Episode 2 Richard Hammond's Blast Lab

I'm Richard Hammond, and welcome to my Blast Lab!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Actually, this top-secret lab of mine

has this week had its top-secret status downgraded to medium secret,

because MI5 uncovered us.

Those guys have got some pretty serious surveillance equipment,

but they didn't need it, they just watched us on the telly.

Still, today we have two more teams of budding young brains

lined up and ready to tackle science games,

in the hope of winning some superb prizes. Coming up,

our teams will navigate their way through some mind-boggling facts

in Fact Nav 2.0 with Oliver.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

In Mini Science with Mini Miss,

the teams play with some very ordinary household objects,

and an extraordinary super magnet.

Talking of ordinary, can some giant magnet gloves

transform a less than average lab rat into a superhero?

Today's Messy Messy Mess Test is the bridge-building masterclass that

could teach Isambard Kingdom Brunel a thing or two about toxic gunge.

It is of course the Bridge Of Destiny.

The Bridge Of Destiny!

This lab is like Fort Knox, except it's not in America.

And it isn't full of gold. It's not like Fort Knox at all.

But the security is just as tight, thanks to my Ninja Nan.

She's busy sorting out the Senior Ninjas' coach trip to Eastbourne.

They're going to a donkey sanctuary,

and while they're in town, they'll eradicate street crime.

Let's have a look at who's trying to get into my lab today.

Hello! You say you're the Red Team.

We need to check that for security purposes, obviously.

Identify yourselves and I'll check them off. You are?

-Orlin.

-Thomas.

-Elspeth.

Orlin, Thomas, Elspeth. That's what I've got.

It says under talent... Thomas, what are you going to do for us?

I can do Morse code.

That's what I've got down here, OK. How are you going to prove it?

I'm going to say, "Tom."

-What, in Morse code?

-Yes.

-OK, go.

Beeeeeep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

It sounds like a squeaky gate to me, but I don't speak Morse,

so I'm going to believe you. Come on into the lab, please. Well done.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Beeeep, beep, beep-beep, beep.

I was saying, "Welcome to Blast Lab." Fair enough.

Lovely to have you here, but you've only got this far,

there's one final check before we recognise you as the real Red Team.

We've agreed a password with the Red Team.

If you are the Red Team, you'd know it.

It's Mr Stafford.

Yes, it is! Why Mr Stafford?

Because he's our headmaster, but he can be strict.

Really? Well, headmasters can.

That's official - you are our Red Team.

Go and get ready for the first game. Away you go. There's your Red Team!

Now, what we need is the Yellow Team,

and these next three people claim to be them.

OK, you three reckon you're the Yellow Team.

We can't just take your word for it, we've got to check you through.

So your names please, you are?

-Cameron!

-Alfie!

-Nina!

Yep, that's what I've got written down here.

What are you going to do to prove yourselves?

-I'm going to ballet dance!

-Really?

-Yes!

-Crack on then, away you go.

It's not the most graceful thing I've seen, but it's getting there.

Come into the lab!

-Is this ballet something you pursue regularly, then, Alfie?

-Weekly.

-Do you have to be very fit to do ballet?

-Reasonably fit.

It's going to be of no help

whatsoever in the Blast Lab, just so you know.

One final security check, before I accept you are the Yellow Team.

We agreed a password,

-you would know it if you are the Yellow Team, what is it?

-Wee!

Wee! Why is it that?

Because my guinea pig's weed on them.

Nice! Your guinea pig's weed on those two. Very...pleasant.

OK, you are officially the Yellow Team.

Go and get settled in ready for our first game!

And here comes a car now that puts the smart into smart car,

but takes the mobile out of automobile.

It is my little yellow Opel Kadett, Oliver!

Oliver, please, make yourself comfortable.

Get him all docked in to Fact Nav.

Right, that's it, system running.

Now, to keep Oliver absolutely up-to-date,

I installed the very latest upgrade, Fact Nav 2.0.

