1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:03,240 Take one. 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:05,920 Shall we? 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:07,120 Take a minute. 4 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:09,600 Look around you. 5 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:12,960 You probably never think about it, 6 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,520 but we are living in a time of incredible ingenuity. 7 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:21,080 Our lives are filled with fiendishly clever bits of tech that basically 8 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:23,040 make the modern world tick. 9 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,120 The problem is, we're now so used to these devices... 10 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:32,640 ..that we have forgotten to remember how clever they are. 11 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,440 ALEXA: I don't have an answer for that. 12 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:40,360 I'm Professor Hannah Fry, your hammer-wielding, 13 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,360 tech-curious tour guide... 14 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:45,120 Woo! 15 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,800 ..to the secret genius of everyday objects. 16 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,400 There is one law of physics that you need to know. 17 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:52,400 In each episode... 18 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:54,360 Whoa! 19 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,520 ..I will take one seemingly ordinary item... 20 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:00,600 Oh! Immediately smoking. 21 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,400 ..and I'll look at it in, frankly... 22 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:05,720 Yeah! 23 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:07,360 ..obscene detail... 24 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:09,120 Two googly eyes. 25 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:12,040 It has 180-degree view. 26 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,600 ..meet the people who helped make it... 27 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,000 This is the very first air fryer. 28 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,880 ..and follow the twisty-turny journey through the history 29 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:23,360 of its invention. 30 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,080 ARCHIVE: If you overshoot the turning point, don't try to do this. 31 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:28,640 It's wobbly, Johnny! 32 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:30,320 Yeah, it's just the wind. 33 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,800 This time, it's the roller-coaster. 34 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,600 When you think about it, there is something slightly insane 35 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,960 about voluntarily strapping yourself to a piece of metal and hurtling 36 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:50,200 around a track at 80mph, upside down. 37 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:52,320 ROLLER-COASTER CRUNCHES 38 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,360 It's the crunch. Can you hear it? 39 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,320 SCREAMING 40 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,520 So how did we get the topsy-turvy joy that is 41 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:01,480 the modern roller-coaster? 42 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:06,960 It's the story of some dodgy French physics in the 19th century... 43 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,000 The early versions were basically a torture device that you paid 44 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:12,200 to go on. 45 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,240 ..NASA rocket scientists in the 1970s... 46 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,920 We can simulate the forces experienced by whirling the man 47 00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:20,640 around at a suitable rate. 48 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:24,480 ..and the ambitious vision of a cartoonist called Walt. 49 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,040 He says, "Bobby, build this." 50 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,240 Build a mountain. 51 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,440 Knee-knocking, stomach-turning, scream-making, 52 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:34,480 high-capacity roller-coaster! 53 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:46,280 From water to wind, flumes to fly in, 54 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:51,320 there are nearly 6,000 of these scream machines in the world today. 55 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,480 But behind the thrills, the spills and the unfettered fun is some 56 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,360 seriously delicious physics and ingenious engineering, 57 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,120 all designed to give you a good time. 58 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,680 And I'm going to unpack how it does it. 59 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,040 The bigger the coaster, the bigger the thrill. 60 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:13,080 I'm at one of the biggest theme parks in the UK, Thorpe Park. 61 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:14,520 Ah! 62 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,200 Hi, guys. 63 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,120 If they had calculators, I would have signed them. 64 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:23,440 SHE LAUGHS 65 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,240 I'm getting a sneak preview of their brand-spanking, 66 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,200 state-of-the-art roller-coaster that is so new... 67 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:32,320 ..it isn't even finished. 68 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:37,720 So I'm going to need you to wear these PPE. 69 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,200 Excellent. It's very much a live construction site. 70 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:41,240 Always love doing this. 71 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:42,800 And a bit of a construction site you've probably never 72 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,200 been on before. Very different. 73 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,640 Meet John Burton, the man with the best job in the world - 74 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:51,680 designing roller-coasters. 75 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:54,480 When's this supposed to be ready? 76 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:56,960 So we're opening this in 13 days. 77 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:58,760 Is that quite stressful to design that? 78 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:00,640 Just a bit. I mean, it's a first. 79 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,400 It's...it's a massive feat of engineering. 80 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,120 John's latest baby is called Hyperia, and it is 81 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:13,280 an absolute beast, four years in the designing, 18 months in the making. 82 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:17,120 And here's some more numbers to make your knuckles white. 83 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:22,280 Hyperia - she's 236ft tall, making her the UK's tallest roller-coaster. 84 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:25,920 Down the vertical drop, that is a 81mph drop 85 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,560 at the very bottom, making it the UK's fastest roller-coaster. 86 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,560 It's just under a kilometre long, and the whole idea of the ride 87 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:33,840 is it's that uplifting 88 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:37,000 "If you can ride Hyperia, you can do anything" mentality. 89 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,680 They're selling this ride on the slogan "find your fearless". 90 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,040 Well, let's hope I can find mine. 91 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:50,200 Strap in, funfair fans. We are going to take apart an entire 92 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,360 roller-coaster and look at everything from the bits that make 93 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:58,360 it roll - the wheels - to the bits that make you scream - the loops. 94 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:03,040 First up, the super-strong steel structure that sends you flying 95 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:04,160 through the sky. 96 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:05,720 It's the track. 97 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:13,240 Hyperia's track is the heart of this roller-coaster. 98 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:17,760 It's an enormous, kilometre-long, writhing, twisting mass of metal. 