0:00:05 > 0:00:08# If you've got a question and you don't know where to go
0:00:08 > 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 experiments with potions and bangs
0:00:17 > 0:00:19- # Touch your tongue - Tongue!
0:00:19 > 0:00:20- # Fingers - Fingers!
0:00:20 > 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 Belle, she hears so much
0:00:36 > 0:00:38# Bud is Ollie's brother He helps us with our taste
0:00:38 > 0:00:41# Nina's Neurons are coming to your place!
0:00:41 > 0:00:43- # Touch your tongue - Tongue!
0:00:43 > 0:00:44- # Fingers - Fingers!
0:00:44 > 0:00:47- # Eyes!- Eyes! - Ears!- Ears!- Nose!- Nose!
0:00:47 > 0:00:50# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know
0:00:50 > 0:00:53# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know!
0:00:53 > 0:00:55# Oh, yeah! #
0:00:56 > 0:01:01Hello, just checking my bunches, getting ready for the day.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04- BEEPING - I hear a beep, I see a flash
0:01:04 > 0:01:07I wonder what they're going to ask?
0:01:10 > 0:01:14- Hi, Nina!- Hi, guys!
0:01:14 > 0:01:17We've got a question for you.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21What makes the lights in the middle of the road shine?
0:01:21 > 0:01:22It's a great question.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26What makes the lights in the middle of the road shine?
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Lights in the road are a brilliant invention.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32They help when driving in the dark.
0:01:32 > 0:01:39- Why not come to my workshop to find out?- See you soon, Nina! Bye!
0:01:39 > 0:01:40See you soon!
0:01:40 > 0:01:44I need help with this and I know who to ask.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47OK, Neurons, time to get to work.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06ALL: Neurons at the ready, Nina.
0:02:06 > 0:02:12The question is, what makes lights in the middle of the road shine?
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Which neuron will help us find the answer?
0:02:16 > 0:02:19ALL: Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Me!
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Will it be fabulous Felix?
0:02:21 > 0:02:25I can help so very much If you need the sense of touch.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Will it be beautiful Belle?
0:02:27 > 0:02:32I send messages to brain from ear If there's a sound, I help you hear.
0:02:32 > 0:02:33Will it lovely Luke?
0:02:33 > 0:02:36For looking and seeing Day or night
0:02:36 > 0:02:39I'll help you with your sense of sight.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Will it be awesome Ollie?
0:02:41 > 0:02:43If it's whiffy, but you can't tell
0:02:43 > 0:02:45My messages help your sense of smell
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Or will it be baby Bud?
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Sour, salty, bitter or sweet
0:02:49 > 0:02:52I'm your taste buddy whenever you eat.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53BEEPING
0:02:56 > 0:02:58It's Luke!
0:02:58 > 0:03:05ALL: Go Luke! Go Luke! Go Luke! Go Luke! Go Luke! Go Luke! Go Luke!
0:03:05 > 0:03:10Cool, Nina. I'll be looking out to help you!
0:03:10 > 0:03:15The question is, what makes lights in the middle of the road shine?
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Because we see lights shine, Luke will help us,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21but, neurons, I may need help from all of you.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25I need to get the workshop ready before they come.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32Emma, Tara and Hannah want to find out about the lights on the road.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Lots of lights shining bright Why do they only come out at night?
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Emma, Tara and Hannah become the inventors!
0:03:43 > 0:03:48- Hi, guys.- Hi, Nina.- Come on in. Welcome to my workshop.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Lovely to see you.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55The question was, what makes lights in the middle of the road shine?
0:03:55 > 0:04:00- Why do you want to know?- During the day, you can't see the lights,
0:04:00 > 0:04:06but when my dad is driving at night, they suddenly appear.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09The lights on the road are called Catseyes.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12I happen to have some here.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Let's do an experiment.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18Emma said you can only see them when your dad's driving at night.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23Well, let's turn the lights down...
0:04:23 > 0:04:26and have a look at the Catseyes.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29- Can you see them shine?- ALL: No!
