01x06 - Learning to Fly

[bunniefuu]

RICHARD:
This is the Science of Stupid.

- [electricity crackling]
- [glass shatters]

- [alarm blares]
- [reading]

This is the show
that combines stupidity...

and science,

in a frenzy that will
set your wheels ablaze.

Over the next half hour,
we'll show you have-a-go heroes

performing death-defying acts.

[screaming in pain]

And then we'll explain the science
behind what went wrong.

We'll tell you stuff you never knew
about parabolic arcs

and Newton's Third Law.

Try to break the laws of science...

and they'll break you.

So, watch in awe, as misguided researchers
from around the world

learn what it's like
to fall foul of physics.

Never try anything you see
in this show at home,

or anywhere.

Yes, science will whoop you...

wherever you are.

I'm good! I'm good!

I'm good!

[glass shatters]

RICHARD: Welcome to the Science of Stupid.

[glass shatters]

On this show, we'll see why you mustn't
overshoot your balance point.

[screeching]

The effect of stored energy.

[groans]

And the downside of swinging.

[woman screams]

But first, this.

[glass shatters]

[electricity crackling]

The Inuit of North America
traditionally spotted animals

to hunt by jumping up and down

on a stretched animal's skin.

When done correctly,
it was very impressive

but also caused numerous injuries.

Some hunters probably got
very good at it, others less so.

Fast-forward to today,
and trampolines are everywhere.

[yells]

But they can still be a menace.

To trampoline
without embarrassment or injury...

you need a little help from science.

Using your arms and legs
creates upward momentum,

whilst gravity brings you back down again.

As you land, you exert
a force into the springs,

the springs act like a battery,
storing energy.

When they return
to their recoiled position,

they push you into the air
with the same force,

but land at an angle,

and you'll likely be projected
back at an angle too.

That's why this top trampolinist
drops straight down and lands

in the middle of the trampoline.

But now he's just showing off.

Yeah.

Ignoring the physics
can be a recipe for disaster.

[groaning]

Whatever the angle of your upward motion,

you'll still be pushed back
up into the air

with energy from your last bounce,

so make sure
you slam dunk with the ball...

not your teeth.

Ah, the suburban ninja,

the masterful might and perfected poise
of a trained martial artist.

MAN: Ohh!

RICHARD: But remember,
whenever you land at an angle,

you'll probably sh**t
back off at an angle too.

MAN: Ohh!

MAN 1: Three, two, one.

RICHARD: Add some drink,

and that all-important straight landing...

MAN 2: Oh!

RICHARD: ...is made even more difficult.

Now, according to statistics,


occur when multiple people
are jumping together,

and, no, I didn't just make that up.

WOMAN: Yeah, let's do a line.

RICHARD: Physics states
that the trampoline will store energy

from the jump.

- [screaming]
- [laughter]

So five people jumping at the same time,

means five times the amount of energy

for the person who lands late.

- [screaming]
- [laughter]

Sorry, it's nothing personal,
it's just science.

- [electricity crackles]
- [creaks]

When I was growing up,
scooters were for kids.

Nowadays it appears
there is no upper age limit

for charging around on tiny wheels.

I'm not getting one though,
and here's why.

Scooters are hard to control...

can be a bit temperamental...

and reduce many riders to tears.

BOY: Oh, my God!

But for those tempted
to take on the world of pain,

the ultimate test is the scooter backflip.

If this chap wants to progress
from sore bottom

to soaring into the air,

he'll need to learn a lesson from science.

To achieve height and rotation,

this expert rider needs momentum.

As he hits the ramp, he leans back
to ensure he rotates.

In order to make
the scooter rotate with him,

he pulls hard on the handlebars,

whilst at the same time pushing
the base away with his feet.

This keeps it glued to him,
instead of sh**ting off.

Angular velocity dictates
how much you rotate,

halve your body's length,
quadruple the speed of the spin.

The world record for scooter backflips

performed in one minute is 12,

and it was achieved by a bloke
called Dakota Schuetz,

he must be very good
at applying all that science

before gravity brings him back to earth.

Unfortunately not everybody is.

Momentum is vital,

and that's not enough.

Can you complete a backflip
without pushing down on the base?

Eh, no.

But you might get a face full of grass.

Tasty.

Pull back on the handlebars
to keep it rotating.

Just not too hard.

Nice landing, though.

Come on, you backflip wannabes,
to get that spin right,

you need to concentrate
on just two key things,

leaning back at take-off,
and adjusting your spin speed.

How hard can it be?

Apparently very hard.

Let's go back.

This guy's leaning sideways,

causing him to twist as he rotates,

and once you're in the air,

it's too late to readjust.

