Sat, Sep 14, 1996
With a viewer question about why sweat smells, Beakman and his lab assistants work up a sweat to find the answer. Beakman demonstrates the functions of perspiration by comparing our bodies to car engines. Like the radiator in a car, perspiration helps maintain a healthy body temperature. But that's only the half of it; to find out why Lester smells the way he does after a science work-out, Beakman discovers the culprit behind the odor. Millions of bacteria and their waste create that familiar scent of sweat. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman discovers how much food an average person consumes in a life time (50 tons of food and 11,000 gallons of liquid) and why people have nose hair. Then, Chef Art Burn (Beakman dressed as the culinary wizard) gives away the secrets of his recipe for paint. Using colored chalk, water, a pot and some glue, Beakman shows how easy it is to discover the artist within. The final question, "How can you find out the weight of a car?", is not as difficult as it seems. Through some calculations of pressure and tire prints, Beakman uses his own Beak-mobile to demonstrate how finding the weight of heavy objects doesn't have to be back-breaking work.
Sat, Sep 21, 1996
The first top flight question comes from a viewer who wonders how birds know when to fly south. While Lester ponders the possibilities of traffic jams in the skies, Beakman really answers the question by unveiling the importance of food supply and climate to migrating animals. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman reveals how Greenland, which is not so green, got its name. Then, Beakman is ordered to go fly a kite to answer the next question, "who were the first people to fly kites?" (The Chinese) The "Beakman Challenge" tests Lester's animal strength. To meet the challenge, Beakman throws his scientific weight around, lifting barbells without lifting a finger. Beakman has fun answering the next urgent question, "how do astronauts go to the bathroom in space?" The humorous scientist notes that what goes down doesn't always stay down, but luckily for our astronauts, science has created special space toilets to counter microgravity.
Sat, Sep 28, 1996
Beakman viewers are burning to find out about flames and fires. The gang and Beakman as Robert Bunsen the flame expert, set out to answer questions on this hot topic. Beakman reveals different types of flames and how "hollow" flames, produced by Bunsen burners have helped scientists for more than one hundred years. In Beakmania, Beakman answers a question from a viewer who wants to know how many ants an anteater eats (30,000 a day) and then dives into the next question from a viewer who asks, "how deep can a seal dive?" (600 feet). Beakman also reveals a unique fact: human beings are the only species to sleep on their backs. And finally, intrigued by a viewer who asks, "how can basketball players stay up in the air so long?" Beakman jumps at the chance to explain the science behind the illusion. With spectacular game footage of Chicago Bulls Superstar Michael Jordan, Beakman discovers that the science of gravity and momentum, enable players to look like they're hanging in midair. Beakman gets down and dirty to answer a question about what happens after you're done using the toilet. Beakman is flushed down the toilet to track down the process, from raw sewage to the treatment plant and back into our homes. No journey is too far or too messy for this scientist.
Sat, Nov 8, 1997
With a question about the old myth of cats and their nine lives, scientist Beakman and his trusty team have a ball, untangling the facts about felines. Contrary to popular belief, cats only have one life. However, they have an amazing ability to escape serious injury or death, because of their keen instinct to land on all fours. Beakman demonstrates these safe landings with a cat in the studio, and its easy to see how the grace of cats can add a couple of years to their lives. In Beakmania, Beakman answers questions from viewers who want to know if animals ever get sunburned (yes, pigs do) and if Eskimos have refrigerators (yes, to keep things from freezing). He also discovers that the dung beetle is the world's champion eater. Nurse Phoebe gives us some helpful hints on getting rid of lice and preventing future outbreaks. The next dynamo question about dynamite, gives Beakman a chance to explain the wonders of explosive substances. Explosions happen when substances go from a small size to a much larger size in a short amount of time. Beakman demonstrates how we can create our very own "kaboom" with household products--baking soda, vinegar and a plastic bag.
