Street Science (2017–…): Season 1, Episode 9 - Fistful of Flames - full transcript
Kevin and his team of experts investigate the secret science at work in your kitchen. They show how you can hold fire in the palm of your hand, reveal what it takes to break a wine glass ...
NICK, LIGHT YOUR HAND ON FIRE
AND SLAP HIM IN THE FACE.
Delaney: WE ARE TAKING IT
ON THE CHIN FOR SCIENCE.
THAT WAS A GOOD SLAP.
Delaney: WITH EVERYTHING IN THE KITCHEN
BUT THE KITCHEN SINK.
[ GLASS SHATTERS ]
CAN DISH SOAP KEEP YOU FROM BURNING?
YOU ARE CRAZY. HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
CAN DRAIN CLEANER BRIGHTEN UP YOUR DAY?
WOW, LOOK AT THOSE COLORS!
AND CAN A FIRE EXTINGUISHER POWER A CAR?
WHAT ARE WE GONNA LEARN?
HOW LOUD YOU CAN SCREAM.
WHOO!
Delaney: MY NAME IS KEVIN DELANEY.
I'VE BEEN SHOWING OFF THE
MAGIC OF SCIENCE FOR YEARS,
EVERYWHERE FROM MUSEUMS
TO LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOWS.
SCIENCE IS ALL AROUND US,
AND I WANT THE WORLD TO SEE IT,
SO I'M COMBINING EVERYDAY ELEMENTS
IN WAYS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.
[ SCREAMING ]
I'VE GOT A TEAM OF EXPERTS
AND HIGH-TECH CAMERAS
THAT WILL REVEAL THE
SCIENCE THAT SURROUNDS US
IN WAYS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
I'M TAKING SCIENCE TO THE STREETS.
THIS IS "STREET SCIENCE."
SO, KEVIN. YEAH.
WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? I
NEED DISHES AND I NEED SOAP,
AND I FEEL LIKE THEY GO THROUGH
AN AWFUL LOT OF BOTH HERE
AT THIS RESTAURANT.
THAT WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
I ALSO FEEL LIKE
THE DISHWASHER HAS NO IDEA
EXACTLY WHAT THOSE DISHES
AND SOAP ARE CAPABLE OF.
I'M NOT SURE THAT I DO EITHER, KEVIN.
WHAT ARE THEY CAPABLE OF?
EXPLODING AND CATCHING FIRE.
SICK. I'M DOWN.
ALL RIGHT.
Delaney: A KITCHEN CAN
BE A CRAZY, HECTIC PLACE.
BETWEEN DISH SOAP, FIRE,
AND WINE GLASSES, WE'RE GOING TO TEST
THE LIMITS OF SOME COMMON KITCHEN ITEMS
AND THIS WAIT STAFF.
HELLO, LADIES. THANKS FOR HELPING ME OUT.
SO, HAVE YOU EVER HELD
FIRE IN YOUR HAND BEFORE?
Both: NO.
IT SOUNDS LIKE AN INCREDIBLE POWER,
DOESN'T IT, TO BE ABLE
TO HOLD A BALL OF FIRE
IN YOUR HAND AND NOT HURT YOURSELF?
YEAH.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT I CAN DO THAT?
[ Laughing ] NO. YOU'RE CRAZY.
WELL, I HAVE NO CHOICE
BUT TO PROVE MYSELF, THEN.
WATCH CAREFULLY.
YOU MIGHT SEE SOMETHING SURPRISING.
OH, MY GOODNESS.
OH, MY GOODNESS.
YOU ARE CRAZY. HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
WE HAVE BUTANE IN HERE,
WHICH IS A FLAMMABLE GAS,
AND THAT'S WHAT'S FILLED THE BUBBLES,
BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOAPY WATER.
YOU NOTICED THAT I DUNKED MY
HAND IN THE WATER BUCKET FIRST,
SO I HAD A LAYER OF SOAP AND A
LAYER OF WATER BELOW THE BUTANE.
SO WHEN I LIT THAT GAS ON
FIRE, ALL THAT WATER HEATED UP
AND GAVE A LITTLE PROTECTIVE LAYER OF GAS
BETWEEN MY SKIN AND THE FIRE,
AND I DIDN'T BURN MY HAND AT ALL.
SO NOW THAT YOU'VE SEEN IT,
NOW THAT YOU BELIEVE
IT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY?
YES. YEAH.
EXCELLENT.
Delaney: WITH THE HELP OF
MY CHEMISTRY ASSISTANT,
ANNE-LISE EMIG, WE PREPARE
OUR BRAVE VOLUNTEERS' HANDS
FOR THEIR OWN FIRE BALLS.
THIS IS DANGEROUS, AND
WE ARE ADVISED BY EXPERTS,
SO PLEASE NEVER, EVER
TRY THIS ONE YOURSELF.
HIGH UP IN THE AIR.
ALL RIGHT, YOU READY?
OH, MAN.
OH, MY GOD!
IT WAS TOTALLY INSANE. I WAS, LIKE, TRYING
TO RUN AWAY FROM IT,
BUT IT WAS ON MY HAND,
SO THERE WAS NO RUNNING.
OH!
Waitress: IT WAS, LIKE,
INTENSE. IT WAS CRAZY.
IT WAS LITERALLY LIKE AN
OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE.
I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT
THAT WAS WHAT WAS HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW. [ LAUGHS ]
IT WAS THE COOLEST THING
I THINK I'VE EVER DONE BEFORE IN MY LIFE.
Delaney: DARREN'S SHOT WITH
THE FLIR THERMAL CAMERA REVEALS
THE TEMPERATURE OF THE
FLAME, WHICH APPEARS WHITE.
IT REACHES 310 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,
BUT THE COLD BLUE HANDS DON'T BURN.
SO HOW DID IT FEEL?
A LITTLE WARM. A LITTLE WARM.
WE LIKE TO SAY IT'S LIKE
HOLDING A BOWL OF SOUP
OR A LOAF OF BREAD.
Delaney: SO WHY DON'T THEIR HANDS BURN?
THE SECRET IS IN THE SOAP BUBBLES
THAT LIE BENEATH THE BUTANE BUBBLES.
THEY CREATE AN INSULATING LAYER
BETWEEN THE FIRE AND THE SKIN.
AS THE BUTANE BURNS UPWARD,
THE RESULTING VAPOR LAYER CONTINUES
TO CREATE INSULATION FROM THE FIRE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE POWER
TO HOLD FIRE IN OUR HAND,
BUT WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE
OF HOW TO HOLD FIRE IN OUR HAND.
AND AS THEY LIKE TO SAY,
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER,
SO NOW YOU ARE POWERFUL. THANK YOU, GUYS.
Delaney: WHILE THESE
FOLKS GET BACK TO WORK,
NICK HAS A MUCH MORE
DANGEROUS EXPERIMENT IN MIND
THAT YOU SHOULD ALSO NEVER, EVER TRY.
