02x02 - Wheelies Gone Wrong

[bunniefuu]

[Richard, off-screen] This
is the Science of Stupid.

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

Be prepared for half an
hour of jaw-dropping lunacy,

as every day people
risk life and limb

for amateur stunts
and cheap thrills.

We'll reveal what
went wrong and why

by exploring such scientific
marvels as centrifugal force,

momentum,
center of mass,

and equal and
opposite reaction.

It's a cruel world out there,
so pay attention to science,

or pay the price.

And don't try any
of this at home,

or anywhere else
for that matter.

Watch out!

It's the Science of Stupid.

In this show, we'll
discuss how to control

a force of weight.

[grunts]

Not like that.

Balancing over
pivot points,

or not,

and the relationship
between velocity and force.

[screams]

It's surprising,
but first, this.

Call me old fashioned, but I
tend to see bins as a device

for putting rubbish in,

but there are other people
who see them as essential

apparatus for an urban
sport, with two disciplines.

[Richard, off-screen]
There's the side approach.

[man laughing]

And the high entry approach.

[man] **** this is going to hurt!

[man] Oh [bleep]!

[Richard, off-screen] Certainly
does if you hit the sides.

[man] Are you all right dude?

[man] [Bleep].

[Richard, off-screen]
Probably not.

Be it landing in broken concrete
or breaking your ribs,

nothing seems to deter
the avid bin jumper from

diving right in,

but science is here
to ease the pain.

[Richard, off-screen] To jump from the
side, he starts by running to give him

horizontal velocity.

He then jumps
using both feet.

This applies
maximum downwards force,

and converts as much of
that horizontal velocity

to vertical
velocity as possible,

giving him enough height

fast enough to
land inside the bin.

Another method is to
use a high launch point,

but be aware, more
height means more air time.

And for every
second you fall,

gravity accelerates
you by 22 miles an hour.

And that's a clue to
just how dangerous this is.

Now, first the side approach,
and to get maximum power,

there's a couple of
things to consider.

[Richard, off-screen] One
foot can give distance,

but it's harder
to get the height.

[laughter]

Two feet can mean
more power...

[grunts]

But it won't
help with aim.

Okay, let's just
focus on height.

He's using a shed
and a trampoline.

Nothing wrong
with the height,

but he hasn't quite
nailed the distance.

[man laughing]

I'd ditch the trampoline if
I were you, mate.

[grunting]

Here's a more
straightforward approach.

[screams]

But no less painful.

How about trying a bin
you can actually fit into?

Now that's a huge bin.

Surely he didn't?

[man] Arggh, I hit my head!

[Richard, off-screen]
Yeah, he did.

That was quite an
accomplishment...

of sorts.

Something's not right here.

Now what is it?

Oh, that's it.

Lid's closed.

That's better, plenty of
height and a large open bin.

You just have to
keep it simple.

[man] [Bleep].

[Richard, off-screen] Oh, what didn't
you get about keeping it simple?

Nothing wrong with
height and distance,

but by the time he gets here,
his angle is rather off

and he hits the bin with
a force about five times

his own bodyweight.

That's another bin
on its side there.

I wonder how that happened?

I don't need to tell you
that g*ns are dangerous,

but what if your
b*ll*ts are just harmless

little ba*ls of paint?

-[man] Are you ready?
-[man 2] Hold on.

Let's go!

[screams]

[g*nf*re]

[screams]

[man] Stop! Stop!

[shrieking]

[Richard, off-screen]
Did I say harmless?

[man] This hurts so bad.

I don't recommend this.

[Richard, off-screen]
Neither do I.

Yep, even paint tends to
sting at 200 miles an hour.

Still don't believe me?

Well, here are the facts.

[Richard, off-screen] As soon
as a paintball leaves a g*n,

it's velocity begins to
decrease because of drag

resisting its flight.

And the faster a
paintball travels,

the quicker drag
slows it down.

Twice the speed equals
four times the drag force.

But after
traveling 50 foot,

a paintball fired at


will still hit you
at 150 feet per second.

If that paintball hits
a soft fleshy surface,

the impact happens over
a longer period of time,

which does reduce
the amount of force,

but not necessarily
the pain.

So, firing even
from far away is daft.

Firing from point
blank is stupid.

Well, that's the theory.

[Richard, off-screen] A paintball fired
from here at 300 foot per second,

would excerpt a pressure on
his backside over five times

that off a fully inflated tire.

But, he's not going
to sh**t it from here.

He's going to
sh**t it from here.

[screams]

It's okay, I've got
some cream you can borrow.

So how about a long shot?

[man] He says he can sh**t a...

...apple off the top of my head.

I somewhat believe him.

[Richard, off-screen]
I somewhat don't.

That's not the kind
of long shot I meant.

[man] It's getting scary dude.

[Richard, off-screen] Don't worry, over


about 30% of its momentum,

but try telling him that.

[man] Oh!

Oh, h*, h*, h*, oh dude!

