Boomerang! Episodes » science

Episode 41 Featuring Richard Feynman and The Money Mess

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:57:53 +0000

Richard Feynman won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1965. But it was his teaching style that made him famous. You’ll hear his trademark humor and storytelling in this Turning Points interview with Laura… Big Talk: What about the ketchup on the shirt?… Tucker Jones works with an old nemesis to find out who filched Mickey Mantle’s baseball… Regulation, democracy, greed — in The Big Idea, Hayley and the King of Complicated Stuff take on the incredible world money mess … Jonathan Lebed was a typical teen-ager except for the fact that he made a half million bucks in the stock market. Natalie tells his story… On this issue’s Power-up, August takes to dog training to save his pet… Clodagh raises her voice about beans — or the lack of them.

Episode 33 Featuring Nikola Tesla and Globalization I

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:49:08 +0000

Big Talk: Does your Dad ever help you BEFORE you ask for (and need) it?… Nikola Tesla is not exactly a famous kind of guy. He should be though. On Turning Points Laura goes back in time to discover why… Now you can learn to count to 10 in Italian!!!… Boom Radio: Ring tones, ring tones, get your ring tones… The Schmave runs into a young girl running for President of the United States on SCHMAVE’S ELEVATOR… In her Power-up, Natalie takes over the house… King of the World? Not for much longer. Hayley and the King poke underneath the weird concept of world trade on The Big Idea… News Update: Forget about changing your socks from now on… You know what torque is right? Don’t worry — no one else does either. Widget and Whack help explain the idea in their own unique way.

Episode 32 Featuring Pablo Neruda and Immigration

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:46:01 +0000

Big Talk: Why do parents insist on finishing what they’re doing before they help?… Turning Points: Pablo Neruda was a poet who happened to get involved in international politics. Laura goes back in time to speak with this Chilean wordsmith… On Boom Radio, Clodagh is licking her chops about new software applications…. Dave Schmave tells the story about a doctor who needs a bit of Schmave’s medicine… You never know when you’re going to have to count to ten in French… Immigration laws may decide who becomes our next President. On The Big Idea, Hayley & the King of Complicated Stuff discuss this complex subject and tell the tale of one illegal immigrant… Natalie makes her room REALLY her room on Power-up… Widget and Whack turn to physics to discover what killed Spiderman’s girlfriend.

Episode 30 Featuring Sitting Bull, Spying and Privacy

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:06:32 +0000

Big Talk: Do you drop the hammer on that “special dish”?… Turning Points: Sitting Bull was the last great chief of the buffalo-hunting Sioux. Laura goes back in time to speak with him at the moment of his greatest sorrow … Boom Radio: Word meanings DO change you know, and Clodagh finds this especially interesting… Dave Schmave tells the tale of luck– and confidence…. Widget and Whack explain a law of physics, using as an example the man of steel himself… Freedom, safety, privacy– it’s a complicated world out there these days, and Hayley tries to sort it out on The Big Idea. … News Update: Forget football and baseball— it’s time for badminton … White-tailed deer are some of the most common wild animals. But as Natalie explains, that doesn’t diminish her Natural Wonder.

Episode 26 Featuring Wright Brothers and Road to Mars II

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:40:35 +0000

Big Talk: Does Mom want my help or NOT?… Turning Points: Orville & Wilbur built and repaired bicycles until they turned their attention to the skies. Laura goes back to interview the Wright brothers… Boom Radio: Yup, it’s time to plan ahead for holiday presents… When Tucker Jones happens upon a poster for a lost caterpillar, his curiosity gets the better of him .. Now We’re Cookin’: Natalie and her French chef sidekick introduce a truly healthful breakfast dish: Gooey Cinammon Toast… Hayley & the King of Complicated Stuff host the THE Big Idea’s second chapter on the exploration of Mars… News Update: Do we act like chimpanzees, or do chimps act like us? … They don’t come along very often. In this issue’s Natural Wonder, Natalie listens to cicadas

