01x11 - Pole Vaulting Mishaps

[bunniefuu]

[glass shatters]

RICHARD: It's The Science of Stupid.

- [electricity crackling]
- [glass shatters]

[alarm blares]

[reading]

Yes, this is the show
that combines science and stupidity.

Over the next half hour,

you'll be witnessing
the behavior of people who think

they're above the laws of science.

We'll explain what went wrong and why
by exploring the scientific principles

behind hydroplaning,

momentum,

Hooke's Law...

and pressure.

Science takes no prisoners.

Mess with it, and it'll mess you up,

so don't try any of this at home,
or anywhere else for that matter.

Come on in...

to the Science of Stupid.

[electricity crackling]

[glass shatters]

On this show,

we'll be looking at the relationship
between friction and velocity,

the trajectory of a projectile...

[man laughing]

...and momentum.

Cracking!

But first, this.

[electricity crackling]

Feeling peckish?

Fancy a quick snack?

How about something a bit spicy?
A chili, perhaps?

Here goes.

BOY: One.

Go.

Here we go.

Hoh!

[gasps]

Ah, my God!

[choking]

[gasping]

RICHARD:
A bit too hot for you?

Want to know why?
Well, you've come to the right place.

Science, please.

Spicy food doesn't actually burn you,

it just triggers a receptor in the mouth
that responds to pain from physical heat.

The ingredient that triggers
this burning reaction is capsaicin.

Oily and fatty substances
like milk can help,

because capsaicin can dissolve in oils.

But it won't dissolve in water,
so drinking that won't help.

The Scoville scale is a measure
of how much capsaicin a chili contains.

Your average spicy curry
is no more than 200 on the scale.

But how do some of the world's
hottest chilies measure up?

I'm not worried 'cause I am, uh...

I have Mexican blood in me,
running through these veins...

So that means I can take this...

RICHARD:
His first mistake is thinking

Mexican blood
is different from other people's blood.

His second mistake is trying
to eat a habanero chili

that's up to 300,000
on the Scoville scale.

WOMAN: Jesus!

RICHARD: Oh, dear.

This isn't a meal for a first date, is it?

The Trinidad Scorpion chili.

Well, don't snort it. Those burn receptors
are in your nose, too.

And it registers almost

one and a half million
on the Scoville scale.

It's so... insanely... hot!

RICHARD: Yeah, I could have told you that.
In fact, I just did.

[exhales sharply]

And finally, the ghost chili.

WOMAN: Aah!

[woman laughs]

BOY: It's really hot!

RICHARD:
Also over a million Scoville.

BOY: Aah!

RICHARD: It's about 100 times
as potent as a jalapeño.

Ow. Ah!

RICHARD: Now, can you remember

how we get rid
of all that burning capsaicin?

Is it cold, refreshing water?

No.

It may seem the obvious choice

but, remember,
capsaicin doesn't dissolve in water.

So it's useless
for flushing away the heat.

Bread, better.

Capsaicin does dissolve in fats and oils,
so the vegetable oil in bread can help.

Oh, my God.

RICHARD: And milk, perfect,

because milk also contains fats
which dissolve capsaicin,

so it can soothe the burning...

a bit.

WOMAN: Still hurt?

- RICHARD: Yeah, it hurts.
- Ow!

RICHARD: Yeah, you can tell.

Aah!

If that's put you off chilies,

it's put me off chilies,

maybe try something a little milder.

How about cinnamon?

Cinnamon, hey, shout out to my girl.

- [screaming]
- [laughter]

RICHARD: Did I say "milder"?
Just kidding.

Like chili,
cinnamon triggers pain receptors,

because it contains an irritating chemical
called cinnamaldehyde.

It burns!

RICHARD: Yes, it does!
Cinnamon is a caustic powder

which, if it gets sucked into your lungs,
can damage them.

It doesn't dissolve, it just sits there.

But if you don't believe me...

So I have a spoon and I don't
have a spoon bigger than this.

RICHARD: I'd go with the smaller spoon,
madam, but it is up to you!

All right, so here's the cinnamon...
All right?

RICHARD: Yeah, we're fine.

All right here goes!

RICHARD: It's a volcano!

God!

Aah!

[coughs and splutters]

RICHARD: Oh, I should have mentioned,

cinnamon is even more water-resistant
than chili, so that won't work.

WOMAN: Mmm!

OK.

Y'all got me!

RICHARD: See, I told you.

In fact,
it doesn't even dissolve in your saliva,

which is why she could do this.

[opera music playing]

Spectacular!

Over and out.

[exhales sharply]

Over and out!

- [electricity crackling]
- [glass shatters]

[metallic squeak]

RICHARD: Now, drop-ins.

It's all about teetering
on the edge of a giant ramp

on a small, wooden board, obviously!

Here's a drop-in,
as demonstrated by a seven-year-old boy.

You drop down onto a ramp
to pick up enough speed for tricks.

Here's a kid in a wheelchair doing it.

[spectators whoop and cheer]

And here's a middle-aged man.

OK, if life experience
has taught you nothing at all,

then at least pay attention
to the science.

It won't let you down.