99 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,160 You're going to show me the track? Yeah. I can see it from here. 100 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,040 Yeah, but better if you can see it from up there. 101 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:28,080 That is Johnny Lowes, Hyperia's fittingly fearless titan 102 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,880 of the track, making sure you scream for all the right reasons. 103 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:33,400 I can see those steps there. 104 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,400 Yeah. And I have a strong suspicion about what's coming. 105 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,440 Apparently, I'm joining Johnny for this evening's 106 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,800 track inspection...on foot. 107 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:45,880 There's only one way up and one way down. 108 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:47,000 Oh, my gosh. 109 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,360 This is really a special view for my...for my last moments on Earth. 110 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,160 LAUGHTER 111 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:59,640 Towering above us, 232 tonnes of Hyperia's steel track snakes 112 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:01,360 and soars through the landscape. 113 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,960 And it's Johnny's job to check every inch of it. 114 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:06,560 It's wobbly, Johnny. 115 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:08,440 Yeah. It's just the wind. 116 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:10,360 It gets worse. 117 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,400 Maybe. What?! Who knows? Johnny! 118 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:14,920 You're nearly at 100ft. 119 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,840 Could you not have made it more rigid? 120 00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:19,960 What is the actual track made of? 121 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,640 The track is, like, tubular steel and then... 122 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,640 As in it's hollow on the inside? Yeah. 123 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,280 Yes, he did just say hollow. 124 00:06:28,280 --> 00:06:31,880 But thankfully, unlike me, hollow steel is tougher 125 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:33,000 than it sounds. 126 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,760 And it better be, because once Hyperia is fully operational, 127 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:41,360 this track will have ten tonnes of carriage hurtling 128 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,920 over it, up to 400 times a day. 129 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,040 Oh, it's so far down! 130 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:49,560 THEY LAUGH 131 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:51,040 Yeah. I think... Oh, Christ. 132 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,840 OK. I think you're about halfway. 133 00:06:53,840 --> 00:06:55,200 Halfway?! 134 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:01,160 Johnny is looking for any cracks or defects, and for the bits 135 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,640 he can't reach, he uses a drone and special electromagnets 136 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,160 that can detect flaws in the steel. 137 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,720 I can see how high we are, and that's very high. 138 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,520 And the track looks fine to me. 139 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,480 Can we go down now, please? 140 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:18,880 All right, mate? 141 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:18,880 THEY LAUGH 142 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:20,600 How did you get up there?! 143 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,760 Climbed? What, on the track? 144 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,480 Yeah. I thought the stairs was bad enough. 145 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:30,160 While it was...fascinating seeing those tracks in situ, 146 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,520 to really appreciate their steely strength, 147 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:35,800 I've got a little demo for you. 148 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:44,120 OK. Welcome to the theme park strongman with a difference. 149 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,160 When it comes to designing a track, 150 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:50,760 you need to find a material that can be smooth enough that people 151 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:53,280 aren't rattling around as they're riding a roller-coaster, 152 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:57,400 but strong and sturdy enough to be able to sustain the weight 153 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:01,360 of all of those trains hurtling around at 80mph. 154 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,920 And so a good candidate for all of this is steel. 155 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:10,240 Now, here I have a half-kilo block of steel that someone very kind 156 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,520 has rolled out into 157 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:18,240 a steel rod for me. This is just a cylinder of steel, essentially. 158 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:22,880 So if this solid cylinder is my roller-coaster track, let's see 159 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,520 what happens when I add a heavy carriage and load 160 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:27,120 it with passengers. 161 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,400 So we've got one kilo on there at the moment. 162 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:30,880 Let's add on a few more. 163 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:33,680 There's three kilos. Five kilos. 164 00:08:33,680 --> 00:08:35,200 Let's give it some. 165 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:36,880 Ten kilos. 166 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:38,560 15 kilos. 167 00:08:38,560 --> 00:08:42,800 The rod is already sagging by 2cm. 168 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,120 But let's push this thing. So, 20 kilos. 169 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:47,640 27. 170 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:51,320 5cm. 171 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:54,600 5cm on 27 kilos. 172 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:55,800 Pathetic. 173 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,000 No-one wants a droopy roller-coaster, do they? 174 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,040 That solid steel rod has quite a bend. 175 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,160 It's just a bit too flexible. 176 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:06,200 Now let's see what happens when I run the same experiment 177 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:07,640 with the same amount of steel, 178 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,600 only this time my steel rod is hollow. 179 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:13,000 Ten kilos, 180 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:14,920 15 kilos. 181 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,440 Last time, my solid steel rod had a 2cm bend. 182 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,680 But now look at the hollow tube. 183 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:24,360 Barely 2mm. 184 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,840 Now, how can it be possible that you take the exact same 185 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,320 materials and run the same experiment 186 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:33,320 and get different results? 187 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:38,280 Well, it turns out that that tube makes a gigantic difference. 188 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,440 With the hollow tube, there is the same amount of steel, 189 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:43,880 but you've basically taken some from the middle and put 190 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:48,120 it around the outside, increasing the overall surface area. 191 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:52,240 Which means that when you add a vertical force on it, it is able 192 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:57,320 to distribute that weight all around the surface, meaning 193 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,320 that physics is basically giving you a free bit 194 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:01,920 of extra sturdiness here. 195 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:03,960 I mean, we can push this even further. 