I say installed, it didn't really seem to fit, so I had to...

shove it into the dashboard a little bit,

and some bits snapped off round the edge,

and the front's a bit wonky, and as a result of that,

not all the facts are correct.

Teams, I'm going to need you to tell me

whether the science facts I give you are true or false.

If they turn out to be true, Oliver will then tell us.

CAR HORN BLARES

If they are false, Oliver will do this.

FOGHORN BLARES

OK, the game's pretty simple.

Each team has three red lights right now.

Every time you answer a question correctly,

we will turn one of those lights green.

The first to get all three lights green wins, they get a point,

and we go on to the next game.

One tiny little thing above that. If you get a question wrong,

not only do we not light your light green,

we light one green for the other team.

So, you can win it for the other side.

Be careful about your answers.

We'll start with a nearest-to question.

I'll give this to whoever's nearest to the answer.

That team will then have control of the game at the very beginning,

because they get the next true or false question. OK...

How tall, in metres, is the tallest part of the Empire State Building?

That's right to the very top of it,

to the spike on the very top all the way down to the bottom.

OK, both teams have got an answer written down.

Let's see what you've got, Yellows.

You've got 650 metres.

Reds, you've got 850 metres.

The real answer is 443.2 metres,

so the Yellows are right, they get a green light,

they seize control. Well done.

Right, moving on. Here comes your true or false question.

The human thigh bone is stronger than concrete.

Is that true or false?

The human thigh bone is stronger than concrete.

Is that true or false? What do you think?

We think it's true, because it's got to hold up all our weight.

There's only one way to find out.

Oliver, is it true or false?

-CAR HORN BLARES

-It's true, well done!

A second light lit green for the Yellows.

It's a good start, well done.

Reds, here's the thing. This can change so quickly,

you wouldn't believe, OK?

Here is your science fact.

Baby kangaroos are the size of an orange when they're born.

Is that true or false?

Baby kangaroos are the size of an orange when they are born.

Is that true or false?

-We think it's true.

-You think it's true. Oliver?

Just, you know, for the game,

is it true or false?

FOGHORN BLARES

It's false, which means, I'm sorry, Reds,

the light is lit green for the Yellows.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

You will kick yourselves, because when they're born,

baby kangaroos are about the size, I kid you not, of a jelly bean.

They're absolutely minute, they stay inside the pouch for ages.

That means, then, Reds, sorry,

the Yellows have stormed to the lead, three lights green,

that means straightaway, it's 1-0 to the Yellows. Well done.

Aaah!

Now, not very long ago,

I brought my old science teacher back through time,

but the flux capacitor didn't sink in pulsar phase

with the hyperdrive converter.

Probably my fault for making it out of baked bean tins and string.

But as a result, my old science teacher

is now my young science teacher.

It is of course Mini Miss.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Hello, Miss.

Do you remember all the good times we used to have back at school?

Um, well, yes.

There was that year before you arrived,

and that year after you left.

They were pretty good times.

OK. Thanks, Miss.

What are we doing today, then?

Today, we're going to be seeing which household items are magnetic

and which ones aren't, in a game I like to call...

Let me guess. Each team is going to choose a household object.

They'll take it in turns,

and see if it's attracted to the magnet, and if it is,

they get a point, and the team with the biggest number of magnetic items

-at the end wins the game!

-Yes, Richard, that's right.

-Have a sticker.

-Oh, thank you, Miss.

By the way, I ate all my broccoli at lunchtime,

-so technically, I deserve a gold star as well.

-OK.

Thank you, Miss, thank you.

The score, Yellow Team, you're ahead.

I've got two badges, look at that.

Yellow Team, 1-0 to you, so you get to choose.

-Do you want to go first or second?

-First, please.

OK, let's get into place, because it's time to get magnifinding.

Come round here. Let's start.

Yellow Team are going for a handful of paperclips.

Some of these items may not look immediately magnetic,

but think about how they might be constructed,

what they might be made of inside to make them magnetic.

Mini Miss is now going to lower the giant Blast Lab super magnet

towards your pile of paperclips. This is...

Nothing happening, nothing happening...

Oh, this is a good sign!

Oh, yes!

That's a good first go, a point to the Yellows,

well done.

-Reds, what are you going for?

-The clip.

This is the karabiner. OK, step forward.

OK, Mini Miss. Here we go.

Lowering it down.

Nothing happening. Nothing happening, this is...

Oh, no!

It's not worked! It's not worked.

Sorry, Reds. That's one down to you.

Yellows, it's your turn.

Lots of things have little, tiny magnets inside them.

Everything, it's called domains.

In some things, it's easier for those little magnets

to become lined up.

That's what makes them magnetic. In some things, it's harder.

That's what makes them not magnetic.

And it doesn't matter, even if they're metal. Not all metals work.

The Yellows, making their choice.

-The Tinfoil.

-Going for the tinfoil.

Mini Miss, bringing the magnet down.

Is it going to leap? Is it going to leap?

Is it going to jump? Into the sky? It's not magnetic at all,

it's not worked. So, it's still 1-0 to the Yellows, you're still ahead.

The Reds have gone for the coffee tin.

Mini Miss, if you'd like to administer the magnet... Ooh!

Ooh!

That was a great jump. Ooh!

I thought you'd become magnetic, and you were going to stick to it.

Right, OK. 1-1 is the score so far.

-Yellows, you're going to go for the colander.

-Yep.

If the tiny little domains inside can line up,

and it becomes magnetic, it will work. If not, it won't.

Leap! Leap!

Lift the magnet up.

GROANING

The colander did move,

but that was only due to the weight of the magnet,

rather than it actually being magnetic.

So, with the Reds up next, the scores are one apiece.

Well, Reds not messing about here.

They've chosen the trowel, for gardening.

Ooh, yes! Good play. 2-1 to the Reds.

The Yellows are going for the tiny earphones. OK.

Ah-ha! What actually happened, you couldn't see just behind there,

we'll let you have that.

Inside these headphones, there are small magnets.

So, well done, Yellows, by the skin of your teeth,

you're through. 2-2 is the score.

The bicycle pump. OK. Give it a go.

Let's have a look.

Ooh...

-Yes!

-Do you know what?

I'd say that's magnetic. That's counting.

I'll let you into a secret,

it would have gone there, because of what's inside it.

There's enough metal in there. We'll let that through, well done, Reds.

'It's the Yellows next, with four objects left.

'Have they made up their minds?'

Yeah, let's go for the mirror.

Let's have a look. Here we go.

Bad luck, Yellows. Reds, 3-2 to you guys.

This is your chance to press home your lead.

-Ah! Now, what do you think that is?

-Metal.

Ooh, look at that! It's actually steel wool,

and steel is magnetic, so it works.

'We're down to just two items, and the Yellows only have one go left,

'so even if what they pick is magnetic...'

You're going to go with the ship?

'..from here, there's no chance they can win.'

This is one of Ninja Nan's best shoes.

She hasn't worn it for a while... Ooh!

Look at that! Look at that!

Well done, well done.

OK, no choice for the Reds.

In actual fact, there's metal inside the heel.

-OK, Reds, no choice for you then.

-This is the only choice.

4-3 to the Reds, so this is just to send it home.

Nothing doing at the end.

That means the final score is 4-3 to the Reds.

You take the points. Well done.

That means overall, the score now is 1-1.

We've seen how useful magnets can be,

but can they also be used to lift something bigger

than any of these objects?

Like a man?

Meet normal Ken. Normal teeth,

normal wind.

-HE BREAKS WIND

-Normal jokes.

Tired of pushing people away, he decided to invent something

to prove he was more than just normal.

Normal Ken invented electromagnetic gloves,

but what are electromagnetic gloves, and how do they work?

Electromagnetic gloves are gloves made of giant electromagnets.

An electromagnet is made by running electricity through coiled wires.

This makes the wires act like a magnet,

and so it can attract and stick to magnetic objects.

When the electricity is switched off,

the wire no longer acts like a magnet,

and so it no longer sticks to the objects.

With the gloves complete, he begins the testing process,

but how much weight can his gloves hold?

Can the gloves hold the weight of a teddy bear?

That'll be a yes, then.

Thanks, brave Ted. But now, we need to step up the experiment a notch.

How about something heavier?

Like a child's bicycle.

Will the magnetic gloves be strong enough to hold the weight of a bike?

OK. Another yes.

The magnetic gloves showed no signs of weakness at all

while supporting the weight of the bike. Well done, Ken.

-Aaah! Help!

-What's this?

This poor woman's magnetic photo of a cat

is stuck up that flat piece of metal.

If only there was someone with super powers,

someone who could climb up and save the cat. We need a hero!

# Is it gravity

# Chemistry

# Physically pulling me?

# What could it be, boy?

# Cos I'm so drawn to you Like a fool

# I keep coming back, it's true

# I can't stand it

# You're like a magnet You're like a magnet... #

So, with the magnetic cat photo's life on the line,

will Normal Ken - I mean Magnet Man -

be able to climb the wall and save the day?

Right, a question then, teams.

This is important, because it's a draw, 1-1. This could be a decider.

I will give another point to the team that can tell me...

will Magnetic Man be able to climb the wall and save the magnetic cat?

Just think about it before you answer,

because there's a few factors here.

Don't forget what you know about magnets. Also, there's human error.

Well, I say human... Lab rat error, which is usually quite big.

So, what do we think? Yellows are busy eating popcorn.

You're enjoying that! Reds, what do you think?

-Do you think he will?

-We think he will.

Yellows, do you think he'll manage it?

We don't think he'll do it.

OK, let's find out, carry on with the experiment.

A humble man lived a humble existence.

HE BREAKS WIND

-But when fear rang out across the land...

-Aaah!

MIAOW!

..it was only he that dared answer that call.

Can he now banish a life of normality and become a someone?

Or will the cat picture have to witness the fall of a man,

the breaking of a spirit, the shattering of a dream?

Here he goes.

And so far, so good.

The magnetic gloves are sticking to the surface,

and supporting his weight.

He's doing it, he's actually doing it.

Who would have believed a man such as he

could climb the heights of scientific achievement?

A scientist, a hero!

A cheat. He's not even off the ground.

He's actually achieved nothing.

And now, he's fallen off.

Typical.

Although Ken successfully invented magnetic gloves,

his arms were just not strong enough to lift his body off the ground.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

So, those are the results. I'm sorry, teams,

it is quite a harsh one, because what let us down wasn't science.

Magnetism would have held him up easily,

but he's a lab rat, he couldn't hold himself up.

The point goes to the Yellows,

it's 2-1 to the Yellows.

Right, teams, go and get yourselves changed,

because you're going to need those protective suits very soon.

That was just rubbish.

Turns out that his superpower was just a very ordinary power.

It wasn't even much of a power at all.

I guess it's back to his boring, ordinary life.

So, defeat for Ken.

He just has to admit he IS normal.

And the world continues as normal.

People walk about.

-Play leapfrog.

-Aargh!

Throw grass.

And a woman drops a needle in a haystack.

If only there was someone with really strong magnets to help!

Stop looking so pleased with yourself, with your stupid pose.

That was rubbish.

You did quite well with your outfit, your costume's good,

but everything else about it was just awful.

I bet you're not even magnetic, are you?

Right, let's test.

Yep, you are magnetic, well done. Now, get out. Right...

CRASHING

Yes, ooh!

Maybe more magnetic than even he thought.

Don't feel sorry for him though,

it's time to move on to something far more important, it's time for...

Which today, is the Bridge Of Destiny.

The Bridge Of Destiny!

Your prizes, which include a personal weather station,

a radio-controlled rocket and a worm world,

need to be transported across this tank.

If they fall in, they'll be useless, as they'll melt instantly,

so to keep them safe, teams,

you have to construct your very own Bridge Of Destiny.

The Bridge Of Destiny!

Yes, yes, all right. Somewhere in that tank

are all the bits that you need to build your own bridge.

You need to find the pieces in the gunge, build your bridge,

pull your lever, and do it in that order,

because if you don't, your truckload of goodies will end up

in the gunge-filled abyss below your Bridge Of Destiny.

You really can't get the lab rats these days.

When you think your bridge is finished,

pull the lever, release the car,

which will tow your trailer of prize pods across.

OK, Yellows, you're in the lead,

you get the five second head start.

Reds, you wait until you hear the second klaxon.

The race to get your prize pods across the tank starts...

Let's think...

..now!

'And the Yellows are off,

'wading slowly through a sea of green

-'that has no intention of parting.'

-SIREN WAILS

'There's the second siren.

'Both teams now on the age-old search for bridge pieces

'and immortality. Looks like Cameron for the Yellows has a piece,

'but he's having more than a little trouble placing it.

'Finally, it's in, and the Yellows have made a start.

'The teams are flying now,

'looking like kids dressed in waterproof outfits

'trying to find pieces of a bridge

'whilst up to their waists in green goo.

'Literally looking like that!'

Possibly the most astonishing thing,

scientifically speaking, about this,

is its ability to generate an argument,

amongst any group of people.

It's really... I love it!

I'm not sure the teams always do.

'Among the screams, it seems the Yellows are making some headway.

'The Reds taking a quieter, more industrious approach,

'but which will be the more successful?

'And another piece in place for the Reds,

'but neither team running away with it at the minute.

'There's nothing to separate them.

'The confusion continues.

'The shouting continues, with neither team

'really grasping that the aim of the game is to build a bridge.

'Its name - Bridge of Destiny.

'Not "big gaping hole over a load of green sludge" of Destiny.'

Both teams really battling for this one.

If I didn't enjoy their discomfort,

misery and tension so much, it would be quite painful to watch.

Fast approaching the moment when they have to make the decision.

How much time will they then spend cleaning their finished bridge?

If they spend too much, they could lose. Not enough...

their trailer full of presents could dive off.

'Utter mayhem out there.

'But the Yellows have now activated the prize car.

'Surely their bridge is too slidey, surely it will slip into the gunge!

'Surely it's... Oh, apparently not. Well done, Yellows!'

CHEERING

Ha-ha! We have a result.

The Yellow Team, that was a risky call there, I thought it was going

into the abyss, but well done, that means we have clear winners.

It is the Yellows. Let's have a look at what you've won. Ready?

Each of you is taking home a metal detector.

-One of those each.

-CHEERING

Yo-yo. One of those each.

CHEERING

-Worm World.

-CHEERING

-Radio-controlled rocket.

-CHEERING

-Building-block set.

-CHEERING

-Propeller racer.

-CHEERING

-Adventure tent.

-CHEERING

-A personal weather station.

-CHEERING

Each of you is taking home each of those prizes. Tremendous!

Here's the thing, though, Reds, the most amazing coincidence -

I'm really sorry,

because you would have won exactly the same.

But instead of taking all those exciting prizes home in one piece,

you're going to do the complete opposite and leave all yours here

in millions of tiny pieces, because it is time for Bidet Goes Bang!

CHEERING

Yellows, Yellows, well done.

Well played, right at the end there, you leapt into the lead

and you'll be taking all that home with you. So well done, Yellows.

This is quite awkward, because they're just there,

and you're just... Reds, I thought you had that in the bag. I'm sorry.

It's not much of a consolation,

all of these would have been coming home with you,

but instead, you're going to blow them up.

It's time for the Walk of Shame. It's a sombre moment for us all,

I know, it's difficult.

People find this moving. It's hard.

I know.

It's hard, it really is.

Reds, I'm sorry,

you played well, but it just didn't come right for you in the end,

so the best thing to do is blow up all your prizes.

If you'd like to lift the handle please and get ready, are you ready?

Audience, we'll count them down. From - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

CHEERING

With the help of my lab rats, we have looked at magnets and found out

just how attractive they can be -

the magnets, not the lab rats. They are actually quite repulsive.

Thanks for watching. See you next time.

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