Beakman's World - s04e15 - Magic, Beakmania & Cosmetic Chemistry

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-11

[00:00:01]Dawn, what's with all those little pieces of paper stuck all over you?

[00:00:05]>> Well, I've been writing myself reminder notes.

[00:00:08]>> Uhhuh. And what do they say?

[00:00:09]>> Well, I don't know. Penguins can't read.

[00:00:12]>> Don't read my lips. Turn on Beakman, will you?

[00:00:15]>> Can you put that in writing?

[00:00:21]>> Fact. Recent scientific research tells us that the average temperature for a healthy human being is not 98.6, it's 98.2.

[00:00:36]Cool. I'm Beman and you've just broken into Beakman's world.

[00:00:48]Heat.

[00:01:08]Heat.

[00:01:22]Lester, what you got going there?

[00:01:26]>> Oh, a little masterpiece I call still life with pork rind. And here's your twist. The pork rind are not in the painting.

[00:01:38]Oh, >> I got a diaper loaded with answers.

[00:01:44]>> Change and talk me with a question, please. Phoebe >> powdery.

[00:01:50]Woo.

[00:01:53]Jeremy Bulat of Tallahassee, Florida writes, "Does levitation really exist?

[00:01:59]Yes or no?"

[00:02:02]>> Ah, levitation.

[00:02:05]SOMEBODY RISING AND FLOATING on thin air.

[00:02:09]WE live in a world full of magic. When wonderful unexpected things happen, we often call it magic.

[00:02:19]And when wonderful unexpected things happen in a motel, we often call it magic fingers.

[00:02:28]But if you're talking about someone up on a stage doing tricks, that's not really magic. That's illusion. Ooh.

[00:02:42]>> And in order to create an illusion, a magician uses science.

[00:02:51]>> Whoa. Whoa. I know where this is going.

[00:02:56]You're going to be the all powerful magician and I'm going to be the little bubble brain assistant. Hello. Just because I'm the girl. Do you know how demeaning that is?

[00:03:07]>> You're right, Phoebe Witch. Bothered and bewildered. If anyone is going to be demeaned around here, it certainly won't be you.

[00:03:18]And now, and now, the prince of prestigeation, the legend of legitimate, the maiden of magic, the great bikini.

[00:03:31]>> And now for my next illusion, I need a volunteer from the audience.

[00:03:40]>> It's you.

[00:03:41]>> Yes, dear. I can't believe I WAS BABE, reveal a magic table.

[00:03:53]>> The magic table.

[00:03:56]>> Young lady, if you lie down on a magic table, I will make you on a thin air.

[00:04:05]>> Oh, but great bikini, what if I don't want to float in thin air?

[00:04:12]>> Listen, honey. Life's funny. We don't always get what we want.

[00:04:22]BUT A PHOI go sleepy by when I say a magical words. Phoebe here going to rise up by a dingy by a boat.

[00:04:38]But I'm making it pho float.

[00:05:00]Tell us, great bikini, is this like a good deal? No strings attached?

[00:05:06]>> Yeah. How did YOU DO IT?

[00:05:09]>> WITH A LITTLE MAGIC, I call science.

[00:05:14]It looks like a Phoebe is lying on a thin air, but actually she's lying on this H- shaped doohickey here. The other side of the H has to be carefully rigged with weights that will keep her in a balance. These weights are called counter weights because they counter or work against the weight on the other side. The Hshaped thing hangs from a pulley. It allows somebody behind the stage to raise Phoebe up, creating the illusion of levitation.

[00:05:47]IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLY FOR the audience to see THE WHAT'SAB HERE that's holding her up.

[00:06:03]So Jeremy Bulat of Tallahassee FLA >> real magic is science as he's lying to Joe.

[00:06:12]>> Coming up next, Lester's lunch when he goes whisker to whisker with those disgusting animals. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PRETTY, so don't miss it.

[00:06:25]Bema's world will be right back.

[00:06:31]And now back to world.

[00:06:36]>> GET OUT THERE, WITNESS.

[00:06:38]>> Thank you.

[00:06:40]It's time to bring on the brain power.

[00:06:45]Here he is. The mercenary of the mercurial of leisure. The demon Wilson of the half Nelson. Elico el big men.

[00:07:00]You friskum.

[00:07:03]I'll whisk them.

[00:07:06]Let's soft shoe.

[00:07:20]>> Question.

[00:07:21]Raphael Anderson Ayes of Asunion Parelu writes, "How much power does a quartz watch use? Now, that question really ticks me off, but I'll answer it because it's my way of giving back to the question industry. How much energy does a quartz watch use?

[00:07:42]Two pipes.

[00:07:44]Correct answer. Quartz watches hardly use any energy at all. In fact, a million quartz watches use less power than a single nightlight.

[00:07:55]>> Question.

[00:07:56]What is the Guzman prize? The Guzzman Prize. That would be the annual prize awarded to the man who has the most goos.

