Brain Peter! Ultimate Brain

What happens when a magnet takes a tumble down a tube?

Can our teams invent a way to stop GP going off with a pop?

And is this the worst sushi ever made?

Flex your thinking muscles, it's time for...

Ah! Ha-ha-oh-ha-ha!

My name is Dr Brain.

I am looking for fabulous thinkers,

cunning conundrum crackers

and levels of genius not previously seen on planet Earth.

Oh! Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho.

Sorry, I've got wind.

Wind! Ha-ha-ha-ha!

This is Ultimate Brain.

Oh, sorry!

It's time to meet the teams.

They're super at science, they're from Salisbury,

it's the Green Team...

APPLAUSE

They're from Nottingham and there's no stopping 'em,

it's the Yellows...

And our celebrity team, brilliant in blue from brilliant Blue Peter

on CBBC, its...

Our teams will be playing for...

the glorious honour of victory.

So let's meet the Greens.

APPLAUSE

How are you, Greens?

-Now, do you like your science?

-Yes.

What's your favourite thing about science?

-Explosions.

-Explosions.

-Explosions!

Everybody loves explosions, don't they? Boom!

Now, what's your team name?

Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho! Good name. Nice to meet you, the Greens.

Ah! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Yellows, how are you?

-Fine, thanks.

-Good, thank you.

-Do you like your science?

-Yep.

-We love it.

-Are you up for a challenge?

-Yeah.

What's your team name?

Marvellous!

There they are, the Yellows.

APPLAUSE

Now, I don't need to make a Blue Team,

because here's one I made earlier.

-Because you are, of course, from...

-ALL: Blue Peter.

Fantastic, nice to meet you, Blues.

Now, Dr Barney, what do you have in common, do you think, as presenters?

Well, we all have a world record.

Oh! What in particular do you have a record for?

I was part of a team that gunged the most amount of people

-in three minutes, which is pretty cool.

-Oh-ho-ho!

Fantastic! And, Radzi, your record?

I'm the proud owner of the world record for the fastest time ever

to get changed as Santa Claus.

Now, then, Dr Lindsey, your record?

So mine was the most people covered with shaving foam beards.

Mess, mess, beards, beards...

Yeah, there's a, sort of... There's a kind of link

through all of these records.

Well, it's fantastic to meet you all, are you up for a challenge?

-Yes, we are, bring it on.

-What's your team name?

We are known as...

The Golden Era, ah, I love it.

Me old gran will like that, as well.

Very nice, it's the Blues!

Well, teams, you'll need to keep those keen minds focused

for every millisecond to snaffle up the points on this show.

Engage your brain ignitions!

HE HUMS BLUE PETER THEME TUNE

This is the Brain Ignition challenge.

It's all magnetism,

and I'm not just talking about my magnetic personality.

Ha-ha-ha!

So take this long aluminium tube, or as I like to call it,

the Mouse Hole Express.

I'm not mad, hang on in there, there is a point.

Now, watch what happens when I take this little toy mouse,

little Mick here, and I drop him down the tube. Are you ready?

What's going to happen? Here he goes, off you go, Mick.

"I don't want to do it."

Just get on with it. "Aggrh!" Oomph! Off he goes.

Now, look at this large magnet which I've chosen as so as not to scare

poor little Mick down there.

Now, my brainy bunch, what do you think will happen

when I drop this magnet into the aluminium tube?

Well, the answer's quite simple for a monkey brainbox like me.

But to make it simpler for all of you, you have four choices.

Captain, four!

Will the magnet...?

..that only your genius minds can fathom,

that even I have not thought of.

Hmmm, now, which answer are your marvellous minds

magnetically attracted to?

Time to decide amongst yourselves.

Yes, your thinking time starts now!

THEY CONFER

So four magnetic micey choices here.

Think carefully, teams.

Have you thought of your answer?

THEY CONFER

ALARM BLARES

OK, OK, everyone, that's your time up.

Reveal your answers, please, now!

What have we got?

Oh, well, let's go with the odd one out first.

Blue Peter, you've gone for D.