To maintain the pendulum motion
of a drop-in,

all the forces acting on the skater
would need to be concentrated

through his center of gravity
and the board.

To do this, the body is at 90 degrees
to the board.

If the skater leans backwards,
the imbalance of forces will rotate him,

lean forwards, and this happens.

And any obstruction is also
likely to result in a forwards rotation

by stopping the board,
but not the rider.

Staring down a near-vertical ramp
is a little daunting,

so it's understandable
if you want to lean back a bit.

But please, don't.

And here's why.

[man laughs]

I don't know how this is
going to work. But I'm going!

RICHARD: Remember,
90 degrees to the board.

By leaning back,
she's moved her center of gravity

way out of line,
pushing her off balance.

Chin up, love,
now you know how it works!

Ah, he looks like
he knows what he's doing.

MAN 1: Go.

MAN 2: Ah!

RICHARD: Oh. It's a good start,
but at this point, he's too far forward.

Remember, 90 degrees
is where you want to be,

as opposed to hospital.

MAN 1: Aw... broken collarbone!

RICHARD: It's always good to have a friend
on hand with some sound medical advice...

Broken collarbone!

RICHARD: ...and support!

Having perfected the technique,
you need a good quality ramp, like this.

But if you don't have one,

make sure your substitute allows you
to keep that critical 90-degree angle...

which this child's slide does not.

I was going to say that's the last try,
but I'm trying it again.

RICHARD: Well,
double-check it by all means but--

Yeah, I'd call it a day now.

How about a brick handrail?

No? A concrete wall then?

Yeah, different ramps, same result.

Any imperfections, like say a large bump,
an acute angle,

or the gap between some bricks,

then whilst your board may come to a stop,
you won't.

Are you [bleep] me?

RICHARD: No. And the excruciating pain
in your shoulder is proof enough.

A good ramp at a 90-degree angle
and it's as easy as falling off a log,

or a school bus.

Haha... Dude!

[electricity crackling]

[metallic squeak]

[metallic thud]

RICHARD: Now, what scientific principle
is this fellow about to demonstrate?

Have a guess.

[glass shatters]

[electricity crackling]

So did you guess
the scientific principle

we're about to see?

Is it the relationship
between acceleration and mass?

No, it's tensile strength and impact.

Plummeting to the ground
from height at great speed

is generally a bad idea.

But that hasn't stopped
some people making it a pastime.

Zip wires are a wonderful way
to get some fresh air

and to take in the view,

although quite terrifying
if you're afraid of heights.

Yep, zip wires, loads of fun
and usually quite safe.

But before you rush off
to put one up in the garden,

you need to know
some basic rules of geometry.

The trajectory of a zip wire journey
is called a catenary,

which is caused by the weight
of the cable and the rider.

The final stretch of the catenary
is angled upwards

to slow the rider and create
a perfectly timed stop.

All zip wires
need a slight downward angle.

Around four degrees is the optimum angle
to get enough velocity.

So, you don't want too much weight
dangling from the wire

and you don't want too steep a descent.

Otherwise, you'll be
heading for trouble, fast.

I'm no mathematician,
but that doesn't look like four degrees.

Anyone got a protractor?

Increase that four-degree angle
by just one degree

and you could be going up to 25% faster.

Well, that's definitely not four degrees.

Closer to 90.

MAN 1: Aah!

MAN 2: Oh, my God!

RICHARD: Oh, yeah, and don't use rope.

It's a bit stretchy.

Once you've got the angle,
test the height using a weight.

Just make sure that weight isn't a child.

[boy screams]

[man laughing]

RICHARD: Ah, this is what
friends and family are for,

to laugh at you when you're down.

And don't forget, the heavier the rider,
the greater the momentum

and the harder it is to stop.

Although a tree will always do the job.

MAN: Ugh!

[electricity crackling]

[metallic squeak]

Funny things, swings.

I don't know what it is about being swung
back and forth on a plastic seat,

but people love 'em,
especially the little ones.

[spectators laughing]

But, providing you're not
a big lad on a tiny swing,

getting on usually isn't the problem,
it's getting off.

Cue the science!

The motion of a swing is created
by gravity pulling you downwards

and the tension in the chains
moving you in an arc like a pendulum.

If you jump off during a swing,

you need to find the correct balance
between launch angle and velocity.

The higher you are when you jump,
the steeper your trajectory will be.

Energy from a downward swing
is converted into velocity,

so the lower your jump
the faster you travel.

There are around


So don't be a statistic, nail your speed,
and try to let go at the right time.

MAN: All right?

RICHARD: Starting simply,
the forward dismount.

MAN: Hey, move!

RICHARD: Not that simple.

All that velocity and a small lean forward
becomes a major face-plant.

You see?

Now, if you think getting off forwards
is tricky...

MAN: Oh, my God!

RICHARD: ...it's nothing
compared to backwards.

BOY: Aah!

RICHARD: Let go on the backwards swing

and your trajectory
will be dictated by gravity.

"Respect your elders," they say.

I don't.
At least, not these elders.

[man laughing]

RICHARD: He got off too late.

A steep trajectory meant
he had no chance of clearing the table.