Remember, the only way
to correct any under-rotation

is to tuck more,

halve your body's length
to quadruple spin speed.

Extremely important in a double backflip.

See what I mean?

- [electricity crackles]
- [metallic thud]

This tower is 400 feet high.

What property is he about to discover?

Provided he jumps, of course.

[glass shatters]

[electricity crackling]

So, who guessed the fate
of the junior birdman?

His intrepid somersault
stopped his parachute deploying,

he accelerated to over 50 miles an hour,

but survived.

New snow can be 14 times
less dense than water,

allowing it to absorb
some of the impact of his fall.

He did fracture his vertebrae,
pelvis and legs,

but at least he's got his mates.

MAN: Idiot.

What do you get when you mix up

a load of inebriated semi-naked people,

some rope and a video camera?

It's called swinging.

No, not that type of swinging.

MAN: Go.

[woman screams]

RICHARD: Also known as face planting.

Attaching a rope to a tree
and swinging from it

should be relatively trouble free,

but, sometimes,
pesky physics just gets in the way.

When swinging at speed,

you feel heaviest
at the bottom of the swing,

where momentum is highest,
and you're at your fastest.

You'll feel a force of up to three times
your body weight when vertical.

This is similar to what an astronaut feels
during lift-off,

so you'll need plenty of strength
in your arms.

MAN 1: ...two, one.

MAN 2: Go ahead!

RICHARD: Let's see if
this guy has the right stuff.

MAN 3: Oh!

RICHARD: Eh, no. No.

Let's rewind.

Having started his swing
at around 40 degrees,

he experiences just one and a half times
his weight at this point,

but that's one and half times
more than he can manage.

When it comes to getting off
a swinging rope,

it pays to think of yourself
as a human pendulum

that means you're going fastest
at the bottom of the swing,

and slowest at the top.

This seems obvious,

but try keeping those thoughts
in your head

when you're ready to get off.

- [screams]
- So where is it best to let go?

In this case, probably not here.

- WOMAN: Oh, my God!
- [screaming]

RICHARD: She chose to let go
when she was traveling slowest,

and at a highest point from the ground.

Not ideal, as it turns out.

WOMAN: Oh, my God!

RICHARD: Tarzan, king of the jungle.

[yelling]

Ouch!

Remember, even though
you've dismounted the rope,

and gravity is pulling you to the ground,

the rope continues on its arc.

[man laughing]

Primed and proud in his budgie smugglers,

here is the king of the swingers.

MAN: Oh! Oh!

RICHARD: Well, he won't get too much
swinging action in that position

as he feels the equivalent of three times
his own weight on his ankle.

MAN: Before medical treatment.

After medical treatment.

- [electricity crackles]
- [metallic thud]

The world of break dancing

has been causing injury
and insult for decades.

Get it right and you lend yourself
an air of urban cool.

MEN: Ohh!

RICHARD: Get it wrong and it's more
break face than break dance.

MEN: Ohh!

RICHARD: One of the classic moves
is the windmill.

The basic premise is for the dancer
to continually rotate

with splayed legs

and do it on the same spot.

Dope.

MAN: Yeah!

That guy was unwittingly
as much scientist as urban dancer,

because successful windmilling

relies as much on physics as choreography.

The windmill is a difficult move,

since the dancer's center of gravity

is not directly above the pivot point,

and tends to pull the pivot point
towards it.

To counteract this,
an experienced break dancer

spins fast and evenly
to maintain stability.

A slow or jerky spin
will tend to drag the pivot point

and the dancer will spin across the floor.

So it really does pay to make that spin
as fast and smooth as possible.

That's how the pros do it.

But what happens
when you ignore all the science?

Here's a slow and jerky spin.

[clangs]

His pivot point is constantly
dragged away from the center,

creating new rotational paths...

into those exercise bikes
that are ironically used for spinning.

There are plenty
of online guides to help you,

so, with two laptops to hand,

this young man must be amazing.

Oh!

Remember, your center of gravity
is not above your pivot,

so even if you've mastered it...

you might want to clear
the immediate area.

Have you tried turning it off
and then back on again?

That usually does it.

Also trying to illustrate
the fundamental basics

is this suburban swinger.

I'm Frank the taxi driver,
from Wolverhampton.

I'm the best break dancer
in the North East.

RICHARD: Good, crack on then.

MAN: Whoo!

[clatters]

RICHARD: Well, if you're the best
I'd hate to see the worst.

The faster your spin,

the less likely you are
to deviate from the center.

Come on, Frank, it's just physics.

This young twinkle toes
hopes he'll get his pivot point

and spin speed just right.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

who's the best dancing physicist
of them all?

Well, not him.