OK, I've got to take responsibility

-for this.

-OK, I like that.

I think it would depend upon which

way you turn the magnet because

that would affect the direction

of the line of magnetic flux.

So, I think it would either go slower

or quicker depending upon

which way you turn the magnet.

So there isn't a single answer.

Effectively what's happened there is they've gone,

"Bzz! I don't know."

Well, let's see about the Greens.

Now, why C?

Because we think that as it's going

through the aluminium tube it

won't... It's slightly larger so it

won't exactly attach to the side

because not all of it can attach on

and maybe it will slowly go down.

-Oh, so a sort of magnetic field created in there.

-Yeah.

Oh, I see, right, OK, very interesting.

Now, Yellows, you've come up with the same answer,

is it the same science that

you're thinking of?

We sort of agree with the fact

that it's going slower because

the magnetic force from all around

is clinging to the tube,

so it will go down like a cat falling

down a wall and clawing on it.

Shall I tell you a little secret about aluminium?

It's not magnetic.

So, but, OK, you've made your choices,

your Cs and your Ds.

Shall we observe what actually happens

when we drop the magnet down the aluminium tube?

-What do you think, shall we try it?

-ALL: Yes!

-Yes!

Yas! Right, here we go.

Getting into position now...

There's the tube...

There's the magnet...

ALL: Whoa!

Ah-ha-ha-ha! There, you see?!

That is what we call on Ultimate Brain "a wow moment".

The magnet falls slowly because it creates a marvellous magnetic field

inside the metal of the pipe.

This pushes the magnet in the opposite direction to gravity,

putting the brakes on its fall to earth.

Mouse-mungously magnetastic!

So the magnetically magnificent answer is C,

which means the Yellows and the Greens get 5 points each.

Well done!

And they're off! But don't worry, Blues, plenty of time to catch up.

It's my 300th birthday next week.

# Happy Birthday... #

I know, I don't look a day over 299.

And the good old Ultimate Brain balloon inflators

have been puffing away all week,

blowing up lovely balloons for my mega monkey party.

Now, they've stored them in this massive balloon storage pit,

which has given me a scientifically pop-tastic idea.

Hmmm... How can one travel from one side of the tank

to the other popping the least amount of my balloons?

Sound easy? Not if you can't touch the floor, it ain't.

-Teams, did you rise to the challenge?

-ALL: YEAH!

Of course they did!

The teams were given two days

and a budget of £50 to design

their solutions to the challenge.

Our teams need to think about balance and weight distribution.

Spreading the force of GP's weight to help GP cross the tank

without bursting my balloons,

or a device that keeps him off the ground but still allows him

to move along.

If GP's feet touch the bottom an alarm will sound - awooga! -

and their attempt will be over.

The winning team is the one that gets GP across the tank

with the least balloons popped.

So let's meet the most dedicated balloon blower-upper

in the known universe, it's the unstoppable,

it's the unpoppable

Guinea Pig!

Oh-ha-ha-ha-ha! Look at him!

Oh-ho-ho!

# Balloons! #

He's trying to launch his pop career, do you get it?

Pop because of balloons, you see?

Oh, just stick to the things you're good at like falling over

and counting sheep in your sleep. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

So let's see what the teams have come up with.

First up, it's the Yellow Team, come on!

Go on, Yellows!

Now, I can't help thinking that Guinea Pig

looks like he's about to go windsurfing

whilst sweeping the floor.

What's that all about?

Well, he'll use the two brooms to push himself forwards

without popping the balloons.

The V shape of the cardboard in the front will push the balloons

-out of the way, so he doesn't run them over.

-Oh, right.

And, just in case, we've got fans on either side just to blow them away.

The Atomic Atoms have gone for a trolley system

to keep GP's feet off the floor, with brooms to propel himself along.

They hope their fan-assisted V-shaped shield will plough

through the balloons whilst gently blowing them aside,

giving the minimal poppage and maximum pointage.

Tell me the name of your plan.

-The Trolley Train.

-The Trolley Train!

-I like it. So are you ready?

