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-This is... -Absolute Genius. | 0:00:02 | 0:00:03 | |
Argh! | 0:00:03 | 0:00:04 | |
Come with us as we dive | 0:00:04 | 0:00:05 | |
into the wonderful world of technology. | 0:00:05 | 0:00:08 | |
This is mind-blowing! | 0:00:08 | 0:00:09 | |
Each show, we introduce you to geniuses whose inventions | 0:00:09 | 0:00:12 | |
-have changed the world for ever. -Argh! Oh! | 0:00:12 | 0:00:15 | |
'We then take their tech and supersize it | 0:00:15 | 0:00:17 | |
'in our genius tech challenge.' | 0:00:17 | 0:00:19 | |
Dear, no! | 0:00:19 | 0:00:21 | |
'The question is - can we pull it off?' | 0:00:21 | 0:00:23 | |
Is this his brain? | 0:00:23 | 0:00:24 | |
'If you love gadgets, then strap yourself in.' | 0:00:24 | 0:00:28 | |
-It's genius. -Absolute Genius. | 0:00:28 | 0:00:30 | |
Whoo! | 0:00:30 | 0:00:31 | |
Argh! Argh! Yeah! | 0:00:31 | 0:00:34 | |
On this show, we look at how technology has helped us | 0:00:34 | 0:00:37 | |
become superhuman. | 0:00:37 | 0:00:39 | |
From the ability to breathe underwater to having extra limbs. | 0:00:39 | 0:00:44 | |
Plus we'll be attempting to become indestructible superheroes | 0:00:44 | 0:00:47 | |
in our Genius Tech challenge. | 0:00:47 | 0:00:49 | |
Ow! | 0:00:49 | 0:00:51 | |
Today, we're going to find out how technology can turn YOU | 0:01:25 | 0:01:28 | |
into a superhero. | 0:01:28 | 0:01:29 | |
Get off that wall, Spider-Man. | 0:01:29 | 0:01:30 | |
-There's some new superheroes in town! -Yeah! | 0:01:30 | 0:01:33 | |
-Who? -Us, of course. -Oh, yeah. | 0:01:33 | 0:01:36 | |
We're going to introduce you to three geniuses | 0:01:36 | 0:01:38 | |
and their inventions that can turn us into superheroes. | 0:01:38 | 0:01:41 | |
So strap yourself in as we enter the hi-octane world | 0:01:41 | 0:01:44 | |
of superhuman technology. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:46 | |
Us humans have always created inventions | 0:01:49 | 0:01:51 | |
to push our bodies to the absolute limit. | 0:01:51 | 0:01:54 | |
Whether it's being able to fly, | 0:01:54 | 0:01:55 | |
lift breathtaking weight or move at breakneck speed, | 0:01:55 | 0:01:59 | |
we're always striving to push the boundaries of our physical limits. | 0:01:59 | 0:02:03 | |
Which is exactly what our first genius did. | 0:02:03 | 0:02:06 | |
For centuries, we've been trying to breathe underwater. | 0:02:07 | 0:02:11 | |
But it wasn't until our first genius | 0:02:11 | 0:02:13 | |
used technology to make that possible. | 0:02:13 | 0:02:15 | |
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing to you Jacques Cousteau. | 0:02:15 | 0:02:18 | |
Bonjour, idiots! | 0:02:18 | 0:02:21 | |
IN FRENCH: | 0:02:21 | 0:02:23 | |
Exactly. | 0:02:26 | 0:02:28 | |
Before Cousteau got his thinking cap on, | 0:02:28 | 0:02:30 | |
deep-sea diving was a very different game. | 0:02:30 | 0:02:33 | |
Taking the plunge used to mean either being attached to the surface, | 0:02:33 | 0:02:36 | |
or using systems that recycled oxygen, | 0:02:36 | 0:02:39 | |
which could be very dangerous. | 0:02:39 | 0:02:40 | |
Cousteau dreamed of creating a truly free diving system, | 0:02:40 | 0:02:44 | |
allowing people to dive deeper | 0:02:44 | 0:02:46 | |
and stay down longer than was currently possible. | 0:02:46 | 0:02:48 | |
And when he met an engineer called Emile Gagnan, | 0:02:48 | 0:02:51 | |
they realized they could use technology from a car | 0:02:51 | 0:02:54 | |
to create a unique diving system | 0:02:54 | 0:02:56 | |
which would change the diving world forever. | 0:02:56 | 0:02:58 | |
And it was called the Aqua-lung. Genius. | 0:02:58 | 0:03:02 | |
Cousteau's invention totally changed the diving world. | 0:03:02 | 0:03:05 | |
The Aqua-lung meant that it was now easier and safer than ever | 0:03:05 | 0:03:08 | |
to explore the depths of the ocean. | 0:03:08 | 0:03:11 | |
But how does it work? | 0:03:11 | 0:03:13 | |
To find out how the Aqua-lung works, | 0:03:15 | 0:03:17 | |
we've got genius helper Ann Bevan. | 0:03:17 | 0:03:20 | |
She's been diving for over 40 years | 0:03:20 | 0:03:23 | |
and has thousands of dives under her belt. | 0:03:23 | 0:03:26 | |
-Hi, Ann. -Hello. -Nice to meet you. Hi, how are you? | 0:03:29 | 0:03:32 | |
Good to meet you, yeah. | 0:03:32 | 0:03:33 | |
So what was diving like before Cousteau's invention? | 0:03:33 | 0:03:36 | |
-Ah, well, if you start at the very beginning... -Yeah. | 0:03:36 | 0:03:38 | |
-You just hold your breath. -Hold our breath? -Hold your breath. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:41 | |
THEY INHALE DEEPLY | 0:03:41 | 0:03:44 | |
-Yeah, I see. -See the problem? -You can run out quite quickly. | 0:03:44 | 0:03:46 | |
You don't stay down for very long - that's the problem. | 0:03:46 | 0:03:49 | |
And what about this? Is this the genius of Cousteau? | 0:03:49 | 0:03:51 | |
The genius of Cousteau is this here. | 0:03:51 | 0:03:54 | |
This is a special valve, OK? | 0:03:54 | 0:03:57 | |
And it works a bit like a cat flap. | 0:03:57 | 0:03:59 | |
If you can imagine a cat flap in front of your mouth, | 0:03:59 | 0:04:01 | |
when you breathe in, it opens the door - air comes in. | 0:04:01 | 0:04:06 | |
-Cat comes in. -When you stop breathing, it shuts, OK, | 0:04:06 | 0:04:09 | |
and it doesn't let any more air in. | 0:04:09 | 0:04:12 | |
-OK. Got it, got it, got it. -OK? | 0:04:12 | 0:04:14 | |
You just get the air that you need, get a breath. | 0:04:14 | 0:04:16 | |
And you're not wasting the air. | 0:04:16 | 0:04:19 | |
The Aqua-lung allowed divers to take in only as much oxygen | 0:04:19 | 0:04:21 | |
as they needed from a tank of compressed air. | 0:04:21 | 0:04:24 | |
It meant THEY controlled when they took the air, so less was wasted. | 0:04:24 | 0:04:27 | |
And they could stay beneath the surface for longer. | 0:04:27 | 0:04:30 | |
Shall we go and test out Cousteau's genius? | 0:04:30 | 0:04:32 | |
-Should do! -Yeah, we should. Thanks, Ann. -Thanks, Ann. | 0:04:32 | 0:04:35 | |
Excellent - take care! | 0:04:35 | 0:04:36 | |
Dick and I are about to get the superhuman power | 0:04:36 | 0:04:39 | |
of breathing under water. | 0:04:39 | 0:04:41 | |
Which will be handy, because to test out the tech, we'll need to dive | 0:04:41 | 0:04:45 | |
down six metres beneath the surface of this lake to retrieve a flag. | 0:04:45 | 0:04:49 | |
But who knew diving gear could be so tight? | 0:04:49 | 0:04:51 | |
DOM LAUGHS | 0:04:55 | 0:04:58 | |
I can't talk properly! | 0:04:58 | 0:05:00 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:05:00 | 0:05:03 | |
Is it a good look? | 0:05:03 | 0:05:04 | |
Mais oui! | 0:05:04 | 0:05:06 | |
'Cousteau's technology allows us to breathe underwater, | 0:05:06 | 0:05:09 | |
'but as we've never dived in open waters, | 0:05:09 | 0:05:12 | |
'first, we'll need to train in the shallows. | 0:05:12 | 0:05:14 | |
'This lake is vast, deep and dark | 0:05:14 | 0:05:17 | |
'so I'm quite nervous.' | 0:05:17 | 0:05:18 | |
It's all right in the water. | 0:05:18 | 0:05:20 | |
Oh, I'm sure it'll... | 0:05:20 | 0:05:21 | |
That's it. Well done. | 0:05:22 | 0:05:24 | |
'We start off breathing with the Aqua-lung | 0:05:25 | 0:05:27 | |
'but out of water.' | 0:05:27 | 0:05:28 | |
Can you breathe in and out OK? | 0:05:30 | 0:05:32 | |
'And then getting more used to it | 0:05:32 | 0:05:34 | |
'by putting our faces under the surface.' | 0:05:34 | 0:05:36 | |
What we're going to do now - we're going to fully submerge. | 0:05:36 | 0:05:38 | |
'But as we dive down, I really don't like the feel of it | 0:05:38 | 0:05:41 | |
'and start to panic.' | 0:05:41 | 0:05:43 | |
Go on, then. Keep on the railing. | 0:05:49 | 0:05:51 | |
I've got your tank. | 0:05:51 | 0:05:54 | |
If you start thinking about being underwater, then you start | 0:05:54 | 0:05:57 | |
panicking about being underwater, because this is not normal - | 0:05:57 | 0:06:00 | |
you shouldn't be underwater. | 0:06:00 | 0:06:01 | |
'Speak for yourself, you big wuss bag!' | 0:06:01 | 0:06:03 | |
'Check me out! I'm like Neptune. I'm at one with the fish.' | 0:06:06 | 0:06:11 | |
-He's doing all right, though, isn't he? -He's doing fine, yeah. | 0:06:11 | 0:06:14 | |
'Training complete, time for me to get out and get warm.' | 0:06:14 | 0:06:17 | |
It's heavy when you get out of the water, isn't it? Eh? | 0:06:17 | 0:06:21 | |
'Superhuman technology it may be - | 0:06:21 | 0:06:23 | |
'But open water diving isn't for me.' | 0:06:23 | 0:06:26 | |
All I'm doing is still thinking about what I've just been through. | 0:06:26 | 0:06:30 | |
'Looks like I'll be testing out the tech and retrieving the flag, | 0:06:30 | 0:06:32 | |
'on my own.' | 0:06:32 | 0:06:34 | |
Right, it's time to put the genius of Cousteau into practice. | 0:06:35 | 0:06:39 | |
Jess over there has a flag | 0:06:39 | 0:06:41 | |
which she's going to lower down to six metres. | 0:06:41 | 0:06:44 | |
-You've got to find that flag. -Right. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:45 | |
-Easy as that. -What d'you mean, "easy as that"? | 0:06:45 | 0:06:47 | |
It's all right for you to say that dressed in your civvies, | 0:06:47 | 0:06:50 | |
stood on the side having a cup of tea! | 0:06:50 | 0:06:52 | |
"As easy as that!" | 0:06:52 | 0:06:53 | |
I'll be watching from the comfort of the side of the lake. | 0:06:53 | 0:06:56 | |
All right, Jess? Can you drop the flag, please? | 0:06:56 | 0:06:58 | |
-Go get the flag. -Bon Voyage, Dominic! | 0:07:01 | 0:07:04 | |
Bye bye, Dominic. Bye bye. | 0:07:09 | 0:07:11 | |
It's thanks to Cousteau's Aqua-lung that I'm able to breathe down here | 0:07:11 | 0:07:16 | |
for such a long time. | 0:07:16 | 0:07:17 | |
Thankfully, I'm being joined by a team of instructors. | 0:07:17 | 0:07:20 | |
He's been under for about five minutes now | 0:07:20 | 0:07:22 | |
but with that Aqua-lung, he could be under that water for half an hour. | 0:07:22 | 0:07:25 | |
You would never, ever be able to hold your breath for that long. | 0:07:25 | 0:07:29 | |
I think he's nearly all the way down now, | 0:07:30 | 0:07:33 | |
but will he be able to find the flag? | 0:07:33 | 0:07:36 | |
'After swimming around the murky depths | 0:07:36 | 0:07:38 | |
'for what feels like forever, suddenly I spot something. | 0:07:38 | 0:07:42 | |
'It's the flag. | 0:07:42 | 0:07:43 | |
'Come here, come here. | 0:07:45 | 0:07:48 | |
'Got it!' | 0:07:48 | 0:07:49 | |
Is this him? Are they here? | 0:07:52 | 0:07:54 | |
I think that's the flag. | 0:07:54 | 0:07:56 | |
Yes! | 0:07:56 | 0:07:58 | |
'Right, with that done, it's time for an Earl Grey.' | 0:07:58 | 0:08:01 | |
Good work. | 0:08:01 | 0:08:03 | |
MUFFLED SPEECH | 0:08:03 | 0:08:05 | |
So what was it like, going that deep? | 0:08:05 | 0:08:08 | |
-It actually became really calm and nice. -Was it? -Yes, very nice. | 0:08:08 | 0:08:11 | |
Dom, you are a natural! | 0:08:11 | 0:08:13 | |
The amazing thing is, as you experienced, we've just been | 0:08:13 | 0:08:15 | |
breathing underwater and, 70 years ago, this just wasn't possible. | 0:08:15 | 0:08:18 | |
It's all thanks to the genius of Cousteau. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:21 | |
J'adore mon Aqua-lung! | 0:08:21 | 0:08:24 | |
'Thanks to the genius of Cousteau, | 0:08:24 | 0:08:26 | |
'humans can easily now swim with the fishes | 0:08:26 | 0:08:28 | |
'and explore deeper than ever.' | 0:08:28 | 0:08:30 | |
'But not all inventions to make us superhuman have been so genius. | 0:08:32 | 0:08:35 | |
'Because it's now time for The Not So Genius Idea!' | 0:08:35 | 0:08:40 | |
If you have ever needed some more energy when out for a run | 0:08:41 | 0:08:45 | |
and you love tomatoes, well, fear not. | 0:08:45 | 0:08:47 | |
Because Japanese juice vendor Kagome teamed up with inventor Maywa Denki | 0:08:47 | 0:08:51 | |
and this was the result. | 0:08:51 | 0:08:53 | |
This piggy-back-inspired invention feeds the runner tomatoes on demand. | 0:08:53 | 0:08:59 | |
The thought process is that the tomatoes | 0:08:59 | 0:09:01 | |
give you much-needed antioxidants which are lost during running. | 0:09:01 | 0:09:05 | |
But, unsurprisingly, it never caught on. | 0:09:05 | 0:09:07 | |
So don't expect Mo Farah to be chomping on tomatoes | 0:09:07 | 0:09:10 | |
in the next London Marathon! | 0:09:10 | 0:09:12 | |
We're now well and truly on the road to becoming superheroes. | 0:09:14 | 0:09:17 | |
Thanks to the Aqua-lung, we can breathe underwater. | 0:09:17 | 0:09:19 | |
There are still loads of things we want to do, | 0:09:19 | 0:09:21 | |
but our bodies won't allow us to do them. | 0:09:21 | 0:09:23 | |
Like the ability to become indestructible. | 0:09:23 | 0:09:25 | |
For example, if I do this... | 0:09:25 | 0:09:27 | |
-it hurts. -That really hurt! | 0:09:27 | 0:09:29 | |
You see? But thanks to our next genius, | 0:09:29 | 0:09:31 | |
Dick is going to be given the power of body armour. | 0:09:31 | 0:09:34 | |
Ladies and gentlemen, we give to you our second superhuman genius - | 0:09:34 | 0:09:37 | |
Stephanie Kwolek. | 0:09:37 | 0:09:39 | |
Behave, naughty boys! | 0:09:39 | 0:09:41 | |
What's she like? | 0:09:41 | 0:09:43 | |
Stephanie Kwolek was a scientist who, in the 1960s, | 0:09:44 | 0:09:47 | |
accidentally stumbled across a chemical | 0:09:47 | 0:09:49 | |
that was going to change the world. | 0:09:49 | 0:09:51 | |
Her discovery was initially dismissed by her peers, | 0:09:51 | 0:09:55 | |
but Stephanie knew she was onto something | 0:09:55 | 0:09:57 | |
and her persistence led to a material which was not only extremely light, | 0:09:57 | 0:10:01 | |
but five times stronger than steel. | 0:10:01 | 0:10:04 | |
And we called it Kevlar. | 0:10:04 | 0:10:07 | |
Kevlar was born and is now used in tonnes of products, | 0:10:07 | 0:10:10 | |
including bicycle tyres, aeroplanes and protective body armour, | 0:10:10 | 0:10:15 | |
like the vests worn by the police. | 0:10:15 | 0:10:17 | |
Before Kevlar, the only armour in existence was, well, armour really. | 0:10:18 | 0:10:23 | |
But the problem with it was, it was really, really heavy. | 0:10:23 | 0:10:26 | |
Isn't that right, medieval features? | 0:10:26 | 0:10:28 | |
Yes, it's very heavy - I'm not happy. | 0:10:28 | 0:10:30 | |
-Right, OK. But I am as protected as he is. -Huh? | 0:10:30 | 0:10:34 | |
-Why? Cos I'm wearing Kevlar. -How does that work, then? -Oh, I dunno. | 0:10:34 | 0:10:38 | |
If only there was a damsel in distress that could help us. | 0:10:38 | 0:10:40 | |
-Well, Fran's here. -Hello. | 0:10:40 | 0:10:42 | |
You ready? | 0:10:42 | 0:10:43 | |
'Meet Fran, our scientist friend | 0:10:43 | 0:10:45 | |
'who can explain things in a way even we can understand.' | 0:10:45 | 0:10:48 | |
-Oh! -Oh, no, no, no! | 0:10:48 | 0:10:50 | |
'And she loves a good experiment.' | 0:10:50 | 0:10:52 | |
Exactly. | 0:10:52 | 0:10:53 | |
'Best of all, she pops up whenever we need her most.' | 0:10:53 | 0:10:56 | |
-Hello! -Oh, hey, Fran! | 0:10:56 | 0:10:59 | |
Oh! That's better. | 0:10:59 | 0:11:01 | |
So, Fran, why was Stephanie's discovery of Kevlar so important? | 0:11:01 | 0:11:04 | |
Well, before Stephanie, | 0:11:04 | 0:11:05 | |
we didn't have great ways to protect ourselves. | 0:11:05 | 0:11:07 | |
Obviously, we could use metal plates like with your armour, | 0:11:07 | 0:11:10 | |
but they're quite heavy, aren't they? | 0:11:10 | 0:11:12 | |
Mm. Tell me about it. | 0:11:12 | 0:11:13 | |
With Kevlar, not only is it flexible, it's lightweight, | 0:11:13 | 0:11:16 | |
so it makes it much more practical. | 0:11:16 | 0:11:18 | |
Yeah, very practical, but surely...I mean, look at it. | 0:11:18 | 0:11:20 | |
-Yeah. -It's not very thick, is it, Franny? | 0:11:20 | 0:11:22 | |
Well, the thing is, Dom, it's not about thickness. | 0:11:22 | 0:11:25 | |
It's about absorbing energy. | 0:11:25 | 0:11:26 | |
If you have a look here, right, we've got a bowl of water. | 0:11:26 | 0:11:29 | |
-This is water. -And I've got a stone. -Yes. -If you drop it through... | 0:11:29 | 0:11:33 | |
goes right to the bottom. | 0:11:33 | 0:11:34 | |
It doesn't take much energy to go through it, but with Kevlar, | 0:11:34 | 0:11:38 | |
Kevlar takes a ridiculous amount of energy to go through. | 0:11:38 | 0:11:41 | |
A bit like our tub of sand here. | 0:11:41 | 0:11:44 | |
-Kevlar is absorbing the energy. -Exactly. | 0:11:44 | 0:11:47 | |
Amazing. Now this was invented in the '60s - that was a long time ago. | 0:11:47 | 0:11:51 | |
Surely there's something that's come on the market | 0:11:51 | 0:11:54 | |
that's rivalled it since? | 0:11:54 | 0:11:55 | |
There's only one Kwolek! | 0:11:55 | 0:11:57 | |
Ah, well, I've got something that might. | 0:11:57 | 0:12:00 | |
Come with me and I'll show you. | 0:12:00 | 0:12:02 | |
Orange goo. | 0:12:03 | 0:12:05 | |
-Well, yes, but tell you what - feel it. -What's it like? | 0:12:05 | 0:12:08 | |
It's like chewing gum or something. | 0:12:08 | 0:12:10 | |
Ah! Well, this is actually D30 and it was invented back in 1999 | 0:12:10 | 0:12:14 | |
and it's used in some products that are already on the market. | 0:12:14 | 0:12:17 | |
But the really interesting and cool thing about this is, | 0:12:17 | 0:12:20 | |
-it's what's known as non-Newtonian fluid. -What does that mean? | 0:12:20 | 0:12:24 | |
So, in this basic form, it runs like a liquid. | 0:12:24 | 0:12:27 | |
In there, it's really thick. | 0:12:27 | 0:12:28 | |
Yeah, so if you hit it with enough force, hard enough and quick enough, | 0:12:28 | 0:12:31 | |
then it all locks together and it acts like a solid. | 0:12:31 | 0:12:34 | |
It can absorb energy. Let me show you. Put your hand on the table. | 0:12:34 | 0:12:37 | |
That's it. I'll get a nice big bit. Let's put that on top of your hand. | 0:12:37 | 0:12:42 | |
Cos what I can do is I can get a hammer... | 0:12:42 | 0:12:44 | |
-Hey! -Hold the phone. -No, no, no. | 0:12:44 | 0:12:46 | |
Please don't try this at home, kids. This is science. | 0:12:46 | 0:12:51 | |
When I hit it, the particles within there | 0:12:51 | 0:12:53 | |
should lock together, make it act like a solid... | 0:12:53 | 0:12:55 | |
-What do you mean, "Should"?! -..and absorb the impact. | 0:12:55 | 0:12:58 | |
Argh! | 0:12:58 | 0:13:00 | |
-Are you all right? -No! I'm not all right! | 0:13:00 | 0:13:03 | |
-OK. -Wah! Argh! | 0:13:03 | 0:13:04 | |
Oh. Amazing! | 0:13:04 | 0:13:06 | |
But this is not the only non-Newtonian fluid | 0:13:09 | 0:13:11 | |
that's out there. | 0:13:11 | 0:13:12 | |
There are some that you could even make in your kitchen. | 0:13:12 | 0:13:15 | |
I don't know about you, but this is really hitting the mark! | 0:13:15 | 0:13:19 | |
All we have to do is mix some water with cornflour. | 0:13:19 | 0:13:22 | |
And, pretty quickly, it's gooey. | 0:13:22 | 0:13:24 | |
Ah, I see. Now that's bizarre. | 0:13:25 | 0:13:28 | |
So we have made a non-Newtonian fluid. | 0:13:28 | 0:13:30 | |
-Can you see that I'm making a sort of ball? -Yeah. | 0:13:30 | 0:13:33 | |
The moment I let it be and stop pushing on it so hard, | 0:13:33 | 0:13:35 | |
it's going to turn into a liquid. | 0:13:35 | 0:13:37 | |
-Are you ready? -Go on, then. | 0:13:37 | 0:13:39 | |
-Oh! -Franny! | 0:13:39 | 0:13:41 | |
'We've found about the genius behind Kevlar and, thanks to Fran, | 0:13:43 | 0:13:47 | |
'we know about the science behind liquids that can become solid. | 0:13:47 | 0:13:52 | |
'But, Fran being Fran, she's devised an elaborate experiment | 0:13:54 | 0:13:58 | |
'to demonstrate how non-Newtonian fluids can work on a big scale.' | 0:13:58 | 0:14:02 | |
So this is a little bit more, | 0:14:02 | 0:14:04 | |
but this is exactly the same stuff that we had over there. | 0:14:04 | 0:14:06 | |
-It's Oobleck. -Oobleck. | 0:14:06 | 0:14:08 | |
It's just like a liquid if I don't push it | 0:14:08 | 0:14:10 | |
but if I punch it with this hand - it turns into a solid. | 0:14:10 | 0:14:14 | |
If you walk with enough force, | 0:14:14 | 0:14:16 | |
you should be able to walk all the way across the trough. | 0:14:16 | 0:14:20 | |
-Shall we do it? -Do it. Think you're ready? | 0:14:20 | 0:14:22 | |
Go on, then. What, so - just run like this? | 0:14:22 | 0:14:24 | |
-Yeah. Exactly like that. -Three, two, one - go. | 0:14:24 | 0:14:26 | |
-Yeah, do it! -FRAN LAUGHS | 0:14:26 | 0:14:29 | |
-Amazing. -I'm shocked! | 0:14:29 | 0:14:31 | |
-It worked. -It did work. -I didn't sink at all. | 0:14:31 | 0:14:33 | |
It was like running along a piece of wood. | 0:14:33 | 0:14:35 | |
That's because you were pushing down with your foot. | 0:14:37 | 0:14:39 | |
As you pushed down with your foot, it turned to a solid. | 0:14:39 | 0:14:43 | |
This stuff is amazing! | 0:14:43 | 0:14:45 | |
But the thing is, walking on Oobleck, | 0:14:45 | 0:14:47 | |
I think we can do better than that. | 0:14:47 | 0:14:49 | |
-I've got my bike. -Right. You're going to cycle across it? | 0:14:49 | 0:14:52 | |
-Well, I thought it would be good if YOU cycled across it, Rich. -Me? | 0:14:52 | 0:14:54 | |
Now these are controlled circumstances, aren't they, here? | 0:14:54 | 0:14:57 | |
We've got professionals. You can't see them, | 0:14:57 | 0:15:00 | |
but they're all around us. This is a controlled experiment, OK? | 0:15:00 | 0:15:03 | |
'I've just got to keep on moving, otherwise I'll sink.' | 0:15:03 | 0:15:06 | |
Go on, go on, go on. | 0:15:06 | 0:15:08 | |
Yay! | 0:15:08 | 0:15:10 | |
That's awesome. | 0:15:11 | 0:15:13 | |
'Even with a heavy bike, it reacts in the same way | 0:15:13 | 0:15:16 | |
'and the top layer turns into a solid, allowing Dick to ride across.' | 0:15:16 | 0:15:20 | |
After all that, my question is, | 0:15:22 | 0:15:24 | |
why aren't we using Oobleck for protective gear? | 0:15:24 | 0:15:27 | |
Well, Oobleck is ridiculously messy, isn't it, right? | 0:15:27 | 0:15:29 | |
But what we can do with D30 is we can form it into a foam, | 0:15:29 | 0:15:33 | |
so you end up with a foam that can be flexible and soft | 0:15:33 | 0:15:35 | |
when you don't apply much force, but hit it with enough force hard enough | 0:15:35 | 0:15:39 | |
and it turns into a solid and spreads out the force of an impact. | 0:15:39 | 0:15:42 | |
-Same results. -Yeah. -Different materials. -And not as messy. | 0:15:42 | 0:15:44 | |
I think we should find out how strong this stuff is. | 0:15:44 | 0:15:47 | |
-Let's go and find out. -Bye, Fran. | 0:15:47 | 0:15:48 | |
'Oobleck is pretty messy, but if you turn a non-Newtonian fluid | 0:15:50 | 0:15:54 | |
'into a foam, you have a pretty protective substance.' | 0:15:54 | 0:15:57 | |
But just how protective? | 0:15:58 | 0:16:00 | |
We'll be finding out later in the show | 0:16:00 | 0:16:03 | |
as we test having indestructible powers to the max. | 0:16:03 | 0:16:06 | |
We're coming to the end | 0:16:10 | 0:16:11 | |
of our journey through superhuman technology. | 0:16:11 | 0:16:13 | |
We've managed to breathe underwater. | 0:16:13 | 0:16:15 | |
-Well, I did. You freaked out and bottled it. -Ahem. | 0:16:15 | 0:16:17 | |
And we've discovered materials that can make us have armour-plated skin. | 0:16:17 | 0:16:21 | |
But what about real cool superhero stuff - you know, like Iron Man? | 0:16:21 | 0:16:24 | |
For that, we will need our third and final genius, Mr Ralph Mosher. | 0:16:24 | 0:16:29 | |
Howdy, Partners! | 0:16:29 | 0:16:30 | |
-How do you do? -Hello. | 0:16:30 | 0:16:32 | |
Back in the 1960s, America's Army wanted to create something | 0:16:33 | 0:16:38 | |
that would give a human super strength. | 0:16:38 | 0:16:40 | |
Our genius, Ralph Mosher, rose to the challenge | 0:16:40 | 0:16:44 | |
and built the world's first ever exoskeleton, the Hardiman. | 0:16:44 | 0:16:47 | |
This was like something from a science fiction film, | 0:16:49 | 0:16:52 | |
but it actually worked, allowing the user to lift | 0:16:52 | 0:16:55 | |
up to the equivalent of four adults. | 0:16:55 | 0:16:57 | |
Even though the Hardiman was the first exoskeleton, | 0:16:59 | 0:17:02 | |
they've come a long way since Mosher. | 0:17:02 | 0:17:04 | |
And scientists have found millions of really cool uses for them | 0:17:04 | 0:17:07 | |
to help us become superhuman. | 0:17:07 | 0:17:09 | |
So we've come here to the | 0:17:09 | 0:17:10 | |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. | 0:17:10 | 0:17:13 | |
More commonly known as MIT, it's like a Hogwarts for tech heads. | 0:17:13 | 0:17:16 | |
Or a tech wort for hog heads! | 0:17:16 | 0:17:18 | |
Here at the labs at MIT, they're working on a number of exoskeletons | 0:17:21 | 0:17:25 | |
to give people greater strength and mobility. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:28 | |
Helping explain everything exoskeleton | 0:17:31 | 0:17:33 | |
is one of the world's best minds in the field - | 0:17:33 | 0:17:36 | |
Professor Harry Asada! | 0:17:36 | 0:17:38 | |
Professor Asada, nice to meet you. | 0:17:39 | 0:17:41 | |
-Nice to meet you. -Hello, Professor. | 0:17:41 | 0:17:43 | |
Would you say that Mosher was very inspirational | 0:17:43 | 0:17:46 | |
in terms of your work you're doing today? | 0:17:46 | 0:17:48 | |
Yeah, it was not conceivable to put such a machine on the body | 0:17:48 | 0:17:54 | |
and he did. | 0:17:54 | 0:17:55 | |
Yeah, so that was the first big milestone in this area. | 0:17:55 | 0:18:00 | |
You can actually carry a much heavier object than you can carry. | 0:18:00 | 0:18:04 | |
Right? You can move things much more quickly. | 0:18:04 | 0:18:06 | |
Or you can reach something that you can't reach. | 0:18:06 | 0:18:09 | |
-Can we see that happening? -Sure, sure. -Right. | 0:18:09 | 0:18:12 | |
'The team at Professor Asada's lab | 0:18:12 | 0:18:13 | |
'are taking Mosher's genius to the next level | 0:18:13 | 0:18:17 | |
'and are using cutting-edge technology | 0:18:17 | 0:18:19 | |
'to give humans robotic limbs.' | 0:18:19 | 0:18:21 | |
'The robotic limbs mimic what my other hand is doing. | 0:18:23 | 0:18:26 | |
'If I clench my fist, it sends a message to the limbs to close.' | 0:18:26 | 0:18:30 | |
They're not even connected! | 0:18:30 | 0:18:31 | |
'If I open my hand, they open.' | 0:18:31 | 0:18:33 | |
I'm coming for ya! | 0:18:33 | 0:18:35 | |
'And this is all done wirelessly.' | 0:18:35 | 0:18:38 | |
-Try the bottle. -I need a drink. | 0:18:38 | 0:18:40 | |
-Normally... -You wouldn't be able to. -Squeeze it here. | 0:18:40 | 0:18:43 | |
But, no, I've got a third limb. | 0:18:43 | 0:18:46 | |
So I'm going to... | 0:18:46 | 0:18:49 | |
Got it, got it, got it, got it. Is it a nice, tight grip? | 0:18:49 | 0:18:52 | |
Now... | 0:18:52 | 0:18:53 | |
-Drinkypoos? -Yeah. -Hey, Shazam! | 0:18:55 | 0:18:58 | |
'It's good for opening bottles, but it's better for this.' | 0:18:58 | 0:19:03 | |
Argh, argh! Oh! | 0:19:03 | 0:19:06 | |
Play nicely, boys! That's not a toy. | 0:19:06 | 0:19:09 | |
'And in the lab, they're not just working on robotic hands - | 0:19:09 | 0:19:12 | |
'they're looking at giving people extra legs and arms.' | 0:19:12 | 0:19:16 | |
Your legs are moving. | 0:19:16 | 0:19:18 | |
'So who knows what we humans could look like in the future.' | 0:19:18 | 0:19:22 | |
Thanks to the genius of Mosher, | 0:19:22 | 0:19:23 | |
we can now lift weight way heavier than we could before. | 0:19:23 | 0:19:26 | |
And even add limbs to our bodies to make us...well, just better! | 0:19:26 | 0:19:30 | |
The invention of the exoskeleton has definitely helped us | 0:19:30 | 0:19:33 | |
to become more superhuman and remember, this is just the start, | 0:19:33 | 0:19:36 | |
because this technology is always improving. | 0:19:36 | 0:19:38 | |
Mosher, you are an absolute genius! | 0:19:38 | 0:19:41 | |
Thanks, from yours truly. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:44 | |
In this episode, we've learnt that, through technology, | 0:19:45 | 0:19:48 | |
we can breathe underwater, have robotic limbs | 0:19:48 | 0:19:50 | |
and have our own personal body armour. | 0:19:50 | 0:19:53 | |
Thanks to the genius of Cousteau, Kwolek and Mosher, | 0:19:55 | 0:19:59 | |
we can become superhuman. | 0:19:59 | 0:20:01 | |
Which is what we're going to do in our Genius Tech challenge. | 0:20:01 | 0:20:04 | |
Someone like the Incredible Hulk can be indestructible | 0:20:04 | 0:20:07 | |
without even getting a scratch | 0:20:07 | 0:20:09 | |
and, thanks to D3O, we too can become indestructible. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:12 | |
Which is why we're going to become... | 0:20:12 | 0:20:14 | |
the world's first human wrecking balls! | 0:20:14 | 0:20:17 | |
Here's how it works. One of us will be attached to a swing. | 0:20:19 | 0:20:22 | |
And will be smashed into a series of different walls. | 0:20:22 | 0:20:25 | |
-Ouch! -Well, not ouch, | 0:20:25 | 0:20:28 | |
because our wonderful technology will make us rock solid. | 0:20:28 | 0:20:31 | |
First up is the cardboard wall. | 0:20:31 | 0:20:33 | |
Next it's the plasterboard. | 0:20:33 | 0:20:35 | |
And finally, a concrete wall. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:37 | |
But who will be the human wrecking ball? | 0:20:38 | 0:20:41 | |
-Well, it's me. Again. Isn't it? -Yes, dear. | 0:20:41 | 0:20:44 | |
Typical. This is technology versus immovable objects! | 0:20:44 | 0:20:48 | |
To turn Dom into a wrecking ball, | 0:20:51 | 0:20:53 | |
we've got stunt co-coordinator Simon to oversee the whole stunt. | 0:20:53 | 0:20:57 | |
So how is this going to make me superhuman? | 0:20:57 | 0:21:00 | |
Well, let's explain a little about the suit you're wearing. | 0:21:00 | 0:21:03 | |
Specifically designed for stuntmen, so all the key areas are protected, | 0:21:03 | 0:21:06 | |
So you've got the forearms, you've got the elbows, | 0:21:06 | 0:21:09 | |
you've got a little bit of part of the tricep, your shoulders. | 0:21:09 | 0:21:12 | |
So all of these pads that you mention on his body, | 0:21:12 | 0:21:14 | |
inside there there's D30, yeah? | 0:21:14 | 0:21:15 | |
-Yeah. -And how's that going to work when he actually hits the wall? | 0:21:15 | 0:21:18 | |
On impact, they lock together to spread the impact over the pad. | 0:21:18 | 0:21:22 | |
So it just lessens the impact... | 0:21:22 | 0:21:24 | |
-..as opposed to stopping it. -It's not stopping it. | 0:21:26 | 0:21:29 | |
Am I right in thinking as well, | 0:21:31 | 0:21:33 | |
that this isn't necessarily a tried-and-tested, | 0:21:33 | 0:21:37 | |
standard stunt to do? | 0:21:37 | 0:21:39 | |
This has been specially kind of made for this? | 0:21:39 | 0:21:41 | |
Well, we're still testing, so that's why we have you now! | 0:21:41 | 0:21:44 | |
-You're the guinea pig. -You are the guinea pig today! | 0:21:44 | 0:21:46 | |
Oh, get on with it. You've got a protective suit, Dom! | 0:21:46 | 0:21:50 | |
'For safety reasons, before I have a go at smashing through these walls, | 0:21:51 | 0:21:55 | |
'stuntman Dion gives me an idea of what I'm up against.' | 0:21:55 | 0:21:59 | |
Right? That was easy enough. | 0:22:04 | 0:22:06 | |
Not a problem. | 0:22:06 | 0:22:07 | |
"Easy enough"? He's bust the whole thing. All the wood's come off. | 0:22:07 | 0:22:10 | |
Yeah, but look - you won't feel a thing! | 0:22:10 | 0:22:13 | |
'Well, talk is cheap. | 0:22:13 | 0:22:15 | |
'So it's time to get Dom into his harness...' | 0:22:15 | 0:22:17 | |
It can be a little bit tighter. | 0:22:17 | 0:22:19 | |
'..and make him a superhero!' | 0:22:19 | 0:22:21 | |
-Let's go for it! -All right. | 0:22:21 | 0:22:23 | |
OK, let's do it. | 0:22:23 | 0:22:25 | |
'Cardboard first - an easy start.' | 0:22:26 | 0:22:28 | |
Lift him up. | 0:22:28 | 0:22:30 | |
-Here we go. -Oi! | 0:22:30 | 0:22:31 | |
One second, did something snap? Aw, too late now. | 0:22:31 | 0:22:35 | |
Ooh! Oh! This is it! | 0:22:35 | 0:22:38 | |
-Easy! -Easy. | 0:22:38 | 0:22:40 | |
-Yeah. Know what I'm saying? -Not a problem. | 0:22:40 | 0:22:43 | |
All right. Don't break the set! | 0:22:43 | 0:22:45 | |
'OK, so I might not be the most graceful superhero.' | 0:22:45 | 0:22:48 | |
I've got to be honest - that was easy. | 0:22:48 | 0:22:51 | |
'Well, Dom might be confident now, | 0:22:51 | 0:22:53 | |
'but the second wall is much more difficult. | 0:22:53 | 0:22:56 | |
'This time - it's plasterboard.' | 0:22:56 | 0:22:58 | |
Cardboard was easy. | 0:22:58 | 0:23:00 | |
-It feels like a piece of wood. -It's harder. | 0:23:00 | 0:23:03 | |
'Plasterboard is what some walls are made out of.' | 0:23:03 | 0:23:05 | |
-There's absolutely no give in it at all. -No, you have to break it. | 0:23:05 | 0:23:09 | |
Brace yourself and the suit will protect you. | 0:23:09 | 0:23:11 | |
'I'll need EXTRA protection. | 0:23:11 | 0:23:13 | |
'Helmet and gloves - on.' | 0:23:13 | 0:23:16 | |
There's nothing we like better to see, is there, | 0:23:16 | 0:23:18 | |
than Dom being flung into hard walls! | 0:23:18 | 0:23:22 | |
Let's just hope he goes through it. | 0:23:22 | 0:23:24 | |
-OK, ten seconds. -Here we go. | 0:23:26 | 0:23:28 | |
Ow! Wow! | 0:23:31 | 0:23:34 | |
-Cor... -Yep? -Yep. | 0:23:34 | 0:23:35 | |
It did it - it's all right, I'm alive. | 0:23:35 | 0:23:38 | |
'Dom gets through the wall unhurt, but this is only possible | 0:23:42 | 0:23:46 | |
'because the especially designed stunt suit protects him.' | 0:23:46 | 0:23:49 | |
-It wasn't an enjoyable experience. -No. | 0:23:49 | 0:23:51 | |
But it was an interesting experience. | 0:23:51 | 0:23:53 | |
-Well, I've got something to tell you. -What? | 0:23:53 | 0:23:55 | |
-We're going to up the ante. -Up the ante? | 0:23:55 | 0:23:57 | |
-Bring on the next wall! -Oh... | 0:23:57 | 0:23:58 | |
'The final challenge is the most dangerous yet - a concrete wall. | 0:24:00 | 0:24:05 | |
'This is the one that even the stunt team are worried about, | 0:24:05 | 0:24:08 | |
'as this has never been attempted before.' | 0:24:08 | 0:24:11 | |
Needs to be a bit higher. | 0:24:11 | 0:24:12 | |
-So that there's no impact with the head. -Right. | 0:24:12 | 0:24:15 | |
'The seriousness of what's about to happen | 0:24:15 | 0:24:18 | |
'is starting to sink in.' | 0:24:18 | 0:24:19 | |
The thing that's making me feel worried, | 0:24:19 | 0:24:22 | |
is seeing how concerned, um... | 0:24:22 | 0:24:27 | |
all the stunt team are. | 0:24:27 | 0:24:29 | |
So it started off with everyone joking about, | 0:24:29 | 0:24:32 | |
you know, being fine with it, with the cardboard and plasterboard. | 0:24:32 | 0:24:36 | |
Now...it's kind of serious | 0:24:36 | 0:24:39 | |
and they're all looking a bit more apprehensive. | 0:24:39 | 0:24:42 | |
It's going to be quite an impact. | 0:24:43 | 0:24:45 | |
Otherwise, because if it's so tight, he'll just hit it, | 0:24:45 | 0:24:48 | |
cos I think everything will compress. | 0:24:48 | 0:24:51 | |
'Remember, we have a team of professionals monitoring | 0:24:51 | 0:24:54 | |
'what we're doing, not to mention a state-of-the-art stunt suit. | 0:24:54 | 0:24:58 | |
'Even trying this under these conditions is dangerous, | 0:24:58 | 0:25:02 | |
'so DON'T try this.' | 0:25:02 | 0:25:03 | |
Of all the things we've done on Absolute Genius over the four series, | 0:25:03 | 0:25:08 | |
this is the one I've got the most butterflies in my stomach. | 0:25:08 | 0:25:12 | |
I'm not looking for to it. | 0:25:12 | 0:25:13 | |
'This could be my biggest-ever challenge.' | 0:25:14 | 0:25:17 | |
'I've got to say, even I'm worried about my best mate on this one. | 0:25:19 | 0:25:22 | |
'If this goes wrong, Dom could get seriously hurt.' | 0:25:22 | 0:25:26 | |
-How are you feeling? How's it going? -I'm so nervous! | 0:25:26 | 0:25:29 | |
Right... | 0:25:29 | 0:25:31 | |
Here goes nothing! | 0:25:35 | 0:25:37 | |
'It's time to fly into a concrete wall | 0:25:37 | 0:25:39 | |
'and trust that science and technology will protect me.' | 0:25:39 | 0:25:43 | |
Here we go. | 0:25:45 | 0:25:46 | |
My heart is beating so quick. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:49 | |
'I've been through cardboard...' | 0:25:49 | 0:25:51 | |
'..plasterboard... | 0:25:55 | 0:25:57 | |
'..and now this.' | 0:25:58 | 0:25:59 | |
Brace. | 0:26:01 | 0:26:02 | |
I'm all right! | 0:26:11 | 0:26:12 | |
I'm all right, I took out the whole wall. | 0:26:12 | 0:26:14 | |
'Amazing! Thanks to the stunt suit, | 0:26:17 | 0:26:19 | |
'Dom has managed to smash through a concrete wall | 0:26:19 | 0:26:22 | |
'without a scratch on him. | 0:26:22 | 0:26:23 | |
'And it's only possible because of our understanding of science.' | 0:26:25 | 0:26:28 | |
-Oh, my word! That was bizarre. -How did it feel? | 0:26:30 | 0:26:33 | |
Not as bad as I'd psyched myself up for it to be. | 0:26:33 | 0:26:36 | |
'The smashed concrete bricks are proof.' | 0:26:36 | 0:26:39 | |
Thanks to the genius of technology, you now a superhero! | 0:26:39 | 0:26:43 | |
-Ugh! -Covered in dust! -Ugh... | 0:26:43 | 0:26:46 | |
'With the help of today's geniuses, | 0:26:46 | 0:26:48 | |
'we've been able to push beyond the boundaries | 0:26:48 | 0:26:50 | |
'of what our bodies can do.' | 0:26:50 | 0:26:52 | |
'Whether that's breathing underwater, | 0:26:52 | 0:26:55 | |
'wearing personal body armour or gaining extra limbs.' | 0:26:55 | 0:26:58 | |
'Now the impossible IS possible.' | 0:26:59 | 0:27:01 | |
On today's show, we have proved that being superhuman | 0:27:04 | 0:27:07 | |
is not just something you see in the movies. | 0:27:07 | 0:27:09 | |
Yeah, and it's all been thanks to our three geniuses. | 0:27:09 | 0:27:12 | |
-So thank you, Jacques Cousteau. -Stephanie Kwolek. -And Ralph Mosher. | 0:27:12 | 0:27:15 | |
-You're all... -Absolute Genius! | 0:27:15 | 0:27:18 | |
HE LAUGHS | 0:27:21 | 0:27:24 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:27:30 | 0:27:32 | |
Where's Rich gone? | 0:27:32 | 0:27:33 | |
-Oh, it's stopped! -Argh! | 0:27:35 | 0:27:37 | |
A long line is a BURRRR! | 0:27:37 | 0:27:38 | |
I've got my fingers... ARGH! | 0:27:38 | 0:27:40 | |
Wow! His head's fallen off! | 0:27:40 | 0:27:42 | |
How did you find that? "Blew my head off!" | 0:27:42 | 0:27:44 | |
Ha-ha! You can't end it like that! | 0:27:44 | 0:27:47 |