Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Master magicians from around the world are taking science and fusing it with magic to break everything you thought you knew about the world around you.
00:13They'll perform street magic, hidden camera tricks, and epic illusions.
00:20After they've tricked you, they'll reveal the science that made the magic work.
00:26This time, Wayne showcases explosive telekinetic powers.
00:32It actually made my heart jump.
00:34Billy challenges big guys in a bed in Poland.
00:38It was really good.
00:40Ben baffles fitness fanatics with an anti-gravity workout.
00:45One, two, three.
00:57Magic takes the base of knowledge that we have and uses it to mystify.
01:02Science seeks to expand our knowledge.
01:06This is the show that does both.
01:09Check this out.
01:11First up, South London.
01:14Wayne's heading to a secluded skate park to demonstrate some new superhuman skills that pure science has given him.
01:22When I was a kid, I used to read a lot of comic books.
01:25And I'd make these home videos where I'd pretend I was a superhero and I'd use fishing line to make objects move.
01:31Wayne's superpowers have come a long way since then, and his latest trick is far from child's play.
01:38He's about to prove to a bunch of local guys that he can make objects move simply by looking at them.
01:44So here's a question for you.
01:46If you could be a superhero and have real powers, what power would you have?
01:51Fly.
01:52You would fly? That's a good one. What about you? Which power would you have?
01:54Telekinesis.
01:55See, that's funny because when I was a kid, I used to imagine myself being able to look at something,
02:00and just by thinking about it, getting it to move, right?
02:03You know, let's try it.
02:06Let's use the bottle.
02:07Telekinesis is the ability to control or even destroy objects with the power of the mind alone.
02:14Sometimes this can be a little dangerous.
02:17I'm going to put this over there.
02:22Put your fingers in yours.
02:36I thought it would move it like a couple of inches or just like the wind might have blown it over or something silly like that,
02:42and then when it blew, I was kind of surprised.
02:44We'll try this again. We'll try to take it a bit further, and we'll use everyone for this.
02:51Wayne's going to try and use the combined mental power of the group to destroy the bucket.
02:57So I need everyone's help.
02:59Hands out like this.
03:01Hands out.
03:06Okay.
03:07Hands out like this.
03:09Hands out.
03:16We'll see if we can get it to go.
03:26The way the bucket just exploded, it actually made my heart jump.
03:30I'm still kind of frightened from it.
03:34It went quite high in the air. I didn't expect the bucket to actually disintegrate.
03:41The crowd expected Wayne's mental powers to move the bottle, but he went one better by actually blowing it up.
03:48But it wasn't really telekinesis. It was physics and chemistry.
03:53Earlier, Wayne filled a standard soda bottle with plain water and suspended a packet of dry ice inside.
04:00Dry ice is carbon dioxide which has been pressurized and frozen into a solid.
04:05When its temperature rises above minus 109 degrees, the frozen carbon dioxide becomes a gas.
04:12This process is called sublimation.
04:15When Wayne picked up the rigged bottle, he released the packet of dry ice inside.
04:21Water rapidly transformed the dry ice back into gas, creating huge pressure within the sealed bottle, causing it to explode.
04:31Wayne made sure that his audience was at a safe distance to avoid flying debris.
04:36On the second part of the trick, Wayne secretly placed another rigged bottle of dry ice underneath the bucket and let science do the rest.
04:46The extreme low temperature of dry ice makes it ideal for use alongside nitrogen in the research of cryonics,
04:54the deep freezing of the human body in the hope that it can be brought back to life in the future.
05:00Dry ice is also used by visual effects artists to create smoky scenes in theaters and on movie sets.
05:09So we just got done doing the bottle explosion, which was awesome.
05:13We got some great reactions. It was quite loud and I'm pretty sure someone's called the cops.
05:17We should probably, we should probably go.
05:25Over in Warsaw, Poland, Billie's heading to a popular summertime hangout.
05:30Big strong guys are the same all over the world. They always need a chance to show off their strength.
05:35I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that'll make the big guys a little smaller.
05:39All in good fun, of course.
05:43How are you?
05:44Fine, thank you.
05:45I'm looking for a really, really strong, good looking guy.
05:48Tell you what, it's really hot out. It's nice to cool down by the fountain.
05:52And of course, it's important to stay hydrated.
05:55Yes, of course.
05:56I'll tell you what, I'm going to bet you that I can empty this bottle of water quicker than you can.
06:04Want to try it?
06:05Yes, of course.
06:06Okay, here are the rules.
06:08You want to get the water out of the bottle into the fountain as fast as possible.
06:12Yeah.
06:13You can shake it, you can pour it, you can tap it.
