrate the principles of flight, Balance Man notes air pressure seeking equilibrium from either side of a wing gives the lift necessary for flight. In closing, Beakman claims that the world's fastest airplane, the SR?72, reaches speeds over 4,500 miles per hour.
S1 • E12
Questioned about why bubbles always seem to be round, Beakman begins by showing how with water, some clear dishwashing liquid and a little glycerine, anyone can make their own bubbles at home. Noting how adhesion keeps the soap film attached to an object of any shape, he goes on to show how the soap's surface tension pulls it into a sphere. During an appearance by special guest "bubble-ologist" Louis Pearl, Beakman is shown some of the more interesting properties of bubbles, including how thickness determines their color, the Bubble Spaceship, and how to make a square bubble. Moving on to "Beak-Mania," Beakman tells of the only onion-eating rodent (the groundhog), the life of a dollar bill (8,000 folds), whether snails ever sleep (yes, up to three years at a time), and why onions make you cry (an irritating chemical they release). Using a cross section of the human head, he goes on to describe how the nose, with all of its various tubes and passages, is really the workhorse of the face. Then, Lester tries, and fails, to sneeze with his eyes open. In response to a query about why feet smell, Beakman explains that it is a result of bacteria growing on the human body. Noting that there can be between 1,000 an 100,000,000 bacteria per square centimeter on the body, he reveals that their interaction with the body's natural oils and sweat are what cause the odor of feet. Then, using a growing medium of sugar, gelatin and water, Beakman shows how these bacteria can be grown inside a jar with spectacularly smelly results.
S1 • E13
Noting that microscopes have been used to unlock some of nature's biggest and smallest wonders, Beakman introduces their inventor, Zacharias Janssen. After insisting that Anton Van Leeuwenhoek did not invent the microscope, but only the lens commonly known as a magnifying glass, Janssen goes on to explain how his addition of a second lens was the advance that produced the device we use today. Then, with help from his Boguscope, Beakman shows how this pair of lenses refract light to enlarge an image, and then treats Josie and Lester to a look at the creatures living in a drop of pond water. During "Beak-Mania," Beakman explains the difference between a weasel and an ermine (none), what color attracts mosquitoes best (blue), and the name of the smallest dinosaur (compsognathus). When Lester is asked to turn Beakman upside down just by looking at him, he is stumped. So, using a cardboard box and a single sheet of white paper, Beakman constructs a "camera obscura," a simple optical device that limits the passage of light to make objects appear inverted. After helping Josie bandage a wound inflicted by a bicycle accident, Beakman is questioned about how cuts heal. With a brick wall serving as a model of a magnified section of skin, red balloons as red blood cells, wads of paper as white blood cells, and paper plates as blood platelets, Beakman demonstrates how these three components of blood act together to promote healing.
S1 • E14
Explaining how scientists use ideas and information to solve problems, Beakman demonstrates the Scientific Method with a simple experiment: Starting with "Will salt water conduct electricity-" as his question, and taking as his hypothesis that it will, Beakman tests a trio of beakers containing salt water, distilled water and just plain salt to determine whether it is right or wrong. Finally, he concludes that it is the reaction of salt with water that will conduct electricity but not just water or salt working on its own. "Beak-Mania" reveals the size of a dairy cow (up to 1,700 pounds), the temperature of the sun (10,000 degrees at its' surface), and the fact that the heartbeat cannot be stopped by sneezing. For the "Beakman Challenge," Lester is asked to pick up a mayonnaise jar without touching it. Asked for the solution, Beakman shows that by creating a vacuum which pulls the balloon partially inside, the jar can be picked up without actually touching it. In response to an inquiry about rainbows, Beakman takes Lester into the sky in search of an answer. Explaining that white light is actually composed of seven colors, Beakman uses a prism to show how sunlight can be broken into red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Finally, after noting that raindrops in the atmosphere act like prisms, Beakman discusses light's two invisible components, the ultraviolet and infrared.