196 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:06,600 Let's see how we go. 197 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:12,400 At 27 kilos, the hollow tube gives barely 1cm of bend, 198 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:17,280 compared to a whopping 5cm sag from the solid rod. 199 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:21,920 Which is, for 27 kilos, a gigantic difference, especially 200 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:25,840 when you consider that these trains weigh tons. 201 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:29,920 And if you scale this whole thing up to the size of the roller-coaster, 202 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:33,080 you can just imagine the gigantic difference that tubular 203 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:34,760 steel will make. 204 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,080 Well done, tubey. You win. 205 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:41,520 To find out how we got the super-strong steel tube tracks 206 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:45,560 of today, let's go back to a time before roller-coasters were even 207 00:10:45,560 --> 00:10:48,200 a thing. 208 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,200 600 years ago, the Russians got their kicks rocketing down 209 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:56,160 wooden slides while sitting inside giant blocks of ice, 210 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,240 like a sort of frozen log flume. 211 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,480 And then in the 1800s, the French locked carts 212 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:04,280 to sloping wooden tracks. 213 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,240 Accidents were not uncommon. 214 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:08,360 Zut alors! 215 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,640 But the American coaster craze began in 1870s Pennsylvania, 216 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:18,080 when a coal mine started charging locals to ride their coal wagon 217 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,360 down a steep wooden track. 218 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,120 This inspired a man called LaMarcus Thompson to build 219 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:28,200 the Gravity Switchback in Coney Island. 220 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,640 Basically, a gently trundling park bench. 221 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:37,280 But New York went wild for it, and by the 1920s, there were almost 222 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:42,040 2,000 wooden roller-coasters, or woodies, across the US. 223 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:47,040 By the end of the 1930s, though, the Great Depression had put 224 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:50,680 the brakes on the craze for wooden coasters and theme parks. 225 00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:53,600 Until a cartoonist came along with a new vision... 226 00:11:55,600 --> 00:12:00,240 ..a theme park like no other, and a roller-coaster to match. 227 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:02,960 That man was Walt Disney. 228 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:07,920 And it's all done with a pencil and a straight edge. 229 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,720 So I've come to LA to meet one of Walt's 230 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,800 original Disneyland imagineers. 231 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,720 What I like about being in your house is the fondness 232 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,640 that you have for all of the different projects 233 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:22,440 that you...that you've been part of. 234 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,280 What's this one over here? 235 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,320 Oh, that's my Winky. 236 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,200 This is Bob Gurr. 237 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,680 Whatever Walt Disney wanted, Bob built it. 238 00:12:34,680 --> 00:12:38,160 I paid 800 bucks for you, 239 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:40,520 and you are now worth $300,000. 240 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:42,240 Am I allowed to get in here or is it too expensive? 241 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:45,720 You will note the steering wheel is on the proper side. 242 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:47,200 THEY LAUGH 243 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,160 Time for a quick Disney download. 244 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:54,320 The funfairs of Walt's childhood were ramshackle affairs run by dodgy 245 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,600 characters, so he'd always dreamed of building a safe 246 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,640 family theme park. 247 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:04,200 And in 1954, his fantasy became a reality. 248 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:08,960 Now we want you to share with us our latest and greatest dream. 249 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:10,720 That's it, right here. 250 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:13,760 Disneyland. 251 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:17,480 Bob was one of the originals in Walt's team of artists, 252 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,120 designers and engineers. 253 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:21,560 Tell me, what was Walt like? 254 00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:24,080 Were some of the ideas quite crazy? 255 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:29,080 Sometimes the ideas were so wild, I'd think, "Oh, my God." 256 00:13:30,680 --> 00:13:35,280 One of Walt's wildest ideas came in 1958. 257 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:38,880 While holidaying with his wife in Switzerland, 258 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,640 he took a shine to one of their most iconic mountains. 259 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:47,000 Walt was so enchanted with the Matterhorn mountain, he took 260 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,760 a postcard and he wrote on, "Build this." 261 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,720 Build a mountain. Yes. 262 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:56,160 At what point did he decide that he wanted there to be a 263 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:57,600 roller-coaster in the mountain? 264 00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:59,560 Was that always part of the plan? 265 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:02,560 Well, now, here's where it got very, very funny. 266 00:14:02,560 --> 00:14:03,880 He says, "Bobby," 267 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:07,640 he says, "I want you to put a track inside this mountain." 268 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:12,320 Then he walked out of the room, and there was my assignment. 269 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:16,200 Walt gave his dream team just nine months to design and build 270 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:18,640 the Matterhorn bobsled ride, Disneyland's 271 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:20,360 very first roller-coaster. 272 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,400 But building a wooden-tracked coaster to that deadline 273 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:25,320 would be impossible. 274 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:30,480 We had a timeframe problem, and their answer was, "We can go faster 275 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:32,240 "by bending pipe." 276 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,720 If wood was the problem, steel was the solution. 277 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,640 Tubular steel had been used to build bridges and hold up buildings, 278 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,000 but never for coaster tracks. 279 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,560 Were there ever any concerns about these hollow tubes, 280 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:52,040 that they would sustain the weight of these roller-coasters? 281 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:56,400 We had sections of pipe that were pressurised with air. 282 00:14:56,400 --> 00:15:00,160 We had a little pressure gauge on them. If there was a leak 283 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:01,520 from a crack, 284 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:03,760 the air would start to go out and we'd see the gauge 285 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:05,040 pressure go down. 286 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:06,760 Very clever. Very clever. 287 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:08,640 It was very simple to do that. 288 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:14,000 This was a world first, and no easy feat for Bob to design. 289 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,160 Roller-coasters are a gravity ride. 290 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:22,480 I have to design as many ups and downs that I can put in it, 291 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:25,920 but I have to do turns at the same time. 292 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:27,680 It's phenomenally complicated. 293 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:32,280 I'm going to draw it with pencil, paper and a little twirly compass. 294 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:35,080 I mean, if you have a computer, you can just zoom through it, 295 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:37,200 but you're having to think in slices. 