[glass shatters]

[electricity crackling]

Motorcycle stunt riders
are a pretty fearless lot,

thrilling us
with their death-defying jumps,

wheelies and loop-the-loops.

But ask most display riders
which stunt they fear most,

and they'll cite the relatively
harmless sounding stoppie.

By stabbing on the front brake
whilst traveling at speed,

the rear wheel lifts off the ground,

leaving the bike to continue
moving forwards

on the front wheel.

But the trick lies in keeping
the bike on that front wheel.

See what I mean?

The rider must use the front brake

to ensure that the braking force
lifting the back wheel

exceeds the force of gravity
pulling it back down.

As the bike slows,
the biker eases off the brake

before overshooting their balance point.

This is the point
at which the center of gravity

is directly above the front wheel.

Provided a rider doesn't overshoot
their balance point,

getting the back wheel down again
simply involves

releasing that front brake
for a smooth exit.

So, it's a case of balancing
the braking force that gets you up,

and the gravitational force

that wants to bring
that rear wheel back to earth.

And remember the golden rule,

go past the balance point
and you'll never recover.

It's the motoring equivalent

of being pushed over
with your legs tied together.

Very few riders
can successfully execute a stoppie,

but almost anyone can c*ck it up.

This daredevil grasped the importance

of using braking force
to overcome gravity.

But then learned about
going past the balance point

the hard way.

Tomorrow sometime
they're gonna give me surgery

and fix my femur and my broken collarbone.

And they still have to X-ray my hand

'cause I think that's broken too.

RICHARD: Told you it was dangerous.

Will draping your legs over the handlebars

help locate that balance point?

No. No, it won't.

The balance point
with his center of gravity

above the wheel was about there.

Not there.

Or indeed there.

A total failure to locate balance point

but a successful demonstration
of why the T-shirt

is not considered protective clothing.

And if you think
you've located your balance point,

why not hit the open road?

[engine revving]

[man yells]

Literally.

MAN: I got it.

RICHARD: And, remember, using public roads
to study balance points...

[siren wailing]

...can result in you not only falling foul
of the laws of physics,

but the law in general.

I'm having a midlife crisis, officer.

Ever wondered if you can recover a stoppie

when your front wheel's got the shakes?

Well, you can't.

And I wouldn't sit there either, madam.

So, to recap stoppie protocol,

a bike can weight 550 pounds,

so you'll need to get that
braking force to overcome all that weight

and locate your balance point.

MAN: [bleep].

RICHARD: If you can't remember
any of that,

wear a helmet and leathers

and gloves,

just use your common sense.

- [electricity crackles]
- [creaks]

We've all reenacted scenes
from The Karate Kid,

but the reality of chopping your way
through a solid object

has been proven to beat
even the most hardy of us.

MAN: Ay!

[yells]

[yells]

RICHARD: Fortunately, weight for weight,

bone is many times stronger than concrete.

[yells]

Let's bring on some science to help him.

A successful karate chop starts
with gaining height over the tiles.

Then the whole weight of the body is used,

rotating into the direction
of the blow extremely quickly.

Because momentum is mass times velocity,

so you need as much of both as possible.

As you strike, it's vital
to keep the motion going

with a follow-through.

This stops the tiles from bouncing back

and failing to break.

Easy.

MAN: Hyah!

And once you've mastered that,
you can try this.

KEVIN: Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy...

RICHARD: Meet Kevin,
he's a grand master, 10th Dan,

and he's smashing his way
through 584 bricks

in 57.5 seconds.

Not only has Kevin got plenty of mass...

Sorry, Kevin, I'm not saying you're fat,
wouldn't do that--

...but by placing the tiles
on a solid support,

they will receive
the full brunt of his force.

- MAN: Kevin!
- [crowd cheering]

The impact time of a great chop
is five milliseconds.

A blink can last
more than 20 times longer,

so Kevin's obviously blinking fast.

[drumroll]

But what's key is his technique--
It's flawless.

Unlike our next research assistant.

This guy's not gonna break
any world records with one board.

MAN: We got the next karate kid.

Hyah!

[groans]

RICHARD: Especially if the board
is made of thick wood.

The chop must have momentum,
mass times velocity.

That's not enough of either.

And, remember,
experts always follow-through,

and the faster the strike,
the more force can be applied.

Just make sure prospective girlfriends
are out of the way.

[glass shatters]

[electricity crackling]

[glass shatters]

They say it's better
to have tried and failed

than to never have tried at all.

I'm not sure I agree, but thank you anyway

to our brave pioneers of science

for sharing their failure with us.

Please don't you try any of the stunts
you've seen at home,

that would be stupid.

End of lesson.

Bye-bye.

[screaming]

[screeching]

[woman screams]

[bleep]