06:15Yes.
06:16I'll tell you what, you can even use this straw if you like.
06:18Alright.
06:19Okay.
06:20So the challenge, who can empty a bottle of water the quickest?
06:23Ready? And go.
06:35Not bad.
06:36Not bad.
06:38My turn.
06:39Yes.
06:43Okay.
06:51It was really good.
06:52That was very quick, wasn't it?
06:53Unbelievable.
06:54It's technique, just technique.
06:56If you know what the technique is, you are better.
06:58The result, there was a really big surprise for me.
07:02Round one to Billy.
07:04Time for round two.
07:05We're going to empty the water as fast as possible, but this time by drinking it.
07:10To drink cold water?
07:11Yes, before me.
07:12Ready?
07:13Watch.
07:14This is...
07:15Watch.
07:23Oh my gosh.
07:24How did you do this?
07:26It's some kind of a chemistry inside or...
07:29Billy somehow froze the water in the bottle in under two seconds,
07:33making it impossible for them to drink.
07:36How I will do it now?
07:38It's freeze.
07:39You know what that means?
07:40Freezing.
07:41You owe me a beer.
07:44Billy was able to empty her bottle of water more than three times as fast as her opponents,
07:49simply by blowing air into the straw.
07:52This greatly increased the air pressure inside the bottle
07:55and forced the water out twice as fast as gravity alone.
07:59And how did Billy pull off her instant freeze trick?
08:03The guys' bottles contained distilled water,
08:06which had been carefully supercooled to minus four degrees Fahrenheit without freezing.
08:12For water to turn to ice, its molecules must line up in a regular arrangement.
08:16And for the first ice crystal to form, the water requires a nucleation site,
08:21either in the form of an impurity in the water
08:23or by a sudden movement that causes microscopic air bubbles to form.
08:28Even though it was below normal freezing point,
08:30the water in the guys' bottle remained liquid until the sudden movement created a nucleation site,
08:36causing it to freeze in under two seconds.
08:39I was shocked. I couldn't believe it.
08:41I saw it in my eyes, you know, straight away.
08:44That's good to be impossible, you know?
08:48In the suburbs of London, Ben's headed to a local park to try out a chemistry trick.
08:55He's invited a group of unsuspecting volunteers to take part in an exercise program.
09:01They've been told that Ben is a fitness guru,
09:04who's devised a brand-new workout using just a bucket.
09:10OK, guys, we're going to start with a nice bucket squat.
09:13All the buckets are filled with water,
09:15but Ben's persuading them that it's all part of the fitness plan.
09:20And down, and shake it off.
09:24We're now going to go on to full shoulder rotation.
09:26So I'll demonstrate it first.
09:28So you do a half rotation, half rotation, full rotation, OK?
09:32Because of the centrifugal force, the water's going to stay in the bucket.
09:37Ready? Half, half, now full.
09:41Change hands.
09:43Half, half, now full.
09:46All right, OK, excellent, guys.
09:48Centripetal force has kept the water in the buckets,
09:51but Ben's about to take his workout to physically impossible extremes
09:55and truly defy gravity.
09:58If you need to cool yourself down, you can cool yourself down.
10:01That's what the bucket's there for, OK?
10:03To one of my favourite parts of the workout called the bucket burst.
10:07Now, if you pop your buckets down for just a few seconds, we'll demonstrate it.
10:11Hand in the bucket, stirs the water three times,
10:13then bend the knees and straight up.
10:16One, two, three, and down.
10:22Has Ben's demo convinced the group to copy his impossible move?
10:28I was thinking, well, the last exercise where I swung it,
10:31then I thought I'd come out, so maybe this one's going to be the same.
10:35Hand goes in, stir it twice. Ready?
10:38Stir it twice, hands either side of the rim.
10:41Arms straight, knees bent.
10:43One, two, three, up.
10:46Ben had water in his bucket.
10:48He stirred the water and there was water, he flicked it all over himself,
10:51put it over his head, nothing came out.
10:54It just doesn't make any sense. It's not right.
10:58So how did Ben manage to avoid getting soaked?
11:02Here's how it worked.
11:03His bucket did contain water, but also sodium percarbonate.
11:07Ben's bucket was full of sodium percarbonate.
11:11Here's how it worked.
11:12His bucket did contain water, but also sodium polyacrylate,
11:16a super absorbent polymer.
11:18Why didn't I get one?
11:19Yeah.
11:20I knew I should have brought my polymer with me today.
11:23If only.
11:24The sodium polyacrylate was hidden in a barely visible black balloon
11:28stuck inside the bucket.
