In the Lab

How useless is a Chocolate Teapot?

You have heard the saying, but it is meaningless unless you know exactly how useful a chocolate teapot actually is. We try to find out how thick the walls of a chocolate teapot would have to be to let you brew tea...

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Make an Infra Red Camera

See the world from a completely different point of view using an old webcam and some exposed film.

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How fat would you have to be to stop a bullet?

Have you ever wondered how fat you would have to be to stop a bullet with your belly? We went to the Cavendish Laboratory to find out...

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Fire Piston

You may have noticed that if you pump up a bicycle tyre your pump gets hot, we find out why, and do a slightly more extreme version

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Stimulating Arteries

Ben visited Dr Brian Callingham to find out what an artery can do with the appropriate stimulation.

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Custard Fireballs

How the size of what is burning can affect how it burns. We compared burning logs, twigs, paper and custard powder.

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How a Smoke Detector Works

Most people think radiation is a bad thing, but if you take a look inside a humble smoke detector, you'll find that it's radiation that's keeping us alive. However, you should NOT attempt to open the radioactive compartment of a smoke detector as close-up exposure to the radiation could be dangerous.

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The Science of Energy in the Gym

If you've ever wondered how much energy you are capable of putting using your own body and whether that's enough to power the appliances around you - this kitchen science is for you. This week Derek, Dave and Ali are in a gym trying to investigate how many houses Ali can power using her own and whether it would be worthwhile to hook the nations gyms up to the electricity grid. Imagine having to cycle to watch your TV!

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Can you beat the Breathalyzer

If you've ever wondered how a police issue breathalyser works - this kitchen science is for you. This week Derek, Mick McReedy the friendly policeman and Ali the Aussie backpacker visit Ely Firestation to investigate science of alcohol, drinking, and breathalysing. Find out if you can get around the test!

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Frying pans and Levitation

This week Derek Thorne is with Professor Ted Forgan from Birmingham University and student helpers Cathy and Dan from Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge. They're going to be using a frying pan and some liquid nitrogen to demonstrate the science of superconductivity.

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Experimenting with gases and liquid nitrogen

This week Derek is with Dr Chris Muirhead from Birmingham University and student volunteer Mary from Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge. They'll be using liquid nitrogen, which is very cold and can be very dangerous. Chris has special liquid nitrogen safety training, and you should NOT do this experiment at home.

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What the England football team cost a nation

How much are all those england flags costing the nation? We find out with a car, a force meter and a stick.

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Freezing Objects in Liquid Nitrogen

Derek and Chris cool down various objects down to about -196°C and discover their properties have radically changed.

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