-ALL: YES.

-Yes, let's do it.

Three, two, one, your minute starts now, Guinea Pig!

-Push!

-Turn them around!

-Turn them around!

-Come on, you can do it!

-Come on!

Keep going, keep going, keep going!

Come on, push as hard as you can!

Oh, a sea of tranquillity...

BALLOON POPS

Well, it was. Oh!

Only a few, though, that's all right. He's got all those...

Just keep going, ignore them!

If you want, use the ends of the brooms

to brush the balloons behind you.

Yeah, push them out the way!

Ah, there, you see? He's lost the end of one.

You're nearly there.

-Come on!

-Go, go!

And that's time!

That's time, that's time.

Well, almost made it.

The Atomic Atom's fantastic plough device worked well,

allowing them to burst very few balloons,

but their brooms just didn't provide GP with enough grip

on the floor to move fast enough. But will they sweep up the points?

He didn't do too badly,

he got about three-quarters of the way across, I think,

didn't he, there?

-And he only popped four balloons, so that's pretty good.

-That's not bad.

But will it be good enough? We'll find out.

Next, it's the Greens.

Now, my friend Mr Guinea Pig is...

Oh, my bananas!

Guinea Pig, what's happened to your legs?

SCREAMS

-What have you done with his legs?!

-What have you done to my legs?!

-Ah-ho-ho-ho-ho!

-He's kneeling down.

-Oh!

-Oh, there they are.

Thank bananas for that.

So why is he kneeling down, and what's he kneeling on?

So he's on a little sled thing attached to wheels

and using the shoe, he'll get grip on the bottom and push his way across.

Then he's got a rope around him,

so if he's going to fall he can hold on to that.

Oh, I see, yes, because he mustn't touch the floor, must he?

The Terrific Tree Trio

have gone for a really good sled with a shoe paddle

to give GP grip on the floor. A rope will hopefully help keep

GP stable and sturdy as he moves along.

Don't drop, don't pop, whatever you do, don't stop, that's the plan!

What's your plan name?

ALL: The Shoe Sled.

-Greens, are you ready?

-ALL: Yes.

-Guinea Pig, are you ready?

-I'm ready, Dr Brain.

Fantastic, your time starts three, two, one, now!

Push really hard, Guinea Pig!

That's it, yes, tell him, tell him.

-Up the other side!

-Use it like a canoe.

-Come on, Guinea Pig, keep going!

-Come on, you can do it!

It sort of looks like he's kayaking or something, doesn't it?

-You're almost there, come on, keep going...

-He's nearly there!

-..as fast as you can.

-Come on!

Is he there? Have you done it, Guinea Pig?

-He's there!

-ALL: Yeah!

-He's done it.

-Zero balloons.

Wow, in the nick of time! They had trouble steering at the start

but the Terrific Tree Trio's top canoeing tips

and the grippy shoe on his paddle allowed GP to

weally, weally wield his way to the finish

without popping a single balloon.

Beat that, Blues.

You did something clever for once, Guinea Pig!

-Well done, how do you feel?

-I feel very brainy, Dr Brain.

Oh-ho-ho! Good boy! Well, there you go, Greens.

Is it going to be enough to win the challenge?

I guess we'll only find out when we see the Blue plan.

So, here we are with the Blues.

Now, you've got a rather special plan, I understand.

-It involves a bit of a dramatic reveal.

-It's a style thing.

Oh-ho-ho-ho! Well, would you like to introduce my friend, the guinea pig?

Yeah, shall we do it? Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

please welcome the glamorous, the beautiful Guinea Pig.

APPLAUSE AND LAUGHTER

-Oh-ho-ho-ho!

-Yes!

WOLF WHISTLES

Guinea Pig!

You look sort of lovely in a kind of very strange sort of way.

Now, what is this all about?

There is a method behind the madness.

So with the large creation we have, that will simply

push the balloons away, and like Sir Ranulph Fiennes,

the tennis rackets will mean you simply walk over the balloons,

-it doesn't even matter if you stand on them.

-Oh, I see.

The Golden Era have gone for style AND science.

