0:00:02 > 0:00:03This is Absolute Genius.
0:00:03 > 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 > 0:00:25- But will it be any good? - Will it be any good?
0:00:25 > 0:00:27It'll be Absolute Genius!
0:00:28 > 0:00:30'And on today's show...'
0:00:30 > 0:00:33- He's nearly there.- 'You'll be struck by the brilliance of one man.'
0:00:33 > 0:00:38'An absolute genius whose powerful ideas changed the world.'
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Prepare to be shocked!
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Today, we're going to introduce to you a real bright spark.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Yeah, a genius who helped us understand electricity.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Without him, this show might have looked like this.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24No, don't do that!
0:01:24 > 0:01:26TUMBLING, SHOUTING
0:01:26 > 0:01:29- Oh!- Ow!- Ooh!- Aah!
0:01:29 > 0:01:31THUDDING, SMASHING
0:01:33 > 0:01:36- Did you enjoy that? - Yeah. Yeah, I did.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Our whole world is alive with electricity.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49If it hadn't been for today's genius and other pioneers like him,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53we might never have understood its amazing possibilities.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Life would have been lit by candles.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Very dark. And very boring.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02So who is today's genius?
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Michael Faraday!
0:02:06 > 0:02:08- You all right?- All right, duck.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Later on in the show, we'll be coming up with our own genius idea
0:02:11 > 0:02:14when we put one of Faraday's discoveries to the test
0:02:14 > 0:02:17with three-quarters of a million volts of electricity.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20'Enough to stun Dick into silence.'
0:02:22 > 0:02:23'For a bit!'
0:02:23 > 0:02:26But first, let's find out more about the man himself.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Faraday was fascinated by electricity,
0:02:32 > 0:02:33but what is it?
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Electricity is a form of energy.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38We depend on it for just about everything
0:02:38 > 0:02:41from lighting up our homes to powering our TVS.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44But more than 200 years ago, when Faraday was young,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46none of these things existed.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Scientists were only just beginning
0:02:48 > 0:02:51to unlock the incredible potential of electricity.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Faraday was intrigued.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57But only rich and posh sorts got to be scientists,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59and Faraday was neither.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02But what he did have was access to loads of science books
0:03:02 > 0:03:05because, when he was 14, Faraday was a bookbinder's apprentice.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07He used to read about other people's experiments
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and then decided he wanted to do his own.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13- Come on, then.- Yeah.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14Oh, dear...
0:03:14 > 0:03:19So he came to the Royal Institution, the home of scientific research...
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Don't touch it!
0:03:21 > 0:03:24'..and persuaded them to give him a job as a lab assistant.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28'Here, he made some of his greatest discoveries.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31'You can almost smell the genius in the air!'
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Can you smell a genius?
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Faraday started experimenting with electricity, magnets and wire.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45He invented the first electric motor,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48a way of turning electricity into movement.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Modern-day motors are used in everything
0:03:54 > 0:03:56from hairdryers to washing machines.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Look at that. This is actually Faraday's lab.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02This is where he made all of his discoveries about electricity.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04All the little jars and glass vials,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06they all still have his writing all over them
0:04:06 > 0:04:09and under that table, still got his chewing gum under there.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Well, I've got to put it somewhere!
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Faraday's genius idea was to work out
0:04:15 > 0:04:16the powerful relationship
0:04:16 > 0:04:18between magnets and electricity.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Faraday found out you can use magnets to make electricity.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26All you have to do
0:04:26 > 0:04:31is move a magnet near a wire to get the electricity flowing and...
0:04:31 > 0:04:33bingo!
0:04:35 > 0:04:38By now, Faraday was becoming just a little bit famous.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41His lectures at the Royal Institution
0:04:41 > 0:04:42were the hottest ticket in town.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46He loved an audience, and they loved him!
0:04:46 > 0:04:47So this is the room
0:04:47 > 0:04:50where Faraday used to perform all his experiments.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53On this very spot, he used to show all the normos,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55you know, the normal people, his experiments
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and try to get them really enthusiastic and excited about it.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Seriously, it was like some kind of magic show back in the day.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Let's try it. Yeah?
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Put it away. There's work to be done.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15'To understand more about electricity,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18'we're going to make our own, just like Faraday,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21'then demonstrate it in front of an audience.'
0:05:21 > 0:05:23We're Faradays in the making
0:05:23 > 0:05:27To show us how, here's genius helper Olympia Brown,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30who's in charge of Science Learning at the Royal Institution.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32What was he like as a person?
