How, what, where, why? What, where, why?
Ada Twist, scientist
She’s gonna find out what the answer is
Under here, over there
Science is everywhere you look
With Iggy Peck, architect
And Rosie Revere, engineer
So much to do and you can help too!
A mystery, a riddle, a puzzle or a quest
There are wonders to discover And hypotheses to test
Science is the best!
Ada Twist, scientist
She’s gonna find out what the answer is
Everywhere science is She’s forming a hypothesis
Connecting all the dots ’Cause this is Scientist Ada Twist!
Six, seven, eight.
Yep, that should be enough chairs for the audience. Nice design work, Iggy.
All we need now is for someone to make a big entrance.
I’m here!
Are the programmes ready? Snacks? Tickets? What time does the audience get here?
I’m usually the one with all the questions.
Sorry. Since I’ve been taking piano lessons with my Great Aunt Rose,
I’ve gotten really good.
I can’t wait for our first ever
Saturday-afternoon living-room concert recital.
I’m excited too.
I’m nervous. And excited! But mostly nervous.
Well, everything’s ready.
Chairs, tickets, programmes and our instruments, of course.
My musical beakers. Where music meets science.
And my Boom-Boom Blaster. Isn’t it beautiful?
It’s like a skyscraper made of drums. Call me Iggy Peck, drum architect.
For me, it’s less about the loudness and more about the design.
-Heya! -Morning, hon.
This is a sharp-looking piano, Mr and Mrs T.
Ought to be able to play a real nice, bouncy C.
That’s how my Great Aunt Rose talks about music.
It’s so nice to see this old thing get some use.
Remember how you used to serenade me?
I still do, baby
Your concert got me thinking.
I might wanna dig out my old bass from the garage,
have a little Saturday-morning jam.
Sounds delicious. Make mine strawberry with toast.
My dad means a musical jam, Iggy.
When you make music up on the spot, just for fun.
That’s awesome, and disappointing at the same time.
-I’ll get you some strawberry jam. -Nice! Thanks, Mr Twist.
One hour, everybody. One hour.
Did your brother turn into a human alarm clock?
No, he just promised to be our stage manager.
As long as I get to open the show with some of my magic.
I’m gonna pull a rabbit out of this hat.
One hour.
One hour? Oh my gosh. I hope I practised enough.
That’s forever from now.
-So let’s rehearse while we wait. -Okay. I can get my nerves out.
I don’t know exactly how that works, but my mum always says it.
Great thinking. First, we need a running order.
No one said anything about running.
No, a running order is who plays first, second and third.
We could all play together.
But then the audience won’t get to see each of our talents.
Iggy, you’ll go first.
Your Boom-Boom Blaster will really wake up the crowd.
But everybody will already be awake.
It doesn’t have to be too loud, right?
-Maybe I can just show it off. -Ada will play her musical beakers next.
DJ Beakers in the lab.
Then I’ll play.
I’ve been practising for weeks, and I’m really good.
When I play, it’s like my fingers are dancing across the keys.
Like I’m two-stepping over the ivories.
Like this.
Where did all my talent go?
Aunt Rose is gonna be so disappointed when she hears me.
Know what might help? Science.
We could solve this problem using a scientific method.
Scientific method
We have an observation
So we’ll start with a question
-Do research -Form a hypothesis
And test with experiments
What did we find out?
Let’s draw a conclusion
And write it all down And pass around the results
That’s the scientific method
To start, we’ll need--
A hippo-sis-sissi-mist!
A hypothesis. We’re going to imagine an explanation.
I’ve got a hypothesis. Frogs.
-Frogs? -Go on.
One time when I was sick, I sounded really funny,
and my mum said I had frogs in my throat!
So maybe some got into the piano.
Let’s test your hypothesis by looking inside.
Nope. No frogs.
Just dust.
Or wicked fairy dust?
Maybe a fairy who hates music
could be trying to stop our recital by sprinkling bad fairy dust everywhere.
Interesting theory. Let’s test it.
There. No more dust. Go ahead, Rosie. Play something.
Guess it wasn’t wicked fairy dust after all. I was so sure.
Maybe it’s my fingers. Great Aunt Rose always talks about limbering them up.
That must be it. Your fingers aren’t warmed up.
So we’ve just got to give them a good workout.
My fingers are in tip-top shape.
We tried everything.
If we could just see what was wrong, then we could fix it.
Just leave me here and do the recital around me.
Come on, Rosie! Scientists don’t quit. We’ve got grit.
Here comes the Jelly-Jiggler.
Why is the Jelly-Jiggler jiggling?
The more important question is what’s that sound and why is it getting louder?
It’s a unicorn-a-saurus!
Take cover!
Kids, I don’t think that’s a unicorn-a-saurus.
It’s just your dad warming up his bass in the garage.
Your dad can make his bass sound like a unicorn-a-saurus? Cool!
Or the sound of dad’s bass was making the Jelly-Jiggler jiggle.
This we’ve got to see.
-Hey, kids. -Hi, Dad!
The sound of Dad’s bass is making the Jelly-Jiggler jiggle.
I read about this and took some notes
in my big book of discoveries and inventions.
Come on.
Hey, where are you going?
It’s been a while, but I didn’t think I was that bad.
Loading the lab.
Here are my notes.
Sound pushes tiny air molecules around, which turns them into sound waves.
Neat trick.
But we usually can’t see the waves, because they’re teeny.
But Dad’s bass is so loud
that the sound waves hit the Jelly-Jiggler so hard it jiggles.
Like this.
Too bad we can’t see the sound of Rosie’s playing.
Then we could figure out why it’s so bad.
-Sorry, Rosie. -Hey, it’s the truth, Ruth.
Iggy, you’re a genius.
-I am? -Own it, Iggy.
I mean, I am. I am!
Why?
Because maybe there is a way we can see Rosie’s music.
With an oscilloscope.
Of course! An oh-silly-oh-scope.
I mean, oh-sill-oh… Nope, that’s not it.
An oscilloscope. A machine that shows sound as lines on a monitor.
I’ll design a simple one we can make.
Looks like we can make it with… Let’s see.
An old smartphone, a TV, an umbrella…
and three jellybeans.
-What are the jellybeans for? -My mouth.
Let’s get to work!
Great job, you two. Now let’s put this oscilloscope to work.
Okay, Rosie. Ready when you are.
Ten minutes till showtime.
-What?! How did that get in there? -We’ve got to hurry.
The oscilloscope’s working.
But is that what music is supposed to look like?
It’s so wonky.
Dad, play something funky.
You are in luck. “Funky” is my middle name.
Now, that looks more musical.
That means it’s in tune.
See how the curved lines follow a pattern? That’s how you can tell.
That is so cool!
Now you, Rosie.
Those two sounds look totally different.
Mr Twist’s funky music makes smooth lines
and the piano music makes wonky lines.
The smooth lines mean the bass is in tune,
so those wonky lines must mean the piano’s out of tune.
Yes, that’s what it looks like, and sounds like.
Yay! It’s not me or my talent.
We can fix this.
We just have to tighten the strings the right amount
till the piano is in tune.
Give me a bouncy C, Rosie.
That should do it. Play something.
-Yay! -I’m back!
The audience is here. Zero minutes, people. Zero minutes.
It’s showtime.
Yup.
-Nice. -Nice!
Ladies and gentlemen, there’s been a last-minute change.
Instead of playing solos, my friends and I will play as a group.
That’s how we solved a big problem today.
And that’s how we work best. Together.
-So we’d better get the toast. -Why?
Because it’s time to jam!
But not too hard.
-Hey! All right! -Yeah!
-Okay! -Yeah!
I have an idea. Let’s meet another scientist. Come on.
Hi, I’m Susan Miziker.
And I’m Doctor Avila. We’re both doctors of audiology.
We’re here today to talk about how the ear works
and how you hear sound waves.
People come to us when they have a hearing-related problem.
We measure how people hear.
Whether you can hear soft whispers…
Hi. How are you?
…or loud sounds!
So the sound, as I’m talking, travels all the way into…
-My ear. -Right there.
The ear funnels the sound to the eardrum.
The eardrum vibrates with the sound wave,
and then the little bones that are attached behind the eardrum
send that vibration into the inner ear.
That’s where the cochlea is.
The cochlea’s very special
because it turns the vibrations of sound into signals that are sent to the brain
so that the brain knows what you are hearing.
Fun fact!
Earwax is actually good for you.
It protects you from particles of dust, and bacteria and fungal infections.
Even insects from getting into your ear.
Wasn’t that cool? Science is the best!
Just a few more colours and this unicorn painting will be done.
Unicorns love colour!
Dance floor is almost ready.
And party hats are almost glittery enough.
Mooshu, you’re part of the glitterati now.
Now it’s stuck to my finger.
Why can’t you ever get glitter off your finger?
-That’s a question for “The Why Files.” -Great question.
I have a question. Why does it look like a rainbow crashed into our back garden?
We’re having a party for…
Intergalactic Unicorn Day!
Never heard of it. Does it have to have every colour in the rainbow? And confetti?
The colours are rule number one for Intergalactic Unicorn Day.
The confetti is Rosie Rule number one for life.
Rule number two of Intergalactic Unicorn Day,
you have to have a unicorn picnic outside.
And rule number three,
you have to do a unicorn dance called…
The Unicorn Stampede!
-Hey! -Oops.
That was kind of fun.
You should come, Arthur.
Yeah. Unicorns love people.
The more, the merrier. That’s just basic maths.
Maybe. I’m gonna get some tennis practice in before it rains.
Makes sense. You wouldn’t want to get caught in the…
Rain?
Look at those clouds.
Well, not all clouds are rain clouds, right?
-Right. But those are. -How do you know?
Because those are nimbostratus clouds.
Nimbo-what-us?
Nimbostratus. They’re low, grey and spread flat across the sky.
When they show up, it usually means there’s going to be a lot of…
Rain! Quick, pack it up.
Looks like everything’s still in good shape for the party.
What party? We can’t have a party in the rain.
Why not? Little known fact about unicorns.
They love the rain.
Or at least I do.
What’s not to love?
I mean, the moisture in the air forms clouds.
Those turn into rain, and that’s so amazing.
But our stuff will get all wet, and so will we.
Maybe there’s a way to have our party in the rain without getting wet.
We need a brainstorm.
A rainstorm brainstorm!
Brainstorm, brainstorm
Throw in every thought you had No idea is ever bad
Brainstorm, brainstorm
Gather up your friends And try to find the how, the what, the why
Brainstorm, brainstorm
Let our imaginations Become great new creations
When we brainstorm, brainstorm Brainstorm, brainstorm
Hey!
What if we made a rain-away machine?
Nice!
But building that might take a while,
and Intergalactic Unicorn Day will be over.
Then all this would be for nothing.
So we need something else.
We can make a tent out of umbrellas.
But what about the spaces between the umbrellas?
Definitely too holey.
But we could make a big umbrella tent.
Less holey, so the rain won’t fall on top of us.
But rain could blow in through the sides.
-Yeah, gotcha. -True.
We need to build something that covers us.
-Like a shed? -Yeah!
-That’d work. I’ll start building now. -Hold your unicorns, Rosie.
We can’t start building yet. We need to design it first.
You know, think it through, make a plan, draw it out.
You’re right. I was super excited. Got way ahead of myself.
And that’s what we love about you.
Maybe a square shed. Big enough for a Unicorn Stampede.
With a slanted roof. I love how they look.
How’s this?
-Love it. -Looks great.
So can I build it now?
-Yeah. -Yup.
Yeah!
After we get our rain gear.
-Amazing. -Our rain shed is done.
I love it. Let’s test it.
We have a dance floor for the wet ground.
And a picnic blanket.
Looks like we can have a picnic.
Fab! We need to test the walls to see if they can take a…
Unicorn Stampede!
The walls are caving in.
Quick! Out of the way! Prance, unicorns, prance!
-Yikes! -Oh boy.
-Bad news, we need another shed. -Is there good news?
Puddles!
Guys, I know what we need for our new shed.
We should put beams up shaped like an “X,” like that.
They’re called crossbeams. They’ll support the walls.
My Great Aunt Rose taught me when we built my dollhouse.
-Yeah! -Yes!
Now complete with crossbeams and a stylish flat roof.
I love how they look.
Me too. Let’s test it.
First, picnic.
So far, so good. Roomy and dry.
Next, the Unicorn Stampede dance.
The walls didn’t cave in!
Roof falling.
Can’t move!
Iggy!
Phooey. I really thought that was going to work.
-I thought so too. -Let’s dry off and think about this.
We made two sheds, but neither of them worked.
And if we don’t fix it, we’re gonna miss Intergalactic Unicorn Day.
Hey, we’re scientists, right?
-Right. -Yeah.
-And do scientists quit? -No.
’Cause we’ve got grit!
Grit? Yeah!
-I don’t know if I do. -You do.
Let’s look at what went wrong so we can figure out how to make it right.
Hey, now you’re speaking my language.
-Loading the lab. -Awesome!
Okay, we recreated the sheds. Let’s check them out.
-On my shed, the walls fell in. -Right.
And on my shed, the walls stayed up, but the roof collapsed.
So why didn’t Rosie’s walls cave in?
Maybe ’cause I used crossbeams. But why did the roof collapse?
Rosie’s roof was flat,
so all the rain collected on top, then it got too heavy and collapsed.
The slanted roof was more than just a cool design, Iggy.
It let the water roll off it.
I think I just connected the polka dots.
Both sheds had stuff that worked and stuff that didn’t,
so what if we build a shed using the walls from Rosie’s to make it strong
and the roof from Iggy’s so the water rolls off?
I like that.
Me too. Let’s hurry so we can still enjoy…
Intergalactic Unicorn Day!
-Yeah! -Let’s do it.
Awesome possum!
-Yes! -Let’s test it out.
It’s perfect for a picnic.
And now, the moment of truth.
Unicorn Stampede!
Hey, the walls aren’t falling over.
-And the roof is staying put. -Oh, wow!
Nice! Let’s finish setting up.
Oh no, Rosie.
The rain smudged your painting.
It looks even better. Unicorns love when colours mix together.
It’s more magical.
Hey, cool shed.
Want to come in, Arthur?
-Sure. -You need a party hat.
One for you too, Mooshu!
Ada, could you please pass the rainbow sparkles?
These rainbow sparkles are delicious. Must be in season.
I could use some… sparkly rainbow juice!
Sparkling rainbow juice is so refreshing.
Mooshu wants some too.
Now, I think it’s time for the…
Unicorn Stampede!
I have an idea. Let’s meet another scientist. Come on.
Hi, I’m Eletrice Harris and I’m an architect.
Today, I’m gonna show you one of the houses I designed.
Let’s go!
Any building or structure that you walk into,
an architect has designed it.
It could be a hospital, a school, a library, your home.
So for every structure that we design, we do a set of plans,
and these are called blueprints.
And so the blueprints, it shows the walls, it shows the windows,
it shows the doors.
We even put in where the toilet should be.
Just like we have skeletons in our body, buildings have the same thing.
We call this our skeletal frame.
One of the most important things when building a structure or a house
is to make sure it will withstand the elements.
The rain, the wind, storms.
So the two structural components that are important to making a structure sound
are the beams, which are horizontal,
and columns that are vertical.
This is what a doorway looks like in plan,
and this is what it looks like when we frame it out.
So this would be our beam and these are our posts for the doorway.
So here’s a finished product of a doorway.
And if you could imagine that that beam is across the top
and the posts are along the sides.
Fun fact!
Architecture was a part of the Olympics.
To compete, you had to design a sports-related structure.
Wasn’t that cool? Science is the best!