Ta-da!
-Answer Time -Answer Time!
-It's StoryBots: Answer Time -Answer Time!
They live in your computer And they've got a job to do
They're all about learning And they make it fun too
-And when you have a question -They'll answer it for you
It's StoryBots: Answer Time
Answer Time!
-Hey there! -How's it going?
Hey, Bing. What is the strongest animal in the world?
Great question! Let's see.
The dung beetle can pull over 1,100 times its own weight.
That would be like a human moving 60,000 kilograms!
Whoa. Is that guy pushing a giant ball of--
Wow, thanks for calling in! That was a great question.
Hey, StoryBots. What's the fastest car in the whole world?
Let me check.
Wow! The fastest car in the world can go 508 kilometres per hour.
Whoa, that's super fast!
-Bet I could go faster! Huh?
Watch this!
Yeah!
Whoa!
I am okay!
Boop.
Everybody, a Level Three question!
Like, hello?
-Is that a mushroom? -I think so.
StoryBots! I'm so glad to get through to you.
Hello, Ms. Mushroom. What can we do for you today?
I don't know, Bo. I've just been feeling really sad lately.
Is it because you spend all that time growin' in the dark?
I guess I do, but-- That's not it.
Is it because the dirt you grow in is stinky?
No, that's not it either.
The dirt might be stinky, but it's full of nutrients.
So, what is the problem, Ms. Mushroom?
Well, StoryBots, I'm calling today because--
Because--
Because kids don't like me!
Kids don't like me! They think I'm yucky!
They think I'm stinky!
They think I'm gross, StoryBots!
Ms. Mushroom. I'm sure kids would love you if they got to know you.
No. They think I'm a stinky mushroom, and they always will!
Well, on the bright side, Ms. Mushroom, it's not just you.
A lot of kids don't like any vegetables.
Hey, I'm not a vegetable, Bang.
I'm a fungus.
A fungus? What's that?
It's a classification of organisms that includes yeasts, mildews, and moulds.
I don't think that's a selling point.
Boop.
Anyway, I just want kids to love me.
Love me the way they love pizza, ice cream, candy,
and all that other good stuff.
Oh, man. You'd have to be super tasty to get that kind of love.
That's why I called!
I need to learn how taste works so I can make myself taste better.
Then I'll be loved by kids everywhere.
Okay, gang. Do any of us know any taste experts?
Chef Pierre is the most famous chef there is.
He's got to know something about how taste works.
-Chef Pierre! That's a great idea! -Great idea!
Please hurry, StoryBots!
I'm sick of having to slather myself in butter and salt to get people to like me.
Don't worry, Ms. Mushroom. We are on the job.
Answer Time!
Hey, StoryBots. What is a hiccup?
What is a hiccup? Well, it's quite simple, really.
Inside every person is a muscle called the diaphragm.
It sits between the stomach area and the chest.
Sometimes, for reasons still unknown,
it twitches, resulting in a loud noise that sounds--
Well, kind of like that, actually.
And like that too.
Oh my.
Hi, StoryBots. Can you tell me a fun fact?
Fun Fact number 314,159,265.
Did you know that ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone?
Psst. Are you awake?
Yeah. I can't sleep.
Me neither. Want to have a pillow fight?
Ah, you're on.
Bad idea.
Next stop, Chef Pierre's fancy restaurant.
No! Wrong!
Put the ingredients in the bowl and then mix!
Use flour, not flowers!
The biggest band in the world has decided to eat Pierre's food,
so it must be perfect! Hmm?
What is the meaning of this?
Are you kidding--?
This is unacceptable!
Chef Pierre! He's out cold!
Does this go in the fridge or the toaster?
A pinch of salt, or a cup?
Who will be head chef now?
Excuse me. Can anyone--
This is missing something, no?
I know what it needs. Gumdr--
-Got them. -I forgot about the stove!
Phew.
I know how to fix this!
Perfect.
Ah, the beef bourguignon?
No, it's my special spaghetti with maple syrup and hot dogs.
My eyes!
Huh?
What is the meaning of this?
Who are you?
-I'm sorry. I'm Bo, and-- -What are you doing to my restaurant?
I was just trying to help.
I actually only came here to find out how taste works.
Well, Miss Bo,
I don't know how people taste food, I just know how to make it delicious,
which you clearly know nothing about.
Okay, who made that wild meal?
It was her! Bo! She made everything you ate.
Chef Bo?
Yes, but I can explain. See, I rushed in and--
Fantastic food!
Huh?
I'm the manager of the hit rock band The Taste Buds.
My clients had to get ready for their concert,
but they wanted to give their compliments to the chef and tell them the food rocked!
Here's a backstage pass for our show to say thanks.
Oh, wow! Thank you.
Keep on rockin' in the food world. Hope to see ya later!
The Taste Buds, huh?
Well, they have "taste" in their name. Maybe they'll know how taste works.
Sorry about your kitchen, Chef Pierre, but I've got a concert to go to.
Bye-bye! Bye-bye now!
Hmm. We need more gumdrops!
And where are the smiling faces on these dishes?
Hi, StoryBots!
What is poison, and what is venom?
We now return to Dr. Bill.
Please welcome my next guest, Ms. Rattlesnake.
Thanks for having me on, Dr. Bill.
Now, let's get down to brass tacks here. Are you or are you not poisonous?
I am not poisonous.
I find that really hard to believe.
We are not poisonous, but we are venomous.
Now, how is that different from poisonous?
'Cause I tell you what, that sounds like the same thing.
Well, I'll--
You're tellin' me these aren't two peas from the same pod?
Well, you see--
Sounds to me like they're from the same area code.
-They are different, because-- -Well, explain it to us.
Okay. Poison--
-We're waitin' to hear this difference. -I am trying to--
An aardvark with lipstick is still an aardvark. Am I right?
Silence!
I'm trying to tell you.
"Poisonous" is a word used for organisms that release poisons when you eat them,
like poisonous berries.
"Venomous" is a word used for organisms that inject their venom
when they bite or sting, which is what I do,
along with other animals like bees.
Actually, that does make a lotta dolgarn sense.
Stay tuned for my next guest, an ape who claims he's not a monkey.
What is this world coming to?
I'm a sleek and scaly slithering snake
I've got a bad, bad bite Make no mistake
Some say it's full of poison But really it's not
'Cause "venom" is the word For the stuff I've got
There's a difference In the way that the two get in
You see, poison is swallowed Or absorbed through the skin
There are poisonous berries And mushrooms too
Don't play in poison ivy Whatever you do
But venom like mine Isn't quite the same thing
It's injected in a bite or a sting
There's venom in the stinger Of a wasp or bee
And the fangs of a dangerous snake like me
That's venom
Not poison, but venom
Next stop, StoryBots Amphitheatre.
Taste Buds. Manager speaking. Mm-hmm. Oh, yeah?
Looks like we're rocking tonight, Buds.
Chef Bo! Glad you made it.
Did you say "Chef Bo"?
Bud, how'd you get your food to taste so wild?
I don't know anything about taste.
I actually came here to find out how taste works.
Well, you've come to the right place.
Buds, want to tell our chef here about how you represent the five flavours
known to rock a person's taste buds?
Gladly.
I'm salty, like hot chips!
Sour, like a lemon!
I'm bitter, like grapefruit and Brussels sprouts!
Sweet, like fruits and ice cream!
And I'm umami, the band's newest member.
It's the savoury flavour of meat or tomatoes.
And we are…
The Taste Buds!
So cool!
But wait! How do those five flavours tie into how people taste things?
Stay and rock out, and I think you'll find your answer.
StoryBots, are you ready to rock?
One, two, three, four!
When you bite into a sandwich Or a pizza pie
And you're tasting something yummy There are reasons why
-You've got -Taste buds!
Those are bundles of cells On your tongue and in your throat
And other places as well
When you chew your food And saliva mixes in
It washes over your taste buds And they begin
To analyse what chemicals The food contains
Then they send the information To your brain
There are a few tastes That your taste buds recognise
We know at least five
There's salty, sour, bitter, sweet
-And umami -That's a savoury taste like meat.
Tastes combine in different ways Like sweet and sour in lemonade
Or salty and umami in a hearty stew
That's a part of the way That you taste your food
Taste your food!
Well, that's some of the story But there's more to tell
Another part of tasting Is your sense of smell
Your food releases chemicals While you chew
They flow into your nose And when they do
They meet with special cells Up in your nose
Olfactory receptors is the name of those
And like your taste buds Signal to your brain
Your olfactory receptors do the same
Your brain puts together All the signals that come through
From your nose and your taste buds too
It figures out the tastes That you've had before
And knows what you're eating And if you want more
Like a taco or spaghetti or barbecue
That's the awesome way That you taste your food
Taste your…
I said that's the awesome way That you taste your food, yeah
Taste your…
I said that's the awesome way That you taste your food
-Taste your… -Hey! Hey! Hey!
I said that's the awesome way That you taste your food
That really rocked!
Thank you for teaching me about how taste works!
Don't mention it. See you later, Bo.
-Bye-bye! -Thanks for coming to our show!
Bye! Goodbye-- Oh, wait.
I'm actually going that way, so if you could all just--
Yes. Thank you. Goodbye! Goodbye, now! Bye-bye!
Welcome, class.
Today we will demonstrate how taste works with the TasteTron 5000.
As we see here,
humans have special cells in places like their mouths and noses
that help them taste food.
Observe what happens when my assistant Gopher feeds the TasteTron 5000 some food.
When people chew, their teeth break up the food
and saliva washes it over the taste buds.
These taste buds then analyse the chemicals in the food
and send signals about them to the brain.
These signals typically fall into five tastes:
salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and umami.
Taste buds in the mouth don't do all the work alone.
Olfactory receptors in the nose also send signals to the brain.
The brain relies on these signals to decide whether to keep chewing
or to spit the food out
and opt for something else.
No! Gopher, stop this!
And that's how taste works.
Stop! Just stop.
Hello! Ms. Mushroom? Can you hear me?
Bo! I'm so glad you're back. Did you find out how people taste food?
I certainly did, but I'm not sure it's going to help.
Don't worry. I'm tougher than I look. I promise I can handle it.
What do you got for me?
Well, people have special cells in their mouths and noses
that analyse the chemicals released from food.
Those cells send signals to the brain to figure out the flavour of the food.
So, to taste better,
I need to change the chemicals that are released when I'm chewed? What?
How am I supposed to do that?
I don't know if you can.
But why change yourself at all, dude?
Yes! You can learn to love yourself for who you are.
And how you taste.
And don't forget, people's tastes are changing all the time.
That kid that doesn't like mushrooms today may love you next month, or next year!
Boop.
There's, like, tons of adults that love mushrooms.
And kids grow into adults!
-Yeah, that's true! -That's really true. Yeah.
You're right, StoryBots.
I guess I never really thought about it like that.
I'm a stinky little mushroom, and I'm proud!
That's the spirit!
Thank you, StoryBots! I feel so much better.
I'm ready to show the world who I really am!
I'm a stinky mushroom
I'm a stinky mushroom!