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Reports of people who knew him and worked here at the Royal Institution
0:05:35 > 0:05:37say that he was a really nice guy
0:05:37 > 0:05:40but he was absolutely fascinating when you heard him talk.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44He had this amazing force of personality and amazing character
0:05:44 > 0:05:47that just kept people entranced with what he was saying.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49He became a bit of a celebrity in his day.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52So back in those days, it wasn't someone who was on Big Brother,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54it wasn't someone in OK Magazine,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57it was people that had a big brain in their head
0:05:57 > 0:05:59and could relate to people, they were the celebrities.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Yes, scientists were the celebrities of their day.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04But we want to learn the basics of electricity
0:06:04 > 0:06:05so have you anything we can...?
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Absolutely. We've made a small Faraday generator.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Here we've got a coil of wire around this tube. Inside the tube,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13we've got some very strong magnets
0:06:13 > 0:06:14and here we've got a light.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18There aren't any batteries in that, as you can see,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20so you'd think that light wouldn't work,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23but if I just do a simple bit of shaking...
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Look at that! So how is that working?
0:06:25 > 0:06:28As the magnets move through the coil of wire, it's causing
0:06:28 > 0:06:32electricity to run through the wire and light up the lights.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34So why was this discovery so important?
0:06:34 > 0:06:36In fact, this exact same thing,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38a magnet moving through a coil of wire,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41is used in gas power stations, coal power stations,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44even wind turbines, to generate the electricity that we all use.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45Quite easy to make?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Yeah, in fact, you guys are going to do it yourselves.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50I'll give you instructions. The stuff's behind you.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- I'm going to leave you to it. - Like being back at school!
0:06:53 > 0:06:55'We've got one hour to prepare
0:06:55 > 0:06:59'before recreating Faraday's experiment in front of an audience.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01- 'Olympia - any tips?'- Ah!
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I think you need a passion for science
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- to be a good science demonstrator. - Don't snip it.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Stop.
0:07:08 > 0:07:09HE SNIPS No!
0:07:09 > 0:07:10'Just like Faraday,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13'we intend to pull off a perfectly polished performance.'
0:07:13 > 0:07:18It's about moving a magnet through a coil of wire to create electricity.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20- You're making electricity!- I am!
0:07:21 > 0:07:25But can we do it again, on our own, in front of an audience?
0:07:25 > 0:07:28They can be quite a challenging audience, actually.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29Oh, Faraday. Wish us luck.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34APPLAUSE
0:07:34 > 0:07:37- All right?- Hey!
0:07:37 > 0:07:39We're going to make a generator.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- First, we have some copper wire. - It is a conductor of electricity,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45which means electricity passes right the way through it.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47We've got to get this copper wire onto this tube.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49We'll make it easier using this electric drill.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Don't go around grabbing your dad's drill at home.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53Stuff it in.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56- See that?- Then we can speed it up.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- So, top speed! Nnnn!- Stop!
0:07:58 > 0:08:01It's in the middle! Oh, you plank.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- 'We've got them in the palm of our hands.'- Next!
0:08:05 > 0:08:09- Two seconds. I've just got to, er, sneeze.- 'We've forgotten something.'
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Two seconds.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13'Luckily, no-one's noticed.'
0:08:13 > 0:08:17- He's just going to wipe his nose. - Go away, go away!
0:08:17 > 0:08:19- You sandpaper the ends. - Oh, yes, that's right.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Now what we need are the magnets. These aren't any old magnets.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26These are very strong, look, because they've got hold of the screwdriver
0:08:26 > 0:08:27and the scissors.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29So we're going to put the magnets inside there
0:08:29 > 0:08:31and then secure them with a bung on one end
0:08:31 > 0:08:33and a bung on the other end,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and then we're going to hook this piece of copper wire
0:08:36 > 0:08:39into the back of the battery unit.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Right, here we are. This is the moment of truth.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44OK, are we ready? We want a countdown
0:08:44 > 0:08:45and we're going to see what happens.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- ALL:- Three, two, one...
0:08:48 > 0:08:50He's going to shake it!
0:08:50 > 0:08:52- Yeah, look at that!- Impressive.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56That's exactly how Faraday put it
0:08:56 > 0:08:58when he stood here about 200 years ago.