S1 • E15
Answering an inquiry about why vaccinations are necessary, Beakman conjures up Edward Jenner, the 19th century British doctor who invented the first vaccine to combat smallpox. Using a model of a virus, Beakman demonstrates how they latch onto the body's cells to make people sick. Explaining how vaccines trick the body into producing disease-fighting agents, he shows how these antibodies attack viruses and disable them before they can do any damage. For "Beak-Mania," Beakman tackles questions ranging from the amount of food an elephant eats (800 pounds a day); to the noises plants make when they are thirsty; to the age of the umbrella (over 3,000 years). For the "Beakman Challenge," he claims he can make a ball stay inside an upside down funnel. Although Lester is skeptical, Beakman attaches a hose to the funnel and keeps the ball suspended by a pressure differential created by the flowing water. Asked why hands get warm when rubbed together, Beakman explains that it is just one of many examples of the effects of friction. Describing some of its' many unfortunate aspects, such as causing things to wear out, Beakman goes on to say that friction also has advantages when it comes to things like car and bicycle brakes. After using the Boguscope to show how the friction of air molecules and gravity conspire to stop a Frisbee, Beakman notes that frictional forces can be minimized with lubricants such as oil and grease. Finally, with an old thread spool, a record album and a balloon, Beakman constructs a makeshift Hovercraft and creates a layer of air that acts as a lubricant.
S1 • E16
Using a question about hot and cold to explain the science of thermodynamics, Beakman employs the Boguscope to show how heat is created when molecules move. Then, upon mixing hot and cold water, he shows how their molecules exchange energy during collisions which cause faster ones (hotter) to slow down and slow ones ( cooler) to speed up, resulting in an average rate of motion (warm). However, when Lester notes that you don't need to add anything to hot chocolate to get it to cool down, Beakman explains that air molecules provide for the same effect in their collisions with the liquids, moving them toward an average temperature. After inquiries about whether penguins can jump (yes, about six feet up); how much a typical typist can type in a day (12.6 miles); and how much lead there are in pencils (none, they're made of graphite!), Beakman challenges Lester to blow a small scrap of paper into a large soda bottle. However, when Lester is unable to perform the seemingly simple task, Beakman shows how the air inside the bottle blocks anything else from entering, causing the paper to come flying out. Asked about pimples, Beakman begins by explaining how the skin is full of tiny holes (pores) that allow sweat and oil to be expelled from the body. Demonstrating how these pores can get clogged with dirt, he shows how bacteria can grow which can cause the infections known commonly as pimples or acne. Warning Lester that they should not be tampered with, Beakman uses benzoyl peroxide, the active ingredient in most acne medicines, to help Lester with a pimple.
S1 • E17
Responding to a question about the attraction of fossils, Beakman conjures up the late Dr. Louis S.B. Leakey, the discoverer of the earliest remnants of human life in Africa's Olduvai Gorge. After Dr. Leakey shows how fossil remains are deposited in layers of sedimentary rocks, Beakman takes over, describing the various methods of fossilization. Using the Boguscope to show how they have been used to establish the Earth's geologic history, he demonstrates how anyone can make their own fossil impressions at home. During "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals the number of earthworms in an acre of land, (over three million), the origins of pasteurization (a process invented by French scientist Louis Pasteur), and that tarantulas can go for over two years without eating. For the "Beakman Challenge," Lester is asked to try and pick up a quarter from a dish of water without getting his fingers wet. When his feral friend is unable to provide a satisfactory solution, Beakman uses a candle, some gum and a jar to create a partial vacuum which leaves the quarter high and dry. Asked about the first musical instrument, Beakman reveals that it was not the drum, but rather the human voice. Demonstrating characteristics common to all instruments, Beakman constructs one of his own to show how music is made using vibrations, pitch and resonance. Then, with the Boguscope, he shows how the human body's vocal chords, lungs, mouth and sinus cavities act together to make beautiful sounds.
