Science of Stupid (2014) s08e05 Episode Script

1
DALLAS (off-screen): This
is the Science of Stupid.
Yes, this is the show where
we stir science into a
test tube of stupid.
Prepare yourself to see our
dedicated researchers take on
the universe's great mysteries
without any clue as to what
they're doing.
We'll reveal what went wrong
and why with the help of such
scientific principles
as brittle fracture,
defensive behaviors
and gravity.
The story of the foolhardy
versus physics always
ends in pain.
So, watch out it's
the Science of Stupid.
In this show we'll be looking
at elastic restoring force,
thrust.
MAN (off-screen): Oh.
DALLAS (off-screen): And
impact force but first this.
Paragliders, they're
an ambitious bunch.
They've been known to launch
off Machu Picchu in Peru,
The Great Wall of China,
even the summit of Everest,
which is remarkable really,
especially when you consider
that merely launching
off a gentle hillside.
DALLAS (off-screen): Can be.
Scientifically complicated.
Not to mention dangerous,
wherever it's done paragliding
should only be attempted
by the highly trained and
adequately equipped but it
appears even they seem to be
struggling with the launch.
So, let's take a good run up
and leap into the science of a
paragliding take-off.
DALLAS (off-screen): To launch
our man positions his wing to
the correct angle of attack
so air can fully inflate it.
The wing shape deflects
the airflow downward,
which creates an equal and
opposite reaction upwards
or lift.
The faster the air speed
over the wing the more
lift is generated.
Our man can increase
this by running forward,
which comes with
its own problems.
In summary, more air
speed, more lift.
It's such a simple equation.
Surely the only way
from here is up?
DALLAS (off-screen): This chap
is struggling to inflate his
wing but he's off anyway.
Just a short haul then.
His wing isn't at
the correct angle,
so isn't inflating properly,
thus when a sudden gust of
wind increases air speed
he can't control the lift,
which luckily doesn't
last very long.
MAN: Sorry.
DALLAS (off-screen):
Much better.
Perfect angle of attack.
I can't complain, he's
definitely generated lift.
Shame he won't actually be
enjoying the flight too.
Onto tandem take-offs and with
more mass you need more air
speed, well more
than that anyway.
Even running they don't
increase the air speed enough
to generate sufficient lift,
but they do get to find out
what's over the cliff.
Now, this looks promising,
tandem take-off but with some
real speed.
MAN: Looking good.
Looking good.
MAN (off-screen): Oh.
MAN: Almost.
DALLAS (off-screen):
Yeah. Define 'almost'.
Here on the Science of Stupid
we've seen it all, the falls,
the fails, the flops but we
thought it was about time we
saw some people
getting it right.
In fact, getting
it really right.
Now, it's hard enough doing
one back flip but imagine
doing ten in one minute.
DALLAS (off-screen):
On a jet ski.
Meet stunt riders Dan
Rowan and Liam Mellett.
They're attempting to complete
ten synchronized flips,
a Guinness World Record title.
No mean feat.
Three more and
they've done it,
and that is a world record.
Congratulations lads,
go grab a towel.
Impressive but you really
shouldn't attempt this
yourself because while messes
Rowan and Mellett make back
flipping on a jet
ski look easy,
for the rest of
us mere mortals.
WOMAN: Woo.
DALLAS (off-screen): Just
staying on can be hard enough.
Okay, what's the secret to
becoming the best of the best,
aside from practice,
practice, practice?
Well, it's thrust.
Turning effect and
center of mass.
You knew that.
DALLAS (off-screen): Our
man's jet ski uses a pump and
impeller to force
water out of the back,
this creates a forward
force known as 'thrust'.
To do a flip our rider creates
a wave to use as a ramp,
he'll need maximum thrust
as he rides up the wave to
produce enough of
a turning effect.
By standing up straight he
raises the combined center of
mass of him and the jet ski,
increasing the turning effect.
He just needs to make
sure he holds on tight.
That's the theory but I don't
want any of you trying to put
it into practice.
Luckily for us we found our
own potential record breakers
willing to give it a shot.
DALLAS (off-screen): This
aqua pack man is practicing
his thrust.
Water is force one way,
he moves the other,
just like a jet ski.
Almost.
But when he lets go the
thrust direction changes
and so does his.
So, what happens when we
apply thrust with a jet ski?
In his case that happens.
Because if you don't have
enough thrust as you hit the
wave you might
start your flip,
but you won't complete it.
This lady is learning about
the turning effect in a rubber
ring and using the
wave as a ramp,
whether she wants to or not.
The rubber ring is providing
no thrust so she's unlikely to
produce enough of a turning
effect to complete a flip.
So, back to the jet ski.
More thrust.
MAN (off-screen): Oh.
DALLAS (off-screen):
But still not enough
of a turning effect.
To get that you need
to ride up the wave.
MAN (off-screen): Oh.
DALLAS (off-screen):
Not into it.
Okay, one last go and, yes,
standing up will maximize your
turning effect but
don't forget the thrust.
I think the record's safe.
Great balance, champ, but
can you guess the scientific
principle we're about to see
at this lobster crate race?
DALLAS (off-screen): Did
you work out the science we're about to see?
Yes, it's friction.
When our competitor runs back
across the crates he builds a
lot of momentum but as he
tries to stop after his final
leap his momentum overcomes
the small amount of friction
between his wet
feet and the dock.
For the purposes of scientific
enlightenment that, sir,
is a win.
As my late grandmother
used to say,
'Slow and steady
wins the race,'
and whilst that may
have been true for Granny,
when it comes to
stock car racing.
DALLAS (off-screen):
It's quite the opposite.
(crowd cheering)
Whatever happened to just
chatting things through?
You may feel the need, the
need for speed but on an oval
track you want
to have traction,
momentum and steering
sorted too and here's how
all that works.
DALLAS (off-screen): Stock car
racing usually takes place on
an oval track, so whilst
maintaining speed our man must
also navigate
constant cornering.
As he takes a corner
centrifugal force tries to
pull his car to the
outside of the turn,
the friction between the
wheels and the road surface
provides a centripetal force
that holds him round the turn.
If he's hit by another car
the force of the impact can
overcome the friction
at his tires,
causing him to lose
traction and spin out.
So, we need to keep traction
without losing speed.
It's a delicate balance.
I think we better see
some experts in action.
DALLAS (off-screen):
Speed, check.
Steering, check.
Traction, uncheck.
As our racer takes the corner
a nudge causes his back wheels
to lose traction,
he starts to spin,
and the other drivers
can't react in time.
Don't worry,
that'll polish out.
Onto the dirt tracks now but
will that make it harder or
easier to maintain traction?
It's harder, obviously.
Coming out of the corner he
gets a little impact from the
side, the dirt shifts under
his wheels reducing friction,
he loses traction
and ends up, well,
I'm no expert but those
wheels are getting
no traction up there.
Okay, back to the track and
we are beautifully balancing
centrifugal and
centripetal force here.
Taking a smooth line
around the bends to
maintain traction.
You know what?
I think we've cracked it.
What do you guys reckon?
There is little better in life
than celebrating a special
occasion with your
nearest and dearest,
when you hear the cork pop
you know it's time to party.
DALLAS (off-screen): And no
party is complete without a
champagne tower.
WOMAN (off-screen): Wow, oh.
DALLAS (off-screen): Very
impressive but three glasses
is literally the
minimum you could use.
Now, that is a tower
and now it's a duplex.
Now, you may have noticed that
champagne tower building can
result in a lot of accidental
demolition and broken glass,
so do take care but get the
science right and your dinner
guests will be simply awe
struck by your deep knowledge
of impact force, moving center
of mass and base of support.
DALLAS (off-screen): As the
champagne is poured the liquid
will create an impact force
against the side of the glass,
the flow must be controlled
to avoid pushing the glass's
center of mass outside
its base of support.
This is most important for
glasses higher up the tower.
They have a smaller base of
support as they rest on the
rim of the other glasses.
This makes them less
stable than the bottom row,
which have a larger base
of support in contact
with the table.
So, there you have it.
Technically tricky and
almost certainly pointless.
Okay party people,
you've heard the science,
now let's get building.
DALLAS (off-screen): This
confident chap has opted for
the single stacker,
it's a bold choice.
Bold but not sturdy.
As each glass is balanced on
the rim of just one glass even
the slightest movement will
mean its base of support is
suddenly reduced.
I think you traditionally
raise a glass.
This gentleman has
opted for the more
conventional pyramid shape.
That table looks sturdy,
which is good for stability.
Oh, expertly done, sir.
You're an honorary physicist.
I hope you've been
waxing that coat.
The impact of the bottle
on the table causes a small
movement in the tower, this is
enough to move the top glass's
center of mass outside
its small base of support.
Well, at least there
were no guests.
WOMAN: Chris, get it together.
DALLAS (off-screen):
Right, Chris. You've been told, this is all on you.
CHRIS: Get your lips
on the end of this.
DALLAS (off-screen): Oh, I'll
wait for a glass I think.
Thanks though.
This tower looks strong
with a broad base and
a sturdy surface.
So, it'll all be down
to the impact force.
MAN (off-screen): Go, woo.
WOMAN (off-screen): Oh, wow.
MAN: Here's the
good stuff honey.
DALLAS (off-screen):
Hang on, Chris.
That third bottle will
increase the impact force on
the side of the glass.
WOMAN (off-screen): No.
DALLAS (off-screen): Chris,
you've let us all down.
