0:00:05 > 0:00:09# If you've got a question and you don't know where to go
0:00:09 > 0:00:12# Ask Nina for some help Cos she's got a science show
0:00:12 > 0:00:15# She makes sense of her senses While helping all her fans
0:00:15 > 0:00:17# By doing her experiments with potions and with bangs
0:00:17 > 0:00:19- # Touch your tongue - Tongue
0:00:19 > 0:00:21- # Fingers - Fingers
0:00:21 > 0:00:22- # Eyes- Eyes - Ears- Ears
0:00:22 > 0:00:24- # Nose- Nose
0:00:24 > 0:00:27# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know
0:00:27 > 0:00:30# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know
0:00:30 > 0:00:33# Luke he helps us with our eyes and Felix with our touch
0:00:33 > 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 > 0:00:42# They're Nina's little Neurons and they're coming to your place
0:00:42 > 0:00:44- # Touch your tongue - Tongue
0:00:44 > 0:00:45- # Fingers- Fingers
0:00:45 > 0:00:46- # Eyes- Eyes - Ears- Ears
0:00:46 > 0:00:48- # Nose- Nose
0:00:48 > 0:00:50# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know Yeah!
0:00:50 > 0:00:54# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know
0:00:54 > 0:00:55# Oh, yeah! #
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Aah! Hello there.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04I'm trying to catch this ruler as fast as I can after I let it go.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05I'll try again.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07OK.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Oooh. I'm getting better.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13It only dropped this far that time.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15One more go.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Oh! Fantastic!
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- BEEPS - I hear a beep, I see a flash.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24I wonder what they're going to ask.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31ALL: Hi, Nina.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Hi.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34We've got a question for you.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36How can we get faster in a race?
0:01:36 > 0:01:40That's a great question. How can we start faster in a race?
0:01:40 > 0:01:43I've been trying to get faster at catching a ruler.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47I wonder how you can get faster at starting when a race begins.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Why don't you come down to my lab and we'll investigate?
0:01:50 > 0:01:53ALL: See you soon, Nina. Bye.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Bye. Well, I'm going to need some help to answer this one,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59and I know just who to ask.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01OK, Neurons. Time to get to work.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18ALL: Neurons at the ready, Nina.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22OK. Today's question is, how can you start faster in a race?
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Which Neuron do you think will be most useful
0:02:25 > 0:02:27in helping us find the answer?
0:02:27 > 0:02:29ALL: Me! Me! Me!
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Will it be fabulous Felix?
0:02:32 > 0:02:36I can help so very much, if you need the sense of touch.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Will it be beautiful Belle?
0:02:38 > 0:02:42I send messages to brain from ear. If there's a sound, I'll help you hear.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Will it be lovely Luke?
0:02:44 > 0:02:46For looking and seeing, day or night,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49I'll help you with your sense of sight.
0:02:49 > 0:02:50Will it be awesome Ollie?
0:02:50 > 0:02:53If it's pongy, or whiffy, but you can't tell,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56my messages help your sense of smell.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57Or will it be baby Bud?
0:02:57 > 0:03:02Sour, salty, bitter or sweet, I'm your taste buddy whenever you eat.
0:03:07 > 0:03:08It's Belle!
0:03:09 > 0:03:14# Go, Belle Go, Belle
0:03:14 > 0:03:16# Go, Belle #
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Brilliant! I'm all ears, Nina.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Today's question is how can we start faster in a race?
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Because we hear a noise when a race starts,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Belle, our hearing Neuron, will help us today.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30But stand by, Neurons. I have a feeling
0:03:30 > 0:03:32I may need help from all of you.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36I need to get the lab ready before the experimenters arrive.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Claire loves playing with dolls.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Ken loves reading books.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Melissa like helping her mummy to cook.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47I love running in the park.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50I like racing my friends.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52I want to run as fast as I can.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55But they all want to know, how can we start faster in a race?
0:03:55 > 0:03:57So today, for one day only,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Melissa, Ken and Claire become the experimenters.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Hi, guys!
0:04:06 > 0:04:07ALL: Hi, Nina.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Welcome to my lab, and thank you for your great question,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13how can we start faster in a race?
0:04:13 > 0:04:17To find out the answer, let's start by using our senses.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20ALL: Whoop Whoo! A senses experiment!
0:04:20 > 0:04:21ALL: We're ready, Nina!
0:04:21 > 0:04:25So, what normally happens at the start of a race?
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Someone shouts "go".
0:04:27 > 0:04:29That's right. Someone might shout "go",
0:04:29 > 0:04:33or they might use something like this.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37You might want to cover your ears, experimenters.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42STARTER HORN BLARES
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Wow! That was brilliant, Nina. Can we hear it again?