[man 2] You suck at paintball.

[man] Well, could
have been worse...

...could have hit
you in the mouth.

[Richard, off-screen] Yeah
you're probably right.

Remember, it's not just
distance that counts.

It's where you get hit.

For example...

[man] It's going
to hurt so much.

[Richard, off-screen]
More than likely.

[man] Ooh!

[Richard, off-screen] But
probably not as much as...

[shot]

Don't forget, less
flesh, more force.

[man, off-screen] Aw, it's broken the
skin there look at that, ah!

[Richard, off-screen] Okay, so where is
there even less flesh?

[man, off-screen]
Three, two, one.

[man, off-screen] Ah yeah.

[painful grunts]

[man] I bet that
hurt even more dude.

[Richard, off-screen]
I'll bet it did.

In fact, you don't get
much more painful than that.

[groaning]

Well, maybe you do.

They don't call 'em
paintballs for nothing.

This chap's rail flip is a
master class in rotation,

but what is his friend
about to demonstrate?

[Richard, off-screen]
So, what science is this

car park acrobat
about to show us?

It's forwards momentum,

or rather, lack of.

As he enters the flip, he
has lots of forwards momentum,

but by pushing up and
backwards during the flip.

[grunts]

He then loses it.

Cracking move.

If you're a fan of
large mirrors and grunting,

then bench
pressing is for you,

but before you start,
a few tips.

[Richard, off-screen] Keep your
equipment well maintained.

And clear of
interior decoration.

[man] Seven, eight.

[Richard, off-screen] Choose a
responsible adult to spot you.

[man] Nine.

[man] Oh my god,
what the [bleep]?

[Richard, off-screen]
Not that guy.

[man] [Bleep]!

[Richard, off-screen]
And above all,

steer clear
of bungee cords.

[screams]

Strapping lad.

Another thing that can
mess with your press

is bad technique, but that's
where the science comes in.

[Richard, off-screen] The weightlifter
keeps the bar level,

whilst moving it from
just above his sternum,

to directly over
his shoulders.

This maximizes
muscle efficiency,

and ensures that, when raised,
the force of the weight acts

down through his shoulders,
without causing a rotation

in either direction.

If he moves the bar back,
the force of the weight has

a greater turning effect
making it harder to hold,

so his spotter lends a hand.

The correct technique
also brings your pecks

more into play,

which can mean up to


So it's not just
massive muscles you need,

it's method.

And that starts with a
push up from the sternum.

[Richard, off-screen] If you
need help locating your sternum,

here's a clue, it's
not on your neck.

I know gym's aren't cheap,

but improvising at home
isn't always the answer.

[grunting]

[man] [Bleep]! Okay.

[man] I think that
counts though?

[Richard, off-screen] I don't.

Remember I said near the sternum,
not on top of it.

[man] I mean I totally had it.

[Richard, off-screen]
Hmm, well he's got it.

And now he hasn't.

[grunting]

The further
that bar goes back,

the bigger the turning effect
and the less peck power

you have,
so the heavier it feels,

especially when it's
resting on your windpipe.

And it also feels
heavier when you don't keep

that bar straight.

You see the
greater the bar's angle,

the greater the
weight on one arm.

If you're lifting 200 pounds,
a 30 degree angle means

you're carrying an extra
ten pounds on one arm.

So keeping that bar
straight is very important.

[grunts]

[Richard, off-screen] Safe to
say, he's done this before.

[man] Let's go baby!

[grunts]

[Richard, off-screen] I wonder
if he's done that before?

[man, off-screen]
Let's go, baby!

[Richard, off-screen] Here,
the weight's evenly balanced,

but the angle of that
bar means his arm is taking

extra weight here.

and here, well let's
just say it's one way of

shedding the pounds.

What, no spotter?

Yeah, well, I'm sure he
knows what he's doing.

[grunting]

Maybe not.

I think it's time to call
in your spotter now mate.

[man] Mum!

Mum! Mum!

[Richard, off-screen]
Now there's a surprise.

Just imagine how
strong his mum is.

Hurry up, mum!

Everyone loves to dance.

Trouble is, not everyone
feels comfortable doing

it in public.

[Richard, off-screen] But he seems quite
comfortable in private.

I wonder why he's
wearing that helmet?

Ha, got it!

[man] Dammit,
dammit... argghhhh!

Don't worry,

there is a dance
anyone can do.

All you need is a
little head space,

and a flexible neck.

♪ ♪

Okay, so head banging
is a touch repetitive.

But that's not all.

I mean, it does tend to
make things rather confusing

for your brain,

a bit like science.

Speaking of which...

[Richard, off-screen]
When you move,

fluid in your inner
ear sloshes around,

stimulating sensory
nerve cells which tell

the brain about movement.

When you head bang,
the aggressive sloshing

of the fluid can
confuse the brain.

And when you stop abruptly,
the fluid can keep moving

around for a few seconds.