BUT MY GOOD FRIEND DARREN
IS JUST THE MAN FOR THE JOB.
ALL RIGHT, DARREN.
I KNOW YOU LIKE FIRE, SO I'VE
ARRANGED FOR A SURPRISE.
NICK, LIGHT YOUR HAND ON
FIRE AND SLAP HIM IN THE FACE.
THAT WAS A GOOD SLAP!
Delaney: SO HOW CAN DARREN SURVIVE THIS?
THE BUTANE BURNS OFF SO QUICKLY
THAT THE FLAMES DON'T DELIVER ENOUGH HEAT
TO CATCH HIS BEARD ON FIRE.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER REASON
...JUST AS NICK WET HIS HAND
FOR PROTECTION, HE PREPPED DARREN
BY WETTING HIS FACE AND BEARD,
INSULATING HIM FROM THE HEAT.
THAT WAS A GREAT SLAP. [ LAUGHS ]
I FELT THAT.
I'D LIKE TO REVIEW THE SLAP
AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
I REALLY ENJOYED THAT.
Delaney: I GUESS WE SHOULD
LET DARREN COOL OFF,
AND IT'S BREAK TIME,
SO I HAVE EVEN MORE OF THE RESTAURANT STAFF
ON BOARD TO GET THEIR
HANDS DIRTY WITH FIRE.
ARE YOU GUYS READY TO
SET YOURSELVES ON FIRE?
All: YEAH!
YEAH, I'M EXCITED TO SEE
HOW IT GOES WITH A BIGGER GROUP OF PEOPLE.
YOU SEEM VERY SKEPTICAL, SIR.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE I'VE NEVER DID IT.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.
ME TOO.
Delaney: CAN THE BUTANE
FLAME BE TRANSFERRED DOWN
A LINE OF SIX PEOPLE
WITHOUT BURNING OUT
OR BURNING ANYONE FIRST?
EVERYBODY READY?
3, 2, 1.
Delaney: WE'RE TAKING
SCIENCE TO THE STREETS
TO SEE IF A LITTLE DISH
SOAP FROM THE KITCHEN
CAN FACE OFF AGAINST SOME SERIOUS FLAMES.
AGAIN, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS.
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.
EVERYBODY READY?
3, 2, 1.
OH, MY GOD.
[ LAUGHTER ]
THAT WAS SO WEIRD.
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
IT WAS, LIKE, MIND-BLOWING.
IT'S CRAZY.
IT WAS SO SCARY, WATCHING
THE FIRE JUST SLOWLY GET TO ME.
CHASING YOU? YEAH, I KNOW.
TO ME, LIKE, I WANTED TO RUN AWAY,
BUT MY HANDS WERE THERE, SO...
I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY COOL,
BUT IT DEFINITELY FREAKED ME OUT.
[ LAUGHS ]
Delaney: CAN I TELL YOU HOW
WE DID IT AND WHY THAT WORKS?
OKAY.
BECAUSE YOU DUNKED
YOUR HAND IN SOAPY WATER.
THAT'S IT?
WHEN ALL THAT GAS LIT ON FIRE,
THE WATER ABSORBED THE HEAT AND EVAPORATED,
LEAVING A LITTLE POCKET OF GAS
BETWEEN YOUR SKIN AND THE FIRE.
YOU'RE FINE.
THAT WORKED REALLY WELL.
I REALLY LIKED WATCHING
THE FIRE KIND OF TRAVEL
IN THAT ARC SORT OF FORM.
BUT LET'S CLOSE THE LOOP AND MAKE A RING.
SOUND GOOD? YEAH.
LET'S DO IT. EXCELLENT.
THIS IS GONNA BE INTENSE. THIS IS WEIRD.
I'M AFRAID.
ALL RIGHT? 3, 2... OH, MY GOSH.
All: WHOA!
[ LAUGHTER ]
NICELY DONE, GUYS.
THAT ONE FREAKED ME OUT.
I'M SORRY.
THAT WAS AWESOME.
I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING DOWN
AT MY HANDS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE OKAY.
Delaney: AND PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME
OR ANY OTHER HONKY-TONKS THAT YOU VISIT.
THE WAIT STAFF HAS TO GET BACK TO WORK,
SO I'M TURNING MY
ATTENTION TO THE HOUSE BAND.
LET'S SEE WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE
THEY CAN DO TO ANOTHER
ITEM FROM THE KITCHEN...
A WINE GLASS.
[ Crowd cheering ]
HOW OFTEN DO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT
SCIENCE WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING?
NEVER. NEVER?
YEAH. ACOUSTICS, VIBRATIONS?
SO IT SNEAKS UP ON YOU, BUT IT'S THERE.
Delaney: EVERY OBJECT HAS A
NATURAL RESONANT FREQUENCY...
THE SPEED AT WHICH IT WILL VIBRATE
IF BUMPED OR OTHERWISE
DISTURBED BY SOME STIMULUS,
SUCH AS A SOUND WAVE.
GLASS WINE GOBLETS ARE ESPECIALLY RESONANT
BECAUSE OF THEIR HOLLOW, TUBULAR SHAPE.
THE THING IS THAT EVERY OBJECT
HAS A SPECIFIC RESONANT TONE,
AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO,
IS FIND THAT TONE AND ISOLATE IT
AND FOCUS IT DIRECTLY AT THE GLASS,
AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET IT TO BREAK.
COOL. THINK YOU CAN DO IT?
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. LET'S DO IT.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO FIND THE TONE.
ALL RIGHT.
YOU'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, RIGHT?
YEP, IN MOVIES.
BEN FRANKLIN MADE A WHOLE HARP OUT OF IT.
[ GLASS RINGING ] I WANT
TO GET ONE OF THOSE.
ALL RIGHT.
[ WOMAN SINGING TO IMITATE TONE ]
[ GUITAR IMITATING TONE ]
SOUNDS GOOD.
Delaney: A GLASS HAS A NATURAL RESONANCE...
A FREQUENCY AT WHICH
IT WILL VIBRATE EASILY.
THE RESONANT FREQUENCY OF THIS GLASS
IS ABOUT 523 HERTZ,
WHICH IS THE SAME RESONANT
FREQUENCY AS THE KEY OF C.
CAN BETTY HOLD A C NOTE LONG ENOUGH
AND LOUD ENOUGH TO SHATTER THE GLASS?
[ GLASS SHATTERS ]
WE NEED TO SUSTAIN THAT
TONE FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN,
BECAUSE WE REALLY
NEED TO KIND OF BUILD IT UP.
I WANT TO BREAK IT SO
BAD. I BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT.
YEAH. ALL RIGHT,
SO YOU READY TO GO, BETTY?
YEAH, I'M READY! WE CAN DO THIS.
ALL RIGHT, GIVE IT A SHOT.
PUT IN YOUR EARPLUGS, EVERYBODY.
[ HOLDING SUSTAINED NOTE ]
Delaney: BETTY'S GOT SOME AMAZING PIPES.
