I Didn't Know That

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Science Documentary hosted by Vicki Butler Henderson, published by National Geographic in 2009 - English narration

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I Didn't Know That Industrial scientists Richard Ambrose and Jonny Phillips find extraordinary facts behind ordinary everyday objects. I Didn't Know That, an action-packed series exposes little-known facts about ordinary items we take for granted. From airbags to teabags, toothpaste to tea, and condoms to crash helmets, each episode is a mind-blowing cavalcade of crazy demonstrations and rarely-heard info about everyday stuff. Follow presenters Richard Ambrose and Jonny Phillips – two bona fide industrial scientists with an insatiable thirst for knowledge – on their quest to investigate how things are made, what's inside them, how they are tested and how they work. Are you an infomaniac?

[edit] Tyres

Richard and Jonny delve into the world of rubber to test tires. After whizzing around a track with a top stunt driver, they head to Dunlop’s testing chamber - The Burst Cell - to witness a Boeing 737 tire being over-inflated to destruction. From tires, onto toilets where we join a team of toilet sniffers who create fresh smells to annihilate malodors, plus see their 250 simultaneous flushing toilets designed to test cleaning products.Later, our duo finds out what’s inside a motorcycle helmet and follow the development of the ubiquitous paper clip. Finally, go behind-the-scenes at a plastic bottle factory to see how tiny plastic tubes become huge 2 liter pop bottles.

[edit] Glue

In a bid to find out all there is to know about glue, Richard and Jonny recreate the classic ‘flying man’ wallpaper paste TV ad by gluing Jonny to a board and dangling him from a crane above a pool of water. Find out how chairs are tested by robotic artificial human bottoms that each clock up 3.5 million ‘sit downs’ a month. Then Jonny slices open a plasma TV to see what’s inside, while Richard looks at the technology of modern bank notes and the bacteria they harbor. Finally, ever wondered how the writing gets into seaside rock? We show you how.

[edit] Batteries

Richard and Jonny find out all there is to know about batteries - from standard batteries to those powered by seawater, fruit and even…urine. Then they hit the racetrack to witness a world record land-speed attempt by a battery-powered milk float. Will it beat the current record of 73.39mph? Did you know that Nazi scientists created and marketed radioactive toothpaste? Or that it’s possible to make your own toothpaste? Richard experiments. Finally, Jonny slices open a cricket ball and we go behind-the-scenes at a tea manufacturer where each minute 2000 teabags are made.

[edit] Glass

Can high pitched singing really shatter glass? Our duo enlists the help of an opera singer before heading to a firing range to test the true resistance of bullet-proof glass. Also, find out about Bumper Harris, the one-legged man employed to travel on escalators in Edwardian London to demonstrate ease of usage. In ‘Testing Testing’ meet Sid the mannequin who is blasted daily with 1,000°C flames to test fireproof clothing. Then Jonny takes an angle grinder to a snooker ball to see what’s inside and we go behind the scenes at a soap factory.

[edit] Roads

Did you know that just 1km of three-lane motorway costs £13 million to build? But what are our roads made of and what makes them so strong? Our intrepid pair tests the durability of asphalt using a flame thrower, a high pressure water jet and finally, some petrol. Afterwards, we get walking at a boot factory where remote-controlled mechanical feet test water-proof capabilities and a real human endures temperatures of -40°C, all in the name of testing. Then Richard delves into the history of the telephone while Jonny takes his angle grinder to a catalytic converter to see what’s inside.

[edit] Magnets

Did you know that brakes on some vertical-drop fairground rides operate purely through electromagnetic induction? Richard and Jonny head to the fair to investigate, before visiting a scrapyard to demonstrate the incredible weight-lifting capabilities of a magnet powered by just four torch batteries. The guys then check out the magnetic suspension on a Ferrari and look at the future use of magnets in engine-free high speed, floating trains. But that’s not all, Richard finds out all there is to know about diamonds while Jonny tackles a gearbox with his angle grinder. Finally, we visit a chip manufacturer famous for creating the Cheese and Onion flavoured chip.

[edit] Paint

Richard and Jonny turn graffiti artists to test the properties of anti-graffiti paint. Then it’s off to the Humber Bridge for a spot of painting – little do they know it takes three years to paint the railings alone. Then it’s off to meet Keith, the man whose job it is to watch paint dry…literally! While Richard finds out all there is to know about a 1950s invention - car airbags, Jonny cuts open a pair of trainers. Then it’s off to a domestic fire alarm testing center to see how chip pan fires, petrol arson attacks and sofa fires are simulated to save lives. Finally, we head to an acoustic guitar workshop to see how nine different types of wood become a musical instrument.

[edit] Steel

Steel is one of the few manmade materials that is 100% recyclable - not only could your household cutlery be made of an old Victorian bridge or an old battleship, but after 9-11, NYC authorities dispatched thousands of tons of the wreckage around the world for recycling. Steel shipping containers can also be turned into surprisingly spacious and appealing housing as Jonny discovers on a visit to London’s Docklands. We also witness the super-strength of world record holder Manjit Singh who risks impalement to bend steel using his neck. Richard examines the trusty lawnmower invented by Englishman Edwin Budding and Jonny finds out about the amazing properties of Japanese Samurai swords before raising his grinder to some bathroom scales.

[edit] Water

To demonstrate the remarkable force of water, Richard and Jonny enlist some firemen to push their car using water jet force alone before trying their hand at some barefoot waterskiing. They then witness a machine that cuts through steel and rock with water propelled at 1000 meters a second – about the speed of a flying bullet. Then onto a floor testing facility, where real technicians walk on wet floors that increase in incline until they fall over. In a bid to find out how we spend £4 billion a year on chocolate in the UK, Richard tracks down a 2.5 ton Kit-Kat and a £140 truffle made for Madonna. Lastly we visit a Wellington boot factory where it takes just 6 minutes to make a wellie.

[edit] Plastic

Our duo examine the pros and cons of plastic including Bakelite, celluloid and Kevlar used in anti-stab material. Then there’s Teflon, this slippy plastic isn’t just used in frying pans, it’s also used for sledges, so the lads head to a ski slope to test its effectiveness. Using his angle grinder, Jonny attempts to see if it’s true that golf balls contain elastic bands. Meanwhile, on an investigation into the history of the humble brick, Richard meets a brickie who can lay 350 bricks per hour and attempts the sport of brick throwing. Finally, we visit a newspaper printing plant too see how 4.4 million papers are rolled off the press each week.