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Sat, Oct 19, 1996
Beakman holds his breath when asked about stinky breath, a question near and dear to Lester's heart. The daring scientist journeys into the center of the human mouth, a virtual rain forest, to find billions of creatures feeding off of leftover meatloaf. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman marches off the beat of the first question about how much soldiers were paid in ancient Rome. (Soldiers were paid in salt.) The next inquiry comes from a viewer wants to know how many reptiles have shells? (One, the turtle.) The final question is about how cedar chests keep moths away from wool. (There is no real evidence of this tradition.) The crew worms their way through another "Those Disgusting Animals" segment to find out all about tiny worms and wiggly creatures that grow to a hundred feet long. Beakman tests his science strength to answer a viewer who's antsy to find out "if an ant were tall as a man, which would be the strongest?" Beakman gives us the science buzz on the mathematics of creating objects to scale when comparing subjects of different sizes.
Sat, Sep 20, 1997
The science crew cleans up the smoke surrounding catalytic converters. Catalysts help the world breathe just a bit easier by changing harmful, polluting toxins into less polluting gasses by speeding up a chemical reaction within vehicles. Beakman demonstrates how this breath of fresh air works with a wooden model and a bubbly chemical reaction. But catalysts aren't only roaring in engines, they are also fast at work in our bodies to speed up the absorption of chemicals. In the Beakmania portion of the show, Phoebe holds her breath to find the answer to a question about how much air is in our lungs. (An adults' lungs can hold almost a gallon of air.) Then Beakman sucks the life out of science with a sticky viewer questions about the biggest leech in the world. (The Amazonian leech of South America; it's over a foot long.) Then, Beakmom plugs into a "Beakmom Challenge." A blind-folded Beakman tries to find his mother by the sound of her voice to test the deception of binaural hearing. The pressure is turned on when Beakman nearly explodes trying to answer a question about aerosol cans. With the use of compressed gas, aerosol cans release tiny particles suspended in a gas.
Sat, Sep 14, 1996
Beakman bounces off to a start with the first viewer question about rubber. The wacky scientist as Charles Goodyear reveals the historic lore surrounding rubber, dating as far back as 1770. He discovers that it's no stretch to call rubber the most miraculous substance in the world. Rubber is able to hold air, keep moisture out and most importantly, it is elastic. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman counts the sands of time to find out if there are more grains of sand than stars in the universe (there are more stars in the universe), and if animals are able recognize themselves in the mirror (chimpanzees and some gorillas can). Then Beakman as Chef Art Burn gives away a scientific culinary treat-how to change the colors of carnations. With two jars, water, food coloring, a knife, celery and some flowers, Beakman demonstrates, not only the art of floral arranging, but how plants distribute water to nourish themselves. The final hair raising question comes from a viewer who asks, "how does hair grow?" To get to the root of the answer, Beakman and his science team take a closer look into the hair follicles to discover "bulb cells" dividing very quickly to produce hair all over the body. Beakman also brushes over some facts about different hair lengths, dandruff and why cutting hair is so painless.
Sat, Nov 29, 1997
With a viewer question about where camels store water, Beakman and his trusty team discover some thirst quenching facts about the remarkable camel. Known as the "ship of the desert," camels can travel great distances across hot, dry sands with little food or water. These seemingly magical feats are accomplished through the unique make-up of the hump. The fat inside the hump provides stored energy for those long stretches of sand. But the most amazing characteristic about the hump is the hydrogen contained within the that can be combined with oxygen atoms from the air to make H-2-0, water. In Beakmania, the science wizard reveals how much crying the average baby accomplishes (2 hours and 13 minutes a day) and how much of the earth's surface is covered by water (71%). Finally, he chops away at a question about how karate experts break boards without breaking a nail. The next light weight question comes from a viewer who wants to know how much air weighs. Beakman floats to the bottom of this question by demonstrating how CO2 emitted from mixing baking soda and vinegar into a tank full of water, can reveal some heavy duty facts about weight and density.