SHE CAN GENERATE THE RESONANT FREQUENCY,
BUT MAYBE NOT ENOUGH
VOLUME TO SHATTER THE GLASS.
BETTY, THAT WAS AMAZING,
BUT I THINK WE MIGHT NEED
TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE.
I TRIED MY BEST. I KNOW YOU DID.
YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB. OKAY.
JIM, YOU WANT TO GIVE IT A SHOT?
I'M DOWN TO TRY IT, BUT I WANT
TO GO STRAIGHT UP TO THE GLASS.
SOUNDS GOOD.
Delaney: JIM PLAYS A C NOTE ON HIS TRUMPET
AND MATCHES THE RESONANT
FREQUENCY OF THIS GLASS...
523 HERTZ.
ALL RIGHT, JIM, GIVE IT A SHOT.
[ TRUMPET SUSTAINS NOTE ]
Delaney: WE'RE TAKING
SCIENCE TO THE STREET,
AND WE'VE LANDED AT A CLASSIC ROADHOUSE.
WE STARTED IN THE KITCHEN.
[ SHOUTING, LAUGHING ]
AND NOW, WE'VE HEADED TO THE STAGE
TO EXPERIMENT WITH SOUND.
CAN A TRUMPET PLAYER BUST A
WINE GLASS USING SOUND WAVES?
ALL RIGHT, JIM, GIVE IT A SHOT.
[ TRUMPET SUSTAINS NOTE ]
[ GLASS SHATTERS ]
WHOO!
[ APPLAUSE ]
THAT'S SO COOL!
ALL RIGHT, JIM, YOU DIDN'T
SMACK IT WITH YOUR TRUMPET BELL,
DID YOU? NO, I DIDN'T.
NICELY DONE, NICELY DONE. THANKS.
YOU CAN FEEL THE
RESONANCE OF IT FEEDING BACK,
AND RIGHT WHEN IT
POPPED, THE SOUND STOPPED.
I THINK IT'S KIND OF
INTERESTING THAT THE SIDE
THAT FAILED WAS THE SIDE
WHERE THE TRUMPET BELL WAS.
SO SINCE THE TONE WASN'T
COMING OUT OF THE SPEAKER,
IT DIDN'T RESONATE THROUGH
THE ENTIRE GLASS AS MUCH,
AND IT REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT ONE AREA.
IT PROVED EXACTLY WHAT
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
ALL RIGHT. NICELY DONE.
SCIENCE!
[ APPLAUSE ]
Delaney: FIRES ARE OUT,
THANKS TO DISH SOAP,
AND ONLY ONE GLASS IS BROKEN.
I'D SAY THAT IT'S TIME TO
GET OUT OF THIS RESTAURANT
BEFORE WE DO ANY MORE DAMAGE.
FOR OUR NEXT EXPERIMENT,
I'M BRINGING THE SUPPLIES...
ORDINARY KITCHEN DRAIN
CLEANER, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE,
AND SOME GLOW STICKS.
HELLO, STUDENTS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPERIMENTING
WITH A FEW HOUSEHOLD ITEMS.
WE'VE GOT A GLOW STICK,
AND WE'VE GOT SOME DRAIN CLEANER.
DO Y'ALL KNOW HOW A GLOW STICK WORKS?
YOU BREAK IT. YEP, EXACTLY.
BREAK IT. AND SO THAT INNER CAPSULE
IS FILLED WITH A COMPOUND
CALLED PHENYL OXALATE ESTER.
AND SO WHEN YOU BREAK THAT CAPSULE
AND THAT COMPOUND'S RELEASED,
IT INTERACTS WITH THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE,
AND THE DYE MOLECULES THAT ARE IN HERE,
THEIR ENERGY LEVEL
GETS REALLY, REALLY HIGH.
AND AS IT RELAXES, THEY GIVE OFF LIGHT.
Delaney: WE'RE SUPER-SIZING THIS REACTION
BY USING THE CHEMICALS
OF A GLOW STICK IN BULK
AND COMBINING THEM ON THIS CANVAS.
LET'S GO.
OUR CANVAS IS PLASTIC LINED,
AND I ADD THE DRAIN CLEANER FIRST.
ALKALINE DRAIN CLEANERS
CONTAIN SODIUM HYDROXIDE,
ALSO KNOWN AS LYE.
THIS WILL MAKE THE REACTION
EVEN BRIGHTER AND FASTER,
BUT SODIUM HYDROXIDE
CAN BE EXTREMELY CAUSTIC.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL WEARING
MASKS AND PROTECTIVE GEAR.
SO THE NEXT STEP IS POURING
OUT ALL THESE DYES ON THE TABLE.
THIS IS THE SAME DYE
AND PHENYL OXALATE ESTER SOLUTION FOUND
INSIDE OF A GLOW STICK'S
INNER GLASS CAPSULE.
AND NOW, WE ADD THE FINAL GLOW
STICK INGREDIENT... HYDROGEN PEROXIDE.
ARE WE READY?
All: YEAH. ALL RIGHT.
3, 2, 1.
POUR NICE AND SLOWLY.
Woman: ISN'T THAT AWESOME?
Student: LOOK AT THOSE COLORS!
SO AMAZING.
Delaney: SO WHY DOES THIS
REACTION LOOK SO BRIGHT?
GLOW STICKS MAKE LIGHT
THROUGH A PROCESS CALLED CHEMILUMINESCENCE.
BASICALLY, YOU KICK OFF A CHEMICAL REACTION
WHEN YOU BEND THE GLOW STICK.
DARREN GRABS SOME SLOW MOTION SHOTS
OF THE GLOW STICK BREAKING.
THE FOOTAGE REVEALS
SOMETHING KIND OF FASCINATING.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THAT THERE IS A GLASS
VIAL INSIDE OF THE GLOW STICK.
WHEN THIS BENDS AND FINALLY BREAKS,
THAT'S WHEN THE CHEMICAL REACTION STARTS.
WE HAVE THE SAME REACTION HERE,
BUT WITH THE SODIUM HYDROXIDE
WE KIND OF SPEEDED THAT UP.
IT ACTED AS A CATALYST TO KIND OF MAKE
THAT REACTION REALLY,
REALLY VISIBLE AND REALLY, REALLY BRIGHT.
AND WHEN YOUR HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IS EMPTY,
YOU CAN GRAB A BRUSH AND
START SWIRLING IT AROUND
AND MIXING THOSE COLORS TOGETHER.
Student: IT'S LIKE LAVA.
LAVA, OH, I LOVE THAT. LAVA!
THIS IS SO AMAZING.
Delaney: THE DRAIN CLEANER
SPEEDS UP THE REACTION
AND MAKES IT GLOW BRIGHTER.
THE ILLUMINATION DOESN'T LAST VERY LONG,
BUT IT'S VERY, VERY PRETTY.
YEAH, THAT'S BRIGHT.
