0:00:02 > 0:00:04This is Absolute Genius.
0:00:04 > 0:00:08So sit down, buckle up and get ready for take-off!
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Each show we'll introduce you to a different genius.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16An amazing person who had a genius idea which shaped the world.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18And they will inspire us
0:00:18 > 0:00:22to come up with our own genius idea at the end of each show.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23But will it be any good?
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Will it be any good? It'll be...
0:00:26 > 0:00:28BOTH: Absolute Genius!
0:00:29 > 0:00:32And on today's show a master of gravity,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35who changed the way we see the universe.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39Get ready to feel the full force of his genius!
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Three, two, one, lift-off!
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Today we're going to introduce you
0:01:14 > 0:01:16to one of the greatest scientists ever to live.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19A genius who helped uncover the invisible force that controls
0:01:19 > 0:01:22not only how everything in the world moves, but everything in the universe!
0:01:22 > 0:01:25- From this bouncing ball. - To the stars and moon in the sky.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Ladies and gents, we give you the man who discovered
0:01:28 > 0:01:30how gravity works, Sir Isaac Newton!
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Oh, get me down.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33All right, then.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37There you are... Gravity.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38Oh!
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Inspired by Newton we're going to be coming up with our own genius idea
0:01:42 > 0:01:44later on in the show.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46'When we attempt to defy gravity!'
0:01:46 > 0:01:49But first, let's find out a bit more about him.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52'We've come to Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire
0:01:52 > 0:01:56'where our genius grew up, and made some of his greatest discoveries.'
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Do you reckon he ever fell down these stairs?
0:01:59 > 0:02:01What, gravity, yeah.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05'Newton was born in 1643, when the laws of nature,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07'and the universe were a big mystery.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11'It was the early days of modern science.'
0:02:12 > 0:02:15- Wow, so this is his actual bedroom. - Yeah.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Look at the state of his bed!
0:02:17 > 0:02:20- Apparently he was a very messy person.- Right.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Obviously, in his work life he was an absolute genius.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25And talking of his work, this is where he would have done most of it.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Just literally a wooden table and a wooden stool.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30- Yeah, no television, no computer... - No.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33But maybe that's why he was such a genius and he worked so well,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36because there were literally no distractions around here whatsoever.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39All he could do was just sit here, discover and create.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41And be a genius.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45'Newton made many advances in our understanding of the universe,
0:02:45 > 0:02:46'maths and physics.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51'But it was here, where he begun to make his ground-breaking discoveries
0:02:51 > 0:02:53'about gravity.'
0:02:55 > 0:03:00And it all started under this very apple tree in Isaac Newton's garden
0:03:00 > 0:03:02and with this apple, well not this apple,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06the original's a bit mouldy by now, but with an apple. Watch this.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Did that give you any genius thoughts?
0:03:16 > 0:03:17No.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Well, it did for Isaac, because he started thinking,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24"Why did the apple go downwards, instead of upwards, or sideways?"
0:03:24 > 0:03:26He started to think there was some invisible force
0:03:26 > 0:03:30that was pulling the apple, and everything else, towards the ground.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32This force was gravity.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34All of that from an apple.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35Genius!
0:03:37 > 0:03:41'Newton's genius idea was in understanding how gravity works.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46'He realised it's a pulling force, that makes apples fall to the ground
0:03:46 > 0:03:49'and stops people floating off into the sky!
0:03:49 > 0:03:53'And he discovered gravity's force even tugs on the moon,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55'keeping it orbiting the Earth.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57'Genius!'
0:03:57 > 0:03:59To understand more about how gravity works
0:03:59 > 0:04:03we've been joined by a Genius Helper...
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Marty Jopson, a scientist and EGGS-pert on Newton!
0:04:07 > 0:04:09- Hey, Marty.- Hi, Marty.- How do?
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- How are you doing, all right? - Pleased to meet you.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- Why are you in Newton's kitchen with loads of eggs? - HE LAUGHS
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Well, we have a little EGGS-periment.
0:04:16 > 0:04:17CYMBAL CRASHES
0:04:17 > 0:04:19I like your "yolk".