Sat, Jan 18, 1997
Beakman and the crew return with another high flying question about boomerangs and how their ability to come back to their senders. Beakman travels "down under" to Australia where boomerangs were born. They were originally used to hunt animals and then transformed into the toy version most of us are familiar with. The secret of their U-turn abilities lies in its shape--the edges of each arm are curved like the wing of an airplane. The rotations of the boomerang in flight follows a spinning motion around an imaginary axis that guides the Australian wonder-toy back to its owner. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman gets down and dirty with a question about soil and bacteria (there are more than 5,000 different kinds of bacteria in a pinch of soil) and leaps at the chance to give some soaring facts about frogs and their ability to jump. Finally, Beakman unplugs his nosy fact finding abilities to answer a question about the smell of natural gas (it has no odor.) The Beakman crew explores the disgusting world of dung beetles on "Those Disgusting Animals." The wacky science team clowns around answering questions about the circus. Beginning with an inquiry about the highest number of somersaults a trapeze artist can do, to why tight rope walkers hold long poles, Beakman rolls over the Big Top with some amazing answers.
Sat, Sep 28, 1996
Scientist Beakman looms large over the topic about elephants. They are the largest and most powerful of all living land mammals, but live in peaceful family units. Beakman explains the importance of the trunk of an elephant, its large ears, and different species of elephants. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman answers a viewer's question, "do all rivers run into the ocean" (most do, some trickle into the deserts). He also discovers the melody behind the "singing sandal," (Japanese sandals that make accordion-like sounds when worn) and discovers that Koala bears don't drink water. Then, Beak-Mom proposes a sweet challenge to Lester: knock off a piece of jelly toast off of a counter and have it land jelly side up. Although Lester controls his urge to munch up the experiment, Beak-Mom meets the challenge and wins a sweet victory. The final question comes from a viewer who is curious about how X-Rays work. The answer is not as transparent as it may seem, Lester is X-rayed to show how short waves work to make the invisible...visible.
Sat, Nov 23, 1996
Beakman gives us the skinny on skin, the largest organ in the human body, to answer a viewer's question. Skin acts as a protective wall around our bodies and regulates body temperature. Beakman peels off some more facts about skin and reveals the three layers that make up this organ--the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. In Beakmania, Beakman unveils some eye-opening answers to the question, "how far could a person see if they had the best human eyesight possible?" (a match struck at night fifty miles away). Then, Beakman explains why Mars is called the "Red Planet," (a red mineral covers the planet's surface). Nurse Phoebe gives a soothing explanation about sunburns and offers some remedies to cool off sun-baked skin. The final breath taking question, "why do we breathe?" is demonstrated by comparing breathing to a gasoline engine. Oxygen is the "gas of life" that gives our bodies the energy needed to sustain itself.
Sat, Nov 30, 1996
Viewers are starving to find out facts about bread and why its called "the staff of life." Bread, which is the most widely eaten food in the world, provides a larger share of our energy than nay other food. Beakman investigates different types of bread, how bread is made and the function of yeast in bread. In Beakmania, Beakman silences any doubt about clothes hangers and their noise making capabilities (hangers emit low sound when they sag) and luminates the night answering a viewer's question, "is a full moon twice as bright as a half moon?" (it's 9 times brighter than a half moon). On the game show, "What's for Lunch?" contestants gobble up facts about the food chain. Beakman sizes up his science knowledge to answer questions about measurement. Size, weight/mass, temperature and time are the basic means of measurement and Beakman reveals how important standardization is to figuring out measurements. Beakman also shows Lester how to determine the height of a palm tree using its shadow.
Sat, Nov 9, 1996
Beakman&s attraction to the first question is obvious, "what's the difference between an electromagnet and a magnet magnet?" While a typical magnet does not use electricity to function, an electromagnet uses a wire with electricity running through it. These types of magnets are used in everyday things such as television signals, radios and speakers in stereos. Beakman and his trusty sidekick, Phoebe create their own magnetic electricity by using an iron nail, copper wire and a battery. In the Beakmania section, the zany scientist finds out where the first writing ink came from (the Incas discovered it in the ink sac of an octopus) and if there is any fresh water in the ocean (yes, in the Atlantic Ocean and the mouth of the Amazon River). He also gives a little history lesson to answer the question, "where did the first silver used in America's first silver coins come from?" (Martha, George Washington's wife's silverware and silver serving dishes). Finally, Beakman as Chef Art Burn brings some dinner theater to the science of gelatin. To demonstrate the functions of gelatin, he shows how you can make your own using unflavored gelatin, a sauce pan and some apple juice. A viewer asks a very sensible question about the senses--smelling, seeing, tasting, touching and hearing. However, Beakman reveals that there are more than these five senses, we're covered from head to toe with many other sensational senses, both internally and externally.