0:08:58 > 0:08:59Thank you.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04So this is the point that you get to ask any questions.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07WIND BLOWS
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Boys, time to go.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14And, while we go in search of more of Faraday's genius,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17here are some facts you might not know about electricity.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21The genius top five.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25At five - electric eels produce strong electric shocks
0:09:25 > 0:09:30of around 500 volts that they use for hunting and self-defence.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Four - from cloud to Earth,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36a lightning strike can be around six miles long.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39At three - Simon Cowell runs entirely on batteries.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Only joking, we just made that up!
0:09:42 > 0:09:43Ha ha(!)
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Two - you can get a static shock from just walking on a carpet.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Charge from the floor goes onto your feet and stores up in your body
0:09:51 > 0:09:55until it can escape - often leaving you with a painful shock! Ouch!
0:09:57 > 0:10:03And one - electricity can travel at around 186,000 miles a second!
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Yep, that's even faster than Usain Bolt!
0:10:09 > 0:10:10'Using electricity,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13'we're going to perform our own shocking experiment later.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15'But first, research.'
0:10:18 > 0:10:19Thanks to Faraday's generator,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22electricity can be made on a massive scale,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24so we can all have it in our homes.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27It's transported by miles of cables
0:10:27 > 0:10:30connected up with pylons and substations.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32The people who look after the network
0:10:32 > 0:10:35often have to work with high voltage electricity,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37high enough to cause a deadly shock.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42That's a lot of volts. We're here at the National Grid.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- If anyone knows about electricity, these people do.- We don't.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48It says here, "No entry without authority"
0:10:48 > 0:10:50and you are no authority at all.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Luckily, we know a man that is -
0:10:53 > 0:10:55genius helper Matt Murphy,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58who's worked for the National Grid for 13 years.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- All right?- Yeah.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Now, people see these kind of get-ups all over the countryside.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- You always hear a humming noise of the electricity.- Zzz.- That's good.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- But you can't hear one here. - There's a reason for that.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12This is Eakring, which is National Grid's main training centre.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14This is a substation but it's not actually live,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- so we can train people safely. - Oh, right. OK.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21- Can we go in, then? - Yeah, no problem.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Remember, if you see one of these near your home, don't go in it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27- All right?- Right?
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Faraday's discoveries mean
0:11:32 > 0:11:35it's possible to have a constant supply of electricity.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38And so that we never go without it,
0:11:38 > 0:11:43linemen and women carry out essential repairs at scary heights
0:11:43 > 0:11:45as Dom is about to demonstrate!
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Look at these lads up here. That's what you're going to be doing.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- What are you talking about? I'm not going up there.- You are.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56There is no chance... Am I going up there?
0:11:56 > 0:11:58- You are.- Is this live, that pylon?
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- No, that's not live. - When you see the people going up,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- you can start realising how big it is, don't you?- Yeah, yeah.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05You can see they're tiny.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08My heart's actually going like the clappers,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10just watching those lads up there.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18The pylon Dom's working on is a scary 50 metres high.
0:12:18 > 0:12:19It's that one there.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23This one in front of us?
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Is that how high I'm going - right up to that top?
0:12:30 > 0:12:33But on the upside, at least the power's switched off.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Electricity is so dangerous,
0:12:35 > 0:12:40linemen and women never work on live lines unless they absolutely have to.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43All right, Dom, what we need you to do today
0:12:43 > 0:12:45is change a step bolt.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46Now, a step bolt
0:12:46 > 0:12:48is how we climb the tower.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51With the assistance of one of our instructors,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I need you to go up there and change that damaged bolt.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56How do you feel about that?
0:12:59 > 0:13:01- Come on, mate.- Off we go.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07Come back, Dom!
0:13:07 > 0:13:09And while we drag Dom out of hiding,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12here's a shocking tale about the dangers of electricity.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16It's the Not So Genius Idea.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19American inventor Benjamin Franklin
0:13:19 > 0:13:23famously proved lightning is a form of electricity.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26But not all of his experiments went to plan.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32In 1750, he tried to electrocute a turkey for dinner
0:13:32 > 0:13:34to make the meat more tender
0:13:34 > 0:13:37but ended up running a massive electrical current
0:13:37 > 0:13:40through his own body.
0:13:40 > 0:13:41He was lucky to survive!
0:13:41 > 0:13:43So there you have it.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46A not-so-genius way to make your dinner!
0:13:46 > 0:13:49We're not sure who was more shocked - him or the turkey!
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- Not going to be unsafe at all, is it?- No, no.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59If you lose your footing, this is holding you.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02- Look at that size of that karabiner. - Are you being of any help at all?
0:14:02 > 0:14:05You're just hanging around like a bad smell.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- I'm just giving you confidence. - You're not giving me anything!