SO WHAT DID Y'ALL SEE?
IT WAS, LIKE, EXTRATERRESTRIAL.
JUST EVERYWHERE.
DUDE, THAT WAS SO MUCH
MORE BRIGHT AND VIBRANT
THAN I WAS EXPECTING IT TO
BE. LIKE, SELF-ILLUMINATING.
WHEN THAT HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
HITS THE REST OF THE COMPOUNDS,
AND THAT REACTION HAPPENS
SO VIVIDLY AND SO QUICKLY...
OH, MAN. IT GETS ME EVERY TIME.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
Delaney: WE'VE BEEN TESTING SOME
COMMON ELEMENTS FROM THE KITCHEN
IN SOME DANGEROUS WAYS.
OH, MY GOD!
AND JUST LIKE EVERY KITCHEN
SHOULD HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER,
WE ALWAYS HAVE THEM ON
HAND FOR OUR EXPERIMENTS.
THESE CO2 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
ARE PRETTY POWERFUL,
THOUGH, SO WE WANT TO SEE
IF WE CAN USE THEM TO POWER...
...A GO-KART.
ENGINEER NICK HOUSEHOLDER
AND BUILDER CHRIS DUFRAY
ARE CRAFTING THE PERFECT
VEHICLE TO TEST THEM OUT.
AND NOW NICK IS READY
TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL.
SO THIS IS OUR ROCKET CAR?
THIS IS OUR ROCKET CAR.
Delaney: THE HOSES WILL RELEASE CO2
FROM THE TANKS,
BUT WILL THEY PROVIDE ENOUGH
THRUST TO MOVE A 230-POUND GO-KART
AND A 205-POUND DRIVER?
I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A TEST PILOT, SO...
GOOD LUCK TO YOU. I
GUESS I WILL START HERE.
I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR DOG.
THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
NO PROBLEM. SO, KEVIN,
WHAT ARE WE GONNA LEARN
FROM DOING THIS EXPERIMENT?
HOW LOUD YOU CAN SCREAM.
[ LAUGHTER ]
IF IT CATCHES ON FIRE, WE HAVE
PLENTY OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS.
WONDERFUL.
Delaney: WE'RE HOPING TO FIND
OUT HOW FAST AND HOW FAR
TWO FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
CAN PROPEL A GO-KART.
OPENING UP THE VALVE OF A
FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND ALLOWING
THE PRESSURIZED CONTENTS
TO ESCAPE IS SIMILAR
TO THE WAY A ROCKET ENGINE WORKS.
WHEN THE LIQUID CO2 INSIDE THE FIRE
EXTINGUISHER EXPANDS INTO A GAS,
THE CARBON DIOXIDE PUSHES OUT.
THAT ACTION CREATES THRUST.
I'M READY. SWEET.
LET'S DO IT.
WE USE THE LIGHTEST MATERIALS
WE CAN TO CREATE LESS DRAG ON THE CAR.
PLUS, WE USED THIN
BICYCLE WHEELS FOR TIRES,
SO THAT LESS SURFACE AREA
IS IN CONTACT WITH THE ROAD.
LESS CONTACT MEANS
LESS FRICTION AND MORE SPEED.
AS NICK GETS INTO POSITION,
SOME CURIOUS ONLOOKERS GATHER TO WATCH.
40 POUNDS OF CO2 ON THE BACK... ALL RIGHT.
...THAT WE'RE GOING TO
FEED THROUGH THAT TUBE,
BLOW IT OUT THE BACK.
LIKE A BOOST AT FIRST.
OTHERWISE, THE POWER'S
GOING TO TRANSFER THROUGH.
RIGHT, EXACTLY. OKAY.
ARE YOU READY? YEP.
ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO.
Delaney: WE'RE TAKING
SCIENCE TO THE STREET,
AND NICK IS GOING TO TEST THE POWER
OF THESE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
ON OUR HOMEMADE GO-KART.
ARE YOU READY? YEP.
ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO.
♪♪
NICE.
I HOPE HE BRAKES.
Delaney: WITH JUST TWO EXTINGUISHERS,
NICK HITS SPEEDS OF 15 MILES PER HOUR
OVER A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 300 FEET.
NOT TOO BAD, NOT TOO BAD.
THAT WAS COOL.
IT WAS A LOT OF FUN. Delaney: YEAH.
I'M EXTREMELY HAPPY THAT IT IS A LEVER,
AND I CAN JUST PULL BACK
ON IT, AND THEN IT TAKES OFF.
THAT'S PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PART.
HOW'D THE SLOW-MO LOOK?
Delaney: DARREN'S SLOW-MO REVEALS
THE LIQUID CARBON DIOXIDE
EXPANDING INTO A GAS.
IT EXPANDS WITH SUCH FORCE THAT
IT PROPELS THE GO-KART FORWARD.
YOU'RE SPEWING PEBBLES OF DRY ICE
FROM BEHIND YOU, YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW.
[ LAUGHTER ]
THAT'S KIND OF COOL.
IT'S LIKE SHOOTING CANDY. YEAH.
OUR FIRE EXTINGUISHER
GO-KART HAS GOT SOME THRUST,
PROPELLING NICK 300 FEET
TO THE END OF THE PARKING LOT
BEFORE RUNNING OUT OF ROOM.
BUT HOW MUCH FARTHER CAN IT GO?
TO FIND OUT, WE'RE HEADING
TO A NEARBY DRAG STRIP.
TO HARNESS THE CART'S MAXIMUM POTENTIAL,
WE'RE DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF EXTINGUISHERS.
SO TELL ME ABOUT THE TRACK.
I NOTICE IT'S NICE AND SMOOTH.
OUR TRACK IS 660 FEET.
IT'S AN EIGHTH OF A MILE.
IT IS FULL CONCRETE,
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT,
WE USE A COMPOUND OF VHT
THAT MAKES THE TRACK STICKY,
SO THE TIRES WILL GRAB AND CREATE TRACTION.
DO YOU THINK WE'RE
GONNA EVEN BE ABLE TO GET
TO THE FINISH LINE WITH THIS THING?
UH... MAYBE BY SUNDOWN.
660 FEET A WEEK?
YEAH, EXACTLY. SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, THERE'S
ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT.
ALL RIGHT, READY?
3, 2, 1.
GO!
♪♪
WHOO!
ALL RIGHT!
Delaney: THESE CANISTERS
OF CO2 CAN GO THE DISTANCE.
THEY PROPEL NICK 650 FEET DOWN
THE TRACK AT ALMOST 30 MILES PER HOUR
AND MORE THAN DOUBLE OUR EARLIER TRY.
THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE. PRETTY NEAT.
YEAH. THANKS VERY MUCH.
THAT'S GENEROUS.
IT'S NOT GOING TO GET US TO
SPACE, BUT IT'S A GOOD START.
EXACTLY.
YOU HIT 29 MILES AN HOUR IN 22 SECONDS.
THAT'S NOT HALF-BAD.
I'M A ROCKET SCIENTIST IN A ROCKET CAR.
IT'S HARD NOT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.
EXACTLY.
AND SLAP HIM IN THE FACE.
Delaney: WE ARE TAKING IT
ON THE CHIN FOR SCIENCE.
THAT WAS A GOOD SLAP.
Delaney: WITH EVERYTHING IN THE KITCHEN
BUT THE KITCHEN SINK.
[ GLASS SHATTERS ]
CAN DISH SOAP KEEP YOU FROM BURNING?
YOU ARE CRAZY. HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
CAN DRAIN CLEANER BRIGHTEN UP YOUR DAY?
WOW, LOOK AT THOSE COLORS!
AND CAN A FIRE EXTINGUISHER POWER A CAR?
WHAT ARE WE GONNA LEARN?
HOW LOUD YOU CAN SCREAM.
WHOO!
Delaney: MY NAME IS KEVIN DELANEY.
I'VE BEEN SHOWING OFF THE
MAGIC OF SCIENCE FOR YEARS,
EVERYWHERE FROM MUSEUMS
TO LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOWS.
SCIENCE IS ALL AROUND US,
AND I WANT THE WORLD TO SEE IT,
SO I'M COMBINING EVERYDAY ELEMENTS
IN WAYS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.
[ SCREAMING ]
I'VE GOT A TEAM OF EXPERTS
AND HIGH-TECH CAMERAS
THAT WILL REVEAL THE
SCIENCE THAT SURROUNDS US
IN WAYS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
I'M TAKING SCIENCE TO THE STREETS.
THIS IS "STREET SCIENCE."
SO, KEVIN. YEAH.
WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? I
NEED DISHES AND I NEED SOAP,
AND I FEEL LIKE THEY GO THROUGH
AN AWFUL LOT OF BOTH HERE
AT THIS RESTAURANT.
THAT WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
I ALSO FEEL LIKE
THE DISHWASHER HAS NO IDEA
EXACTLY WHAT THOSE DISHES
AND SOAP ARE CAPABLE OF.
I'M NOT SURE THAT I DO EITHER, KEVIN.
WHAT ARE THEY CAPABLE OF?
EXPLODING AND CATCHING FIRE.
SICK. I'M DOWN.
ALL RIGHT.
Delaney: A KITCHEN CAN
BE A CRAZY, HECTIC PLACE.
BETWEEN DISH SOAP, FIRE,
AND WINE GLASSES, WE'RE GOING TO TEST
THE LIMITS OF SOME COMMON KITCHEN ITEMS
AND THIS WAIT STAFF.
HELLO, LADIES. THANKS FOR HELPING ME OUT.
SO, HAVE YOU EVER HELD
FIRE IN YOUR HAND BEFORE?
Both: NO.
IT SOUNDS LIKE AN INCREDIBLE POWER,
DOESN'T IT, TO BE ABLE
TO HOLD A BALL OF FIRE
IN YOUR HAND AND NOT HURT YOURSELF?
YEAH.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT I CAN DO THAT?
[ Laughing ] NO. YOU'RE CRAZY.
WELL, I HAVE NO CHOICE
BUT TO PROVE MYSELF, THEN.
WATCH CAREFULLY.
YOU MIGHT SEE SOMETHING SURPRISING.
OH, MY GOODNESS.
OH, MY GOODNESS.
YOU ARE CRAZY. HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
WE HAVE BUTANE IN HERE,
WHICH IS A FLAMMABLE GAS,
AND THAT'S WHAT'S FILLED THE BUBBLES,
BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOAPY WATER.
YOU NOTICED THAT I DUNKED MY
HAND IN THE WATER BUCKET FIRST,
SO I HAD A LAYER OF SOAP AND A
LAYER OF WATER BELOW THE BUTANE.
SO WHEN I LIT THAT GAS ON
FIRE, ALL THAT WATER HEATED UP
AND GAVE A LITTLE PROTECTIVE LAYER OF GAS
BETWEEN MY SKIN AND THE FIRE,
AND I DIDN'T BURN MY HAND AT ALL.
SO NOW THAT YOU'VE SEEN IT,
NOW THAT YOU BELIEVE
IT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY?
YES. YEAH.
EXCELLENT.
Delaney: WITH THE HELP OF
MY CHEMISTRY ASSISTANT,
ANNE-LISE EMIG, WE PREPARE
OUR BRAVE VOLUNTEERS' HANDS
FOR THEIR OWN FIRE BALLS.
THIS IS DANGEROUS, AND
WE ARE ADVISED BY EXPERTS,
SO PLEASE NEVER, EVER
TRY THIS ONE YOURSELF.
HIGH UP IN THE AIR.
ALL RIGHT, YOU READY?
OH, MAN.
OH, MY GOD!
IT WAS TOTALLY INSANE. I WAS, LIKE, TRYING
TO RUN AWAY FROM IT,
BUT IT WAS ON MY HAND,
SO THERE WAS NO RUNNING.
OH!
Waitress: IT WAS, LIKE,
INTENSE. IT WAS CRAZY.
IT WAS LITERALLY LIKE AN
OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCE.
I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT
THAT WAS WHAT WAS HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW. [ LAUGHS ]
IT WAS THE COOLEST THING
I THINK I'VE EVER DONE BEFORE IN MY LIFE.
Delaney: DARREN'S SHOT WITH
THE FLIR THERMAL CAMERA REVEALS
THE TEMPERATURE OF THE
FLAME, WHICH APPEARS WHITE.
IT REACHES 310 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,
BUT THE COLD BLUE HANDS DON'T BURN.
SO HOW DID IT FEEL?
A LITTLE WARM. A LITTLE WARM.
WE LIKE TO SAY IT'S LIKE
HOLDING A BOWL OF SOUP
OR A LOAF OF BREAD.
Delaney: SO WHY DON'T THEIR HANDS BURN?
THE SECRET IS IN THE SOAP BUBBLES
THAT LIE BENEATH THE BUTANE BUBBLES.
THEY CREATE AN INSULATING LAYER
BETWEEN THE FIRE AND THE SKIN.
AS THE BUTANE BURNS UPWARD,
THE RESULTING VAPOR LAYER CONTINUES
TO CREATE INSULATION FROM THE FIRE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE POWER
TO HOLD FIRE IN OUR HAND,
BUT WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE
OF HOW TO HOLD FIRE IN OUR HAND.
AND AS THEY LIKE TO SAY,
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER,
SO NOW YOU ARE POWERFUL. THANK YOU, GUYS.
Delaney: WHILE THESE
FOLKS GET BACK TO WORK,
NICK HAS A MUCH MORE
DANGEROUS EXPERIMENT IN MIND
THAT YOU SHOULD ALSO NEVER, EVER TRY.
BUT MY GOOD FRIEND DARREN
IS JUST THE MAN FOR THE JOB.
ALL RIGHT, DARREN.
