0:00:04 > 0:00:08# If you've got a question and you don't know where to go
0:00:08 > 0:00:11# Ask Nina for some help Cos she's got a science show
0:00:11 > 0:00:14# She makes sense of her senses While helping all her fans
0:00:14 > 0:00:18# By doing her experiments with potions and with bangs
0:00:18 > 0:00:21- # Touch your tongue- Tongue - # Fingers- Fingers
0:00:21 > 0:00:23- # Eyes- Eyes- # Ears- Ears - # Nose- Nose
0:00:23 > 0:00:26# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know
0:00:26 > 0:00:29# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know
0:00:29 > 0:00:32# Luke, he helps us with our eyes and Felix with our touch
0:00:32 > 0:00:36# Ollie sniffs out smells and scents and Belle, she hears so much
0:00:36 > 0:00:39# Bud is Ollie's brother He helps us with our taste
0:00:39 > 0:00:43# They're Nina's little Neurons and they're coming to your place
0:00:43 > 0:00:46- # Touch your tongue- Tongue - # Fingers- Fingers
0:00:46 > 0:00:48- # Eyes- Eyes - # Ears- Ears- # Nose- Nose
0:00:48 > 0:00:51- # Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know- Yeah!
0:00:51 > 0:00:55# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know
0:00:55 > 0:00:56# Oh, yeah! #
0:00:56 > 0:01:01Do-do-do. Oh, hello there. I'm just unpacking my yummy shopping.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I've got some juicy oranges, some ripe tomatoes
0:01:04 > 0:01:09and some tins of baked beans. Oh, no! Oh, dear!
0:01:09 > 0:01:13I think the heavy tins have squashed my bread. Oh, dear.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16I'm sure it'll still make a lovely sandwich.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18BEEPING
0:01:18 > 0:01:23Oh, I hear a beep, I see a flash, I wonder what they're going to ask.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29- BOTH: Hi, Nina.- Hi.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33We've got a question for you.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36How do we build skyscrapers so high?
0:01:36 > 0:01:38That's a great question.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41How do we build skyscrapers so high?
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Well, skyscrapers are extremely tall buildings that are built
0:01:45 > 0:01:48right up into the sky, which is how they get their name.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50But how do we build them so high?
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Why don't you come down to my workshop and we'll investigate.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57See you soon, Nina. Bye.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Bye. Well, I'm going to need some help to answer this one
0:02:01 > 0:02:03and I know just who to ask.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05OK, Neurons, time to get to work.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11MUSIC PLAYS
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Neurons at the ready, Nina.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28OK, today's question is, how do we build skyscrapers so high?
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Which Neuron do you think would be useful in helping us
0:02:31 > 0:02:33find the answer?
0:02:33 > 0:02:35It's Felix and Luke.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39ALL: Go, Felix, go, Luke!
0:02:39 > 0:02:44Go, Felix, go, Luke! Go, Felix, go, Luke!
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Today's question is, how do we build skyscrapers so high?
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Well, by looking, we can see how tall skyscrapers are and by
0:02:51 > 0:02:55touching, we can feel the strong, heavy materials they're made from.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59So, Luke and Felix will be busy today, but stand by, Neurons.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I've a feeling I may need help from all of you.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Right, I need to get the workshop
0:03:04 > 0:03:07ready before the experimenters arrive.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Sophia likes playing with dolls' houses.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Samuel loves drawing,
0:03:12 > 0:03:17but they both want to know, how do we build skyscrapers so high?
0:03:17 > 0:03:23So, today, for one day only, Sophia and Samuel become the experimenters.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32- Hi, guys.- BOTH: Hi, Nina.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Welcome to my workshop and thank you for your great question.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39How do we build skyscrapers so high?
0:03:39 > 0:03:43Well, let's start by having a look at these buildings.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47- What do you notice about them? - They're tall.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49They're pointy at the top.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Yes, busy cities have lots of skyscrapers
0:03:52 > 0:03:55because there's not a lot of space on the ground,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59but there's lots of space in the sky to build upwards.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03But just how easy is it to keep building higher and higher?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Well, let's do an experiment to find out.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09- ALL:- Whoop-woo, an experiment!
0:04:09 > 0:04:11We're ready, Nina.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15We're going to see how high we can build our very own skyscraper.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16Let's start at the bottom.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20So this is our ground floor, so we need the next floor.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24So, Samuel, would you like to put the next floor on for us? And as you
0:04:24 > 0:04:28can see, there's pillars underneath there that hold up the floor.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Let go.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Hey, not bad at all, Samuel. Excellent work.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38OK, Sophia, would you like to bring your floor next? That's good.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41They're doing great. It's certainly getting taller.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44OK, now I'll put my floor on.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Oh!
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Oh, dear!
0:04:48 > 0:04:50I think we've got a little problem.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- What's happened to the bottom of our skyscraper?- It's squashed.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Yes, the top floors have squashed the bottom floor.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- Now, why do you think that happened? - Because the blocks were too heavy.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Yes, the higher we built our skyscraper,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09the heavier it got on top and the bottom floor got squashed.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Oh, so the taller a skyscraper is, the heavier it gets?
0:05:13 > 0:05:15That's right, Felix.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Each floor has to be able to hold the weight of all the floors
0:05:18 > 0:05:20above it.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25Real skyscrapers are made of extremely strong concrete and steel,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28but there is a way to build a skyscraper higher
0:05:28 > 0:05:30without making it heavier.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33I think we need to do an experiment to find out more -
0:05:33 > 0:05:35and let's go somewhere really busy.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46Oh, goody. I love this bit. I wonder where Nina is taking us.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50- Nina said it's somewhere really busy.- Bees are busy.
0:05:50 > 0:05:57- Maybe we're going to see a beehive. - Bees? I'm busy like a bee. Buzz!
0:05:57 > 0:06:01I don't hear any bees, but it does sound quite noisy.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08So, here we are, experimenters, in the busy city of London.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12So, your question was, how do we build skyscrapers so high?
0:06:12 > 0:06:17And this magnificent skyscraper that we can see behind us
0:06:17 > 0:06:22is one of the tallest in the world and it's called the Shard.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Wow, it's so tall, Nina.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28How would you describe the shape of the building?
0:06:28 > 0:06:33- It's very pointy, Nina. - It's like a big, funny pointy hat.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38Now, let's do an experiment to find out why pointy at the top is
0:06:38 > 0:06:41a good shape for skyscrapers.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Now, we each have a block of modelling clay
0:06:43 > 0:06:47and we're going to pretend that these are tall skyscrapers.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50I think we should check that they're all the same height,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- first of all. Are they the same? - Yes.- Excellent.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Now, let's check if they're the same weight.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59We're going to pop these onto the scales you've got
0:06:59 > 0:07:03in front of you. Mine says 500g.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07- What does yours say?- 500g.- 500g.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09500g. Brilliant.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13So we all have skyscrapers that are the same height and weight.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Now, can you think of a way we could make the skyscrapers
0:07:16 > 0:07:19taller without adding any more clay?
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- Make them pointy. - Hey, that is a great idea.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I'll tell you what, I'll keep my skyscraper the same,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29but you guys, try and make your skyscrapers pointy.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Go for it.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34And, remember, it's just the top we're trying to make pointy.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Ha-ha, it looks like they're making sausages.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Skyscraper sausages, Bud?
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Let's get them upright and have a closer look at them.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49Hey, well, they're definitely thin at the top and they are...
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- BOTH: Pointy. - Yes, they are pointy.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Now, I think we should check to see if you've made them taller
0:07:55 > 0:07:59- than my skyscraper. Do you think they're taller?- Yes.- Yes.- Fantastic.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02So, by changing their shape to pointy at the top,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05you've made your skyscrapers taller.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- I wonder if they still weigh the same. What do you think?- Yes.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10You do? Well, let's see.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Why don't we put our skyscrapers back onto the scales?
0:08:13 > 0:08:18- OK, well mine still says 500g. Are yours still 500g?- Yes.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20So they still weigh the same.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Lots of skyscrapers like the Shard get thinner at the top,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27so they can be taller without adding much weight.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Now, what do you notice about the walls of the Shard?
0:08:31 > 0:08:35- They're made of glass. - Yes, they're made of glass.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Lots of skyscrapers have glass walls, but glass isn't
0:08:39 > 0:08:44as strong as concrete or steel, so how does it hold up all that weight?
0:08:44 > 0:08:47I think we need to have a closer look at the Shard.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Let's go, experimenters.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57We're inside the Shard looking out. What do you think, experimenters?
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- It's cool.- It's high.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Oh, I feel we could touch the sky.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06All this glass gives us a great view, but I wonder, how can
0:09:06 > 0:09:10these glass walls hold up such a tall building?
0:09:10 > 0:09:16- Now, can you tell me what this is? - It's a pillar, Nina.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17It is a pillar.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Samuel, can you remember what pillars were for in our very
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- first experiment? - They held up the floors.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28That's right and here in the Shard, there are lots of pillars
0:09:28 > 0:09:34and there's also a really big pillar over there. Can you see it?
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Do you see that wall?
0:09:36 > 0:09:40That wall is actually a gigantic concrete pillar that goes
0:09:40 > 0:09:45right through the middle of the building and it's called the core.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50Core? Like an apple core? Oh, I love apples.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54It is a bit like an apple core, Bud, because it runs through the middle.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58And the core and the pillars are doing a really important job,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01and our next experiment will help to explain.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06So, for this experiment, you each have your very own
0:10:06 > 0:10:07pretend skyscrapers.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12Now, have a look between the cardboard floors.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16- What can you see?- Pillars. - Yes, pillars.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20There are lots of cardboard pillars and you can even see the really
0:10:20 > 0:10:24big pillar going through the middle of the building that all the floors
0:10:24 > 0:10:26are joined to.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29And this is just like the core that we saw in here.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Now, before we test our skyscrapers, we need to finish them off,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37so, guys, can you pop the roof on for me, please?
0:10:37 > 0:10:39That's it.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42OK, making sure it's nice and level.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Now, to properly test these skyscrapers,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48I want you guys to stand on them.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52OK, ready for this? Hold my hand and I'll walk you up.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Hey, look at that.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Wow, your skyscrapers are holding up your whole weight, just
0:11:03 > 0:11:07like a real skyscraper holds up the weight of all the floors above it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12- Now, do your skyscrapers have any walls?- No.- That's right.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16So, we know that the walls aren't holding up your weight.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20All your weight is being held up by the pillars and the core.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23They spread the weight out across the floors of the building.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26That means that in skyscrapers like this,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29the walls can be built of something that isn't so strong.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Like beautiful glass.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36Exactly, Luke, just like the glass walls of the Shard.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43So, your question was, how do we build skyscrapers so high?
0:11:43 > 0:11:46And I think we've answered it.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49The higher a skyscraper gets, the heavier it gets.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53By making it pointy, the top floors will be lighter.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55So we can build even higher.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59The strong core is made of concrete and steel.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04The pillars and the core support all the floors, so the walls
0:12:04 > 0:12:09can be made of something that's not as strong, like glass.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12So I hope that's answered your question.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16- BOTH: Thanks, Nina. Bye. - You're welcome. Bye.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24If you want to know more about the science that's all around us,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27go to the Nina section on the CBeebies website. Have fun.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31# Super structures Super structures
0:12:31 > 0:12:35# Super structures, super structures, super structures
0:12:35 > 0:12:37# Some of them are tall
0:12:37 > 0:12:39# Some of them are wide
0:12:39 > 0:12:43- # They're bumpy, lumpy, wriggly too - Wriggly too
0:12:43 > 0:12:45# Some of them are strong
0:12:45 > 0:12:47# Some of them are small
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- # Windy, whirly, whooshy too - All around... #
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Look over here.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57# Build it, stack it, pile it up
0:12:57 > 0:13:01- # Come on, let's get building - Building, building, building.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05# Raise it, hold it, make it stick
0:13:05 > 0:13:09# Come on, let's get building
0:13:09 > 0:13:12# Come on, let's get building
0:13:14 > 0:13:17# Some of them are cosy warm
0:13:17 > 0:13:19# Some of them are chilly
0:13:19 > 0:13:22- # Keep us safe and hide us too - Hide us too
0:13:22 > 0:13:26# Some of them are just for fun or help us to stay dry
0:13:26 > 0:13:29# They're underground and high up too
0:13:29 > 0:13:33- Look around.- Over here.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37# Build it, stack it, pile it up
0:13:37 > 0:13:41- # Come on, let's get building - Building- Building- Building
0:13:41 > 0:13:45# Raise it, hold it, make it stick
0:13:45 > 0:13:48# Come on, let's get building
0:13:49 > 0:13:53# Come on, let's get building. #
0:13:53 > 0:13:56And remember, there are super structures everywhere.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01Whether they're big or small, wide or tall, we can all get building.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05- See you again soon. Bye.- ALL: Bye.