296 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,480 I am doing a three-dimensional thing in 2D. 297 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:43,640 Yeah. In my head. Yeah. 298 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:47,760 Not bad for a boy who got an F in geometry. 299 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:52,840 Nine months later, the Matterhorn was finally ready for a test run. 300 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:56,120 I remember the first day when we actually...testing the track, 301 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:59,400 and then we had hay bales there, just in case it went too fast, 302 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:01,280 and we had guys to catch it. 303 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:02,640 We had sandbags in. Guys to catch it! 304 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:04,960 We kept putting the sandbags in. 305 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:09,240 My boss looked at me and he says, "Robert, you designed it, 306 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:10,600 "you ride it." 307 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:12,840 And I got in the car. It went round. 308 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:14,280 It was rattling and shaky, 309 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:17,800 of course, you know, construction dust and everything. 310 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:21,360 Came down and the car stopped beautifully, just like it should. 311 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:25,680 Today, that is still the roughest roller-coaster I know of, 312 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,200 and it's been years since I've ever ridden it. 313 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,280 I just tell people I am not going to ride that thing 314 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:35,360 one more time. It's just too doggone rough for me. 315 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:36,560 People do that. 316 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:40,440 The Matterhorn bobsled was the world's first steel-tube-tracked 317 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:44,920 coaster, and it opened to the public in 1959. 318 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:49,000 And that switch from wood to steel, all done in a mad rush to meet 319 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,120 Walt's deadline, would accidentally change 320 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:54,000 roller-coaster design forever. 321 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,920 Because steel tubes weren't just faster to build, they were also 322 00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:04,360 far easier to bend and twist into almost any shape, bringing 323 00:17:04,360 --> 00:17:07,040 new ways to thrill and terrify us. 324 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:12,680 That was the most sensational thing I've ever done. 325 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:17,040 Our next component is the scream-inducing, stomach-churning 326 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:21,560 bit that uses physics and a clever bit of maths to send you completely, 327 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:23,960 and safely, round the bend. 328 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:25,600 It's the loop. 329 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:36,680 It does seem mad to send ourselves hurtling at speed around 330 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:41,000 a high track, but we do because we love the thrill of it. 331 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:42,520 Some of us do, anyway. 332 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:44,680 SCREAMING 333 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:46,440 Were you one of those kids who really loved 334 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:47,480 going to theme parks? 335 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:49,600 I mean, when I was very young, I was terrified. 336 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:52,480 It totally captivated me, but I would definitely be on a log flume, 337 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:54,520 crying as we went down the drop with my parents, 338 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:56,880 and I'd be saying, "Hold me in." 339 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,200 It's like his villain origin story. 340 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:03,280 I'm back at Thorpe Park with coaster king John, 341 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:07,320 who has dedicated his life to terrifying the rest of us. 342 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:13,720 And the perfect tool for that terror/delight is the coaster loop. 343 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:20,200 As you reach this bottom part, we then reach this final piece 344 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,280 here where we hold you upside down. 345 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,360 So imagine going into a loop, but actually you don't come straight 346 00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:28,760 out of it. We're going to hold you upside down in that looped position 347 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:33,720 before then diving down towards the ground over the top of the lake. 348 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:37,040 All of that looping has the effect of totally messing 349 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,440 with how you experience gravity. 350 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,200 Most roller-coasters at the bottom of this pit will be pulling 351 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:44,000 the highest positive G-forces. 352 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:45,920 Pushing you in your seat? Pushing you into your seat. 353 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:47,240 That actually makes you... 354 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,640 In this case, we're looking at around four times heavier 355 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:51,080 than you actually are. 356 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:53,000 Hang on a second. 357 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,160 Time for a quick intro to the roller-coaster 358 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:57,480 designer's best friend... 359 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:00,680 ..G-force. 360 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,840 ARCHIVE: The normal weight of any body is due to the force of gravity. 361 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:07,440 Because centrifugal force changes your effective weight, 362 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:12,840 we measure it in terms of the pull of gravity and use the expression G. 363 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:17,560 1G is baseline, normal, boring, everyday gravity we feel 364 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:18,920 when sitting still. 365 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:25,000 I sat back, not at all sure I was going to enjoy the next 60 seconds. 366 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:29,400 But when we get moving, G-force can be positive or negative, 367 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:30,960 depending on its direction. 368 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,960 Oh, it's the end of the world. No. We're about 100ft. 369 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:37,800 We're going backwards around the loop again. 370 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:39,000 Oh! 371 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:43,520 Positive G-force is what happens when you move 372 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:45,800 in the opposite direction to gravity. 373 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,640 Like when the coaster is speeding upwards. 374 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:52,240 It pushes you down and makes you feel heavy. 375 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:58,160 What John, our master manipulator of G-force, has done on Hyperia 376 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:01,000 is push negative G-force, 377 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:05,400 when you move in the same direction as gravity, to its limits... 378 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:09,360 ARCHIVE: Blood is forced towards the head. 379 00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:12,280 Your stomach is shoved up toward your chest. 380 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:14,320 BURPING 381 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:14,320 Pardon me. 382 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:16,680 ..to create a feeling of weightlessness. 383 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:22,120 Like you're floating. Like you're floating. 384 00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:23,920 A bit like an astronaut in space. 385 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:27,920 So, essentially, the ride has been designed to create as much 386 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,440 of that weightless sensation as possible. 