I KNOW YOU LIKE FIRE, SO I'VE
ARRANGED FOR A SURPRISE.
NICK, LIGHT YOUR HAND ON
FIRE AND SLAP HIM IN THE FACE.
THAT WAS A GOOD SLAP!
Delaney: SO HOW CAN DARREN SURVIVE THIS?
THE BUTANE BURNS OFF SO QUICKLY
THAT THE FLAMES DON'T DELIVER ENOUGH HEAT
TO CATCH HIS BEARD ON FIRE.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER REASON
...JUST AS NICK WET HIS HAND
FOR PROTECTION, HE PREPPED DARREN
BY WETTING HIS FACE AND BEARD,
INSULATING HIM FROM THE HEAT.
THAT WAS A GREAT SLAP. [ LAUGHS ]
I FELT THAT.
I'D LIKE TO REVIEW THE SLAP
AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
I REALLY ENJOYED THAT.
Delaney: I GUESS WE SHOULD
LET DARREN COOL OFF,
AND IT'S BREAK TIME,
SO I HAVE EVEN MORE OF THE RESTAURANT STAFF
ON BOARD TO GET THEIR
HANDS DIRTY WITH FIRE.
ARE YOU GUYS READY TO
SET YOURSELVES ON FIRE?
All: YEAH!
YEAH, I'M EXCITED TO SEE
HOW IT GOES WITH A BIGGER GROUP OF PEOPLE.
YOU SEEM VERY SKEPTICAL, SIR.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE I'VE NEVER DID IT.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.
ME TOO.
Delaney: CAN THE BUTANE
FLAME BE TRANSFERRED DOWN
A LINE OF SIX PEOPLE
WITHOUT BURNING OUT
OR BURNING ANYONE FIRST?
EVERYBODY READY?
3, 2, 1.
Delaney: WE'RE TAKING
SCIENCE TO THE STREETS
TO SEE IF A LITTLE DISH
SOAP FROM THE KITCHEN
CAN FACE OFF AGAINST SOME SERIOUS FLAMES.
AGAIN, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS.
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.
EVERYBODY READY?
3, 2, 1.
OH, MY GOD.
[ LAUGHTER ]
THAT WAS SO WEIRD.
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
IT WAS, LIKE, MIND-BLOWING.
IT'S CRAZY.
IT WAS SO SCARY, WATCHING
THE FIRE JUST SLOWLY GET TO ME.
CHASING YOU? YEAH, I KNOW.
TO ME, LIKE, I WANTED TO RUN AWAY,
BUT MY HANDS WERE THERE, SO...
I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY COOL,
BUT IT DEFINITELY FREAKED ME OUT.
[ LAUGHS ]
Delaney: CAN I TELL YOU HOW
WE DID IT AND WHY THAT WORKS?
OKAY.
BECAUSE YOU DUNKED
YOUR HAND IN SOAPY WATER.
THAT'S IT?
WHEN ALL THAT GAS LIT ON FIRE,
THE WATER ABSORBED THE HEAT AND EVAPORATED,
LEAVING A LITTLE POCKET OF GAS
BETWEEN YOUR SKIN AND THE FIRE.
YOU'RE FINE.
THAT WORKED REALLY WELL.
I REALLY LIKED WATCHING
THE FIRE KIND OF TRAVEL
IN THAT ARC SORT OF FORM.
BUT LET'S CLOSE THE LOOP AND MAKE A RING.
SOUND GOOD? YEAH.
LET'S DO IT. EXCELLENT.
THIS IS GONNA BE INTENSE. THIS IS WEIRD.
I'M AFRAID.
ALL RIGHT? 3, 2... OH, MY GOSH.
All: WHOA!
[ LAUGHTER ]
NICELY DONE, GUYS.
THAT ONE FREAKED ME OUT.
I'M SORRY.
THAT WAS AWESOME.
I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING DOWN
AT MY HANDS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE OKAY.
Delaney: AND PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME
OR ANY OTHER HONKY-TONKS THAT YOU VISIT.
THE WAIT STAFF HAS TO GET BACK TO WORK,
SO I'M TURNING MY
ATTENTION TO THE HOUSE BAND.
LET'S SEE WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE
THEY CAN DO TO ANOTHER
ITEM FROM THE KITCHEN...
A WINE GLASS.
[ Crowd cheering ]
HOW OFTEN DO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT
SCIENCE WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING?
NEVER. NEVER?
YEAH. ACOUSTICS, VIBRATIONS?
SO IT SNEAKS UP ON YOU, BUT IT'S THERE.
Delaney: EVERY OBJECT HAS A
NATURAL RESONANT FREQUENCY...
THE SPEED AT WHICH IT WILL VIBRATE
IF BUMPED OR OTHERWISE
DISTURBED BY SOME STIMULUS,
SUCH AS A SOUND WAVE.
GLASS WINE GOBLETS ARE ESPECIALLY RESONANT
BECAUSE OF THEIR HOLLOW, TUBULAR SHAPE.
THE THING IS THAT EVERY OBJECT
HAS A SPECIFIC RESONANT TONE,
AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO,
IS FIND THAT TONE AND ISOLATE IT
AND FOCUS IT DIRECTLY AT THE GLASS,
AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET IT TO BREAK.
COOL. THINK YOU CAN DO IT?
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. LET'S DO IT.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO FIND THE TONE.
ALL RIGHT.
YOU'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, RIGHT?
YEP, IN MOVIES.
BEN FRANKLIN MADE A WHOLE HARP OUT OF IT.
[ GLASS RINGING ] I WANT
TO GET ONE OF THOSE.
ALL RIGHT.
[ WOMAN SINGING TO IMITATE TONE ]
[ GUITAR IMITATING TONE ]
SOUNDS GOOD.
Delaney: A GLASS HAS A NATURAL RESONANCE...
A FREQUENCY AT WHICH
IT WILL VIBRATE EASILY.
THE RESONANT FREQUENCY OF THIS GLASS
IS ABOUT 523 HERTZ,
WHICH IS THE SAME RESONANT
FREQUENCY AS THE KEY OF C.
CAN BETTY HOLD A C NOTE LONG ENOUGH
AND LOUD ENOUGH TO SHATTER THE GLASS?
[ GLASS SHATTERS ]
WE NEED TO SUSTAIN THAT
TONE FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN,
BECAUSE WE REALLY
NEED TO KIND OF BUILD IT UP.
I WANT TO BREAK IT SO
BAD. I BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT.
YEAH. ALL RIGHT,
SO YOU READY TO GO, BETTY?
YEAH, I'M READY! WE CAN DO THIS.
ALL RIGHT, GIVE IT A SHOT.
PUT IN YOUR EARPLUGS, EVERYBODY.
[ HOLDING SUSTAINED NOTE ]
Delaney: BETTY'S GOT SOME AMAZING PIPES.
SHE CAN GENERATE THE RESONANT FREQUENCY,
BUT MAYBE NOT ENOUGH
VOLUME TO SHATTER THE GLASS.
