Poppyseed Drug Test, Larry's Lawn Chair, Goldfinger Body Paint

This episode is part of Collection 3, disc 1, episode 3. It is ALSO the third episode of Season 1.


Myths tested:
Can a person take to the skies using only a lawn chair and weather balloons?
Can someone test positive for heroin by eating a large amount of poppy seeds?
Can being painted with gold paint actually be deadly?


The Science behind Lawnchair Balloons
Lift and buoyancy are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• How much lift is necessary to leave the ground?
• How much mass does one balloon lift?
• Can a stable flying lawnchair rig be engineered?


Students can explore the relationship between mass and lift, density of gasses, and the issue of feasibility (things that are possible but not realistic). Budgeting this myth is a good applied math activity. Stability is another relevant topic for exploration.


The Science behind Poppyseed Pee
The chemistry of opiods in human urine and drug testing are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• How do drug tests work?
• How are poppy seeds and opiods (morphine, heroin, etc.) related?
• What is the physiology of ingesting poppy seeds and taking opium-based drugs related?


Students can explore the chemistry of different urine tests (pregnancy, drugs, protein, pH...), the physiological effects of opiods, research the history of many uses of the poppy plant. Another interesting issue to discuss: the ethics of drug testing.


The Science behind Goldfinger's Body Paint
The role of skin in human respiration and the risks of blocking all of someone's pores are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• Can latex body paint affect body temperature?
• What functions does the skin perform that are necessary for life?
• What percentage of respiration/thermoregulation is skin-dependent?


Students can explore the physiological effects of sealing skin (maybe paint a 1 cm square of skin with a latex body paint and leave it on overnight?).