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Come on, then, you big...
0:14:14 > 0:14:17electrical metally freak!
0:14:17 > 0:14:18I'll have you!
0:14:18 > 0:14:19I'll sit on you!
0:14:22 > 0:14:24There he goes. Go on, lad!
0:14:25 > 0:14:28The winds are really picking up the higher I get.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- How's he doing?- He's not doing too bad.- Totally terrified.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Whatever you do, don't look down.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39- Right.- How was it?
0:14:39 > 0:14:42I lost my confidence halfway up
0:14:42 > 0:14:46and then I just stopped for a minute, regrouped and back up again.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Now I'm here, I'm OK.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50'Changing a bolt is a fiddly job
0:14:50 > 0:14:54'especially when you're 15 metres up a windy pylon.'
0:14:54 > 0:14:57So what we're going to do is undo that nut.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58You got it?
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Whatever you do, don't lose that washer!
0:15:01 > 0:15:02Cheers.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04'It is vital to keep the National Grid working
0:15:04 > 0:15:08'because without electricity, the country would grind to a halt.'
0:15:10 > 0:15:13- OK, that's nice and tight. - Yeah, that will do, superb.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- Now we're up here...- Yeah?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- What do you think about going further up?- No problem.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20You sure you want to do this?
0:15:20 > 0:15:24'Overhead lineworkers must be prepared to work at all heights
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- 'to carry out repairs.' - Use your legs.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28He's only got little legs, poor lad.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31The wind is something else.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Don't think about it, think about Faraday.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35- Faraday, Faraday.- He's nearly there.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Faraday...
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Oh, yeah, I did it!
0:15:41 > 0:15:45I wouldn't speak too soon, mate. You've still got to come down again.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Right, then. Now, this is the bit that I'm dreading, actually,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50which I think is going to be the difficult bit,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54because you can see where you're going on the way up.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55On the way down, you can't.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Oh...
0:16:02 > 0:16:03He's almost there
0:16:03 > 0:16:05when THIS happens.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10And THAT's what the safety harness is for!
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Keep concentrating.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Dominic Wood, ladies and gentlemen!
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Awooga!
0:16:20 > 0:16:22You wouldn't catch me up there.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26- Put the kettle on. I'm parched. - Well done, mate. Well done.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33But sometimes repairs have to be carried out on live lines
0:16:33 > 0:16:35carrying dangerous electricity.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38That's where Faraday's genius strikes again!
0:16:40 > 0:16:43He discovered people can be shielded from its harmful effects
0:16:43 > 0:16:46by a metal screen, known as a Faraday cage.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Live line workers wear a type of Faraday cage
0:16:49 > 0:16:51as their suit contains metal thread.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56CRACKLING
0:16:56 > 0:16:58But how does it work?
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Let's find out from our very own genius scientist, Fran.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05She loves a good experiment to explain how things work.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Step back a bit lower.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09'And she's guaranteed to pop up round the corner
0:17:09 > 0:17:11'just when you need her most.'
0:17:11 > 0:17:13- Ah!- Hello!
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Yeah, the linesmen gave us this
0:17:15 > 0:17:18because they said if Dom had gone up the pylon when it was live,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- he'd have to wear one of these suits. - It's like a giant babygro, isn't it?
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Also known as a Faraday cage.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26It's nothing like a cage. What are you talking about?
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- It works on the same principles as a Faraday cage.- Explain.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31To know how a Faraday cage works,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34you guys might need to know a bit more about electricity first.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37We do. We were probably taught it at school but to be honest,
0:17:37 > 0:17:38- totally forgotten.- It's gone.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43All electricity is, is the movement of things that have got charge
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and these charges come in two different flavours, or types,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and you can get positive and negative charge.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52These positive and negative charges, they can interact
0:17:52 > 0:17:56and play with each other, and they can make certain things happen.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58- Let me show you.- Experiment time.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Over here, I have a machine
0:18:01 > 0:18:04and it's going to make each and every one of these pie dishes
0:18:04 > 0:18:05get a negative charge
0:18:05 > 0:18:07and if things have the same charge as each other,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10than they want to move apart, to move away from each other,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- they want to repel. - Like magnets.- A bit like magnets.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15South and north of a magnet goes together,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- but when you have ones of the same, they move apart.- Yep.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20- OK, got it.- So if you want to turn the machine on, Dom.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- It's not going to hurt?- No, well...
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Because I don't like that, so...
0:18:25 > 0:18:27MACHINE HUMS
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Oi, oi! Look at that!
