Popular Mechanics for Kids: Slither & Slime and Other Yucky Things

Junior hosts Jay and Elisha (Cuthbert, now co-starring on 24) collaborate with New York City sewage personnel to answer the age-old question, “Where does a toilet flush go, exactly?” With the aid of some green dye and a ping-pong ball, the kids learn about the journey that waste matter takes through a modern sewage and processing system, before being released as clean (if not potable) water into natural destinations. Part of the Popular Mechanics for Kids series, the “Underground” episode--one of four compiled on Slither & Slime and Other Yucky Things; the others are “Garbage,” “Creepy Crawlers,” and “Slithery & Slimy”--also covers a giant water tunnel under construction 66 floors beneath New York, the story of the French-British Chunnel, and the mysteries of a rat-infested subway system late at night. With a sense of humor and some fantastic footage (the view from the top-speed Chunnel train's front window is eye-popping), the program offers a fun introduction to subterranean infrastructure. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: E, I, P. (T. Keogh)