Leaping off at the lowest point

would have meant more velocity
but not enough height.

Had he leapt at just below 45 degrees,
he'd have achieved the perfect trajectory.

But he didn't.

[man laughing]

MAN: Just run it off...just run it off!

RICHARD: Oh, and a medical footnote,

running it off
works if you've got a stitch,

not if you actually require stitches.

If you want to show off,
you'll need loads of velocity.

Nearly, but not quite.

Check out these Russian swingers.

They use solid metal poles
instead of chains, and with good reason.

The swing's arc
depends on the tension in the chains.

If the swing rises too high,

the chains lose tension
and the seat drops.

With solid poles, that doesn't happen.

Meaning these fellas can even nail a 360

and be reaching speeds
of over 20 miles an hour.

Just watch him go!

[glass shatters]

[electricity crackling]

Skiing not dangerous enough
for you?

Try snowboarding,

because statistically you're at least
four times as likely to damage your spine.

And the surest way to really stuff
yourself up is to try a jump.

So, remember the following points.

Snowboards work best on snow.

Watch out for hidden obstructions...

and obvious ones.

And look out for other people
on the slopes.

Boy, that was a close one.

SNOWBOARDER: Wah!

RICHARD: That was even closer!

Now, if you want to land on your board
and not your face,

then you need to master the takeoff.

It's all about speed and popping.

When slaloming,

a snowboarder angles the uphill edge
of their board into the snow

to avoid toppling over.

But this increases friction
on the one side and so decreases speed.

For maximum speed going into a jump,

you can reduce friction
by spreading your body weight evenly

and keeping the board pointed
directly forward.

Next is a technique called popping.

As you hit the lip of the ramp,

push down with your legs and jump up
with both feet at the same time.

This generates more height
by using your muscles like a spring.

So first things first, get your speed up,

because not everything you land on
is as forgiving as snow.

Zigzagging creates friction,
which slows you down.

As does hitting a wall.

You've got the speed, now for a pop.

But you have to really go for it.

Well, something's popped.

I suspect it's his shoulder.

Finally, if you want to try a few tricks,

lean forward to let your angular momentum
give you some spin.

MAN: Yeah!

RICHARD: But you can overdo it.

[man screams]

And under do it.

He seems remarkably calm!

MAN: I don't know, I mean,
I got [bleep] health insurance.

RICHARD: Oh, fine, we'll be off then!

[electricity crackling]

[metallic squeak]

Love a stunning view?

Not afraid of hurtling to a messy death?

Well, rock climbing's the sport for you!

But to be safe, first get
the right equipment and training.

Oh, and follow the rules.

One: Choose a suitable climbing surface.

Two: Bring appropriate safety gear.

And try to land on it.

Three: Get a grip.

It's all about gravity and friction.

Gravity is trying to pull you down.
Friction is what you need to prevent it.

And here's how.

To create sufficient friction,

you need to apply as much force
as possible to the climbing surface.

The harder you press,
the more friction you get.

On most climbing surfaces,

you can use your feet and hands
to hook onto any features

in order to apply enough force
to counteract gravity.

But on a rock face with fewer features,

you need to keep as close
to the surface as possible,

taking strain off the hands,
and pushing down on the feet,

increasing friction,

or you might fall.

But if all your climbs
were full of handy holds,

life would be just too easy.

So what if your surface
has almost no holds at all?

It's every sane climber's nightmare,
a near-featureless surface.

So staying close to the rock face
is key to creating maximum friction.

[tense music playing]

MAN: Yep, oh, my God!

RICHARD: You said it!

To create enough friction
on a vertical crack,

you need to apply horizontal force

by pulling on the crack with your arms
and pushing on it with your legs.

Even when you're really good at this...

ROCK CLIMBER: [bleep]

MAN: Oh!

RICHARD: ...things can suddenly
go very wrong.

Remember, maximum force
equals maximum friction,

so you need to push as hard as possible
with your feet.

Once his legs stop pushing horizontally,

he loses vital friction and falls,

at up to 30 miles an hour.

If two featureless walls
are facing each other,

you can climb up by chimneying.

WOMAN: So how are you
going to get down?

RICHARD: Good question.

WOMAN: Ooh! Damian!

RICHARD: Hitting the deck
with over 1,000 pounds of force,

the fact Damian survived
is more miracle than science,

so don't even think of trying this.

The harder you push,
the more friction you get,

but your body weight is working
entirely against you here.

And what happens
when you get to the top?

The splits approach.

But by swinging one of his legs
away from the wall,

he loses too much force from the other.

Remember, low force equals low friction.

WOMAN: Ooh! Damian!

RICHARD: Better to crack
the science than your heels,

unlike Damian,
who fractured both of his.

[glass shatters]

[electricity crackling]

There you go, proof,
if proof were needed,

that the world's a dangerous place,
full of speed-obsessed adolescents,

pyromaniacs, and, worst of all, cinnamon!

So be safe,
don't try any of this stuff yourself,

just watch other people doing it,
on the Science of Stupid.

[lively fiddle music playing]

[boy screams]

[man screams]

MAN: Ohh!