0:18:30 > 0:18:32They've all got the same charge, so they're moving away
0:18:32 > 0:18:34- and repelling each other! - That's brilliant!
0:18:34 > 0:18:38So, they all had a negative charge and wanted to move apart,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40but when things have a different charge,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42they want to move towards each other.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44So if we put something with a positive charge
0:18:44 > 0:18:46near my negatively charged dome,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48the charge would want to move towards it.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- So that's negative. You want something that's positive.- Yes.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53He's positive. A positive guinea pig.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55So I'd like you to put your finger near the dome.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00- Listen, I've just been up a pylon, all right?- You love it.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01I'm going to switch this on
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and you'll put your finger near the negatively charged dome.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Don't forget, electricity is just the movement of charge
0:19:06 > 0:19:09so when we see that charge moving towards your finger
0:19:09 > 0:19:13- we might see a little electric spark.- Good, that's nice.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- Your hair won't look any different. - Eh?- So just...- He loves it.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Just pop your finger near it.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20I can't! I can hear it crackling!
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Come on, you do it!
0:19:24 > 0:19:26OK, OK, OK.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28So if I hold my finger near it...
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- It is quite scary, isn't it? - I can hear it. It's buzzing.
0:19:33 > 0:19:34DOME CRACKLES
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- A bit closer!- Rubbish!- Bit closer!
0:19:39 > 0:19:40Oh, baby!
0:19:40 > 0:19:41- DOME CRACKLES - Ah!
0:19:41 > 0:19:45'So what Fran's saying is that opposites attract.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48'Positive and negative charges are drawn to each other,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50'which creates that spark.'
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Now, in terms of explaining a Faraday suit, what happens is,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02if you apply electricity, which is a charge,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04onto the outside of the suit,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07all the negative and positive charges in the material of the suit
0:20:07 > 0:20:09jiggle around in such a way
0:20:09 > 0:20:12that they end up cancelling themselves out on the inside,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15so inside the suit, you end up with no charge.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So, the linemen's suit is a Faraday cage
0:20:19 > 0:20:21containing positive and negative charges -
0:20:21 > 0:20:25positives, which are drawn to the electricity from the power lines
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and negatives, which are repelled in the opposite direction.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31In all the kerfuffle, they cancel each other out!
0:20:31 > 0:20:37The inside of the Faraday cage becomes a charge-free zone! Genius!
0:20:37 > 0:20:38So, just to recap,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41when you're inside, cos there's no charge, you're fine, you're safe.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45On the outside, thousands of volts of electricity.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48- Yep, hundreds of thousands of volts. - Hundreds of thousands, even better!
0:20:48 > 0:20:51That sounds like the ideal place for you.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57'We've learned all about Faraday's amazing discoveries...'
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- You're making electricity!- I am!
0:21:00 > 0:21:01From generating electricity
0:21:01 > 0:21:05to helping protect people doing one of the scariest jobs in the world.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10And now we've come up with our own genius idea,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12inspired by...
0:21:14 > 0:21:16..the Faraday cage!
0:21:17 > 0:21:21We've tracked one down in the English county of Gloucestershire.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Gloucestershire? I love Gloucestershire!
0:21:23 > 0:21:27Home of cheese rolling, and the Gloucestershire Old Spot pig!
0:21:28 > 0:21:32And the UK's leading high voltage special effects company!
0:21:32 > 0:21:34So, here's the plan.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Now, we're going to put Faraday's cage to the test
0:21:37 > 0:21:40using just under one million volts of electricity.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44It's going to be absolutely genius, and I cannot wait.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Our genius idea -
0:21:51 > 0:21:56to test Faraday's cage to the limit with a human volunteer - Dick.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Our challenge - to see how well it protects him
0:21:58 > 0:22:03from almost a million volts of electricity
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Our problem - if Faraday is wrong...
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Let's not even go there.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Here it is. The stage for our very own shocking challenge.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21We've got a Faraday cage and a lightning machine,
0:22:21 > 0:22:26ready to generate some serious high volts of electricity.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Be warned. What we're about to do could blow your mind!
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Electricity is dangerous stuff,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38so we've brought in a qualified genius helper.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43It's Mark Turner, master of high voltage special effects.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45- It just looks wrong, really, does not?- It does.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50Now, this is the big genius idea. This is the Faraday cage.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52But I've got to say,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55it looks very different to the lovely, cuddly romper suit
0:22:55 > 0:22:58that Fran showed us earlier. It kind of looks like...