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I'd rather you didn't, Nina.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It gave me quite a shock.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Sorry, Felix.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54This is a starter horn, and it's very loud, isn't it?
0:04:54 > 0:04:55ALL: Yes.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58People use these to start a race.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01But what happened when I sounded the horn?
0:05:01 > 0:05:03It made us jump.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Yes. You heard a sound, and it made you jump.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Now that was you reacting to the sound.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12A reaction is what we do after something has happened.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Like catching a ball after we see it coming towards us,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18or jumping when we hear a loud sound.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Sounds like we'll all be busy, Nina.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22ALL: Hooray!
0:05:22 > 0:05:26That's right. Neurons tell us when to react.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28So they are very important.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32And we can find out more about how we react by playing a game.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33So follow me.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37This board is covered in buttons that light up,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39and when you see a button light up,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43I want you to press it as fast as you can to turn the light off.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47There's a computer inside here that measures how long it takes
0:05:47 > 0:05:49for you to react, and turn the light off.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53And the time it takes is called your reaction time.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56It looks like you need to use your eyes for this one, Nina.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59That's right, Luke. So, are you ready, experimenters?
0:05:59 > 0:06:01ALL: Yes!
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- Quick, press it! - Touch the light as fast as you can.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10That's it. Keep looking.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14Ooh!
0:06:21 > 0:06:24And stop! Well done, experimenters.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26You did a great job of reacting to the lights
0:06:26 > 0:06:29by pressing the buttons really quickly.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32But why does it take time for us to react?
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Let's do another experiment to find out.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41So far, we've found out that when we hear a sound, or see a light,
0:06:41 > 0:06:42we react to it.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46And the time it takes for us to react is called our reaction time.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Let's have a look at some sports
0:06:48 > 0:06:50where reaction time is really important.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56- STARTER HORN BLARES - Now, what do you see, experimenters?
0:06:56 > 0:06:57A swimming race.
0:07:00 > 0:07:01A race starting.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06Yes. It's really important to react quickly at the start of a race.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09So let's play a game to find out exactly what happens
0:07:09 > 0:07:10when a race begins.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15So first, I will sound this starter horn,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17just like at the start of a race.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21The sound will travel from the horn to our ears.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24So, Melisa, I would like you to be the sound
0:07:24 > 0:07:27and to run from the horn to the giant ear.
0:07:27 > 0:07:33Wow! A giant ear. Nina, I wish your ears were as big as that.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37I'm quite happy with my ordinary sized ears, thank you, Belle.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42Now, when our ears hear the sound, they send a message to our brain.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45So, Claire, I would like you to be the message,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48and you will run from the giant ear to the brain.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51When our brain gets a message from our ears,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53or any of our senses, it decides what to do,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56then sends a message to the right part of our body.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01So we need this brain to tell the muscles in the legs to start moving.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06So, Ken, I would like you to run from the brain to the legs
0:08:06 > 0:08:09and start moving the handles to make them move, OK?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- Are you ready, experimenters? - ALL: Yes!
0:08:12 > 0:08:15On your marks, set...
0:08:15 > 0:08:17STARTER HORN BLARES
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Excellent work, everyone.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Well done, experimenters.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35You did a brilliant job of passing on all those messages.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37But it took some time, didn't it?
0:08:37 > 0:08:38ALL: Yes.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41That's like our reaction time.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Every time our bodies react to something,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47messages have to be sent from our senses to our brain,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50then from our brain, to other parts of our body.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Reaction time is really important in lots of sports.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57But how do we get faster at reacting to things?
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Well, let's go somewhere flat to find out.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Oh, goody! I love this bit.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07I wonder where Nina is taking us.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Nina said it was somewhere flat.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15Pancakes are flat. I hope we're going to a giant flat pancake party.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16Yummy!
0:09:16 > 0:09:19I can't see any pancakes, Neurons.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21But it looks like we're here.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26Now, we've come to Scotstoun stadium to see a young sprinter in action.
0:09:26 > 0:09:27And here she is.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29This is Morgan.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31ALL: Hi, Morgan.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32Hi, guys.
0:09:32 > 0:09:38Now, a sprinter is a runner who runs very fast over a short distance.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41In fact, sometimes sprint races only last ten seconds.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Wow! That's a quick race.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48Exactly, Belle. That's why sprinters have to get a very fast start.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51What are those things at her feet, Nina?
0:09:51 > 0:09:52They look funny.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55They're called starting blocks, Bud.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57When Morgan reacts to the sound,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01she'll use the blocks to push off to get an extra fast start.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03On your marks, set...
0:10:03 > 0:10:05STARTER HORN BLARES
0:10:07 > 0:10:08Whoa! Look at her go!
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Experimenters, would you like a go?
0:10:11 > 0:10:12ALL: Yes!
0:10:12 > 0:10:14On your marks, set...
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Well done, experimenters.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Your neurons were working really well there.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Because you moved when you heard the sound.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29So, let's try it a few more times,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and we'll see if your reaction time gets any better.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34On your marks, set...
0:10:34 > 0:10:37SHE CLAPS
0:10:44 > 0:10:48- It looks like they're getting faster.- Well done.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Because you practised, your neurons knew what was about to happen.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55The starter sound had to reach your ears,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58the messages had to be sent from your ears to your brain,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00and on to the muscles in your legs.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Because you practised over and over,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05your brain got used to what was happening.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08It didn't have to think so much about what to do,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11and the message was sent more quickly.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Neurons are pretty amazing, Nina.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15You are indeed, Felix.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19One of the reasons that athletes like Morgan can start races so fast
0:11:19 > 0:11:22is because they practise lots and lots.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Eventually, athletes react much more quickly.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29Almost without thinking.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32The more you practise, the quicker your brain works.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35If you want to speed up your reaction time,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37you just need to practise.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38That's right.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Athletes spend a lot of time practising.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45# Nina and the Neurons #
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Your question was, how can we start faster in a race?
0:11:49 > 0:11:51And I think we've answered it.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54To get a really fast start, you need to react quickly
0:11:54 > 0:11:56when you hear the starter noise.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Reaction time is the time it takes you to react
0:12:00 > 0:12:03to hearing the noise, or to seeing a light.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05It takes time to react to something,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09because messages have to be sent from your sense neurons, like us,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12to your brain and then on to parts of your body.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17But if we keep practising, we can learn to react more quickly.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22And then, we can get a really fast start and win the race!
0:12:22 > 0:12:25So, I hope that's answered your question.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27ALL: Thanks, Nina. Bye.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29You're welcome. Bye.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34If you want to know more about the science that's all around us,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37go to the Nina section on the CBeebies website.
0:12:37 > 0:12:38Have fun!
0:12:38 > 0:12:41ALL: On your marks, get set,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43ALL: Go!
0:12:43 > 0:12:44# Get sporty
0:12:44 > 0:12:47# Do-be-do-be-do-do-do-be-do-do
0:12:47 > 0:12:48# Get sporty
0:12:48 > 0:12:50# Do-be-do-be-do-do-do-be-do-do
0:12:50 > 0:12:55- # If you're itching for some exercise From your head down to your toes - Toes
0:12:55 > 0:12:59- # Why not try out something new And give it a real go - Go
0:12:59 > 0:13:03- # Whenever you are restless And feeling kind of bored - Bored
0:13:03 > 0:13:05# Grab your friends and go outside
0:13:05 > 0:13:10# And try a brand-new sport
0:13:10 > 0:13:12# Get sporty
0:13:12 > 0:13:15# Do-be-do-be-do-do-do-be-do-do
0:13:15 > 0:13:16# Get sporty
0:13:16 > 0:13:18# Do-be-do-be-do-do-do-be-do-do
0:13:18 > 0:13:21# Spinning, throwing, Running, jumping
0:13:21 > 0:13:23# Lots of fun to do
0:13:23 > 0:13:26# Cycling, diving, Sliding, rolling
0:13:26 > 0:13:27- # It's really up to you - Yoo-hoo
0:13:27 > 0:13:30# If you're wondering how a swimmer swims
0:13:30 > 0:13:31# Or a bike can go so fast
0:13:31 > 0:13:33# Give it a bash and make it last
0:13:33 > 0:13:38# It's time to go get sporty
0:13:38 > 0:13:40# Get sporty
0:13:40 > 0:13:43# Do-be-do-be-do-do-do-be-do-do
0:13:43 > 0:13:44# Get sporty
0:13:44 > 0:13:47# Do-be-do-be-do-do-do-be-do-do
0:13:47 > 0:13:48# Get sporty
0:13:48 > 0:13:51# Do-be-do-be-do-do-do-be-do-do
0:13:51 > 0:13:53# Get sporty
0:13:53 > 0:13:55# Do-be-do-be-do-do-do-be-do-do
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And remember, whether it's inside, outside, on a bike,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02or in a pool, we can all try something new and get sporty.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04See you again soon. Bye!
0:14:04 > 0:14:06ALL: Bye!
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Get sporty!