11:30Ben secretly sliced open the balloon to release the powder,
11:33which rapidly absorbed all of the water.
11:37Polymers are made up of strings of molecules called monomers.
11:40These monomers connect together to form a cross-linked mesh,
11:44which expands when filled with water.
11:46Sodium polyacrylate is commonly referred to as the super absorbent polymer
11:51because it can absorb up to 300 times its own weight in water.
11:56It's used every day by gardeners to keep plants hydrated.
12:00It's infused into soil to retain moisture.
12:07In West London, Billy's gone undercover as a psychic.
12:13For centuries, fortune tellers have been fooling people
12:16into believing that they can read their minds or predict their future.
12:20Thanks to science, it's now easier than ever to convince people
12:24that mystical powers really do exist.
12:27Have a seat, Amy. You can sit right there.
12:30Billy's plan, to freak out some unsuspecting customers
12:33by first using a contract to read their minds
12:36and then some amazing chemistry to make their thoughts appear
12:39before their eyes as if by magic.
12:43Just sit back, relax, just be comfortable.
12:45You just keep an open mind.
12:47Do you do any traveling at all?
12:49A little bit.
12:50A little bit, okay.
12:51If you maybe think of a place that you've never been to before,
12:56but a place that you would really love to visit one day.
13:00Actually, I'm going to have you write down this place on this piece of paper.
13:04I'm going to turn my head. I don't want to see it, not yet.
13:07And as you write it, I want you to just focus on that word, on that place.
13:11Imagine it. Imagine yourself there.
13:14This way you can focus all your energy.
13:17You can visualize this place.
13:19And when you finish writing it down, just turn the paper face down.
13:22Yep.
13:23Have you done this?
13:24Yep.
13:25Okay, excellent.
13:27Excellent.
13:29Put your hands out like this for me.
13:31Really focus. I'm just going to touch you like this.
13:38Okay.
13:39I know it's a bit strange, but you're just going to close your eyes for me.
13:42And your fingers.
13:43Very good.
13:44You can open your eyes.
13:46Perfect.
13:47I'm going to try something we call automatic writing.
13:51I'm going to use my subconscious to create something for you.
13:54So, here we go.
13:56Clear thoughts.
13:58You can smile. Just whatever you're feeling.
14:01Billy's claiming to channel their thoughts onto her canvas.
14:05It might look like she's writing gibberish, but it will all become clear soon.
14:10Okay.
14:11You remember the place you wrote. Don't tell me what it is.
14:13I just want you to stay very focused on it.
14:23Take a good look at this.
14:26Does this mean anything to you?
14:28Nothing at all.
14:30I want you to focus on what I've done here.
14:34Take a really good look at it.
14:35Does it have any relevance to the place that you wrote down?
14:40I don't think so.
14:42You don't think so?
14:44Not that I can see. Not that I can understand.
14:46Okay, what was the word that you wrote down on that paper?
14:49California.
14:50California.
14:51Spain.
14:52Spain.
14:53Australia.
14:54Australia.
14:55Australia.
15:13A bit surprising?
15:15I don't understand it, how she did it, but there we are.
15:18How did you do that?
15:21Billy scrawled on the canvas using a number of different inks,
15:25but one of them was a special pen containing thymolphaline.
15:30It's a colorless chemical indicator that turns dark blue when introduced to an alkali,
15:35which Billy had hidden in her glass of water.
15:39So when she poured it over the canvas,
15:41it neutralized the acid in the thymolphaline indicator and turned the words blue.
15:48How she knew that I'd written California on that piece of paper, that I don't know.
15:53To find out their secret word, Billy used one of the oldest con tricks in the book.
15:59Her customers thought Billy couldn't look at their card
16:02because she was in constant physical contact with them with both of her hands.
16:07But she slyly switched to using only one hand for a very brief moment
16:12and quickly sneaked a peek at what they'd written.
16:15This is a scan that dates back to Victorian psychics.
16:19Perfect.
16:23Coming up, Ben puts a bunch of cell phones in a bag with three raw eggs.
16:29Are they real eggs?
16:30Real eggs.
16:31And tries to turn it into a cooked breakfast using only cell phone radiation.
16:37You know when you've been on your cell phone for a while, sometimes you can feel it getting hot?
16:41Well, I want to see if you can take a bunch of cell phones and do something with them.
16:45So for that, I've got myself an empty tray,
16:48some eggs, about half a dozen or so,
16:52and an empty paper bag.
16:54Now that I've got all these,
16:56all I need is a few members of the public to kindly lend me their cell phones.
17:00Now that I've got all these, all I need is a few members of the public to kindly lend me their cell phones.