BETTY, THAT WAS AMAZING,
BUT I THINK WE MIGHT NEED
TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE.
I TRIED MY BEST. I KNOW YOU DID.
YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB. OKAY.
JIM, YOU WANT TO GIVE IT A SHOT?
I'M DOWN TO TRY IT, BUT I WANT
TO GO STRAIGHT UP TO THE GLASS.
SOUNDS GOOD.
Delaney: JIM PLAYS A C NOTE ON HIS TRUMPET
AND MATCHES THE RESONANT
FREQUENCY OF THIS GLASS...
523 HERTZ.
ALL RIGHT, JIM, GIVE IT A SHOT.
[ TRUMPET SUSTAINS NOTE ]
Delaney: WE'RE TAKING
SCIENCE TO THE STREET,
AND WE'VE LANDED AT A CLASSIC ROADHOUSE.
WE STARTED IN THE KITCHEN.
[ SHOUTING, LAUGHING ]
AND NOW, WE'VE HEADED TO THE STAGE
TO EXPERIMENT WITH SOUND.
CAN A TRUMPET PLAYER BUST A
WINE GLASS USING SOUND WAVES?
ALL RIGHT, JIM, GIVE IT A SHOT.
[ TRUMPET SUSTAINS NOTE ]
[ GLASS SHATTERS ]
WHOO!
[ APPLAUSE ]
THAT'S SO COOL!
ALL RIGHT, JIM, YOU DIDN'T
SMACK IT WITH YOUR TRUMPET BELL,
DID YOU? NO, I DIDN'T.
NICELY DONE, NICELY DONE. THANKS.
YOU CAN FEEL THE
RESONANCE OF IT FEEDING BACK,
AND RIGHT WHEN IT
POPPED, THE SOUND STOPPED.
I THINK IT'S KIND OF
INTERESTING THAT THE SIDE
THAT FAILED WAS THE SIDE
WHERE THE TRUMPET BELL WAS.
SO SINCE THE TONE WASN'T
COMING OUT OF THE SPEAKER,
IT DIDN'T RESONATE THROUGH
THE ENTIRE GLASS AS MUCH,
AND IT REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT ONE AREA.
IT PROVED EXACTLY WHAT
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
ALL RIGHT. NICELY DONE.
SCIENCE!
[ APPLAUSE ]
Delaney: FIRES ARE OUT,
THANKS TO DISH SOAP,
AND ONLY ONE GLASS IS BROKEN.
I'D SAY THAT IT'S TIME TO
GET OUT OF THIS RESTAURANT
BEFORE WE DO ANY MORE DAMAGE.
FOR OUR NEXT EXPERIMENT,
I'M BRINGING THE SUPPLIES...
ORDINARY KITCHEN DRAIN
CLEANER, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE,
AND SOME GLOW STICKS.
HELLO, STUDENTS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPERIMENTING
WITH A FEW HOUSEHOLD ITEMS.
WE'VE GOT A GLOW STICK,
AND WE'VE GOT SOME DRAIN CLEANER.
DO Y'ALL KNOW HOW A GLOW STICK WORKS?
YOU BREAK IT. YEP, EXACTLY.
BREAK IT. AND SO THAT INNER CAPSULE
IS FILLED WITH A COMPOUND
CALLED PHENYL OXALATE ESTER.
AND SO WHEN YOU BREAK THAT CAPSULE
AND THAT COMPOUND'S RELEASED,
IT INTERACTS WITH THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE,
AND THE DYE MOLECULES THAT ARE IN HERE,
THEIR ENERGY LEVEL
GETS REALLY, REALLY HIGH.
AND AS IT RELAXES, THEY GIVE OFF LIGHT.
Delaney: WE'RE SUPER-SIZING THIS REACTION
BY USING THE CHEMICALS
OF A GLOW STICK IN BULK
AND COMBINING THEM ON THIS CANVAS.
LET'S GO.
OUR CANVAS IS PLASTIC LINED,
AND I ADD THE DRAIN CLEANER FIRST.
ALKALINE DRAIN CLEANERS
CONTAIN SODIUM HYDROXIDE,
ALSO KNOWN AS LYE.
THIS WILL MAKE THE REACTION
EVEN BRIGHTER AND FASTER,
BUT SODIUM HYDROXIDE
CAN BE EXTREMELY CAUSTIC.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL WEARING
MASKS AND PROTECTIVE GEAR.
SO THE NEXT STEP IS POURING
OUT ALL THESE DYES ON THE TABLE.
THIS IS THE SAME DYE
AND PHENYL OXALATE ESTER SOLUTION FOUND
INSIDE OF A GLOW STICK'S
INNER GLASS CAPSULE.
AND NOW, WE ADD THE FINAL GLOW
STICK INGREDIENT... HYDROGEN PEROXIDE.
ARE WE READY?
All: YEAH. ALL RIGHT.
3, 2, 1.
POUR NICE AND SLOWLY.
Woman: ISN'T THAT AWESOME?
Student: LOOK AT THOSE COLORS!
SO AMAZING.
Delaney: SO WHY DOES THIS
REACTION LOOK SO BRIGHT?
GLOW STICKS MAKE LIGHT
THROUGH A PROCESS CALLED CHEMILUMINESCENCE.
BASICALLY, YOU KICK OFF A CHEMICAL REACTION
WHEN YOU BEND THE GLOW STICK.
DARREN GRABS SOME SLOW MOTION SHOTS
OF THE GLOW STICK BREAKING.
THE FOOTAGE REVEALS
SOMETHING KIND OF FASCINATING.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THAT THERE IS A GLASS
VIAL INSIDE OF THE GLOW STICK.
WHEN THIS BENDS AND FINALLY BREAKS,
THAT'S WHEN THE CHEMICAL REACTION STARTS.
WE HAVE THE SAME REACTION HERE,
BUT WITH THE SODIUM HYDROXIDE
WE KIND OF SPEEDED THAT UP.
IT ACTED AS A CATALYST TO KIND OF MAKE
THAT REACTION REALLY,
REALLY VISIBLE AND REALLY, REALLY BRIGHT.
AND WHEN YOUR HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IS EMPTY,
YOU CAN GRAB A BRUSH AND
START SWIRLING IT AROUND
AND MIXING THOSE COLORS TOGETHER.
Student: IT'S LIKE LAVA.
LAVA, OH, I LOVE THAT. LAVA!
THIS IS SO AMAZING.
Delaney: THE DRAIN CLEANER
SPEEDS UP THE REACTION
AND MAKES IT GLOW BRIGHTER.
THE ILLUMINATION DOESN'T LAST VERY LONG,
BUT IT'S VERY, VERY PRETTY.
YEAH, THAT'S BRIGHT.
SO WHAT DID Y'ALL SEE?
IT WAS, LIKE, EXTRATERRESTRIAL.
JUST EVERYWHERE.
