Beakman’s World - Season 1 Episode 6

After receiving a dirt?covered letter, Beakman claims that soap can be used to clean it up enough to be read. Showing how the surface of water acts like a skin, Beakman applies soap to weaken this surface tension, allowing the molecules to be separated more easily to get in between fibers and clean the dirt from clothing. Then, he proves how soap can also blend oil with water for cleaning, even though the two don't usually mix. Turning to "Beak-Mania," Beakman answers questions like "Do Birds sweat?" (no), "How many shots can a skunk get off before it has to reload?" (six), and "Do aircraft carriers get good mileage?" (no!). Noting that a monarch butterfly can fly 620 miles without eating, Beakman then demonstrates how to make a coffee can roll across a table without touching it. Asked how gas makes a car go, Beakman explains the internal combustion engine's ability to harness the explosive power of gasoline. Using a model of an engine, he then shows how its' pistons, crankshaft and transmission convert this energy into motion. Finally, after wondering why a car's tires don't wear out like erasers, Beakman explains how carbon is added to the rubber to make it wear longer.