387 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:34,480 As real people aren't allowed on Hyperia yet, 388 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:37,680 the first lucky riders to experience her loops 389 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:39,920 are these water-filled dummies. 390 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:44,560 When do you get to ride it, do you reckon? 391 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,280 Once we've completed all our testing of the attraction, 392 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:50,360 we then get given the thumbs-up, and I'm hoping in the next week 393 00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:53,360 or so, might get given that green light to have a go. 394 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:57,920 After years of planning and months of careful ride-testing by John 395 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:03,440 and the Hyperia team, it finally opened to the public in May 2024, 396 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:05,360 with a very snazzy launch. 397 00:21:06,360 --> 00:21:10,320 ANNOUNCER: It's time to find your fearless. 398 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,960 Three, two, one... 399 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:14,440 EXPLOSION 400 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:19,640 And then, er, it closed again with some technical 401 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:21,840 teething problems. 402 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:23,720 And reopened! 403 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:28,040 The UK's tallest roller-coaster has 404 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:32,240 reopened today after a breakdown left passengers stranded 405 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:34,040 for an hour yesterday. 406 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:37,360 After a few false starts, Hyperia is back on track and I can finally 407 00:21:37,360 --> 00:21:41,880 experience the dark art of John's loops. 408 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:42,920 Take a seat. 409 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:47,160 Thank you. And then pull down on your harness. 410 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:49,440 Do you scream when you go round? 411 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,080 Sometimes. 412 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,080 THEY LAUGH 413 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:54,040 Do you? Yes. 414 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:55,440 Here we go. 415 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,000 May the G-force be with me. 416 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,440 Woof! Here we go. 417 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:03,000 Little teaser... Little teaser. 418 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:04,760 ..how it's going to be. 419 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:06,920 And it takes 17 seconds to get to the very top. 420 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:08,960 You'll be up there before you know it. 421 00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:13,400 Well, this is a much more pleasant way to get to the top. 422 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:15,520 Oh, my goodness. 423 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:17,840 Such an amazing view. 424 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,200 We're at the very top, 236ft. 425 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:21,280 Here we go. 426 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:25,600 Whoa! 427 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,000 Oh, my God! 428 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:29,720 Wow! 429 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:32,320 SHE LAUGHS 430 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:34,960 Oh, wow, that is unreal! 431 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:38,280 Oh, my goodness me! 432 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:40,640 OK, let's hold that fear face right there. 433 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:43,760 Here I am, upside down. 434 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:45,400 So what is the wizardry 435 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,600 pinning me to my seat and stopping the entire carriage from plummeting 436 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,120 to the ground? 437 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:53,800 Time to crack open the physics again. 438 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:56,480 Can I have an orange pop, please? 439 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:59,160 I want to tell you about centripetal force. 440 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:00,920 Thank you very much. 441 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:02,760 And I'm going to do it with this tray, 442 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,680 a bit of string, my fizzy pop and a plastic poncho. 443 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:07,880 Lesson number one. 444 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,600 Every object wants to continue travelling in a straight line. 445 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:19,920 That is unless something like a tray gets in the way. 446 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:21,520 Now, if I start slowly swinging 447 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:24,640 this back and forth, there are two 448 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,040 important things that happen. 449 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:28,200 The cup wants to travel 450 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,160 in a straight line. 451 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:31,440 It wants to fly off in that 452 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,400 direction, but the tray keeps 453 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:35,720 getting in its way. 454 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:37,440 And as a result, the cup is feeling 455 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,720 a continual force upwards 456 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:42,240 towards my hand. 457 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:43,880 That, my friends, 458 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,280 is the centripetal force. 459 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:51,000 So, centripetal force keeps an object moving on a curved path. 460 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:52,480 For the tray, it's the string 461 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:54,080 forcing it to rotate. 462 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:57,240 For a coaster, it's the track. 463 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:58,480 Every force has an equal 464 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,080 and opposite reaction. 465 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:02,840 That means that 466 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,160 the feeling, the sensation, 467 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,520 of the cup and the drink is one 468 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:08,880 of being pushed downwards 469 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:09,920 into the tray. 470 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:12,880 Even - hopefully, we'll see - 471 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:14,800 if I go all the way around. 472 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:18,200 LAUGHING: Oh, my God! 473 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,960 There's a reason I'm wearing a poncho, right? 474 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:22,800 Oh! 475 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:22,800 SHE LAUGHS 476 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:26,920 I'm probably going to reposition it to the centre 477 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,560 cos it's already slipped. 478 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:31,840 Look at that! 479 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,600 And the faster I go, 480 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:36,920 the more it pushes into the tray. 481 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:57,200 Woo! 482 00:25:02,120 --> 00:25:06,080 OK, time to put my fizzy physics where my mouth is 483 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:08,000 and upscale this demo. 484 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,360 You're going to be washing my dungarees in your hotel sink 485 00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:14,760 if this goes wrong, OK? Thank you. 486 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:18,000 # See the carousel turning round and round... # 487 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:19,480 Oh, wow! 488 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:20,880 LAUGHING: Oh, wow. 489 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,400 # Take a ride, you'll see 490 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:25,320 # It takes us so long... # 491 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:26,760 I drank some upside down. 492 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:31,080 So where did the idea of turning ourselves upside down and 493 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,360 round and round for fun come from? 494 00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:38,320 The story of how we ended up with "le loop" begins back 495 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:41,600 in the playgrounds of 19th-century Paris. 