[00:08:08]>> Wrong. The Guzman Prize goes to the first person who can prove that he or she has made contact with beings from another planet.

[00:08:19]>> It was first offered in France in 1901, and so far the prize has gone unclaimed.

[00:08:26]I think we should claim the prize, Herb.

[00:08:29]>> But we haven't had any contact with any other planets, Dawn.

[00:08:32]>> Well, the Mercury keeps falling here.

[00:08:35]>> You're right by Jupiter.

[00:08:39]>> I hear some beings from our planet you wouldn't want to contact. They creep.

[00:08:46]>> They crawl.

[00:08:47]>> They're ugly.

[00:08:48]>> That's all.

[00:08:49]>> It's time for those disgusting animals.

[00:08:54]Oh, it is a perfect day to be disgusted and there is no one I would rather be disgusted with than you.

[00:09:05]>> Thank you for joining me on those disgusting animals, lesser.

[00:09:09]>> Well, it's disgusting to be here, Phoebe the drum slowly. And I say, bring on your grotesque beast, for I will not bend. I will not break. I am Lester the Lionhearted.

[00:09:25]>> Oh, brave words, young Lester. But then again, I don't believe he's ever seen the naked mole rat.

[00:09:36]>> Oh, damn.

[00:09:40]Help. Help. Does anybody know CPR?

[00:09:43]>> I don't think so. I did know FDR, JFK, and of course, Ario Speed Wagon.

[00:09:50]Lester, meet the naked mole rat, which lives in underground colonies in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. They're the world's only coldblooded mammal and the only mammal that lives in a colony as ants, honeybees, and termites do. A queen mat bears all the young for her colony.

[00:10:15]And you'll like this, Lester. The other mole rats feed their waste products to the queen's offspring.

[00:10:23]>> Oh yes.

[00:10:24]>> And the naked mole rats are one of nature's most perfect eating machines.

[00:10:29]In laboratories, the naked mole rat has eaten through concrete.

[00:10:34]>> Hey, I'm afraid of getting plasted, but that's ridiculous.

[00:10:38]>> Thank you. Thank you.

[00:10:40]Now, although we kid that almost every other animal tastes like chicken, I think you'll find that the naked mole rat tastes like naked mole rat. Would you like a little ground pepper with that?

[00:10:59]>> I'm sorry. That wasn't ground pepper.

[00:11:01]Those were ground waste products.

[00:11:08]Well, I'm afraid we're out of time and naked mole rats for today. So, join us next time for >> those disgusting animals.

[00:11:21]Coming up next, she rocked the cradle of civilization and still found time to write the book on beauty and makeup.

[00:11:29]She's Cleopatra, so lipstick around.

[00:11:36]Man's world must now take a bigger break.

[00:11:41]And now back to Beman's world.

[00:11:46]>> Oh, my brain has an ingrown curiosity.

[00:11:49]Tweeze it with a question, baby.

[00:11:51]>> Plucking.

[00:11:56]>> Well, here's a real crowd. Tweezer Land by from Kingsburg, New Jersey.

[00:12:02]Rice. Dear Beakman, why does my mother call moles beauty marks? I call them ugly.

[00:12:10]>> Well, Lanne, here's the deal. She's your mother. She has to say nice things about you.

[00:12:19]>> Many people call them beauty marks.

[00:12:22]Moles are dark, bumpy spots on your skin that get their color from melanin.

[00:12:29]The same stuff that gives us our hair color, eye color, >> and our adorable freckles.

[00:12:37]>> Almost everyone has moles. In fact, the average adult has about 40. Of course, your mage may vary.

[00:12:47]>> So, why do they call them beauty marks?

[00:12:50]Hm. Maybe it's because women used to stick little decorative patches that look like moles on their faces to cover up zips.

[00:13:00]They called those marks on their face beauty marks because they thought they made them more beautiful. I have never looked lovely.

[00:13:11]>> Well, throughout the centuries, people have had different ideas about what is beautiful. And science has always been there to help people look their best.

[00:13:21]>> Without the science of chemistry, there would be no cosmetology.

[00:13:26]>> That's the study of cosmetics.

[00:13:28]>> Both words come from the Greek word cosmeticos.

[00:13:32]>> Oh boy. The scientific mysteries of eyeliner revealed at last.

[00:13:40]Woo! We are really scraping the bottom of the beak barrel now. Perhaps a fascinating woman of science could get your attention, Lester.

[00:13:51]So, here she is. One of history's greatest makeup artists and make out artists.

[00:13:58]>> She ruled all of Egypt and still found time to write one of the very first books on cosmetics.

[00:14:04]>> She romanced Mark Anthony. She made Julius Caesar. Put your powder PUFFS TOGETHER FOR CLEOPATRA.

[00:14:16]>> Excuse me for spudging in, but I uh overheard you talking about cosmetics.

[00:14:24]>> Boy, could you use some?

[00:14:28]>> You're making me blush.

[00:14:30]>> You're making me boss.

[00:14:33]>> Oh, touché.

[00:14:35]Oh, goddess of Osiris.

[00:14:38]Oh, ruler of all you survey. We're sorry for interrupting your death, but we need to know the makeup of makeup.

[00:14:48]>> After death meant, >> don't mind if I don't.

[00:14:54]>> So, your highness, please tell us about cosmetics.

[00:14:59]>> Citly.

[00:15:01]Cosmetics include lotions, creams, shampoos, powders, soaps, and something he's obviously unfamiliar with.

[00:15:13]Perfumes.

[00:15:15]>> Oh, contr queen of queens. I have just created a fragrance of my own.

[00:15:22]>> White diamonds.

[00:15:26]>> No, black beans.

[00:15:29]>> Pardon my asking, my dairy queen, but what is your beauty secret? Mine's infrequent baths and plenty of them.

[00:15:41]>> I find that clean, clear skin is the key TO MAKING A SALAD out of Caesars. I'm always on the lookout for new beauty creams.

[00:15:54]Would you like to mix up a little of my latest?

[00:15:58]>> Oh, what a beautiful idea.

[00:16:01]>> THAT QUEEN DEMO. UNLESS you are a dead Egyptian queen. Don't try this. You could really burn yourself. Well, uh, take it away, Cleo.

[00:16:12]>> Uh, Patra, your royal highness.

[00:16:14]>> Yeah.

[00:16:15]First, we heat a little beeswax and a little mineral oil until the wax is completely melted.

[00:16:24]>> Hey, big boy. I'm a queen. Okay.

[00:16:26]>> Oh, yes. Sorry, your royal straight flushingness.

[00:16:40]Next, mix borax with um boiling water and pour it into the oil wax mixture.

[00:17:04]And a few drops of perfume and you've got something that cleans your skin and smells delish.

[00:17:16]>> Try some cold cream.

[00:17:21]It makes my hand kissably soft.

[00:17:25]No.

[00:17:29]>> Well, that's my ride.

[00:17:39]>> To your Purple Mountains Majesty.

[00:17:43]>> You know, Cleopatra made cold cream by mixing oil and water together.

[00:17:48]>> Oh, don't be ridiculous. Everybody knows it's impossible to mix oil and water.

[00:17:54]lecturer to beman. Impossible is a fourletter word.

[00:17:59]>> Well, we combine things that don't naturally go together. That's called >> an emulsion.

[00:18:08]>> And you use >> an emulsifier to keep the two things that don't want to go together.

[00:18:17]>> Cold cream is an emotion of water and oil. When we mixed together the borax and the beeswax, that created an emulsifier called soap. The soap wrapped itself around tiny droplets of water, and these soap covered water droplets were suspended in the oil.

[00:18:35]>> THAT'S HOW WE GOT OIL and water to mix into the emotion we call >> cold cream.

[00:18:43]>> There are lots of other emotions, too.

[00:18:46]>> Well, isn't mayonnaise an emotion?

[00:18:49]>> OH. PULL THE MAIL OUT. Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil and vinegar, which don't ordinarily mix, but they do when you add the emulsifier I like to call egg yolk.

[00:19:02]Other everyday emotions include paints, and motor oil.

[00:19:06]>> Some medicines, face creams, lotions, moisturizers, and lip balms.

[00:19:12]>> And don't forget one of nature's finest emotions, milk. Milk is an emulsion of butter fat in water.

[00:19:21]>> And the emulsifier that keeps those two amigos together is a protein called >> casein.

[00:19:30]>> So lan by from Kingsburg, New Jersey.

[00:19:34]>> Emulsions help us every day in every way.

[00:19:38]>> So walk the hay.

[00:19:44]James Michael and Maggie Hoffman from Wakaaw, Wisconsin. Right, dear Beakman, why do ships call mayday when they're in trouble? Why don't they just call help like everybody else? Well, we'll sail and answer your way after this.

[00:20:03]>> Beman's World. We'll be right back.

[00:20:08]And now back to Beakman's World.

[00:20:13]Why do ships signal Mayday when they're in trouble?

[00:20:18]>> Well, it has nothing to do with the first day in May.

[00:20:22]>> Can't anything ever be easy around here?

[00:20:27]>> IT COMES FROM THE FRENCH DAY, which means aid me or help me.

[00:20:34]>> Oh, okay. Then med with a little lunch ceu.

[00:20:53]>> You know, Herb, we're a lot like an emotion.

[00:20:55]>> How's that, Don?

[00:20:56]>> Well, we're so different and yet we stay together.

[00:20:59]>> Yeah, I'm stuck with you. All right, but tell me, what do you think is the emulsifier that keeps us together? An ironclad contract with no escape clause.

[00:21:08]>> And speaking of contracts, the fine prince says we have to turn off Beakman.

[00:21:12]>> I never read that part.

[00:21:25]Heat.

[00:21:39]Heat.