DUDE, THAT WAS SO MUCH
MORE BRIGHT AND VIBRANT
THAN I WAS EXPECTING IT TO
BE. LIKE, SELF-ILLUMINATING.
WHEN THAT HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
HITS THE REST OF THE COMPOUNDS,
AND THAT REACTION HAPPENS
SO VIVIDLY AND SO QUICKLY...
OH, MAN. IT GETS ME EVERY TIME.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
Delaney: WE'VE BEEN TESTING SOME
COMMON ELEMENTS FROM THE KITCHEN
IN SOME DANGEROUS WAYS.
OH, MY GOD!
AND JUST LIKE EVERY KITCHEN
SHOULD HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER,
WE ALWAYS HAVE THEM ON
HAND FOR OUR EXPERIMENTS.
THESE CO2 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
ARE PRETTY POWERFUL,
THOUGH, SO WE WANT TO SEE
IF WE CAN USE THEM TO POWER...
...A GO-KART.
ENGINEER NICK HOUSEHOLDER
AND BUILDER CHRIS DUFRAY
ARE CRAFTING THE PERFECT
VEHICLE TO TEST THEM OUT.
AND NOW NICK IS READY
TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL.
SO THIS IS OUR ROCKET CAR?
THIS IS OUR ROCKET CAR.
Delaney: THE HOSES WILL RELEASE CO2
FROM THE TANKS,
BUT WILL THEY PROVIDE ENOUGH
THRUST TO MOVE A 230-POUND GO-KART
AND A 205-POUND DRIVER?
I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A TEST PILOT, SO...
GOOD LUCK TO YOU. I
GUESS I WILL START HERE.
I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR DOG.
THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
NO PROBLEM. SO, KEVIN,
WHAT ARE WE GONNA LEARN
FROM DOING THIS EXPERIMENT?
HOW LOUD YOU CAN SCREAM.
[ LAUGHTER ]
IF IT CATCHES ON FIRE, WE HAVE
PLENTY OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS.
WONDERFUL.
Delaney: WE'RE HOPING TO FIND
OUT HOW FAST AND HOW FAR
TWO FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
CAN PROPEL A GO-KART.
OPENING UP THE VALVE OF A
FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND ALLOWING
THE PRESSURIZED CONTENTS
TO ESCAPE IS SIMILAR
TO THE WAY A ROCKET ENGINE WORKS.
WHEN THE LIQUID CO2 INSIDE THE FIRE
EXTINGUISHER EXPANDS INTO A GAS,
THE CARBON DIOXIDE PUSHES OUT.
THAT ACTION CREATES THRUST.
I'M READY. SWEET.
LET'S DO IT.
WE USE THE LIGHTEST MATERIALS
WE CAN TO CREATE LESS DRAG ON THE CAR.
PLUS, WE USED THIN
BICYCLE WHEELS FOR TIRES,
SO THAT LESS SURFACE AREA
IS IN CONTACT WITH THE ROAD.
LESS CONTACT MEANS
LESS FRICTION AND MORE SPEED.
AS NICK GETS INTO POSITION,
SOME CURIOUS ONLOOKERS GATHER TO WATCH.
40 POUNDS OF CO2 ON THE BACK... ALL RIGHT.
...THAT WE'RE GOING TO
FEED THROUGH THAT TUBE,
BLOW IT OUT THE BACK.
LIKE A BOOST AT FIRST.
OTHERWISE, THE POWER'S
GOING TO TRANSFER THROUGH.
RIGHT, EXACTLY. OKAY.
ARE YOU READY? YEP.
ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO.
Delaney: WE'RE TAKING
SCIENCE TO THE STREET,
AND NICK IS GOING TO TEST THE POWER
OF THESE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
ON OUR HOMEMADE GO-KART.
ARE YOU READY? YEP.
ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO.
♪♪
NICE.
I HOPE HE BRAKES.
Delaney: WITH JUST TWO EXTINGUISHERS,
NICK HITS SPEEDS OF 15 MILES PER HOUR
OVER A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 300 FEET.
NOT TOO BAD, NOT TOO BAD.
THAT WAS COOL.
IT WAS A LOT OF FUN. Delaney: YEAH.
I'M EXTREMELY HAPPY THAT IT IS A LEVER,
AND I CAN JUST PULL BACK
ON IT, AND THEN IT TAKES OFF.
THAT'S PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PART.
HOW'D THE SLOW-MO LOOK?
Delaney: DARREN'S SLOW-MO REVEALS
THE LIQUID CARBON DIOXIDE
EXPANDING INTO A GAS.
IT EXPANDS WITH SUCH FORCE THAT
IT PROPELS THE GO-KART FORWARD.
YOU'RE SPEWING PEBBLES OF DRY ICE
FROM BEHIND YOU, YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW.
[ LAUGHTER ]
THAT'S KIND OF COOL.
IT'S LIKE SHOOTING CANDY. YEAH.
OUR FIRE EXTINGUISHER
GO-KART HAS GOT SOME THRUST,
PROPELLING NICK 300 FEET
TO THE END OF THE PARKING LOT
BEFORE RUNNING OUT OF ROOM.
BUT HOW MUCH FARTHER CAN IT GO?
TO FIND OUT, WE'RE HEADING
TO A NEARBY DRAG STRIP.
TO HARNESS THE CART'S MAXIMUM POTENTIAL,
WE'RE DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF EXTINGUISHERS.
SO TELL ME ABOUT THE TRACK.
I NOTICE IT'S NICE AND SMOOTH.
OUR TRACK IS 660 FEET.
IT'S AN EIGHTH OF A MILE.
IT IS FULL CONCRETE,
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT,
WE USE A COMPOUND OF VHT
THAT MAKES THE TRACK STICKY,
SO THE TIRES WILL GRAB AND CREATE TRACTION.
DO YOU THINK WE'RE
GONNA EVEN BE ABLE TO GET
TO THE FINISH LINE WITH THIS THING?
UH... MAYBE BY SUNDOWN.
660 FEET A WEEK?
YEAH, EXACTLY. SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, THERE'S
ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT.
ALL RIGHT, READY?
3, 2, 1.
GO!
♪♪
WHOO!
ALL RIGHT!
Delaney: THESE CANISTERS
OF CO2 CAN GO THE DISTANCE.
THEY PROPEL NICK 650 FEET DOWN
THE TRACK AT ALMOST 30 MILES PER HOUR
AND MORE THAN DOUBLE OUR EARLIER TRY.
THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE. PRETTY NEAT.
YEAH. THANKS VERY MUCH.
THAT'S GENEROUS.
IT'S NOT GOING TO GET US TO
SPACE, BUT IT'S A GOOD START.
EXACTLY.
YOU HIT 29 MILES AN HOUR IN 22 SECONDS.
THAT'S NOT HALF-BAD.
I'M A ROCKET SCIENTIST IN A ROCKET CAR.
IT'S HARD NOT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.
EXACTLY.