Top-rated
Thu, Sep 17, 1992
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.
Top-rated
Fri, Sep 25, 1992
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.
Fri, Oct 2, 1992
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.
Fri, Oct 9, 1992
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.
Fri, Oct 16, 1992
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.
Fri, Oct 23, 1992
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.
Fri, Oct 30, 1992
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.
Fri, Nov 6, 1992
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.
Top-rated
Fri, Nov 13, 1992
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.
Fri, Nov 20, 1992
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.
Fri, Nov 27, 1992
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.