Beakman's World

- Season 1

(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...

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 ...

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...

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 (...

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 (...

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?" ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 (...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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,"...

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 "...

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 "...

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), ...

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 ...

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 "...

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 ...