They hope GP's beautiful ball gown will create an elegant,

soft, balloon-friendly shield around him,

allowing him to glide through without popping.

Tennis racket shoes are designed to keep GP off the floor

and distribute his weight in case he steps on a balloon.

It's ballooning beautiful, but is it brilliant?

Let's find out the name of your plan.

It's called "Balloon Peter".

Balloon Peter! I love it.

-Are you confident?

-Oh, yeah, we've won this.

-Ha-ha!

-Shall we see it then?

-Yes!

-Ready, Guinea Pig?

I'm feeling gorgeous, Dr Brain.

Well, you're not looking gorgeous. So three, two, one, go!

-Shuffle, shuffle!

-There you go!

That's it, just a nice little shuffle.

-Wait, slowly, slowly, slowly!

-ALL: Oh, no!

-Slow down, slow down!

-Think pageant contest.

-Lunge, lunge.

Technically, he's not touching the floor

-because of the tennis shoes, you see?

-Adoring crowds.

How's our time, what's our time?

-How do we know...?

-We've got loads of time.

-GP, GP, GP, GP!

-He's getting there, he's getting there.

-Touches the side,

reaches out, puts his arm out, touches the side

before he gets there. BALLOON POPS

-ALL: Oh, no!

-There goes another.

-Easy!

-That was after.

-That doesn't count, that was after the whistle.

Oh, fabulous, elegant and efficient.

Their cushioning skirt was gentle on the balloons

and the tennis racket shoes

helped him stay perfectly balanced all the way across.

They only burst two balloons and finished in plenty of time -

gorgeous!

It did get all the way to the end

-but I'm afraid you popped two balloons...

-Yeah.

..and only one team made it all the way to the end

without popping any balloons and that was the Greens!

APPLAUSE

So 10 points there for the Greens.

We're going to need a very special piece

of super cool scientific equipment for the next round.

A laser bazooka?

No, it's time to bring out the...

This super cool camera records in very super-slow-motion

so that I can accurately see who the winner is.

Now, it's time to get grabby, and I ain't talking about

goosing your grannies' bum...

No, it's on the back of your hand,

mate, it's a cup full of Ultimate Brain water.

One person from each team will balance a cup

on the back of their hands. On the random sound of Dr Brain -

Oi! - you will pull your hand from beneath your cups

and grab the cup before it tumbles down, with the same hand!

The first person to successfully grab the cup is the winner.

OK, here we go.

Ready...

..Oi!

Oh, no!

Oh! Off they drop.

Three cups are up for grabs here, but who got a hand to theirs first?

It's impossible to tell.

Well, there's only one way to find out.

Don't ask me, ask the slowmonizer.

So, here we go, then, they're at the start...

Oh, look, Dr Liam is off but, oh, he's used two hands, he's out.

Here we go, it's Dr Emad and Dr Lindsey.

Oh, Dr Emad's dropped his! Dr Lindsey is the winner!

Blue there is the only one who managed to catch it

with one hand, well done, it's 10 points to the Blues.

Oh, that's going to change things around a bit.

The Blues have moved from the bottom to the middle.

Can they get to the top?

# Yo, my brain need brethren

# This inspiration challenge is All about rice, rice, baby. #

Now, I like my cooking to be like my experiments - precise.

So in these jars I have measured precisely how much rice I need

for a super-sizzling chilli I'm going to make.

Ho-ho-ho-ho!

But one of me lovely, lovely juicy tomatoes has

gone and got stuck at the bottom of the jar, you see? Bish, bash, bosh.

But you can't use your hands, no,

but you can use up to two of the objects and implements

so beautifully arranged there to retrieve the tasty tom.

Either that, or another scientastic idea, the choice is yours.

But you cannot spill a grain,

not a single grain, I tell you!

Any spillages will result in disqualification.

And, to prevent any Ultimate peeking

and to make sure there is no Ultimate sneaking

the two teams not doing the challenge

will wear eye distracters and special earmufflers

so that they can't plunder any science testing ideas.

OK, teams, you have three minutes to design your methods, starting now.

ALARM BLARES

Our teams need to think about which item will allow them

to use precise, steady movements for the tomato extraction.

THEY CONFER

Either that or another super secret sciencey method -

mwa-ha-ha-ha!

THEY CONFER

All the rice you see here naturally grows in these wonderful colours.

Of course, there's not a grain of truth in that.

Did you get it?! A grain, you see?! Ha-ha! Oh, forget it!

THEY CONFER ALARM BLARES

Time's up, teams! That's it, no more thinking, no more designing,

what have your brains got in store for my grains?

Ha-ha! First up, it's the Greens.

Talk me through the plan, Greens.

Try and prod the tomato and hold it in place with the chopstick

-and then using the spoon/fork thing...

-Yes.

..we're going to scoop it and hold it in place

with the chopstick as we bring it up.

Once it's done, we'll use the chopstick to pull the tomato up

and pour out any of the rice in the spoon.

Make sure when you pour it out it goes back in there,

because if it goes on there, it's game over. Aah!

So at the moment Little Tommy Tomato

is here having a little rest at the bottom there, you see?

But we want him to come and join us and play, join in the fun.

So do you think you could rescue him?

-ALL: Yes.

-Let's see it in action.

Off you go, your time starts now.

ALARM BLARES

Chopstick...

Use the chopstick...

-You see...?

-Wow.

It's actually quite difficult to get it through

all the rice there, isn't it?

It's actually harder than it looks, you know.

I think I've stabbed the tomato.

-I see.

-Yeah, I can't...

-Keep going.

-Nearly spilt...

-Do you need some help?

-Yeah.

30 seconds left now.

ALARM BLARES

Ah, I'm afraid that is "meh-ma!"

Unlucky, Greens. Well, what a shame.

Oh, the Terrific Tree Trio just couldn't shift

the densely packed rice away to get to the tomato.

The chopstick was too thin and the spoon was too fat.

Grain over, game over, brain over!

So now it's the turn of the Blue Team.

Now, what have you chosen?

Well, we've gone for the coat hanger and the spork,

-it's a fork and a spoon, the spork.

-Yes.

But actually, we don't think we're really going to need anything.

If our plan goes well, then we shouldn't need any equipment.

Yes, because, of course,

if you were listening very carefully at my briefing...

Either that or another scientastic idea, the choice is yours.

You know what I'm talking about. So shall we see your plan in action?

-ALL: Yes.

-Your time starts now.

-Shake, shake, shake.

So we're not sure if this is going to scientifically work

but there must be something in the old shake. Oh, go on, go on, Barney.

-Yes!

-There you go, there you go.

-Yes, yes, yes. Go on!

-How will we know?

I'll look under. Maybe do a bit of a shake that way too.

-No, it's on top again! How about that way?

-Oh, the other way round.

-Yes, go on.

-Oh, really?

It's at the bottom, OK, this isn't working. Oh, no, no, no!

-That way, that way, that way!

-Go, go.

-How is this not working?

-It's a genius plan.

-Dr Brain!

I'm not saying a thing.

-Shall we go for plan B? We haven't got long left.

-Plan B, plan B.

-I don't know how long we've got.

-Was it that?

-No, lengthways, like that.

Stretch it out as far as you can. Like that, then go in like that.

-Go!

-Stir it.

I'll hold it still. Come on, Barney.

This isn't going to work either.

-ALARM BLARES

-Oh!

-Oh, no!

-That doesn't count.

-No, look!

-I'm afraid you spilt a bit of the rice there.

That means it's game over, you've failed.

Team Golden Era almost discovered our secret sciencey method,

but they didn't.

Their rice shaking was almost effective, but it wasn't.

Let's just say they got the right idea but up the wrong way.

Let's see how the Yellows do.

What have you chosen, and what's your plan?

-Well, we've chosen the plate.

-Yes.

-And a spatula.

-Mm-hmm.

And what we're going to do is, using the spatula we're going to try

-and make a hole through it...

-Yeah.

-Like, a really fine hole.

-A really tight hole.

-We're going to put the plate on,

put the spatula through and try to almost, like, pick it up.

So it would get stuck between the plate and the spatula.

Then we'll pick it up carefully.

-Well, shall we see if it works?

-ALL: Yes.

Let's do it, your time starts now.

ALARM BLARES

-You open the jar.

-Yes, let's open the jar, that's a good...

You need to estimate the size of the spatula.

It's not big enough, we can't do it. We can't do it, it's not...

And right, OK, now you've got...

That's it, now dig, dig, dig.

Dig for victory. Here we go.

ALARM BLARES

Oh! Oh, I'm afraid that's a little bit of rice, isn't it?

Oh, the Atomic Atoms got overcomplicated.

They spent too much time sawing, only to find their plan was

plainly not working. Spatula, but not spectacular.

So, my fine friends,

I can now reveal the result of that round.

Actually, none of you managed to get the tomato out,

which means no points for anybody, I'm afraid.

Now, do you remember? When I briefed you on this,

I said you could either use any two of the implements

or a clever scientific way.

Mmmm. Well, I can reveal at this point,

-the Blue Team are going to kick themselves.

-Oh, no!

-Because you remember you did this?

-ALL: Yeah.

Have a little look, son.

-Da-da-da-dum-dum. We'll get there.

-Halfway, it's halfway.

-I knew it!

-Here it comes.

-I knew it!

-Nearly there. There we go.

-Oh!

-There she is.

-Well done!

I present my new sculpture, Smug Monkey Looking at a Tomato.

Our secret sciencey method was all about a thing called

granular convection.

Shaking the jar makes the tiny grains of rice fall down around

the larger tomato, settling under it and sending it rising to the top.

If only the Blues had got the jar up the right way!

But they didn't, so they lost.

Now, as the final round of exciting science approaches, let's find out

what the score is, with that little thing I call "the scores".

APPLAUSE

The Golden Era shining on 10,

the Atomic Atoms

not far behind on a quantum 5,

and the Terrific Tree Trio

are looking pretty feisty on 15.

It's still all to play for

on Ultimate Brain.

Ha-ha-ha-ha! So it's points to play for,

and honour most awesome is the prize.

Remember, 2 points for each correct answer,

nothing for a wrong answer, not even an old toffee

covered in pocket fluff. Ready, GP?

-Ready, DB.

-Hands on desks, let's do this thing.

The world's largest machine, the large Hadron Collider,

smashes what together - atomic particles or dinner plates?

-BUZZER

-Green?

-Atomic particles?

-Correct.

Which temperature scale is based on zero degrees

for the freezing point of water?

-BUZZER

-Yellows?

-Celsius.

-Correct.

Felis catus is the scientific name

for which common pet?

-BUZZER

-Blue?

-Cat.

-Correct.

Who was the first man in outer space?

-BUZZER

-Blues?

-Yuri Gagarin.

-Correct.

On which continent is the Sahara desert?

-BUZZER

-Yellows?

-Africa.

-Correct.

Killer, humpback and blue...

-BUZZER

-Blue?

-Whales.

-Correct.

Which popular TV scientist used to be a keyboard player

for the band D...

-BUZZER

-Blue?

-Professor Brian Cox.

-Correct.

Ah, that's time up anyway, that is time up.

Wowzers! Who out of you terrifically thinky teams

has been victorious? It's time for the results.

-I can't stand the suspense, can you, GP?

-No, I can't.

Tell us who the winners are, Dr Brain.

OK, in third place with 9 points,

it's the Yellow Team!

Well done, well done, well done.

Very good.

In second place with 17 points,

it's the Green Team.

Which means our Ultimate Brain winners with 18 massive points,

it's the Blue Team!

They all did a great job, didn't they, Dr Brain?

They certainly did - almost as good as me! But not quite.

Especially well done to our winners who brained their way to victory.

If it's honour you're after,

then it's Ultimate Brain honour you've won.

Salute your victors, teams. See you next time

for more brain-pulsing,

mind-mushing fun on...

Ultimate Brain!

APPLAUSE