496 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:45,160 I want you to picture the scene. 497 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,880 It's the 1800s, the Parisian streets, 498 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:50,520 and there's all these chic little French kids who are playing 499 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:52,280 with the hottest toy of the summer, 500 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:57,520 which in the 1800s was this. 501 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:03,000 This charmingly simple game then inspired a crazy engineer called 502 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:06,680 Clavier, who thought it would be way more fun to do a version 503 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:07,720 for grown-ups. 504 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:13,040 After more than a decade of tinkering, he opened this 505 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:16,560 deadly-looking ride at the Frascati Gardens in Paris. 506 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:21,320 Oh, don't worry, love, 507 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:24,400 they tested it using sandbags and monkeys before they deemed 508 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:25,720 it fit for humans. 509 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:31,320 In 1895, the Americans got in the loop, too, 510 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:35,480 with the Coney Island Flip Flap. 511 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:40,120 There was just one teeny, tiny problem, which is that the early 512 00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:42,240 versions were one hell of a ride. 513 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:45,320 It was basically a torture device that you paid to go on. 514 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:49,480 You could end up with bruises, with neck injuries, even broken 515 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,480 bones, which I would say overall is not ideal for a day 516 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:54,080 at the funfair. 517 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,120 Now, the reason these rides were more pain than pleasure 518 00:26:57,120 --> 00:27:00,720 was all down to the shape of the loop. 519 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,600 Let me demonstrate with my stunning contribution to coaster design. 520 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:06,120 Hope it makes John proud. 521 00:27:06,120 --> 00:27:07,720 Welcome to the grand unveiling 522 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:11,560 of the roller-coaster that everyone's been talking about. 523 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:15,040 It is the Hannah-go-round, and you can see 524 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:20,760 here that this is a perfect scale replica of what they were building 525 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:24,480 in the 19th century, with these perfectly circular loop-the-loops. 526 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,840 I'm a maths professor, and if I say that's circular, then it's circular. 527 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:31,800 The problem with perfect circles is they are a right pain in the hoop 528 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:34,000 when it comes to G-force. 529 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:39,440 Now, I want to demonstrate to you the extreme G-forces 530 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:42,960 that are generated by a track of this shape. 531 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:47,240 To show you, I have a mini me on a mini train that is fitted 532 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:50,120 with an accelerometer to measure those G-forces. 533 00:27:51,360 --> 00:27:53,960 OK, are you ready? 534 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:55,120 Woo! 535 00:27:55,120 --> 00:27:57,080 SHE LAUGHS 536 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:01,520 On the circular loop, mini me experienced a whopping 4G. 537 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:05,120 That is four times her body weight pushing down on her. 538 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:08,920 At this point, 539 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:12,080 the train is travelling in this perfectly straight line, 540 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,560 and the people onboard are experiencing 1G. 541 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,320 That's just the gravitational pull of the Earth. 542 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:20,640 But while the train and everyone onboard wants to carry on going 543 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:24,520 in that direction, the track very rudely interrupts them. 544 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:30,160 And this abrupt change of direction causes this very sharp increase 545 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,480 in the G-forces, of 4G, as we've just seen there. 546 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:35,920 Now, you have to think about the effect of that on all 547 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:37,240 of the spines and the skulls 548 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:40,600 and the necks of the people that are on board. 549 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:45,040 What we are talking about here is whiplash in action. 550 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:49,160 Clearly, this design wasn't going to be the future of fun. 551 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:53,160 But then, in 1901, American inventor Edwin Prescott 552 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,320 had a very bright idea. 553 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:59,200 What if you squished the circle into a teardrop shape? 554 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:02,680 It's a much smoother transition 555 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:04,520 from one part of the roller-coaster 556 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:07,280 to the next, and you can see the difference that that makes 557 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:08,640 in terms of G-forces. 558 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,400 Let me show you. 559 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:15,160 They go 2G on that one, half as bad on your neck. 560 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:18,520 Prescott's loop was a big improvement, but sadly 561 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:21,840 for those early thrill-seekers, it never really took off. 562 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:26,840 Prescott, he didn't really understand the physics of why 563 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:28,920 this made a difference, he just knew that it did. 564 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:31,440 But, unfortunately, there are a few other flaws to his design. 565 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:32,520 It was a really small loop, 566 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:34,360 it could only carry four people at a time. 567 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:38,960 So, although it was an advance in roller-coaster terms, it was also 568 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:41,400 a bit of a commercial flop. 569 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:45,800 For over 70 years, loops languished in the design dustbin, lost 570 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:48,360 and unloved, to be pulled from obscurity by one man 571 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:53,000 determined to make loops great again. 572 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,480 Let me tell you something, 573 00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:00,840 a life without coaster and loops 574 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:04,080 is meaningless and boring. 575 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:07,720 THEY LAUGH 576 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:09,720 This is Werner Stengel, 577 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:12,280 the grandaddy of coaster design. 578 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:18,160 He basically invented the modern looping roller-coaster. 579 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:19,880 Werner was a structural engineer 580 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:21,520 when the coaster bug caught him. 581 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:24,520 By the 1970s, he was the go-to 582 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:28,080 for every crazy coaster idea in the world. 583 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:32,160 And that is when a new theme park in California, called 584 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:34,200 Magic Mountain, approached him. 585 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:35,720 The American people asked me, 586 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:40,760 "Can we today build a loop without hurting people?" 587 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:44,080 And I answered, "Give me three days." 588 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:48,200 My idea was, in the back of my brain, 589 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:52,240 it must be a curve, a special curve, 590 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:56,280 what we today call a teardrop. 