Sat, Dec 14, 1996
Beakman and the science crew go ape with a question from a viewer who wants to know if apes are the closest links to humans. Humans along with apes are part of a group of mammals known as primates. Beakman monkeys around with a chimpanzee, discovering similar traits between chimps and humans. Swinging over to Beakmania, Beakman reveals the truth behind the legend of Johnny Appleseed (his real name was John Chapman and he really did plant apple trees). The next blood curdling question comes from a viewer who wonders if all animals have red blood (no). In "The Phoebe Challenge," Phoebe is asked to multiply her talents by finding a way to turn one glass of water into six glasses of water. By using a siphon and the science of pressure, Phoebe meets the challenge, much to Lester's surprise. Then Beakman explores an eye opening question from a viewer who is nervous about an eye exam. With the help of Beakman's brother, an ophthalmologist, he sheds some light on what an eye doctor does, how a healthy eye functions and why eye exams are so important.
Sat, Dec 28, 1996
Beakman pulls out the trickiest question from his science hat to answer a viewer who wants to know if there really is such a thing as magic. To create the illusion of impossibilities appearing before your eyes, magicians use a lot of science behind those puffs of magic. Beakman breaks the first rule of the trade and reveals the secrets behind two of the most common tricks, the "disappearing box" and floating in mid-air, all in the name of science. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman gets tongue tied finding out the answer to "what place has the longest name?" (a hill in New Zealand, Taumatswhatkatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu). Still catching his breath, Beakman finds out what's so out of the world about the Guzman Prize is (it's awarded to the first person who can prove they've made contact with aliens), and the Beakman team meets a skin crawling creature on "Those Disgusting Animals," the naked mole rat. Speaking of moles, Beakman explores another beautiful mole, the beauty mark. Beakman reveals the scientific mysteries of eyeliner, creams, shampoos powders and soaps. Cleopatra gives Lester much needed beauty advice, including how to make your own make-up Egyptian style, of course.
Sat, Sep 27, 1997
Prompted by a viewer who wants to know the difference between pigs and hogs, Beakman and his trusty lab assistants explore the wonders of the other white meat. Beakman discovers that there is no difference between the two and uncovers some interesting facts about pigs. He reveals why they are among the smartest animals in the world, why they roll around in mud and what their signature snouts are good for. In Beakmania, the humorous scientist tells us why we blink (to wash your eyes out) and stretches his science knowledge to discover the stretchiest element (gold). Beakman enters the "Scratchy Challenge" and gets all tied up to demonstrate the workings of a lariat. Beakman warms up his musical talents to investigate the workings of a harmonica. To answer this question, Beakman explores the science of sound waves, frequency and vibrations.
Sat, Jan 11, 1997
The science crew dives into a jewel of a question about sunken treasure. Beakman explores the job of underwater archaeologists or "marine archaeologists" to see how treasures in the deep blue are found and what they can tell us about the past. Through uses of sonars, mini submarines and radars, Beakman unveils the mystery behind lost treasures. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman answers a timely question about how much energy a quartz watch uses (very little). Then he gets tongue tied trying to untangle the hardest tongue twister, "the sixth sick sheik's sixth shee'ps sick." Beakman reveals how much of Alaska is covered with snow, and Chef Art Burn makes delicious science by giving away a family recipe for Punch ala Art, complete with dancing raisins. While Lester guesses the Archimdedian Screw is the latest dance craze, Beakman screws on his thinking cap to tell us how a simple tool can be considered a machine. A machine is anything that helps use energy to do work, by using the properties of mechanical advantage, pulleys and levers a simple tool can be used as a more complicated machine. Beakman shows how a screw like the Archimedian Screw which pumps water out of the bottom of a boat, can function as an important machine.
