Cell Phone Destruction, Silicone Implants, CD Shatter

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


Myths tested:
Will using a cell phone near a gas pump cause an explosion?
Will silicone breast implants explode or expand in low pressure?
Can a standard CD-ROM drive shatter a CD?

The Science behind Cell Phone Destruction
The main ideas here involve cell phone power, static electricity and gasoline combustion. The key questions:
• How much of a spark can a cell phone generate?
• How much of a spark is required to ignite gas fumes?
• Can static electricity sparks ignite gas fumes?
Students can explore creating sparks with static electricity, how cell phones are powered/insulated, and the fire triangle in the context of gasoline combustion. (See Episode 14 for a followup.)

The Science behind Blow Up Boobs
The effects of air pressure on contained fluids are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• What are the ingredients/components of breast implants?
• How does air pressure change in flight?
• How do changes in air pressure affect contained liquids?
Students can explore the behavior of silicone, contained fluids under various air pressures, and learn more about
pressurization on airplanes. (See Episode 14 for a followup.)

The Science behind CD Shatter
The speed of CD-ROM drives and the durability of CD-ROM discs are the main ideas here. The key questions:
• How fast do CD-ROM drives move? What forces are generated?
• What does it take to shatter a CD-ROM disc? What are they made of?

Students can explore how CD-ROM drives work, and what CD-ROM discs are made of. (How are CDs different from DVDs? How is computer data stored?).

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?).