S1 • E18
Responding to the question "Why do we breathe-," Beakman explains how the human body's lungs work to supply a steady stream of oxygen to keep it alive. Using a model of the chest, Beakman shows how the diaphragm allows it to expand and contract during breathing. With the Boguscope, he then shows how the lungs transfer oxygen to the blood through small air sacs called alveoli. For "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals that Alaska has no state motto; that apes can be trained to work;and that a lemon shark loses 24,000 teeth each year. During "Cooking With Art," host Art Burn claims that an empty plastic soda bottle can be made into a rocket. Using vinegar, baking soda and a cork, Art shows how, by creating carbon dioxide gas under pressure, the bottle can be launched high into the air. Asked how sound travels through telephone wires, Beakman notes that it is not sound, but electrical impulses, that are sent through phone lines during a conversation. After describing the job of transducers -- devices which convert one type of energy into another -- Beakman conjures up Alexander Graham Bell to discuss his invention. Noting how transducers transform sound into electrical impulses, Bell shows how the process is reversed on the receiving end in order to permit high speed transmission of the human voice. Finally, Beakman notes that the longest long distance telephone call took place in 1969 between the Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon and the President of the United States.
S1 • E19
Queried about cassette players, Beakman asks Lester to demonstrate how the recording and playback heads write music onto magnetic tape. Posing as English rock star Axel Bearing, Beakman then provides the music while Lester attaches notes onto a moving role of butcher paper to show how a tape player encodes sound. Then, reversing the process, Lester demonstrates how it reads this magnetic message to reproduce music. For "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals that dog's noses are wet because of how they sweat; that spaghetti and meatballs were invented in New York City; and that the laziest animal in the world is the tropical American sloth. Turning the tables on his friend, Lester challenges Beakman to rearrange a pattern of sixteen sticks that form five squares into just four squares by moving only two sticks. Though Lester thinks he has him stumped, Beakman easily reveals the solution to his problem. Asked how to lie down on a bed of nails without getting hurt, Beakman takes the opportunity to describe the difference between force and pressure. Beginning by placing a balloon and a brick atop a pin, Beakman notes that it will pop because all of the force was concentrated on a single point. However, trying the same experiment using many pins to support its' weight, the balloon doesn't pop because the force is distributed over all the pins. Finally, in a dramatic demonstration, Beakman lies down on a bed of nails without being hurt.
S1 • E20
Asked how a microwave oven works, Lester offers to answer the question by preparing a frozen pizza. Though agreeing that his idea is a good one, Beakman first sets out to explain electromagnetic energy and its applications, including radio, television and radar. After explaining that microwaves are defined by the size of their wavelength, Beakman continues to keep Lester at bay by using a microwave oven to heat a cup of water and light a fluorescent bulb. But, when Lester finally gets his chance, he discovers that the oven has been returned by Josie. For "Beak-Mania," Beakman explains why mosquito bites produce a bump (an allergic reaction to their saliva), the nature of most household dust (dead skin cells), and that the world's most fire safe city is La Paz, Bolivia (because of its altitude). After challenging Lester to get a pair of eggs to obey his commands, Beakman demonstrates that, by changing the density of water, he can "order" an egg to float. Responding to an inquiry about spiders, Beakman reveals that, like scorpions, mites and ticks, they are members of the Arachnid family. After noting that most spiders can be considered friendly to humans because they prey on a wide range of pests, Beakman explains that, in most cases, the female of the species is strongest, and that a pound of spider silk could stretch completely around the world. Finally, after showing how spiders use wind currents to enable them to fly, Beakman shows how their webs can be artfully displayed at home by using paper and spray paint.
