Discover Science: Episode 1, The Camel Stands On Eggs—Pressure

Part of a new educational franchise that's apparently hoping to capture some of the Bill Nye demographic in shorter installments, this first chapter in a 26-part English-language adaptation of an award-winning series from Japanese TV giant NHK carries out a dramatic display of weight dispersion via a 750-kilogram live camel named Jackson. First we see how a pith-helmeted woman in high heels struggles to walk through sand in Jackson's native environment; the much heavier animal, with his four widely splayed feet, has no such trouble. As a further demonstration, Jackson is ultimately brought to stand on a specially-built transparent sheet, which is lowered dramatically to rest on 500 (hollowed) hen eggs, the combined strength of which, tenuously, supports the creature. What's unfortunately missing from the don't-try-this-at-home experiment (most of the action is actually dialogue-free, carried out by anonymous, jumpsuited extras called “Experiment Rangers”) is a more detailed explanation of how this classic principle of physics can be applied in real-world engineering. Still, this short, eye-catching program will certainly make for an entertaining introduction and should lead to classroom discussion. Other titles in the Discover Science series include The Secret of Aerial Ballet. Let's See the Speed of Sound, Magnetic Ninja, and Ice on Fire. Recommended. Aud: E, J. (C. Cassady)