0:22:58 > 0:23:00- An iron maiden?- An iron maiden.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Somewhere someone would go to die in the mediaeval ages.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Its nickname is the Cage of Death.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07- Ha-ha-ha! Cage of Death?- Yeah.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08- You might laugh.- Are you all right?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- No, I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable, to be honest.- Genuinely?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14This actually looks even more scary. Look at the size of it.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18This is the control panel, so we have a safety key,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22a number of dials, so we can alter the amount of voltage you receive.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- So what's going to happen? - I'd like to put your friend in there
0:23:25 > 0:23:27and then we're going to turn up the power very slowly
0:23:27 > 0:23:29to 750,000 volts.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32And the lightning you'll see coming at you,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35and it'll be dancing around your head, around the suit,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37and you'll be able to experience Faraday's principle.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- Would you like to see it working? Would that help?- Yeah.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43I wouldn't mind seeing it work before I decide...
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- What do you mean "if you decide"? - Before I go in!
0:23:47 > 0:23:50'Mark's using a machine called a Tesla Coil
0:23:50 > 0:23:52'to generate the electricity.'
0:23:52 > 0:23:55ELECTRICITY BUZZES
0:24:19 > 0:24:20On the head!
0:24:20 > 0:24:22BOTH LAUGH
0:24:22 > 0:24:27It was so funny. It's just going towards your head and that's it.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Let me ask some questions.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35What does it feel like in there?
0:24:35 > 0:24:37- You won't feel anything.- Right.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Is there any documentation in the history of this experiment
0:24:40 > 0:24:41that has ever gone wrong?
0:24:41 > 0:24:46- One person's died in America two years ago.- Why? What happened?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48He put something outside of the suit.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50If you're in the suit, you're safe.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52- Would you do it? Hmm?- No.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Go on. No, not go on. I didn't mean that. I mean, it's up to you.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- But what...?- It's up to you.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08What will I feel like, then, in here?
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- You'll feel nothing. - At all?- Nothing at all.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14- You'll possibly smell something. - Like what?
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Your own trouser juice!
0:25:16 > 0:25:18THEY LAUGH
0:25:20 > 0:25:26All right, ladies and gentlemen, we give you the Faraday cage.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31'I'm putting all my trust in Faraday's genius discovery.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33'Faraday, don't let me down!'
0:25:33 > 0:25:35'The nickname is the Cage of Death.'
0:25:35 > 0:25:37LAUGH ECHOES
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Tesla coming on.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42ELECTRICITY BUZZES
0:25:50 > 0:25:53'It's working! All those positive and negative charges
0:25:53 > 0:25:55'rushing around the metal of the cage
0:25:55 > 0:25:57'are actually cancelling each other out.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59'No nasty shocks for Dick after all!'
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- All right?- Yeah.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- Can't feel a thing?- No. It smells really weird.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Do you want it more?
0:26:11 > 0:26:13- No.- No?- No more.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19I'm shaking! I'm shaking!
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I'm not surprised.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22You feeling all right?
0:26:22 > 0:26:24It's the weirdest feeling ever.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Could you see it out the corner of your eye?
0:26:26 > 0:26:29No, cos when it went to the big one, I closed my eyes.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31I just couldn't look any more. But the noise is so loud in there.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Could you not feel it hitting the cage?
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Oh, yeah, you can feel it this side, it's just shaking around.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Wait till you watch it back.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42It was insane, this massive bolt of blue.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44The strangest part is the smell.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47The smell of copper just gets really strong.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50That's not, that's not copper.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51THEY LAUGH
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Whatever you do, don't look down.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57'We've seen Faraday's genius in action -
0:26:57 > 0:27:01'from his early discoveries about how to generate electricity'
0:27:01 > 0:27:05to his genius protective cage that keeps live line workers safe.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09And we've tested Faraday's cage to the limit
0:27:09 > 0:27:14with three quarters of a million volts of electricity!
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Ten minutes and a cup of tea later, how are you feeling?
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Feel OK now. Really pleased I did it, but I can truly say
0:27:19 > 0:27:22that's one of the most bizarre experiences I've ever had in my life
0:27:22 > 0:27:25but it does prove that Faraday's discoveries were genius.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27That's very kind.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Michael Faraday, you are an absolute genius.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Come on, it's late. Hey, turn off the lights, will you?
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Not that one!
0:27:45 > 0:27:46Bogeys!
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!- Just stand still, then!
0:27:58 > 0:27:59Oi, oi!
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd