Episode Guide
This episode guide is a compilation of the episode guide from Rik's Information Station, Discovery.com, The Sci Fi Channel, posts taken from alt.tv.beakmans-world by David Tharp, and the new Sony Pictures Episode Guide. This list is not yet complete. My sources do not list all the episodes for seasons 4&5 and do not list them by episode number.
Season One | Season Two | Season Three | Seasons Four & Five
Thanks to Dave Mackey, davemackey@bix.com (Season One); Brian Pearce, brian@ritz.mordor.com (Season Two); and Casey Keller (Season Three) for contributing these program descriptions.
Season One
- Episode 01 - GRAVITY, BEAKMANIA, & INERTIA
Beakman uses the laws of gravity to explain why people don't fall off the round world. Galileo shows the effects of gravity. Next, Sir Isaac Newton explains inertia and how a seat belt helps save lives.
Episode 02 - NOISES AT NIGHT, BEAKMANIA, & THE NOSE
Beakman explains that scary noises heard in a house at night are made when materials that make up the house expand and contract. Beakman introduces the Beakmania segment and takes us viewers on a trip through the nose.
Episode 03
Beakman explains the cyclical process of rain and evaporation. The sun warms up water in a puddle, turning it into invisible vapor. As the vapor rises it cools, which makes it condense into drops that form clouds.
Episode 04
Beakman details the circulatory system by answering questions about blood and its components. Then, Beakman explains the conscious and unconscious minds and uses dream sequences to illustrate the imagination.
Episode 05 - LEAVES, BEAKMANIA, & PAPER
Beakman turns pale explaining why leaves change color, including the function of clorophyll in the process of photosynthesis. Then, how is paper made?
Episode 06 - SOAP, BEAKMANIA, & AUTO ENGINES
Beakman, Josie and Lester answer a question about how soap works. Soap weakens the surface tension of water, allowing it to bind with dirt and oil particles to wash them away. Then, Beakman explains how gas makes a car go.
Episode 07 - ELECTRICITY, BEAKMANIA, & LIGHT BULBS
Beakman shows how a light bulb uses electricity and the property of resistance to make its filament glow.
Episode 08 - SOUND, BEAKMANIA, & EXPLOSIONS
Beakman uses a simple model to show how we hear sounds. Then, with the help of a bomb squad, Beakman conducts an explosive experiment with alka seltzer, water, and a plastic film canister.
Episode 09 - REFRACTION, ATTRACTION & BEAKMANIA
Beakman answers a question about light refraction by explaining how light bends when it passes through a glass of water.Then, why does a compass always point north?
Episode 10 - LEVERS, BEAKMANIA, & TELEVISION
Beakman discusses levers and how they make work easier. A boulder that falls through the ceiling is moved with a lever. (This episode was not run through Filmlook when aired during the first TLC season and thus retains its original videotaped origins; for subsequent CBS repeats in the second season, the process was applied.)
Episode 11 - BOATS, BEAKMANIA, & AIRPLANES
Beakman demonstrates the concepts of density and displacement. If a boat weighs less than the water it displaces, it will float.
Episode 12 - BUBBLES, BEAKMANIA, FEET
Beakman shows why bubbles are round. Since a bubble is trapped gas, a sphere is the shape that can hold the most air with the least amount of bubble solution.
Episode 13 - MICROSCOPES, BEAKMANIA, & HEALING
Beakman discusses microscopes and how important they are to science. The inventor of the compound microscope shows how two lenses are used to make objects look bigger.
Episode 14
Beakman explains how researchers use the scientific method to figure things out. Josie and Lester help find out if salt water conducts electricity.
Episode 15 - VACCINATIONS, BEAKMANIA, & FRICTION
Dr. Edward Jenner, discoverer of the vaccination, explains how he came up with the idea.
Episode 16 - THREMODYNAMICS, BEAKMANIA, & PIMPLES
Beakman explains thermodynamics by showing how hotthings cool and cold things warm up to room temperature, and how molecules move faster when they are hot than when they are cold. Next, Beakman explains why people get pimples.
Episode 17 - FOSSILS, BEAKMANIA, & THE HUMAN VOICE
Beakman describes fossils and why they are important clues to learn what the world was like thousands of years ago. Dr. Louis Leakey explains that fossils are formed when plant or animal remains are quickly buried in sediment.
Episode 18 - LUNGS, BEAKMANIA, & TELEPHONES
Beakman explains why people breathe. By using a model, he shows how the diaphragm changes the size of the chest to force air in and out of the lungs. Also, Beakman explains how telephone lines work.
Episode 19
Beakman "records" some music to show how the cassette player changes sound into magneticsignals that get stored on tape.
Episode 20 - MICROWAVES, BEAKMANIA, & SPIDERS
Beakman shows how spiders save us from disease by trapping harmful insects into their webs. A model of a spider's body shows how they use spinnerets to spin their silk.
Episode 21 - EARWAX, BEAKMANIA, & ROCKET ENGINES
Beakman talks all about the inner workings of the ear. He explains earwax, and why our ears pop when the air pressure changes. Also: Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocketry.
Episode 22 - OZONE, BEAKMANIA, & ACID
Beakman talks about how pollution affects the ozone layer. CFC's deplete the ozone layer, so more harmful ultraviolet rays reach the Earth's surface. Next: acids don't burn things up, they bond with other molecules to change their make-up.
Episode 23 - PLUMBING, BEAKMANIA, & ROLLER COASTERS
Beakman begins a lesson on how plumbing and toilets work. Next, Beakman talks about how roller coasters work.
Episode 24
Beakman uses an arboretum to describe how bees live. Then, Beakman uses a model of the Earth to show how its plates slide past one another to cause earthquakes.
Episode 25 - REFLECTION, BEAKMANIA & MADAME CURIE
Narcissus details how light rays cannot pass through a mirror. Beakman also discusses atomic energy with the help of Madame Curie--the discoverer of radium.
Episode 26 - WHEELS, BEAKMANIA, & FINDING ANSWERS
Who invented the wheel? Nobody knows. Beakman tells how prehistoric man invented the wheel to make hauling and transportation easier. Then, Beakman goes to the library.
Season Two
- Episode 27 - Submarines, Beakmania & Digestion
In the second season premiere episode, Beakman demonstrates how submarines submerge and resurface, answers searing questions such as "What's the hangy ball at the back of your mouth?" and describes how food is digested and regurgitated.
Episode 28 - HEART, BEAKMANIA & HELICOPTERS
Beakman illustrates how the human heart works, explains how to make fake glass at home as short order cook, Art Burn, and shows us how propellers keep a helicopter up.
Episode 29 - BATTERIES, BEAKMANIA & BALLOONS
Beakman demonstrates how a battery works, answers spiraling questions such as "Who invented roller skates?" and explains why helium balloons fly away.
Episode 30 - TUNNELS, BEAKMANIA & TRAINS
Beakman shows how underwater tunnels are built; Art Burn cooks up glue you can make at home; and Beakman answers sizeable questions such as how big is a molecule.
Episode 31 - BATS, BEAKMANIA & ENERGY
Beakman discusses bats, answers the question, "What's the longest living animal", and explains how gliders fly.
Episode 32 - SKY, BEAKMANIA & HENRY FORD
Beakman answers colorful questions such as why the sky is blue; Lester and Eliza enjoy a very special "Beakmoment" and Henry Ford drives home the description of how cars are made.
Episode 33
A little divine intervention helps Beakman explain the science of sound; Lester samples rat cuisine; and Liza demonstrates how seeing is not always believing when she explores the world of illusions.
Episode 34 - LIGHTNING, BEAKMANIA & BONES
Lester gets a charge out of a static electricity experiment that Beakman conducts to explain thunder and lightning. Surfer Beakman drops by to fix his broken board while explaining how bones mend.
Episode 35 - MOON, BEAKMANIA & ELEVATORS
Depicting Liza as the moon and Lester as the Sun, Beakman demonstrates the phases of the moon, answers meaningful questions such as "Do penguins have knees?", and explains how elevators work.
Episode 36 - VIDEO GAMES, BEAKMANIA & TEETH
It's microprocessor madness when Liza creates a video game to uncover the secrets of computers. Beakman dives into dentistry when Lester gets a cavity.
Episode 37 - CHECKUP, BEAKMANIA & OIL
It's checkup time for Beakman's timid brother who discovers that a visit to the doctor really isn't all that painful. Also, Beakman journeys back to Jurassic Park to trace the evolution of oil.
Episode 38 - BEN FRANKLIN, BEAKMANIA & CHEMICAL REACTIONS
Ben Franklin drops by the lab to help Beakman dispell some myths surrounding its inventions; Lester is shocked to learn that his recorded voice is different from the one he hears; and chemicals react to their new partners.
Episode 39 - ANTS, BEAKMANIA & COLLISIONS
Ants, Beakmania & Collisons--A day in the park is no picnic when a colony of ants make off with Beakman's food; Liza introduces Heimlich and his manuever; and Lester runs into trouble trying to explain collisions.
Episode 40 - PAIN, BEAKMANIA & COMETS
Lester shows a lot of nerve when Beakman uses him to demonstrate how the nervous system registers pain; and 19th century astromoner Maria Mitchell gives Beakman some unearthly information about comets.
Episode 41 - HYDRAULICS, BEAKMANIA & DINOSAURS
Hydraulics, Beakman & Dinosaurs--Hard hats are required when Beakman demonstrates hydraulic principles; master chef Art Burn cooks up a batch of crystals with a few ordinary household items; and a few myths about dinosaurs are dispelled when Beakman reveals some surprising facts about some of their descendants.
Episode 42 - ELECTRIC MOTERS, BEAKMANIA & TIME
Beakman gets his motor runnin' when he cranks out a garage full of information about how electric motors function; and Father Time chronicles the passage of time and how different cultures measure it.
Episode 43 - FROGS AND TOADS, BEAKMANIA & POLYMERS
Beakman doles out facts on frogs, the load on toads and the particulars on plastics.
Episode 44 - MONEY, BEAKMANIA & WATER POWER
Lester learns the value of a dollar when Beakman tries to make "cents" out of currency systems; and Liza soaks up some information about water power.
Episode 45 - GARBAGE, BEAKMANIA & METEOROLOGY
Beakman demonstrates why waste reduction isn't a bunch of garbage and delves into meteorology when he explains how weather is predicted.
Episode 46 - SKYSCRAPERS, BEAKMANIA & INDICATORS
Beakman builds a skyscraper, Lester gets a lesson on the properties of ice; and Liza creates her own chemistry set out of ordinary fruits and vegetables.
Episode 47 - SHARKS, BEAKMANIA & EINSTEIN
Beakman sails the seven seas in search of the ultimate predator--sharks; master chef Art Burn bounces an egg; and Beakman and Einstein compare hairdoos.
Episode 48 - MOLD, BEAKMANIA & CAVES
Beakman discusses fantastic fungus facts; Liza and Lester enter the world of slugs; and Dave from the Cave emerges to shed some light on the formation of caves and their ecosystems.
Episode 49 - MOMENTUM, BEAKMANIA & COWS
Beakman moves Liza with some enlightening facts about momentum; and Beakman chews a little cud with animals of the bovine persuasion when he takes viewers on a tour of Rhonda the cow's digestive system.
Episode 50 - ALLERGIES, BEAKMANIA & CODES
Its allergy season and Beakman is the sniffling, sneezing, stuffy head, fever so you can rest scientist with all the answers when it comes to allergies; and Beakman attacks the cryptic world of codes.
Episode 51 - SNAKES, BEAKMANIA & SEASONS
Beakman slithers through the world of snakes; Liza treats a bee sting; and Lester proves he's a rat for all seasons when he takes us on a tour of summer, spring, winter and fall.
Episode 52 - TORNADOES, BEAKMANIA & FIREFIGHTING
Lester learns that Beakman isn't just blowing hot air when he takes him through the swirling winds of Tornados; and Beakman, Liaz and Lester fan the flames of fire prevention knowledge when they learn how to fight fires.
Season Three
The following descriptions were contributed by the show's head writer Casey Keller, hence the different numbering system. -Rik
- Show #301 - SEEDS, BEAKMANIA & BRIDGES
Lester tries to spruce up Beakman's lecture on seeds by adding clowns. Beakmania. Beakman explains how to build your very own bridge.
Show #302 - BALANCE, BEAKMANIA & CAMOUFLAGE
Balance Man makes a special appearance to help Beakman, Lester and Liza explain how balance works. Lester dons the green lab coat and fright wig to help Beakman explain how animals use camoflage to avoid being eaten.
Show #303
Beakman teaches us about carbon, the Swiss Army knife of atoms. Art Burn takes us into his kitchen and teaches us how to make baked icecream, filthy style. Beakman and Liza discuss how inventors invent things and invent a machine so that Lester will wake up with sweet smelling breath.
Show #304 - GYROSCOPES, BEAKMANIA & HEART SMART
Beakman, Lester and Liza use the principal of the gyroscope to explain how a bicycle stays up. On Those Disgusting Animals, Liza gives us an approach to the cockroach. Then the gang replaces fixes a clogged kitchen pipe and explains how doctors treat heart disease.
Show 305 - STEEL, BEAKMANIA & FILM DEVELOPING
Andrew Carnegie shows up to explain what steel is and why it's important. Scratchy the Chicken, AKA Lester's right hand, shows up to help out with a Beakman Challenge, making a mobius strip. Beakman visits the beach to explain how photography works.
Show #306 - SUN, BEAKMANIA & METAMORPHOSIS
Lester teaches us everything he knows about the sun... solar brother number one. Art Burn gives us a lesson in solar cooking. He learned it from his sun... Son Burn! Lester gets turned into a butterfly in Beakman's ode to metamorphosis.
Show #307 - VACUUMS, BEAKMANIA & WEAVING
Lester becomes a private eye to solve the mystery of how a vacuum cleaner works. Nurse Liza explains how to handle a common cold. Our gang sheers a sheep to learn where textiles come from.
Show #308 SNOW, BEAKMANIA & NATURAL SELECTION
Beakman et al explain snow. Liza tries her hand at humiliating Lester in The Liza Challenge. And Charles Darwin stops by to explain natural selection.
Show #309 - ALIIGAOTRS AND CROCODILES, BEAKMANIA & ROBOTS
Liza wrestles a gator while Beakman explains the difference between crocodiles and alligagors. Lester is afraid he'll be replaced when Beakman brings on a robot to answer questions about robotics.
Show #310 - GEYSERS AND HOT SPRINGS, BEAKMANIA & KIDNEYS
Old Faithful makes a guest appearance as the gang explores geysers. Art Burn explains how to make ink in the comfort and privacy of your own kitchen. Then, we explore our number two favorite bodily function in a musical salute to kidneys. (Hey, I kidney because I love-ney)
Show #311 - SLEEP, BEAKMANIA & AMPLIFICATION
A guest shot from Rip Van Winkle highlights our look at sleep. Lester and the Beak-meister lock horns over a Beakman Challenge. Lastly, we learn about sound and how to make it louder.
Show #312 CRUSTACEANS, BEAKMANIA & BERNOULLI
Beakman, Liza and Lester put on their sea food bibs for a look at crustatceans. Then, in a visit to Nurse Liza, we dip our intellectual toes into athlete's foot. Finally, we learn about Bernoulli's law from none other than the Swiss cuckoo himself.
Show #313
We learn that no man is an island, but a guy in a rat suit can come pretty close when Beakman, Liza and Lester explore Islands. Then we give a big, bouncy howdy-do to one of humankind's earliest methods of storing energy... the spring. And, to show that Beakman puts his life where his mouth is, we shoot the poor guy out of a cannon!
Seasons Four and Five
- Episode #401 - SWEAT, BEAKMANIA, & WEIGHING A CAR
With a viewer question about why sweat smells, Beakman and his lab assistants work up a sweat to find the answer. Beakman demonstrates the functions of perspiration by comparing our bodies to car engines. Like the radiator in a car, perspiration helps maintain a healthy body temperature. But that's only the half of it; to find out why Lester smells the way he does after a science work-out, Beakman discovers the culprit behind the odor. Millions of bacteria and their waste create that familiar scent of sweat. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman discovers how much food an average person consumes in a life time (50 tons of food and 11,000 gallons of liquid) and why people have nose hair. Then, Chef Art Burn (Beakman dressed as the culinary wizard) gives away the secrets of his recipe for paint. Using colored chalk, water, a pot and some glue, Beakman shows how easy it is to discover the artist within. The final question, How can you find out the weight of a car?, is not as difficult as it seems. Through some calculations of pressure and tire prints, Beakman uses his own Beak-mobile to demonstrate how finding the weight of heavy objects doesn't have to be back-breaking work. LOG LINE: Beakman discovers what the big stink about sweat has to do with body temperature and bacteria. Then he reveals a quick and easy recipe for paint, and the science team barely works up a sweat trying to determine the weight of the Beak-mobile.
Episode #402 - MIGRATION, BEAKMANIA & LIVING SPACE The first top flight question comes from a viewer who wonders how birds know when to fly south. While Lester ponders the possibilities of traffic jams in the skies, Beakman really answers the question by unveiling the importance of food supply and climate to migrating animals. Turning to Beakmania, Beakman reveals how Greenland, which is not so green, got its name. Then, Beakman is ordered to go fly a kite to answer the next question, who were the first people to fly kites?? (The Chinese) The Beakman Challenge tests Lester's animal strength. To meet the challenge, Beakman throws his scientific weight around, lifting barbells without lifting a finger. Beakman has fun answering the next urgent question, how do astronauts go to the bathroom in space? The humorous scientist notes that what goes down doesn't always stay down, but luckily for our astronauts, science has created special space toilets to counter microgravity. LOG LINE: Scientist Beakman soars with a viewer question about bird migration. He reveals why thousand of animals migrate every year. Beakman meets a challenge about weight lifting and sheds some light on the mystery of toilets in space
BUNSEN, BEAKMANIA, & SEWAGE Beakman viewers are burning to find out about flames and fires. The gang and Beakman as Robert Bunsen the flame expert, set out to answer questions on this hot topic. Beakman reveals different types of flames and how ?ghollow?h flames, produced by Bunsen burners have helped scientists for more than one hundred years. In Beakmania, Beakman answers a question from a viewer who wants to know how many ants an anteater eats (30,000 a day) and then dives into the next question from a viewer who asks, ?ghow deep can a seal dive??h (600 feet). Beakman also reveals a unique fact: human beings are the only species to sleep on their backs. And finally, intrigued by a viewer who asks, ?ghow can basketball players stay up in the air so long??h Beakman jumps at the chance to explain the science behind the illusion. With spectacular game footage of Chicago Bulls Superstar Michael Jordan, Beakman discovers that the science of gravity and momentum, enable players to look like they?fre hanging in midair. Beakman gets down and dirty to answer a question about what happens after you?fre done using the toilet. Beakman is flushed down the toilet to track down the process, from raw sewage to the treatment plant and back into our homes. No journey is too far or too messy for this scientist. LOG LINE: Beakman fires up to answer questions about flames. With amazing footage of Chicago Bulls Superstar Michael Jordan, he reveals the science behind the illusion of hang time. Then Beakman journeys into the depths of a toilet to follow the plight of sewage.
SUBMARINES, BEAKMANIA, & DIGESTION
CATALYSTS, BEAKMANIA, & AEROSOL CANS
RUBBER, BEAKMANIA, & HAIR
CAMELS, BEAKMANIA, & DENSITY
BOOMERANGS, BEAKMANIA, & CIRCUS SCIENCE
SKIN, BEAKMANIA, & OXYGEN
BREAD, BEAKMANIA, & MEASUREMENT
Beakman explains why bread is called "The Staff of Life" and shows how yeast works. Phoebe, Beakman and Lester explore why units are measured in "feet", how and when units were standardized, and then send Lester to Hawaii to measure the height of a palm tree.
ELECTROMAGNETS, BEAKMANIA, & SENSES
This week's Beakman's World opened with a segment on electromagnet. Art Burn showed us how to make geletin.
The next to last segment was on the more than 5 senses. Lester makes
a pig of himself by scooping up the middle of a cherry pie & thrusting
it into his mouth. The segment ended with a musical salute to the senses.
Wearing a slinky flapper like dress Phoebe belts out a parody of the
honky-tonk classic "Won't you come home Bill Bailey?" Phoebe looked
and sounded terrific.
The closing segment asked the cosmic question:"Who invented Ketchup?'
Lester once again is the posterboy for bad manners by pouring ketchup down his throat.
CHIMPS, BEAKMANIA, & THE EYE EXAM
Beakman answers the question who are humans' closest animal relative with a visit from a live chimpanzee to the Information Station. Meekman travels to the eye doctor and learns that it doesn't hurt a bit.
PIGS, BEAKMANIA, & SOUND FREQUENCY
SUNKEN TREASURE, BEAKMANIA, ARCHIMEDIAN SCREW
WHALES, BEAKMANIA, OPTICAL ILLUSIONS II
SOUND BARRIER, BEAKMANIA, & HEALTHY LIVING
DOGS, BEAKMANIA, BIO-MEDICAL ENGINEERING
HUMAN GROWTH, BEAKMANIA, SOLUTIONS AND SUSPENSIONS
ACTION -REACTION, BEAKMANIA, TALKING BIRDS
PROTOZOOLOGY, BEAKMANIA, & REFRIGERATORS
Beakman shows how leaving your refrigerator open can actually make your house warmer as we learn how refrigerators and refrigerants work.
FINGERPRINTS, BEAKMANIA & FLATULENCE
RAIN, BEAKMANIA, & VOLCANOES
ELEPHANTS, BEAKMANIA, & X-RAYS
MOUTH, BEAKMANIA, & SCALING
CATS, BEAKMANIA & DYNAMITE
A lion visits the Information Station as Beakman explores the world of cats.
HUMAN GROWTH, BEAKMANIA, SOLUTIONS AND SUSPENSIONS
"Gyroscopes, Beakmania & Heart"
Beakman reveals the usefulness of gyroscopes and how to maintain a healthy heart.
"Steel, Beakmania & Photography"
12/28/96 - The show opened with a revisionist view of the human temperature:It's
98.2 & not 98.6. Then a question on levatation. Beakman showed the science
behind the magic trick. Beakmania had a"those digusting animals" sequence.
The animal in question being the naked rat mole. The only mamal that isn't
warm blooded.
The next item was a question about beauty marks that lead to a discussion
about cosmetics & emulsions. Phoebe played the famous dead girl Cleopatra.
Who, besides being queen of th Nile, also wrote the very first book on beauty
preperations.
The show closed on a question on a ship's distress call of Mayday. Beakman
pointed out that it was actually from a French word meaning please help.
As before the graphics were spiffy & the Beak intro was jazzed up.
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