Lightning Strikes Piercings, Tree Cannon, Beating the Breathalyzer

This episode is part of Collection 1, disc 2, episode 2. It is ALSO the sixth episode of Season 2.

NOTE: One of the myths in this episode is about alcohol.

Myths tested:
Is a person with a tongue piercing more likely to get struck by lightning?
Can a cannon be built out of a tree?
Can the breathalyzer be beaten through various methods?

The Science behind Lightning Strikes Tongue Piercings
The main ideas here are lightning strikes and what attracts them. The key questions:
• What attracts lightning?
• Does wet metal attract lightning more than other things in the area?

Students can learn more about lightning, injuries from lightning strikes, and the relative wisdom of tongue piercing. (My students love this myth, but I’m not sure it’s all that science-y)

The Science behind Tree Cannon
Controlled explosions, medieval woodworking, and the strength of wood are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• How do cannons work? What are the necessary parts?
• What does it take to appropriately mill a log into a cannon barrel?
• How much gunpowder can a tree trunk stand?

Students can explore the construction of cannons, medieval weaponry, and how much explosive force wood can take. I particularly recommend exploring the structural differences that come from using different grain patterns; in the episode, they core the middle out of the trunk, which is very different from using planks to build a tube. What other ways can wood’s grain be helpful/not helpful for different applications?

The Science behind Beating the Breathalyzer
Evading detection is the main idea here. The key questions:
• How do breathalyzers work?
• Is there any way to beat a breathalyzer?

Students can explore the chemistry of exhaled breath, and talk about the lungs as organs of waste removal. Also of interest: calculating BAC based on body mass, and how different people metabolize alcohol differently even at the same body mass (genetic variation, muscle vs. fat, gender…)

Buried Alive, Cola Myths, and Hammer Drop

This episode is part of Collection 1, disc 2, episode 1. It is ALSO the fifth episode of Season 2.

NOTE: This episode contains two scary myths (if you have sensitive students, like I do). One is about falling into water and another is about being buried alive. DON’T TRY THESE AT HOME. And one of the cola myths is about sperm.

Myths tested:
Is it possible to survive for days inside a coffin?
Does Cola have special properties?
Will throwing a hammer off a bridge to break the surface tension of the water save a person who jumped off the bridge?

The Science behind Buried Alive
The main ideas here are human respiration and the weight of dirt. The key questions:
• How much does dirt weight? How strong does the coffin need to be?
• How much air does a man need?

Students can explore the materials that coffins are made of (wood, aluminum…), respiration rates at rest/under stress, the volume of a coffin (and the displacement of the man inside the coffin….how much air is there room for?). Related would be a study of burial rituals (I think Japanese are traditionally buried sitting down not lying down).

The Science behind Cola Chemistry
The chemistry and potential uses of cola (and realizing that the familiar may be more than meets the eye) are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• What is cola made of?
• What are acids able to do?
• What conditions are best/worst for sperm?

Students can explore the chemistry of colas. This episode is connected to others about the chemistry of familiar fluids: Pirate Special, Vodka… (MORE HERE). It is also connected to the famous Diet Coke & Mentos episode.

The Science behind Hammer Drop
Gravity of falling, surface tension and viscosity are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• What is surface tension and how does breaking it change the energy of impact with water?
• How viscous is water?

Students can explore the properties of water, and examine the impact of different object profiles as they hit the surface (diving, for example).

Biscuit Bazooka, Vacuum Toilet, Leaping Lawyer

This episode is part of Collection 3, disc 1, episode 2. It is ALSO the second episode of Season 1.

Myths tested:
Can an airplane toilet create enough suction to cause a person to become stuck on it?
Can a can of biscuit dough explode in a hot car?
Can a person throw himself through a skyscraper window?

The Science behind Stuck on an Airplane ToiletSuction/vaccuum, seals and air pressure are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• How much suction is generated by an airplane toilet flush?
• Can a human butt seal the opening of an airplane toilet seat?
• How much suction can human flesh take without damage?
Students can explore the relationship between suction and air pressure, and the amazing tensile strength of human flesh.

The Science behind Exploding Biscuit Dough The chemistry of canned biscuits and the hardness of the human skull are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• What is the chemistry of canned self-rising biscuits?
• How much pressure is generated by a can of self-rising biscuits rupturing?
• How much heat is required to rupture a can of self-rising biscuits?
• What is required to rupture someone's skull?

Students can explore the chemistry of canned and self-rising foods, and the amazing hardness of the human skull.

The Science behind Leaping Lawyer
The hardness of skyscraper glass, the speed of the runner, and the speed of a bullet are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• What is the speed of the runner? is it sufficient to break skyscraper window glass?
• How fast does a bullet travel? is it sufficient to break skyscraper window glass?
• What is required to build a rig to test this myth?

Students can explore the different qualities of different kinds of window glass, the different speeds of different bullets shot from different guns, and terminal velocity (how fast someone would fall from a window).

Jet-Assisted Chevy & Pop Rocks + Soda = Exploding Stomach

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

Myths tested:
Can a 1967 Chevy take off with JATO rockets?
Can Pop Rocks & soda, when eaten simultaneously, cause the eater's stomach to rupture?

The Science behind the JATO-powered Chevy
Speed and power are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• How much power is necessary to propel a Chevy?
• How much power to JATO rockets provide?
• Can a stable configuration be engineered?

Students can explore the relationship between speed and propulsion, and the acceleration required to get lift. Stability is another relevant topic for exploration. (See Episode 87 for a revisit of this myth.)

The Science behind Pop Rocks & Soda = Exploding Stomach
The chemistry of carbonation in solids and liquids vs. the elasticity of the stomach are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• How much gas can a stomach handle?
• How much gas is given off in when soda and pop rocks are combined?
• What is the physiology of ingesting large amounts of candy and soda?

Students can explore the chemistry of different food combinations, and the amazing expandability of the stomach.