17:05How hard could that be?
17:08You know when you use your phones a lot?
17:10After a while, you can feel the heat on your ear.
17:12Well, some people think the radiation is cooking your brains.
17:16So we're going to try something.
17:17All of you, take out your mobile phones.
17:20Take them out.
17:21That was quick, almost to hand, a bit worrying.
17:23Now, you good?
17:26Somewhere in there, in the TARDIS that is your bag.
17:29All right.
17:30Make sure they're turned on and loud.
17:32That's fine.
17:33Yeah, your phone will do.
17:34Can I borrow your phone?
17:36Pop that in there.
17:37And we'll stick it in the bag.
17:39And can I borrow your phone as well, mate?
17:41Is that all right?
17:42That looks expensive.
17:44It is.
17:45New?
17:46No, it's six months old.
17:48If it didn't happen, it would be a new one.
17:51Good luck, OK?
17:52Right, that goes.
17:53And let's use one more if we can.
17:55Let's go for yours, my friend.
17:57Oh, yeah, yeah.
17:58Perfect, eggs and rice.
17:59For this trick to work, we'll also use, let's get them out, some eggs.
18:06Can you hold on to that for me, please?
18:08Perfect.
18:09I obviously don't want to get any egg stuck on your phones.
18:13So to stop the egg getting stuck on your phones...
18:20That'll do.
18:21Right.
18:23But your phones in here are going to cook the eggs.
18:26Can you pass me an egg?
18:27Right.
18:28Watch, watch, watch.
18:29The real egg?
18:30Real egg.
18:31I'll prove it to you, my friend.
18:32Good question.
18:33Look.
18:41I got a bit of shell in there.
18:42I got a bit of shell in there, but we're OK.
18:44I do like my eggs a little bit poached,
18:46so I'll tell you what, we'll stick that in there.
18:48Now, obviously, when doing any cooking, it's always best to pop a lid on.
18:51Ben has the crowd call their friend's cell phones to try to start cooking the eggs.
18:56Phones are ringing.
18:57Look, you can see it's starting to get warm.
18:59It appears the cell phones are collectively producing enough energy to create steam
19:04and maybe cook those eggs.
19:06These are going to take a few minutes to cook,
19:08so let's create a little bit of space.
19:10It looks as if the radiation from the phones is causing the bag to steam.
19:14Could Ben's trick actually cook the breakfast?
19:18Come on round.
19:19Look, look, look.
19:20Watch.
19:21Your phones should have heated up the eggs.
19:25It's hot.
19:26That's hot.
19:30We have cooked egg.
19:32Hot egg.
19:33Look at that, ladies and gentlemen.
19:35Your phones have cooked the egg.
19:39But one question remains.
19:42Where are the phones?
19:43Everybody, call your phones again.
19:45Call them again.
19:46Yeah, yeah.
19:47Shh.
19:50Wait, wait.
19:51Excuse me, excuse me.
20:03Guys.
20:06I've never seen anything like that before.
20:07I cannot understand how you can cook eggs with phones.
20:11I'm speechless.
20:13We'll reveal how the phones got in the egg box in a moment.
20:16First of all, how did the eggs get cooked?
20:19The key to this trick was Ben's secret ingredient,
20:22simple pads called flameless ration heaters,
20:25used by military units all over the world,
20:28which Ben snuck in between two foil cartons.
20:32The ration heaters are a combination of powdered iron,
20:35magnesium and table salt.
20:38When water is added to them,
20:39an exothermic reaction occurs as the water oxidizes the magnesium
20:44and releases heat.
20:46Each ration heater is hot enough to raise an 8-ounce army meal
20:50by 100 degrees Fahrenheit in 12 minutes.
20:54Also, just hot enough to cook scrambled eggs in an aluminum box.
20:59As for the phones, they never even made it into the mix.
21:03Ben used sleight of hand to slip them straight into the egg carton,
21:07then took them out of harm's way by passing the whole box
21:10to fellow magician, Billy.
21:14That trick went really well.
21:15They completely bought into the fact that radiation could cook eggs,
21:18even though they'd never tried to cook anything on their phones before.
21:21There was one woman and she completely believed
21:23that her phone played some part in cooking that egg.
21:27Brilliant.
21:29I think science is magic anyway, so to tell you the truth,
21:32he's a magic man.
21:34He's a magic man.
21:37I put my phone in the bag, it's only two weeks old,
21:39so I was a little bit nervous, but it came out all right.
21:44Never heard of mixing magic and science together.
21:47It's such a cool idea.
21:48It really worked and was so impressive.
21:51I loved it.
21:521, 2, 3, up!