Beakman’s World - Season 1 Episode 9

Asked why a straw in a glass of water appears to be bent, Beakman explains it is due to refraction, or the bending of light waves. Beginning with a demonstration of how objects reflect light, he shows how light travels at a slower speed through water than it does through air. Explaining how lenses are used to bend light in a variety of ways, Beakman reveals refraction's uses in telescopes, microscopes, eyeglasses and other useful items. During "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals the only natural enemy of the skunk (Horned Owls), the longest recorded flight by a chicken (over 100 yards), and that penguins, though they can't fly, can jump up in the air over six feet! In the "Beakman Challenge," Lester is asked to crush an aluminum can by plunging it into a bowl of water. When his partner is unable to provide a satisfactory solution, Beakman shows how, by using a small amount of boiling water, he can create a difference in air pressure that crushes the can. In response to a question about compass needles, Beakman reveals that, because magnets tend to line up with each other, the needle in a compass will always line up with the Earth's magnetic field. With the aid of a refrigerator magnet, a piece of aluminum foil, a bowl of water and a needle, Beakman demonstrates how a small magnet (the needle) aligns itself with the field of a much larger magnet (the Earth). Finally, in a display of magnetically inspired magic, he levitates a string of paper clips and then himself with the aid of a pair of iron?plated shoes.