591 00:30:56,280 --> 00:30:59,840 In the 70 years since the first attempt at the teardrop loop, 592 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:02,880 our understanding about how much G-force the body 593 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:06,160 can take had come on in leaps and bounds. 594 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:09,120 We can simulate the forces experienced by whirling the man 595 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,920 round at a suitable rate. 596 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:17,520 And so Werner turned to the ultimate G-force experts - astronauts. 597 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:21,400 I asked them, "Can you do me a favour and look at NASA, 598 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:25,960 "about how many accelerations can people stand?" 599 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:28,400 The answer was revealing. 600 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:30,520 The astronauts, 3.5G. 601 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:33,880 We have on a roller-coaster now, 6G. 602 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:39,040 But one second, the astronauts have to stand six minutes. 603 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:41,280 So duration was the key. 604 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:45,680 The human body can cope with a high G-force, but only for a very short 605 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:47,600 amount of time. 606 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:50,960 This was very important - to make 607 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,960 the time limit, the duration 608 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:59,240 of the acceleration, one second or less, not more. 609 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:04,000 Werner worked out that the maximum safe G-force on the loops 610 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,880 should be 6G for one second. 611 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:13,120 I'm proud about those numbers because those numbers are now used 612 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:17,880 in Russia, in China, in Japan, US. 613 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:22,880 Werner's numbers - his formula for fun, if you like - debuted 614 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:26,760 in California in May 1976 with The Great American Revolution, 615 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:31,000 the world's first modern vertical looping roller-coaster, 616 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:35,240 and it is still in operation today, almost 50 years on. 617 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:39,240 When people are coming out of the car and they are crying, 618 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,160 "I do it again," 619 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:45,560 then I say, "Werner, you have done a big job," and I can be proud. 620 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:49,120 So next time you're hanging upside down, worrying your organs 621 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:50,960 are about to spill out of your mouth, 622 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:53,680 you know who to thank. 623 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:58,640 Talking of which, let's loop back to Thorpe Park and my terrified face. 624 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:06,640 Oh, my goodness me! 625 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:08,360 There's, like, the slowing down, 626 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:11,640 it takes your breath away! 627 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:14,240 Wow! Wow! 628 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:16,680 You know it's a good roller-coaster when there's 629 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:19,080 a minor wardrobe malfunction. 630 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:22,200 Oh, my goodness me, what you did is amazing! 631 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:23,280 Did you enjoy it? 632 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:26,360 It's so good! That's incredible! 633 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,560 OK, my hair looks crazy. 634 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,560 SHE LAUGHS 635 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:29,840 You've got a new hairdo. 636 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:33,160 Me and my hair had a total blast. 637 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:36,840 But thrill-seeking isn't for all of us. 638 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,240 So scientists essentially say that there are really two kinds 639 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:41,480 of people in the world. 640 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:43,880 The sensation seekers... 641 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:46,000 Give me the roller-coaster, any time. 642 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,840 ..and then a group called the sensation-duckers - 643 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:50,800 at least, that's the name I'm giving them. 644 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:52,800 Those are people who would rather just avoid this sort of 645 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:54,200 thing altogether. 646 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:55,840 I'm absolutely terrified. 647 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:59,800 In one experiment, scientists looked at the dopamine levels and cortisol 648 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:03,720 levels of people as they completed something like riding 649 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:06,720 round on a roller-coaster, and found that the sensation-seekers 650 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:08,480 had higher levels of dopamine - 651 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:11,120 that's a sort of pleasure hormone - 652 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:13,440 and lower levels of cortisol, 653 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:15,200 which is the stress hormone. 654 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:19,200 Meanwhile, the people who were really born to be mild 655 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,200 had the exact opposite. 656 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:26,720 So, whether you are hyped for Hyperia or would rather stick pins 657 00:34:26,720 --> 00:34:31,880 in your eyes, just remember it's not you, it's your brain chemistry. 658 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:34,840 HE SCREAMS, SHE LAUGHS 659 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:39,920 No! Where are we...? 660 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:41,480 SHE LAUGHS 661 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:45,400 Next up, the critical component that keeps bums in seats 662 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:49,080 while you hurtle through the sky at 80mph. 663 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:52,760 Brace yourselves, everyone - it's the restraint. 664 00:34:59,960 --> 00:35:01,360 There you go! 665 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:03,400 SHE CHUCKLES 666 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:07,400 Would you like to guess which bit of a roller-coaster sends people's 667 00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:08,720 hearts racing the most? 668 00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:10,280 I mean, if it was me, 669 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:13,040 I would guess something like maybe round about where they are now, 670 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:14,880 just as you get to the top. 671 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:18,800 Or maybe the first very sharp drop, 672 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:22,880 maybe the twisty, loopy bits, maybe the upside down bit. 673 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:26,000 No, none of those. 674 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:30,680 Scientists ran a study where they monitored people's 675 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:33,800 heart rate and found that it peaked at the moment 676 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:35,960 that the restraint comes down. 677 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:40,640 Yes, it's the point where you realise there's no turning back. 678 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:44,120 But before you get anywhere near a restraint, there is, 679 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:45,520 of course, the queue, 680 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:50,400 and today, Hyperia's queue is 75 minutes long. Arms up. 681 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:55,160 75 minutes is a long time to have a serious conversation 682 00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:58,120 with yourself about your life choices. 683 00:35:58,120 --> 00:35:59,520 Good luck! 684 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:02,840 Some of them look a bit more nervous than others. 