Episode 13 Brain Freeze

Isn't it fantastic, Doctor?

Your brilliance has finally been recognised

at the Rising Star Science Awards.

Oh, come on, Colin. It's just a tacky award ceremony.

Scientists pretending to be celebrities. Cheap laughs.

But what's wrong with cheap laughs, Doctor?

Hey, lads.

I've booked a huge stretch limo to drop us at the red carpet later.

-It's going to be brilliant.

-Oh, not you as well.

You can cancel that limo, Professor. I'm not going.

What? But...

BELL RINGS

Positions, everybody!

This is Brain Freeze! With...

..the floor manager.

Stand by!

Hello, everybody, and welcome to Brain Freeze.

It's time for...

Today we're asking...

Our sun is a star, similar to other stars in the universe,

and it constantly produces energy.

How does it do that?

Well, the sun's core is like a really enormous oven,

heated to over 15 million degrees Celsius.

At the centre of this oven, hydrogen comes under huge pressure

and fuses to form helium,

creating massive amounts of energy in the process.

We call this nuclear fusion.

Total confusion, if you ask me.

Anyway, we'll be right back after these.

And we are clear!

So, Dr Knowles, do you have your acceptance speech ready?

I already told you, I'm not going.

Ah, you have to go. The Science Awards are the stuff of legend.

The glitz and the glamour, the fancy seats,

all the lollipops you can eat.

Professor, I became a scientist to explore new horizons,

to change the world.

But...they've got 42 different flavours.

Oh! Well, I've got a science show to finish.

BELL RINGS Oh, crumpets!

We're back in five, four...

-Welcome back.

-The sun began life about 4.6 billion years ago

and is currently about halfway through its life cycle.

How on earth do we know that?

From observing the life cycle of other stars,

scientists predict that in about five billion years' time,

the sun will expand greatly and become a red giant.

After this it will continue to release energy

by using up all its remaining fuel,

until finally only the inner core is left,

at which point it is known as a white dwarf.

Giants and dwarves - that's my kind of science.

Dr Knowles, when is the sun going to stop shining?

We can't say for certain, but we think the sun's life cycle

will end in about 6.5 billion years' time.

But what will happen to us?

The earth will have ceased to be inhabitable long before that.

But I've got a feeling us scientists

will have figured something out by then.

PROFESSOR FARTS

-Oh, sorry about that.

-Professor!

See you next time!

-And we're clear! Hurry up, everybody, the limo is here!

-What?!

Ah, come on, Dr Knowles, there's no way we're leaving you behind.

Oh, this is the worst day of my life.

APPLAUSE

Oh, this is the best day of my life!

I want to thank my family, and my old science teacher,

and my fantastic colleagues at Brain Freeze.

-Hello, everybody!

-Hello.

Oh, I just love science so much!

She's getting into it now, all right. See? I told you.

Such a beautiful heart. Perfectly matched to her beautiful mind.

What are you on about?

Here, have another lollipop.