0:04:19 > 0:04:23We're going to do an experiment with two eggs,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25one that's an egg and one that's an eggshell.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27- We need to blow the egg.- OK.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30- There you go. You take one of those. - I haven't done this for a while.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Take an egg, have an egg and then you pierce in like that.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- Straight in, like that.- Right.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- Then do it on the other side, like that.- Yes.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Then you need to stir the egg on the inside, like that.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41Stir, stir, stir...
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Now I'm sure this experiment...
0:04:44 > 0:04:45I've got three holes!
0:04:45 > 0:04:46THEY LAUGH
0:04:46 > 0:04:48It's fine, it's fine.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Then blow.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I think me bottom hole's not big enough.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58THEY LAUGH
0:05:00 > 0:05:01Oh!
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- It had to happen to one of us, didn't it?- What a mess!
0:05:03 > 0:05:05You great muppet!
0:05:05 > 0:05:09- What a mess! Now Marty, whilst we're busy doing this...- Mmm.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11..What kind of a guy was he?
0:05:11 > 0:05:14I think he was a grumpy, unpleasant sort of chap.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16He fell out with loads of people in his life.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Loads of people who were other scientists,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22he had these huge rows with them, all by letter.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24But then he was really, really famous.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26He was a huge celebrity by then.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28He was the man, everyone wanted to know him
0:05:28 > 0:05:31and they would all come and visit him. "Oh, it's Mr Newton,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33- "oh, oh, oh, oh." He was a genius.- Oh, yeah.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37So, if we do the experiment, we take these two things,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40one's an egg, one's an eggshell and we drop 'em from a height.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Which one's going to land first?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45It's obvious the heavier one with the egg inside.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- I mean, if we weigh them you'll be able to see.- Yes.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51That's an eggshell and that's an egg.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55- Conclusive, when you look at it like that, it's a bit obvious.- Yeah.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57So very simple, all we need to do is do the experiment.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- You take them.- OK. - One there and one there.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01We're going to drop them from upstairs?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Yeah, from the top floor window.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04Go on, then. Right.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Right, ready.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08OK, Marty, Dick's up there, we're down here.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- What's going to happen now? - He's going to drop the eggs
0:06:10 > 0:06:13and we're going to record it on this super high-speed camera,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15so we can see exactly when they land.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16My money's on the really full one.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19There's going to be a considerable distance, there's got to be.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21- Much heavier. - That's what you say...- OK.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- OK.- Right, ready.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26ALL: Three, two, one. Go!
0:06:27 > 0:06:30'Don't go chucking eggs around at home. They make a stinking mess!'
0:06:30 > 0:06:31Let's have a look.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34It looked like they landed pretty much at the same time.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36A fifth of a second difference, something like that.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- Why does that happen?- Newton said that gravity pulls on everything
0:06:39 > 0:06:42and means that everything gets faster and faster at the same rate
0:06:42 > 0:06:46as it falls to the Earth. It means it always lands at the same time.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49It doesn't matter how big, how fat or how thin you are,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52you'll land at the same time if you're dropped from the same height.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- And this was part of his genius? - This was his genius, yes.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59'And here are some more EGGS-cellent facts about gravity!
0:06:59 > 0:07:01'The Genius Top Five!
0:07:01 > 0:07:03'At five, if you stood on Mars,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05'you'd weigh a lot less than you do on Earth.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08'That's because your weight is based on the force of gravity's pull
0:07:08 > 0:07:11'and Mars has less gravity than Earth.'
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Oooohh! Result!
0:07:14 > 0:07:17'At four, black holes are points in space where gravity
0:07:17 > 0:07:22'is so strong, if anything gets too close it's sucked in, even light!
0:07:22 > 0:07:24'Yep. That's where the name comes from.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27'Three! Jedward have gravity defying hair!
0:07:27 > 0:07:30'We're joking. That's just silly!
0:07:30 > 0:07:33'At two, Earth's gravity is so strong, rockets need to travel
0:07:33 > 0:07:39'at about 25,000 miles an hour to escape it and enter space.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44'And at one, baraphobics are people with a fear of gravity,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46'including the worry it might suddenly fail
0:07:46 > 0:07:48'and they'll go floating off.'
0:07:48 > 0:07:49Oi! Come back here!
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Whoo!
0:07:52 > 0:07:55'We've seen a cracking display of Newton's law of gravity,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58'but how does gravity affect us?'
0:07:59 > 0:08:02'We need our Genius scientist, Fran.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06- 'Fran explains things in ways even- we- can understand.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09'Best of all, she loves a good experiment
0:08:09 > 0:08:12'and she's guaranteed to pop up round the corner
0:08:12 > 0:08:15'just when you need her most.'
0:08:15 > 0:08:16- Hey, Fran.- Hello!
0:08:16 > 0:08:18We've been learning about gravity,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20but we want to know how gravity affects us as people.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24- First of all, right, step on these scales, Dom.- Right, OK.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Oh!
0:08:26 > 0:08:30It's not too bad, what is it, around 70 kilograms?
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Around 75 kilograms. Yeah, yeah, let's say that.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35- He has had too many dirty kebabs. - I have.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37You have eaten a bit too much, but that's OK.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Why do you think it is that you weigh 75 kilograms?
0:08:40 > 0:08:43What is it, it's got to be a bit of muscle. A bit of...
0:08:43 > 0:08:44A bit of that!
0:08:44 > 0:08:46A lot of that and some heavy bones.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Well, it is, it's all of those things,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51because the reason you weigh 75 kilograms is gravity
0:08:51 > 0:08:53is pulling on all that stuff that you're made of,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55including your brains, your bones, your muscles
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and it's pulling you down with a force
0:08:58 > 0:09:00that's equivalent to the weight of 75 kilograms.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03So, it's not kebabs, right? That is gravity that's making me that heavy.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Yeah, but the kebabs have a little bit to do with it as well.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09I haven't got time to be going on a diet, or anything like that.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- Is there any way, by science, you can make me lighter?- There is.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Right, here on earth, gravity is what it is.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15We can't really change it.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19But what we can do is, there is another way to change your weight,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22by changing, like, the push and pulls on your body.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24- That's called G-force.- G-force?
0:09:24 > 0:09:25I'm going to show you this,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28but for this we've got to go and play in the playground.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30We'll get you fit, your favourite.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35So, here I have got Mr Newton.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- Of course, it looks just like him. - It does.
0:09:38 > 0:09:39How dare you!
0:09:39 > 0:09:43- Right.- He's going to be, sort of, like our test pilot, let's say.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46We can see how much he weighs on these scales.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48He weighs about 500 grams, doesn't he?
0:09:48 > 0:09:51We've got a little camera here that will be looking at his weight.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54What we're going to do to Mr Newton is speed him up
0:09:54 > 0:09:56and slow him down and that will subject him to
0:09:56 > 0:09:59different pushes and pulls and it should change his weight.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01- Really?- How then?
0:10:01 > 0:10:05- Well, I need one of you to get on the swing.- You like swings?
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- You like swings.- We always fight over who's going to go on the swing.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10You are more swing size.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11OK, hold him, but just at the middle there.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13- We are going to be watching his weight.- Yes.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15And, you will speed up and slow down
0:10:15 > 0:10:18and when you do that his weight should change.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20- All right, here we go.- Oh, yeah.
0:10:20 > 0:10:21Can you go a bit faster.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- He's getting heavier. Is that right?- Yeah, yeah.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27He should be getting heavier when you speed up.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- When you slow down, he should get a bit lighter.- Yes.- That's G-force.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34- He's going up to about 800 grams. - Yeah.- No, more - 1,000 grams.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38And the higher I go, the more...
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Argh! BREAKING GLASS
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- DICK LAUGHS - Oh, painful!
0:10:44 > 0:10:49'We're going to attempt to defy gravity in our own genius challenge.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52'But first we want to experience some proper G-force.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57'So one of us is about to go on this, the human centrifuge!'
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- What is this?- Wow.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- What is that? - That is bizarre, isn't it?
0:11:07 > 0:11:10This looks horrific!
0:11:10 > 0:11:14'A human centrifuge is used to test the effect of G-force on the body,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18'the kind of G-force experienced by jet pilots.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26'To explain how it works it's G-force genius Alec Stevenson.'
0:11:26 > 0:11:29You're inside the pod, it starts up, it starts spinning around.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32What actually physically and mentally happens to you
0:11:32 > 0:11:33when you're inside?
0:11:33 > 0:11:36OK, you start spinning around and gradually you are going
0:11:36 > 0:11:39to feel yourself weigh more. So if you try and move your arms up,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42you'll feel at 2 or 3G, they weigh two or three times
0:11:42 > 0:11:43as much as they weighed before.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46It's difficult to move up and move your hands up.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50You'll also feel that your face and your skin will start to drag down,
0:11:50 > 0:11:51as it weighs more under G.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- Sounds quite uncomfortable, doesn't it?- You get a floppy face?
0:11:54 > 0:11:57A big floppy face, yeah. Which of you two are going on?
0:11:57 > 0:11:58Well, he...
0:11:58 > 0:11:59Well, I don't know.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Obviously, it's not something that we're going to choose to go in.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05They tend to say people who are shorter have a bit of an advantage.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08There's less of a distance to go from the heart to the head.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10- How does that work?- There you go. - Hang on a minute, say why?
0:12:10 > 0:12:13There's less distance for the heart to pump blood to your head.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15It needs to get from here to here.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18The shorter the distance between that, the more advantage you've got.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22You're little, small. He said it. It's better.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26'Jet pilots can experience up to 9G.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29'It makes their bodies feel incredibly heavy,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31'with the blood inside pulled downwards.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35'Some people experience blackouts, or G-LOC.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37'That's G-Induced Loss of Consciousness.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39'There's no telling how Dom will react,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41'so he's starting off slowly.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46'And keeping a close eye on him will be medical expert Des Connelly...'
0:12:46 > 0:12:50- You look quite nervous now, to be honest.- Good.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- What?- I've never actually seen you look so nervous.- I hate it.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I've got to say this is a horrific environment to be in.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- I bet you really enjoy it. - Oh, yeah, I'll really enjoy it(!)
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Sick bag, just in case.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Ready to go.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24- Here we go.- Stand by.
0:13:24 > 0:13:272.6G, 30 seconds.
0:13:27 > 0:13:28Stand back.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34It's suddenly just going to kick in.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Here we go.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48I want out!
0:13:48 > 0:13:50SIREN
0:13:50 > 0:13:51He didn't like that.
0:13:53 > 0:13:54Whoo!
0:13:56 > 0:13:57Are you all right?
0:13:57 > 0:14:00It didn't look like he enjoyed that at all.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Literally, as soon as we started going,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06I started going like that.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07We'd barely started.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10We got up to about 1.2G.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13His face went a funny colour. He looked a bit odd.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I don't know if he enjoyed it at all. I've known him many years,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18I've never seen him look like that before.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20I tell you what, supposing we just go for 2G?
0:14:20 > 0:14:24If I'm going to be honest, I can't bear it.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27I'm going to give it one more shot.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29I know what's going to happen,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32it's going to be the same result, but let's do it one more time.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34OK, Dom, we're ready to go.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35Here we go again.
0:14:35 > 0:14:384.3 to second, stand by.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42This time they're starting out a lot slower, so he gets used to it
0:14:42 > 0:14:45and suddenly it'll start getting a bit quicker.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48This is 1G.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53I'll call out each 0.1 of a G as we go up.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Going to 1.2 now.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59He looks a bit more comfortable this time.
0:14:59 > 0:15:011.4...
0:15:01 > 0:15:031.5, six.
0:15:05 > 0:15:071.8...
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Oh...
0:15:09 > 0:15:11And that's 2G.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14My arms, I can barely lift them up.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20- Look, I don't know if you can see at home...- We can see.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22..But my teeth feel like they're being pulled out.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Look at his face!
0:15:27 > 0:15:29I've survived 2G.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32But can I go up to 2.6 G?
0:15:32 > 0:15:34The kind of G-force you might feel
0:15:34 > 0:15:37just for a split second on a rollercoaster ride.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42But I'll be subjected to it for a full 15 seconds.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44I'm here now, I might as well try it,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48I know this is where some people go into G-LOC, they pass out, um...
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- So we'll see what happens. - Go on, Dom!
0:15:52 > 0:15:55'At 2.6G, the centrifuge will make Dom weigh
0:15:55 > 0:15:59'around two-and-a-half times his normal weight.'
0:16:01 > 0:16:04I can feel myself getting really heavy.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10I'm really fighting not backing out now.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17- I can barely lift my hands.... - That's 2.6G there.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22My cheeks are really coming down now. I'm blacking out.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25I can't explain that. It feels like this bag
0:16:25 > 0:16:28is made out of solid metal.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32It's actually not very comfortable to watch
0:16:32 > 0:16:34cos his face is going a different shape.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36'He's done it!
0:16:36 > 0:16:40'Dom's made it up to 2.6G in the human centrifuge!'
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Going down now.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- Wow!- Happy with that?
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Yeah. I've experienced it. It was a...
0:16:47 > 0:16:51..very interesting experience actually, I've got to say.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54And I'm glad I did it. I don't think I want to do it again.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59There you go. he doesn't want to do it ever again. But he made 2.6G!
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Genius!
0:17:02 > 0:17:05We've seen how Newton discovered how gravity works.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08We've learned how speeding up or slowing down changes your weight.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14'And we've seen G force make Dom go very heavy!
0:17:14 > 0:17:19'Now we're ready to take on gravity itself. It's the Genius Idea.'
0:17:20 > 0:17:21Inspired by Newton's genius
0:17:21 > 0:17:24we've come up with our own Genius Challenge.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Yeah, you see, we are going to defy gravity
0:17:27 > 0:17:31in what is quite cosily known as the Wall Of Death.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35It's quite frankly nuts and this is what it's all about.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Riding the Wall Of Death is a daredevil stunt
0:17:37 > 0:17:40that dates back to the early 1900s.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42It involves motorcyclists defying gravity
0:17:42 > 0:17:46by riding around circular, vertical walls.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49'And as I braved the human centrifuge,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51'it's only fair that Dick gets a go.'
0:17:51 > 0:17:57Our Genius Idea is to beat gravity by whizzing round the Wall Of Death!
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Our challenge - Dick will sit on a motorbike
0:18:00 > 0:18:04going so fast it sticks to the walls, defying the force of gravity.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Our problem - if we're wrong, Dick can come crashing down
0:18:07 > 0:18:09to earth with a bang!
0:18:09 > 0:18:12But before we do our challenge we've got to learn
0:18:12 > 0:18:15how the bike will stay on the wall.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18So we're off to Cambridge University, where Newton studied.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22University? I love university! Home of students!
0:18:22 > 0:18:25And our next Genius helper,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29engineering expert Dr Hugh Hunt.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34Righty-ho, Dick, Dom, this is where it is. It's a turntable.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35I want to show you what force it is
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- that's pushing you out onto the Wall Of Death.- OK.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42I want you guys to sit down on here near the edge. You both can do it.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44- Oh, both.- Yeah.- OK.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47- You've got to see it to believe it. - This is bringing back
0:18:47 > 0:18:49bad memories for me. I'd rather he just does it.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51All right. I'm going to get you spinning up...
0:18:51 > 0:18:54About time I did something really, isn't it?
0:18:54 > 0:18:57..And it's just like what it's going to be like for you
0:18:57 > 0:19:01- on that Wall Of Death, that force pushing you outwards.- Right.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06I can feel it a bit. I'm holding myself in really tight.
0:19:06 > 0:19:07This is getting harder. Argh!
0:19:07 > 0:19:10OK! Wahey!
0:19:10 > 0:19:15THEY LAUGH
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- We nearly had a bit of an issue. How did that feel?- Fine.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Could you control it?
0:19:20 > 0:19:23I was holding the position for as long as I could and then in the end
0:19:23 > 0:19:26you can't control it, because that force just pushes you back.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28In my case, it makes you fall off the turntable.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31The force pushes you out and that force pushing you out
0:19:31 > 0:19:34is holding your bike onto the wall.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- Right. Got you. - That's what it's all about.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39And there was no way of forcing that the other way.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41So the bike will never come off the wall...
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- No, exactly.- ..with that force behind it.- That's right.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47So the bike's pushed outwards by a force.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51But it needs something else to help it stick to the wall and defy gravity.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52As Dom is about to demonstrate.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57Right, why do we need water on this freezing cold day outside?
0:19:57 > 0:19:59You need friction for your Wall Of Death to hold you up,
0:19:59 > 0:20:00- to stop you falling down.- Yes.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- Put that glass of water on my tray here.- Yes.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Now, friction, see if I tip this at an angle,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11it doesn't slide because of friction.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15That friction's quite important when we're going around...
0:20:15 > 0:20:18- It's not much friction though. - You don't need much.- Right.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- You don't need much.- Hang on a minute, what's he doing now?
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- The guy's a lunatic! - I know! That's the idea!
0:20:25 > 0:20:27- Here he goes.- Look at it!
0:20:27 > 0:20:29- It's staying on. Stuck!- Look!
0:20:31 > 0:20:33That's crazy!
0:20:34 > 0:20:35Totally stuck to it.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Right, now...
0:20:37 > 0:20:38That is mad.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- Dom, have a go. - Yeah. Have a go?- Yeah.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45You've got to keep steadily increasing speed,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48nothing sudden, but just steadily...
0:20:48 > 0:20:50He is definitely not a scientist.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53This is all going to go wrong any minute now.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Watch out. What about round my head?
0:20:56 > 0:21:00- Mmmmmm!- Careful!
0:21:00 > 0:21:04'Friction is helping hold the water in place.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05'Even Hugh can't shift it!
0:21:05 > 0:21:10'And that same friction should help Dick's bike tyres stick to the wall.'
0:21:10 > 0:21:14This whole thing started with Newton here hundreds of years ago.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Newton's room's over there.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20And Newton, he kind of figured all this stuff about moving in a circle,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22all the forces - gravity, friction.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25If only Newton knew what was going to be happening tomorrow,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27he'd be so proud of you.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- You'd best go and get yourself sorted for it.- Go on! Get ready!
0:21:30 > 0:21:32See you, man.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36'Dry run over, it's time for the real thing.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38'Six metres high.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42'Completely vertical walls, And no crash mat at the bottom!'
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Oh!
0:21:50 > 0:21:53I'm glad I did the centrifuge and not this.
0:21:56 > 0:21:57We need to ask some questions about this
0:21:57 > 0:22:00before I go anywhere near that bike.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04And the first one will be, "Have there actually been any deaths?"
0:22:05 > 0:22:08And here's the man with the answers.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Wall Of Death master and Genius Helper Ken Fox.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Hi, Ken. Why's it called the Wall Of Death?
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Has anyone actually died in here?
0:22:18 > 0:22:20In this wall, not on this wall, they haven't.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24But they have on other walls. Inherently, yes there is a danger.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27If you fall and crash and the bike lands on you,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- you're going to get hurt.- Right.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33So you've got to do everything to prevent that from happening.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35I suppose the dangers are reduced by the fact
0:22:35 > 0:22:37that science is on your side.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40But then you've got many things going against you.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42You've got punctures, chains breaking.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44You've got more negatives than you have positives.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Let me get this straight. If the bike breaks down on the wall,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49there's only one way it will go and that's down.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Well, no, not always. Sometimes they go up and then down.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Sometimes they go forward and then down.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- But the final result is down, yeah. - Mmm.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01'While Dick psyches himself up,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05'here's a not so clever way to try and defy gravity.'
0:23:05 > 0:23:07It's The Not So Genius Idea.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12In 1982 a man called Larry Walters tied over 40 helium balloons
0:23:12 > 0:23:14to a garden chair.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18He was lifted almost 5,000 metres - so high he couldn't get down!
0:23:18 > 0:23:22After hours of floating he finally managed to pop some balloons,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25crashing back down to earth on a power line.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Lucky he didn't get hurt!
0:23:27 > 0:23:29A not so genius way of defying gravity!
0:23:31 > 0:23:32And now, for my attempt.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Put your hat on. Look, you've even got Special Cam.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38- Right.- Special Cam is so we can see
0:23:38 > 0:23:40his terrified face the whole way through it.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44How are we going to do this? Where am I going?
0:23:44 > 0:23:47You're going to sit here, put your bottom there,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and your legs down there, and put your hands just there.
0:23:50 > 0:23:51That looks comfy, don't it(!)
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Where's your seatbelt?
0:23:58 > 0:24:01- You're just going to fall off. - Looks like I'm going to.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Feels like I'm going to already.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06How's it going to feel going round this ramp?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09You'll be sweating, panicking, you won't get your breath.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11You'll probably feel a bit faint and dizzy.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15- Sounds great.- Apart from that, all right!- Brilliant(!) Come on then.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20'Ken doesn't have to wear a helmet,
0:24:20 > 0:24:24'because he needs to be able to see in all directions.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26'This is not something to attempt at home.'
0:24:30 > 0:24:31Hold on.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34'First, some gentle laps around the bottom.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36'Just to get him in the mood.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Lean back to me.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46- He's not happy.- Lean back. - He's not at all happy.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48I'll tell you now, he's not looking happy at all.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51I know his face and it's not a good one.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Don't try and get off.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55DICK HUMS
0:24:55 > 0:24:57- OK?- Mm-hm.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00- Right. You all right?- Yeah.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03The main thing about it is
0:25:03 > 0:25:05that you feel like you're falling that way.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07You can tell if it got faster, it would get worse.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- How much faster is it going to go on the real thing?- Twice that.- Right.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13ENGINE REVS Oh!
0:25:13 > 0:25:18'Warm up over. It's time for the Genius Idea.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21'Dick will now defy gravity by riding the Wall Of Death.'
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Lean to me a little bit.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32OK.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Lean back to me.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38'We're off the ground! Just.'
0:25:38 > 0:25:40That's enough! I want to come down now!
0:25:40 > 0:25:43'Before we go any higher, I need to stop.'
0:25:43 > 0:25:45There you go.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Why are you taking it off?
0:25:47 > 0:25:50I'm done. We're not doing it again.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52- I'm really not doing it again. - Just have a little breather.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54I can understand why you're having a break.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57When I did the centrifuge I'd have a break and then I went back on.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00No, I can't do it. What are we going to do?
0:26:06 > 0:26:08- That's it. That's the end then. - Yeah.- Brilliant.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Awkward!
0:26:13 > 0:26:16You are such an absolute wuss!
0:26:16 > 0:26:20See what you think first. Don't just go straight up there.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24'Ladies and gentlemen, using what Newton taught us about forces,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26'I will now attempt to beat gravity.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29'But will I be able to go higher than Dick?
0:26:29 > 0:26:31'We're picking up speed
0:26:31 > 0:26:34'Moving off the floor.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36'Getting higher.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38I can't watch.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46'This is unreal. I'm defying gravity!'
0:26:48 > 0:26:51'The bike's being pushed out to the wall,
0:26:51 > 0:26:56'and friction's helping the tyres stick. This really is Genius!'
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Genius!
0:27:01 > 0:27:04I don't know how you did that. Now do you know what I mean?
0:27:04 > 0:27:08- Big wussy!- You know what I mean? - Nah! It was like riding a bike!
0:27:10 > 0:27:12We've learned about gravity,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14and Newton's genius discoveries about how it works.
0:27:14 > 0:27:20We've seen how forces can affect the human body - my human body!
0:27:20 > 0:27:23And using Newton's genius,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26we've defied gravity on the Wall Of Death.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- Well, Dom has!- Big wussy!
0:27:29 > 0:27:30All of this because of one man.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Isaac Newton, sir, you are an absolute genius.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Why, thank you.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41- Agh!- Urgh!
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Agh!
0:27:44 > 0:27:46SPLUTTERING
0:27:46 > 0:27:48SHOUTING
0:27:53 > 0:27:55It went right through me!
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- Don't wobble it! - I'm not doing anything!
0:27:58 > 0:28:01- Stand still!- Aye aye!
0:28:02 > 0:28:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd