Beakman’s World - Season 1 Episode 17

Responding to a question about the attraction of fossils, Beakman conjures up the late Dr. Louis S.B. Leakey, the discoverer of the earliest remnants of human life in Africa's Olduvai Gorge. After Dr. Leakey shows how fossil remains are deposited in layers of sedimentary rocks, Beakman takes over, describing the various methods of fossilization. Using the Boguscope to show how they have been used to establish the Earth's geologic history, he demonstrates how anyone can make their own fossil impressions at home. During "Beak-Mania," Beakman reveals the number of earthworms in an acre of land, (over three million), the origins of pasteurization (a process invented by French scientist Louis Pasteur), and that tarantulas can go for over two years without eating. For the "Beakman Challenge," Lester is asked to try and pick up a quarter from a dish of water without getting his fingers wet. When his feral friend is unable to provide a satisfactory solution, Beakman uses a candle, some gum and a jar to create a partial vacuum which leaves the quarter high and dry. Asked about the first musical instrument, Beakman reveals that it was not the drum, but rather the human voice. Demonstrating characteristics common to all instruments, Beakman constructs one of his own to show how music is made using vibrations, pitch and resonance. Then, with the Boguscope, he shows how the human body's vocal chords, lungs, mouth and sinus cavities act together to make beautiful sounds.