So whilst your eyes are
telling you that your head

is still, your ears
think you're still moving,

and the result
makes you dizzy.

Even with a dance as
limited as head banging,

turns out there are
some distinct styles.

But are they all as
bad for your balance?

[Richard, off-screen] This lady
here, is going for a combo.

Spinning head, shaky head...

And the bum drop.

The big circle style here,
ideal for a spacious mosh pit.

Not so ideal for your
sense of direction.

It's the violently swishing
ear fluid from continuously

changing the
direction of your head

that makes this
dance a real knock out.

But not as much as that.

The longest continuous head
bang was apparently recorded

at nearly 36 minutes.

That's all very well,

but over doing it can
actually disrupt the flow

of blood to your brain.

And guess what happens next?

[Richard, off-screen] Well, remember,
it's when you actually stop head banging

that your eyes and ears
really start to disagree

with each other.

And your brain,

just kinda backs out of the room.

Maybe you should try
ballroom next time.

Remember
the swan lift scene

from Dirty Dancing ?

Oh, come on, it's iconic.

I mean it's a wedding classic.

[Richard, off-screen] Here's a proud
groom lifting his beautiful bride

into an elegant
swan-like pose.

And here's some bloke
doing it with a mate in drag.

Somehow not so elegant.

Ah, young love.

So romantic.

Anyway, here's some science
to keep your swan lift,

from becoming a swan dive.

[Richard, off-screen] He lifts her into
position,

by placing both hands at the top

of her hips, close to
her center of gravity.

She arches her back to
move that center of gravity

in line with the pivot
point at his hands.

So the two are
perfectly balanced.

So first of all, it's up to
the lifter to get his hands in

the right place.

You remember where that
center of gravity is, right?

[Richard, off-screen]
That's a bit low.

How about you?

Nah, that's a bit high.

But it is easy to get
carried away at weddings.

I know I have.

Now, if the lifter
actually gets it right,

it's up to the liftee
to arch their back

like a beautiful swan.

[Richard, off-screen] She's
having the time of her life,

and he nearly ended it.

[man] [Bleep] are you okay?

[Richard, off-screen] Not
arching her back meant

her center of gravity wasn't
in line with his hands,

and she pivoted
into the street.

How about finding
somewhere safer to practice?

Next to a live rail track,
that's probably worse.

Minimum arch, maximum pain.

Remember, it's
about grace and poise.

That's why it's
called the swan lift.

Not the elephant lift.

The lifter's grip was okay,
but his rather un-swan-like

friend needs a lot
more arch than that.

It's not really a
bloke's game this, is it?

You are about to witness
something unbelievable,

something incredible,
something that you're not

going to see very often over
the next couple of minutes.

[man, off-screen] What's
he gonna do now?

[Richard, off-screen]
A Reliant Robin actually managing

to turn around in a circle.

And now for something you're
going to see a lot more of.

It's small wonder they used
to call these plastic pigs.

Sausage roll anyone?

I'm sure there must've been a
perfectly good reason to fit

an actual road car, with
a chassis that belongs on

a three-year-old's tricycle,

but stability wasn't one of them,
and here's why...

[Richard, off-screen] A Reliant
Robin's triangular wheel base,

means that its center of
mass is closer to the edge

of that wheel base,
than in a normal car,

making it less stable.

Any car turning a corner

experiences a
centrifugal force.

This acts through
the center of mass,

trying to tip the car over.

But because of the
Robin's triangular wheel base,

it takes far less
centrifugal force for it

to tip on the bend.

You'd think if a
car was so unstable,

they wouldn't let it
off the production line,

let alone on the racetrack.

Well, you'd think that.

[Richard, off-screen]
But you'd be wrong.

[man over loudspeaker]
Oh, there we go, oh!

[Richard, off-screen]
But are three wheels really that much

worse than four?

Well, yeah.

[man] Did he fall or was he
pushed? That's the question.

[Richard, off-screen]
And the answer is...

Yeah, he was pushed.

You see, if your center of
mass is that close to the edge,

all it takes is
a little nudge.

Want proof?

Well, as if
you needed it.

Ooh look, there's that
wheelbase I was talking about.

See?

So what happens when we
introduce centrifugal force

to the party?

[tires screech]

[Richard, off-screen]
Well, that,

and it's a common problem.

See what I mean?

And the tighter the turn,

the bigger the
centrifugal force.

But aside from
corners and nudges,

Robins are great.

[man] Absolutely flies over it!

[man over loudspeaker]
Whoa, car in trouble three.

[Richard, off-screen]
Well, maybe not great.

A bump provoked a wobble.

A wobble shifted
the center of mass,

and the rest is history.

A bit like the Robin.

Right, that's enough
x-rated violence for now.

I'm off to wash my eyes
out with soap and scourer.

Remember please do not
attempt any of the stunts

you've just seen and
we'll see you next time for

The Science of Stupid.

[grunting]

[grunting]

[grunting]

[grunting]

[grunting]

[man] Oh!

[man] mum, mum!