Sat, Jan 18, 1997
Beakman makes a big splash with a whale of a question about why these large mammals are so special. Beakman swims away with facts about cetaceans, especially blue whales, the largest animals that have ever lived and special characteristics about whales. With the alarming rate at which whales are being killed, saving whales has become a top priority to many environmentalists. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman fishes for answers to a question about how long people have been fishing (for over 10,000 years). The next juicy question comes from a viewer who wants to know how spiders eat their victims (spiders don't eat their victims, they pump digestive juices into them to dissolve their insides, then they suck them up like a slurpee). Finally, on, "What's For Lunch?" contestants find out how the elaphe guttata guttata, a corn snake, eats its victims by literally squeezing the life out of them. Beakman proves that seeing is not always believing when he uncovers the optical illusion behind 3-D pictures. The crew focuses on a blurry subject that can only be explained through the science of the inner eye.
Sat, Oct 25, 1997
Beakman travels at lightning speed to find out why the "boom" behind sound barriers makes so much noise. Beakman gives an earful of knowledge about the concentration and placement of sound waves and the speed of sound, all of which create the sonic boom. Turning to Beakmania, the scientist sheds some light on why plants glow in the dark (some fungi emit enough light to read by) and flexes his science muscles to find out which muscle humans use the most (eye muscles). Then Beakman buzzes about how many insects there are in the world (there are more insects in one square mile of rural land than there are human beings on Earth). Lester walks on air after Nurse Phoebe gives some healthy advice about curing foot blisters. After many inquiries about staying healthy, Beakman and the science crew investigate the road to healthy living. Beakman shows how balanced nutrition, exercise and hygiene can give a spring to your step and a boost to your day.
Sat, Oct 4, 1997
Prompted by a viewer who wants to know why scientists visit the North and South Poles, Beakman melts away some chilling rumors about the desolation of these seemingly barren environments. But the poles can reveal dirty secrets about pollution in the cities and are ideal spots for star gazing, not to mention the unique kinds of animals that live and migrate to the poles. The peaceful poles are also one of the only regions on earth where scientists from all over the world can come to share information, and armies are only allowed to travel across the poles with science expeditions. In Beakmania, Beakman reveals that marine flatworms have as many as one hundred eyes and he races to the next question about the slowest mammal on earth (the sloth). On "Those Disgusting Animals," the crew discovers an animal that is more horrifying than Lester -- the lamprey, which has an appetite for blood and bodily fluids. Beakman spins out facts about circular motion to answer a question from a viewer who wants to know how ice skaters spin around so fast. Beakman circles the facts of rotational inertia to discover why rotating objects will stay rotating.
Sat, Jan 11, 1997
Sparked by a viewer's question about dogs, Beakman and his hard working science team investigate man's best friend. Beakman barks up the tree of science to find out some facts about dogs and their closest relatives, the wolf, fox, jackal and coyote. Beakman sniffs around to discover how dogs were domesticated, why they have such remarkable eye sight and senses of smell, and how they are used by humans for extraordinary tasks such as transportation and rescue missions. In Beakmania, Beakman counts down with a viewer who asks "How many times does the letter 'A' appear from zero to 999 when written out?" (none). Then Beakman spins off answers about how fast the earth rotates (more than 1,000 miles an hour at the equator). "The Beakman Challenge" confronts Lester with a seemingly impossible task, putting his hand in a jar of water without getting it wet. Beakman answers a monster of a question from a viewer who wants to know if scientists can build people from spare parts like Frankenstein. Although we can give a hand to the creativity of Frankenstein, only part of the legend can be translated into reality. Beakman becomes the mad scientist to discover how people can have parts replaced through the wonders of bio-medical engineering. Every day, doctors replace thousands of knees, hips, heart valves and even parts of the human eye with bio-medically engineered body parts.