Episode 25 Featuring Henry Thoreau and Road to Mars I

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:37:46 +0000

Big Talk: How come Dad always falls asleep 15 minutes into the movie?… Turning Points: Writer, philosopher, naturalist, poet, farmer, bean farmer, surveyor– that’s not even half the goods on this month’s historical interview subject: Henry David Thoreau… Boom Radio’s Ben Jammin’ is a little suspicious about these “learn while you sleep” deals… On Schmave’s Elevator, Dave discovers people don’t come in cardboard cut-outs… THE Big Idea: Hayley & the King of Complicated Stuff weigh the new rush of interest in human exploration of Mars… Power-up: Natalie discovers you get what you give… News Update: Professional athletes are being all they can be — and THEN some… American Journey: Toby gets to play in the mud in a piece of earth that time forgot — Maryland’s Finzel Swamp.

Episode 24 Featuring John Kennedy, Harry Potter, Science and Magic

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:35:07 +0000

Big Talk: Just how bad is Mom’s memory going to get? Turning Points: A sickly boy who went on to become a war hero and president of the United States, Laura talks to John Kennedy… Boom Radio: Ben Jammin’ doesn’t like the idea of these new cell phones… Someone is framing the snowman — or ARE they? Tucker Jones is on the case… Weird Words: Prepare your belly button; Freddie Finklehammer has a new game show for us. … In The Big Idea, Hayley and the King of Complicated Stuff study the connection between magic, science — and Harry Potter… News Update: The King of Sea Monkeys is DEAD! … They’re powerful, large and silent as a ghost. In this issue’s Natural Wonder, Kayla discovers some unusual aspects of the cougar.

Episode 23 Featuring Jules Verne and The Great Pyramid

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:31:54 +0000

Big Talk: Are YOUR parents kind of nosy?… Turning Points: Jules Verne combined adventure with amazing insights into the future. Laura — our new Turning Point interviewer — travels back in time to France to speak with Mr. Verne… Boom Radio: Peaches are on Ben Jammin’s mind this issue… When Tucker’s Mom challenges him to keep his room clean, he runs into an unexpected obstacle… If you turn up your nose at what YOUR folks put on the table, get a load of these dishes from your parents’ childhood…THE Big Idea: The Great Pyramid was an amazing work of engineering. Hayley and King explain not only the mystery behind this ancient wonder, but how it was put together … News Update: Care for some subway music?… American Journey: Gramps and Toby contemplate fairies in Salt Spring Island, British Columbia

Episode 20 Featuring Shakespeare and Time Travel II

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:24:31 +0000

Big Talk: Does your Mom ever talk with her hands?… In Turning Points, Kelsey goes back in time to interview William Shakespeare at a time when Puritans and the Plague are making it hard to survive…. Widget and Whack try to explain why something boiling inside your fridge is a GOOD thing… When a local military man suspects a holdover German plot, Tucker Jones gets a call… Ben Jammin has hope for the human race — in the form of a stink bomb… Alicia and the King of Complicated Stuff tiptoe out into the strange world of Einstein and Time Travel… News Update: It looks like we’ll be able to pay for candy in the future by just waving our watch… As they continue their American Journey, Toby and Gramps find themselves getting their kicks on Route 66.

Episode 19 Featuring Ted Williams and Time Travel I

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:22:03 +0000

Big Talk: Mom pays money at the grocery, but Dad gets all the grub just by flashing a card… All his life, he only wanted one thing. He wanted people to say when he walked by: “There goes the greatest hitter who ever played the game.” The boy may have accomplished exactly that. On Turning Points, Kelsey goes back in time to interview baseball player, Ted Williams…. On Boom Radio Ben Jammin’ explains his difficulty with switching gears… It’s 1961 and the Bug Club is in full stride. When one of its members starts acting carelessly, Schmave and chum hatch a scheme to turn the tide… Jessica is back with her French kitchen pal to make some pie filling…. It used to be the stuff of science fiction, but serious scientists are asking serious questions about the possibilities of time travel on The Big Idea… News Update: Aw man, even the fearsome T-Rex isn’t what it used to be … Nicki has a Natural Wonder about the lovable, talkative dolphin.