DALLAS: On the Science of
Stupid we pride ourselves on
our in-depth exploration of
the smarts and stupidity of
the human species but every
now and again we like to take
a detour and admire the beauty
and the beasts of nature,
and there's little so
beautiful or beastly
as the vortex.
DALLAS (off-screen): A tornado
is a vortex that can reach
wind speeds of over
250 miles an hour,
but vortices come in
all kinds of forms.
They can whirl up and carry
flames from fires forming
firenadoes and they can pop
up over bodies of water.
MAN: Look at that,
it's a tornado on the water.
MAN (off-screen): Look at it.
DALLAS (off-screen): No my
friend, that is a waterspout.
MAN: It's really, really, close.
DALLAS (off-screen): Yep,
so I would consider running.
MAN: Coming right at me.
DALLAS (off-screen): No,
just gonna stand there?
MAN (off-screen): Whoa.
DALLAS: Bad idea because
whilst they are varied in size
and power vortices are all
unified by the same head
spinning science, which can
be demonstrated by a simple
bottle of water and, well,
our very own firenado.
DALLAS (off-screen): A vortex
can occur in anything but
flows, such as air or water.
The sides of this bottle
provide a centripetal force
that causes the water to
rotate and form a vortex as it
drains out.
Next our firenado.
As the heat of this flame
causes the air to rise the
wire mesh imparts rotation to
it as the air gets pulled in
by the low pressure
at the center,
it spins faster and higher
due to conservation of
angular momentum.
Now, our firenado was built
under expert guidance,
please don't go messing around
with fire yourselves but now
you know how a
vortex is formed.
Where in the world
might you see one?
DALLAS (off-screen): A
camping vacation in the
American Midwest, perhaps?
Here air heated by the ground
is rising whipping the tents
up into the air.
The rotational airflow of the
vortex causes them to circle
the crowd below.
I guess no one
brought any tent pegs.
The last thing you'd want on a
skydiving trip is to fly into
any wayward vortices.
Luckily there doesn't
seem to be any here.
MAN (off-screen): Oh, God.
DALLAS (off-screen):
That you can see.
As our skydiver comes in to
land the rotating air current
of our vortex sped up by
the conservation of angular
momentum, whip up dust
and yank his parachute
to the side.
He did escape without
any major injuries,
but you have to say
that was very unlucky.
Here we have a kayaker
enjoying a paddle and now not
enjoying a vortex.
The rocks provide a
centripetal force,
deflecting the flow of the
river causing the water to
rotate and he becomes
trapped in the fast flow.
Luckily his friends fished
him out and luckier still.
MAN: You still had your
camera on, didn't you?
MAN (off-screen): Yes.
DALLAS (off-screen): He did
and how we've learnt from it.
So, vortices, beastly science
but beautiful to behold.
Vortex marshmallows anyone?
American boxer Willie Pep
claimed to be the only person
ever to win a round
without throwing a punch.
Very impressive if true but
for those new to boxing you
may want to practice your
punch before you get into the
ring, and what better way to
train than with a punch bag?
DALLAS (off-screen):
Providing it's properly fixed.
Well, don't look at me.
To make the most of our punch
bags and avoid a sucker punch
we're gonna need a
fistful of physics.
DALLAS (off-screen): When
our boxer hits this speed bag
kinetic energy is
transferred to it.
By carefully timing each punch
he can increase the total
energy in the system and so
increase the speed of the bag.
A freestanding punch
bag pivots at its base,
when punched kinetic energy
is again transferred to it but
now an elastic restoring
force returns it to the start
position, along with most
of the kinetic energy.
So, if you hit it hard
the bag hits back hard.
It seems like a
fair fight to me.
DALLAS (off-screen):
Lesson one,
when starting out go
easy or that'll happen.
Because he hits it hard he
transfers a lot of kinetic
energy to the bag but the
elastic restoring force causes
it to bounce back with
most of the kinetic energy.
Still, lesson learnt.
This kid's got the hang of it.
Perfect rhythm.
By timing it right and keeping
his punches small he's able to
manage the transfer of energy.
Now it's granddad's turn and he
hits hard but as long as his
timing is right he'll be fine.
Still got it.
That's a jumper, I mean.
When he misses his last punch
the majority of the kinetic
energy is returned to him via
the elastic restoring force
and, yeah, let's, uh,
try something different.
A suspended speed bag, these
are harder to hit as they
swing back to
the boxer faster.
This guy is taking
it nice and steady,
keeping that kinetic energy
under control until it's not.
Here the energy from the
boxer's punch exceeds the
metal attachment's
tensile strength.
He's almost too good.
And that dear friends is
the end of the show and,
as always, I must warn you
not to attempt any of the
dangerous stunts
you have just seen.
Biologist Thomas
Huxley once said,
'Science is common
sense at its best,'
but judging by this
lot common sense isn't common enough.
(music plays through credits).
Captioned by
Cotter Captioning Services.