Sat, Nov 15, 1997
Prompted by a viewer who wants to know how humans grow, Beakman stretches his science knowledge to sprout some facts about the human body. Beakman taps into some growing pains to discover the different stages in humans from the fertilized egg to adolescence to adulthood. Turning to Beakmania, a viewer hungers for the answer to the question, "What's the largest food dish that people eat?" (roasted camel.) Then Beakman investigates an ice breaker of a question about how large icebergs can become (an iceberg the size of Maryland was found in 1956.) On the "Wide Beakworld of Sports," Beakman spans the globe to sport answers to the question, "What is the toughest thing to do in sports?" Beakman hits a home run to discover that baseball players have the toughest job. Beakman shakes up the laboratory to answer a question from a viewer who wants to know, "How come you can see through oil and vinegar, but when you shake them up it gets all cloudy?" The crew clears up some facts about chemical reactions and the science of solutions and suspensions. Beakman creates his own solutions and suspensions with ordinary household items to show how the breakdown of molecules can cloud anyone's understanding of chemical reactions.
Sat, Nov 22, 1997
Beakman toys around with Newton's third law of motion to make his own Beak-mobile toy car. The third law of motion states that for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. To prove just how speedy the law of action and reaction really is, Beakman builds his own toy car out of a balloon, straw, some masking tape and a little bit of lung power. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman travels the globe to find out how far it is around the earth (2490.55 miles) and cracks open a question about how many mammals lay eggs (two-the platypus and the spiny anteater.) Then, Beakman visits the moon to see if any man-made structure can be seen from the starry skies (no.) Finally, Nurse Phoebe gives some cool relief to Lester's wounds with nature's healer...ice. Finally, Beakman flies in with a few words about birds to discover how parrots talk. Parrots don't acutally talk, they merely repeat what they've heard. Beakman and the quacky science crew find out about different species of gabbing birds and what it takes to make one of these chatting birds happy.
Sat, Mar 1, 1997
Wacky scientist Beakman discovers a zoo of animals in a single drop of pond water. Amoebas are protozoans, or one celled animals which live, breathe, eat and reproduce in water and soil. There are 30 thousand different kinds of protozoans and they have unique ways of eating and reproducing. In Beakmania, Beakman discovers some facts about amazing fathers (sea horses are the only species of animals in which the males give birth,) then in a blink of an eye, Beakman gives some facts about how often humans blink, (once every two to ten seconds.) Beakman flexes his science muscles to discover that there are more than six hundred muscles in the human body and the Beakman crew reveals how warm vomit hits the spot for baby birds in "What's for Lunch," Finally, the flips sets for some Hollywood action as they find out the secrets to some amazing film stunts. With the use of some tricky camera angles, false perceptions and state of the art technology, movie makers give audiences a hair-raising experience.
Sat, Nov 1, 1997
Beakman horses around with some facts about horses. Horses were tamed and ridden more than 5,000 years ago and used for sports, in war, and as transporters. There are over 150 different kinds of horses and these handsome creatures and still one of the most valuable and beloved animals. Then the gang discovers a surprising species of disgusting animals in "Those Disgusting Animals" Beakman tries to convince his skeptical crew that people should be considered for this category, considering humans feed themselves poison (by smoking) and live in their own waste products caused by exhaust emitted from cars and factories.
Sat, Mar 15, 1997
Beakman investigates a question about how detectives find fingerprints. Fingerprints are made up of unique patterns that combine in different ways--so no two fingerprints are exactly alike. By using special chemicals that react with sweat and oil on potentially felonious fingers. Beakman shows his curious science investgating crew how to make their own fingerprint kits with a piece of charcoal, a table knife, a small paint brush, tape and an ink pad. In this week's Beakmania, Beakman swallows a taste of his own science when answering a viewer who wants to know how to take the "yuck" out of medicine (suck on an ice cube to numb taste buds.) Then Beakman finds out some noisy facts about roadrunners. Finally, Beakman as Chef Art Burn, makes a recipe for crystalline formations crystal clear. With a spoon, a glass jar, some bowls and sugar--science never tasted so sweet. Beakman holds his breath while waiting to find out some answers to a subject in Lester's field of expertise--flatulence. The science crew discovers what all the noise behind farting really is. Gas is passed when it accumulates in the stomach or intestines. In acutality, people pass the gas of bacteria eating leftovers in the colon--these tiny critters chow down and give off waste products like carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane. The crew signs off with an original tune about flatulence, "the man-made turbulence."