0:04:29 > 0:04:32So, if the Catseyes don't give out light,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36something else must make them shine.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Well, let's pick up our torches, turn them on,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44and point them towards our Catseyes.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- Can you see them shine now?- Yes! - Yeah!
0:04:47 > 0:04:53So, only when you shine light on Catseyes, can they shine light back.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57OK, torches off. Now, I'm going to move round here
0:04:57 > 0:04:59and turn my torch on.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Now have a look at the Catseyes.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Oh, I can see them shining.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09- Can you?- No!- Oh, why don't you turn your torches back on?
0:05:12 > 0:05:15- Now can you see them?- Yes!- Right.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17You only see them shining
0:05:17 > 0:05:20if you're beside where the light's coming from.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25Oh, and it doesn't matter where you shine the light from,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29the Catseyes always shine right back at you.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31OK, so turn your torches off.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36When you shine light on something and the light bounces back,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38it's called a retroflector.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43"Retroflector" - that's a big word, Nina.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Retroflector!
0:05:46 > 0:05:47Ha!
0:05:47 > 0:05:50I know, it is a big word, Bud.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55- Is it Dad's headlights that make the Catseyes shine?- Exactly. Spot-on.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00- But how does it do that?- I think we need to have a closer look.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Taking things apart is my job.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05It can be dangerous so don't do this yourself.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08That's right. Nina's been trained to do this.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11You could get hurt when you take things apart.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Leave it to the experts.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15OK, so here we have a Catseye.
0:06:15 > 0:06:22It's made up of glass balls and a rubber dome.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25The rubber means that if a car drives over it,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28it squishes, but the glass balls don't break.
0:06:28 > 0:06:34Let me show you a glass ball close up on the Nina cam.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35Look at that.
0:06:35 > 0:06:41Wowee! It looks like a marble! I love playing marbles!
0:06:41 > 0:06:46The glass ball is the retroflector where the reflecting happens.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51That's why the Catseyes shine right back at us.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Retroflectors can be used for all sorts of things.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59- Shall we see another invention in action?- Yes!
0:06:59 > 0:07:00Let's go!
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Hmm! Where do you think we're going today?
0:07:09 > 0:07:11What else use retroflectors?
0:07:11 > 0:07:15What else shines when light hits it?
0:07:15 > 0:07:21That's a difficult one, Ollie. Looks like we'll find out soon.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27OK, guys, torches on.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32ALL: Wow!
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Oh, my! Look how brightly their clothes are shining.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Look at that fire engine! Amazing!
0:07:39 > 0:07:46Aren't they bright? There's a fire engine, and, look, two firefighters.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50- They've got bright stripes on them. - Yes, they do.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52That makes them easy to see.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Let's have a look and see why they shine so much in the dark.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- Hello!- Hello!- We're investigating retroflectors.
0:08:03 > 0:08:09- Can we look at your clothes to see why they shine in the dark?- Yes.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Thank you. OK, guys, look here.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15These stripes are the bits we see in the dark.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19They're made of a special retroflective material.
0:08:19 > 0:08:26- Like the Catseyes.- Yes. Lots of tiny little Catseyes next to each other.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28The fire engine's the same.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32These big stripes are made of retroflectors too.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35They shine right back at us in the dark.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40It's important that firefighters and fire engines are seen in the dark.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45If you goes out at night, you should wear something with a retroflector,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48so that vehicles can see you.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- BELL RINGS - Oh! The firefighters have got to go!
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Time to get back to the workshop to do some inventing!
0:08:57 > 0:09:01I really like the name of the lights on the road - Catseyes.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- But who invented them?- Well, listen up, I can tell you that.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10There are lots of stories about this,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12but I'll tell you my favourite.
0:09:12 > 0:09:18Over 70 years ago, a man called Percy Shaw was driving one night
0:09:18 > 0:09:21when he saw a cat sitting on a fence.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25The cat's eyes reflected his headlights back to him.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28This gave him an idea.
0:09:28 > 0:09:35He invented the Catseyes that help us drive safely on the roads today.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36Miaow!
0:09:43 > 0:09:48Your question was, what makes lights in the middle of the road shine?
0:09:48 > 0:09:52We've found out that Catseyes need light to shine,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56they shine light back no matter where it's from,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59and that it's called a retroflector,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01but how does a retroflector work?
0:10:01 > 0:10:06We should invent our own Catseyes to help us find out.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09The first thing we'll do is take a paper cup,
0:10:09 > 0:10:16turn it upside-down and draw around your cat's eyes. Excellent.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21Take your scissors and start cutting.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Now do be careful and watch those fingers.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Scissors can be very sharp.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Next, we're going to take our foil cake tins,
0:10:31 > 0:10:35and hold one of them in your hand
0:10:35 > 0:10:39and, with your thumb, press the bottom to make it round.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43What's happened to the cakes? That's not fair!
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Bud, do you always have to think about food?
0:10:46 > 0:10:52Yes! I'm the taste neuron, remember? It's my job!
0:10:52 > 0:10:56We'll glue the foil tins into the bottom of our paper cups.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Let's get some sticky glue - put plenty on there.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05The final thing we need to do is take one of your paper cups
0:11:05 > 0:11:09and push it through the cat's eye.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Excellent.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16There we have it. We've made our very own Catseyes.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Let's try them out. OK, grab your torch and sit them up.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25Oh, I'd better turn the lights down.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29There we go. OK, now shine your torches.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33So do you see how the light's reflecting?
0:11:33 > 0:11:38- Yes.- The tin foil makes a sort of retroflector.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40No matter when the light's from,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44the retroflector shines back at you. Well done, inventors.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51Your question was, what makes lights in the middle of the road shine?
0:11:51 > 0:11:54The lights on the road are called Catseyes.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58When we looked inside a Catseye, we found a glass ball.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02This glass ball is like a mirror and it reflects light.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05The glass is curved so you can shine light from anywhere
0:12:05 > 0:12:08and it will always shine light back at you.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13It's called a retroflector. As a Catseye has a retroflector,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16when a car light shines on it in the dark,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19it shines right back, lighting up the road ahead.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24That's how Catseyes work. Thank you for your great question today.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28- Thanks, Nina. Bye! - Oh, bye! Thank you.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36If you want to make today's invention,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40go to the Nina section on the CBeebies website.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43You may have other ideas of what to invent.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46- Mikes.- Trains.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49- Binoculars.- Televisions.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51- Speakers.- And cars.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53# We all love inventing
0:12:53 > 0:12:57# Woh-oh-oh! Go inventing!
0:12:57 > 0:12:59# We all love inventing
0:12:59 > 0:13:02# Why don't you try it too?
0:13:02 > 0:13:05# Inventions make life easier
0:13:05 > 0:13:07# And help us get things done
0:13:07 > 0:13:09# Go inventing!
0:13:09 > 0:13:14# I always like to take a look at how they work and run
0:13:14 > 0:13:15# Go inventing
0:13:15 > 0:13:17# We all love inventing
0:13:17 > 0:13:21# Woh-oh-oh! Go inventing!
0:13:21 > 0:13:23# We all love inventing
0:13:23 > 0:13:25# Why don't you try it too? #
0:13:27 > 0:13:30It's been such a great day, man -
0:13:30 > 0:13:36seeing how the Catseyes shone when everyone pointed their torch at it.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38It's been a marvellous day,
0:13:38 > 0:13:43especially when Nina had a look inside the Catseye -
0:13:43 > 0:13:45a retroflector is a great invention.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48I've had a brilliant day.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53Just as well everyone had their shiny clothes on - it was so dark.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55I've had a fabby day!
0:13:55 > 0:13:59I really liked it when everyone made their own Catseyes
0:13:59 > 0:14:01out of cake tins.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05It's just a pity there were no cakes in them.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07We've had a great time today.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Bye!
0:14:10 > 0:14:12E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk