In this spooky edition of Super Science, Drew and the Exploratorium's Science Educator Zeke Kossover test physics (and bravery!) through two terrifying experiments.
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"We're going to swing something heavy towards your head, and then we're going to see how tough your feet are," said Kossover. "Lots of things seem scary, but when you understand the science behind them, then you can discover that they really aren't that scary at all."
The first experiment included a bowling ball with added spikes. The ball was suspended from a fixed point and lifted towards Drew's face, so that it could swing back under the influence of gravity -- like a pendulum.
After releasing it, the ball did not strike Drew on its way back, thanks to the laws of physics.
"When we let the ball go, that gravitational energy gets converted into kinetic energy, the energy of motion," explained Kossover. "It only has the same amount of energy it started with, so it can only get up on the other side as high as it started, never higher."
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In the second experiment, Drew stood barefoot on a sharp pile of glass without injury. The reason? With bodyweight spread over many sharp edges, no one edge is pressing with much force to cause harm.
"In October, especially, we have the changing of the seasons, we have Halloween...these opportunities for fear and the unknown, and for us, the unknown comes with science," described Exploratorium Program Developer Sam Sharkland.
He added, "All the programs that we offer provide a chance for people to step a little bit out of their comfort zone into the things that are unknown or scary to them, and give them the opportunity to learn at the same time."
Visit the Exploratorium's After Dark Events in October! For more information, visit here.