S1 • E21
Queried about the origins of earwax, Beakman notes that it serves a purpose...protecting the body from dirt and germs floating in the air. Using a model of the ear, he shows how the body's ceruminous glands produce an oil which, once it begins to dry out, turns to wax. Then, using the Boguscope, Beakman demonstrates how changes in air pressure cause ears to pop. During "Beak-Mania," Beakman explains why feet fall asleep (lack of circulation), whether blood is really thicker than water (yes, about six times thicker), and that two quarts equal a "pottle." For the "Beakman Challenge," Lester is asked to bounce a tennis ball fifteen feet in the air by gently dropping it on the floor. When he is unable to perform the seemingly impossible task, Beakman shows that it can be done by placing the tennis ball atop a basketball and then dropping them together. Asked about how rockets work, Beakman conjures up the father of modern rocketry, Dr. Robert H. Goddard. After explaining that the action caused by the fuel creates a reaction which propels it into the sky, Goddard is told that rockets were eventually used in the way he predicted they would be, including sending men to the moon. Finally, Beakman uses a large plastic soda bottle to demonstrate that, under proper supervision and with all the necessary precautions, anyone can make a rocket at home.
S1 • E22
Asked why the ozone layer has a hole in it, Beakman begins by explaining that ozone - molecules consisting of a trio of oxygen atoms ?? protects the Earth from the harmful rays of the sun. Using a series of Mylar sheets, he demonstrates ozone's ability to filter out ultraviolet light. However, noting that chlorofluorocarbons, a common chemical in aerosol sprays, refrigerators and air conditioners, and styrofoam, have reduced the Earth's protective ozone layer, Beakman goes on to discourage their use in order to protect the Earth from harmful radiation. During "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals how baby snails are born (very tiny eggs), the origin of the term bookworm (actual worms that grow inside books), the number of verses in the Greek national anthem (one hundred and fifty?eight), and when the first toilet paper roll was invented (1871). During the "Beakman Challenge," Lester is asked to pour water from one beaker into another while keeping them two feet apart. When his feral sidekick is unable to perform the task, Beakman shows how adhesion and cohesion enable him to pour the water along some yarn stretched from one beaker to the other. Asked about acids, Beakman begins by explaining that they do not really burn things, but rather combine with certain substances to tear their molecules apart. Placing a tooth into a beaker of cola (phosphoric acid) and a chicken bone into vinegar (acetic acid), Beakman shows how they dissolve their calcium phosphate to make each quite rubbery. Finally, after revealing that many acids are beneficial, such as those that aid in the digestion of food, Beakman uses the acid in a pickle to light a bulb.
S1 • E23
In response to a question about why toilets used to "explode," Beakman seizes the opportunity to explain the inner?workings of household plumbing's most remarkable device. Using a demonstration toilet bowl, he shows how water pressure, air pressure, gravity and levers work together to make it flush. Then, in response to Lester's concerns, Beakman notes that, before the invention of a trap to keep the volatile gases from coming back through the pipes, toilets were prone to explode. For "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals the name of the world's fastest fish (the sailfish), that bats can eat 600 mosquitoes in an hour, and that explorer Vasco Da Gama first reported the existence of penguins back in 1499. During the "Beakman Challenge," Lester is asked to take a single sheet of typing paper and cut a hole big enough for his boss to step through. Though Lester claims it cannot be done, Beakman makes a series a of carefully planned cuts that produce a circle large enough to meet the challenge. Asked about how roller coasters work, Beakman explains that they operate using inertia, conservation of energy and centripetal force. After a seemingly dangerous demonstration of the conservation of energy using a bowling ball and his face, Beakman notes that a roller coaster is supplied with all of its' energy in the first, and highest, hill. Asked why the passengers don't fall out when the car turns upside down, he explains that gravity is overpowered by the inertial and centripetal forces acting on the roller coaster, keeping everyone safe inside.
S1 • E24
Addressing a question about bees, Beakman explains that a beehive is a highly organized colony with each of its 50,000 members having a specific purpose, while sharing a common goal and function. Identifying the members as workers, drones and queens, Beakman notes that bees make honey after gathering nectar and pollen from flowers. Demonstrating how a pair of stomachs work together to create honey, he then tells his queasy colleagues that the sweet sticky substance is actually bee vomit. After noting that bees die after losing their stingers, Beakman concludes by describing how they communicate through a series of dances. In "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals that lightning can strike in the same place (and even the same person!) more than once, the number of taste buds on the human tongue (ten thousand), and that penguins have been around for about forty million years. Asked to make a piece of paper stay up on a wall using only a pencil, Lester tries and fails to meet the "Beakman Challenge." So, rubbing the paper with the pencil to charge it with static electricity, Beakman shows that it is a relatively simple task once you know how. In response to an inquiry about earthquakes, Beakman begins by describing how the Earth is composed of a series of layers that, near its surface; move around as fifteen huge plates. Revealing the motion of the plates as a source of earthquakes, Beakman notes that there are as many as a million tremors a day around the globe. Then, with the aid of a seismograph, an instrument which detects even the slightest movement on the Earth's surface, Beakman describes how the famous San Andreas fault is caused by the motion of the North American and Pacific plates.
S1 • E25
Asked why you cannot see through a mirror, Beakman calls on the mythical Greek character Narcissus for an explanation. Describing them as pieces of glass with a metallic coating, Narcissus claims that the "silvering" both gives the mirror its reflective quality and makes it impossible to see through. Using a pool table to demonstrate how the angle of incidence always equals the angle of reflection, Narcissus shows how light rays enter and leave a mirror, while Beakman shows how a simple periscope can be made using a pair of mirrors, a shoe box and some tape. In "Beak-Mania," Beakman identifies the world's smallest fish (the Pygmy Goby), why grasshoppers jump so high (lots of leg muscles), and that the mountains in California get more snow than the North Pole. In the "Beakman Challenge," Lester is asked to remove a coin from a dish of water without getting his fingers wet. When he fails to provide a satisfactory solution, Beakman uses a candle, a jar and a lump of clay to demonstrate how a difference in air pressure can push the water into the jar, leaving the coin high and dry. Asked about atomic submarines, Beakman calls on the noted physicist, Madame Curie, to explain how radioactivity is used to provide their power. Defining radioactivity as the process by which certain atoms emit atomic particles and rays of high energy, Madame Curie describes how she and her husband, Pierre, discovered this unique property while experimenting with radium. Picking up where his guest left off, Beakman uses a series of mousetraps loaded with ping pong balls to show how radioactivity is used to initiate reactions that split atoms and give off energy which can then be harnessed to power a submarine.
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Responding to a question about the first wheel, Beakman conjures up the caveman who claims to be responsible for its' invention. As the caveman remembers how he accidentally found that placing a heavy object on top of a log made it easier to move, Beakman explains it is because the log reduces friction with the ground. Using a little red wagon to demonstrate, he shows how, without using the wheels, it is very difficult for Lester to pull Josie across the floor while, with the wheels on the ground, he can move his friend with ease. Then, using a collection of common household items, Beakman constructs a vehicle he calls the "Beakmobile" to demonstrate how wheels work. In "Beak-Mania," Beakman explains how toothpaste is put into tubes; which creature has the biggest eyes (the giant squid); and why there are so many worms on the sidewalk after a rainstorm (to keep from drowning). Taking a question posed by Josie, Beakman uses his method to explain why fireworks explode in so many different colors. Having already formulated the question, Beakman turns to the dictionary and encyclopedia (home resources) before looking for a fireworks manufacturer in the phone book to call (phone tips). Unable to find anyone to call for help, he then goes to the library (field research) in search of an answer. Upon completion of the process, Beakman reveals that firework's colors are a result of metal filings placed in the black powder.
Beakman
Lester
Liza
Josie
Phoebe
Beakman's Mom
Herb