685 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:05,520 I mean, it's an intimidating ride. It's huge. 686 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:08,080 Has anyone ever cried? Yeah. 687 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:10,040 Have they? Yeah. People cry, 688 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:11,960 but then by the time they get off, they're fine. 689 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,160 That is Kai De Souza. 690 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:16,960 He's Hyperia's chief rider wrangler. 691 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:21,160 His job is to make sure your restraint is secure so you, 692 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:23,440 you know, don't die. 693 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:25,640 Just look at their faces. Ha! 694 00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:28,120 Has anyone ever vomited while going round? 695 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:30,240 No. No, that doesn't really happen. 696 00:36:30,240 --> 00:36:35,040 Kai and his team of ride assistants, or hosts, run a very well-oiled 697 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:39,400 machine that can shift 800 people through the ride every hour. 698 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:43,120 It is a quick turnaround for each new ride, but don't let 699 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:44,880 this speed fool you - 700 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:49,120 there is a lot going on to make sure each rider is fully fastened in. 701 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:52,440 I mean, this is a very slick operation. Yes. 702 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:54,400 How does it work? 703 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:56,760 How do you get people in and out so quickly? 704 00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:59,200 Everyone will sit down, get them to pull their bars 705 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:02,760 down so they can be checked straight away. 706 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:04,360 Do you want to take them off? Yes. Yeah? 707 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:07,680 And then the hosts will then go down the train, making sure 708 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:10,640 they're doing thorough checks, checking the restraints, doing 709 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:12,800 visual checks of the guests to make sure they're not distressed 710 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,000 or anything, and make sure they don't have any loose items. 711 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,560 No-one's crying. Make sure no-one's crying. 712 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:20,640 They'll do a nice big thumbs-up to the operator 713 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:23,000 up on the console there, press their buttons, 714 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:24,480 and then the operator will press theirs, 715 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:25,800 and then the ride will dispatch. 716 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:28,480 But they don't just rely on humans. 717 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:31,680 Each restraint has a sensor telling the control room which seats 718 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:33,440 are occupied and which are locked, 719 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:36,680 and the train cannot go unless every 720 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:39,200 restraint is down and locked. 721 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:43,200 What would happen if you went around without the restraint on? 722 00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:45,880 Would you fly off? Probably, yeah. 723 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:48,240 Which is, you know, again, why it has such 724 00:37:48,240 --> 00:37:50,200 a complicated safety system. 725 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:56,040 You might have noticed that Hyperia's restraints seem 726 00:37:56,040 --> 00:38:00,120 a little...restrained, given the mad positions that this ride 727 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:02,200 will put you in. 728 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:05,640 I appreciate this thing 729 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:08,840 looks quite low-key, but there's actually some very clever design 730 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:10,480 tricks that have gone into this. 731 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:12,480 The first you should notice is the seat itself. 732 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:15,280 So this is sort of tilted backwards, which means 733 00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:17,240 that it puts your pelvis right 734 00:38:17,240 --> 00:38:19,240 into the seat to really reduce 735 00:38:19,240 --> 00:38:20,600 the chance of you slipping out. 736 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:23,920 And then you have the lap restraint. 737 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,680 But this thing is quite different to the ones that you used to find 738 00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:29,160 at fairgrounds that were just made of metal. 739 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:32,360 This thing is padded, and so it contours itself to your body. 740 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:36,320 But the real secret weapon of this seat is the hydraulic system 741 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:38,680 that it uses to lock you in place. 742 00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:42,480 Hydraulics use a pressurised liquid to move or control 743 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:44,360 a mechanical function. 744 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:48,920 Because this is hydraulic, it's basically infinitely adjustable, 745 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:53,760 which means that it can pin you perfectly in place, regardless 746 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:54,800 of your size. 747 00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:00,880 So how did we get the sophisticated safety systems of today? 748 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:02,960 THEY SCREAM 749 00:39:02,960 --> 00:39:07,560 Well, the early coasters had no restraints, which was mostly OK, 750 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:10,800 since top speeds of 6mph were unlikely to send 751 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:14,160 you into orbit. 752 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:18,560 But in 1907, the first high-speed coaster was invented by a carpenter 753 00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:22,160 called Feucht, who had been so inspired by a model coaster 754 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:26,040 at his dentist's surgery, he teamed up with his dentist to build 755 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:28,240 a full-size one. 756 00:39:28,240 --> 00:39:32,320 Drop the Dip was so extreme they had to add a lap bar to stop 757 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:37,520 riders falling out, a precaution that would soon become commonplace. 758 00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:39,720 Still, probably more fun than a root canal! 759 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:46,720 But as rides started getting bigger, faster and even more dangerous, 760 00:39:46,720 --> 00:39:49,640 it soon became clear that the bar on safety restraints 761 00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:50,800 had to be raised. 762 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:55,800 So, with the roller-coasters, it can be rather hard work on the upper 763 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:59,080 chest of ladies, so you need to be well-supported. 764 00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:00,720 SHE LAUGHS 765 00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:11,200 To understand how we got a radical new kind of restraint, 766 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:15,000 let's reverse back in time to a decade when big and brash 767 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:18,760 were best, and restraint was hardly a buzzword. 768 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:23,000 So I want you to imagine it's the 1970s, it's California, 769 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:25,160 and there is one very particular 770 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:29,120 roller-coaster dreams factory, called Arrow. 771 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:32,640 So Arrow wanted to do something that had never been attempted before - 772 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:36,720 they wanted to build this massive Corkscrew roller-coaster 773 00:40:36,720 --> 00:40:39,560 that would send people around on these two 774 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:41,440 barrel-rolls, upside down. 775 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:45,480 The only problem is that these are a bit more serious 776 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:46,960 than just a standard loop-the-loop, 777 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:49,920 and so a normal lap bar wasn't going to cut it. 778 00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:52,800 They were going to need something that was much more heavy-duty. 779 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:56,440 Enter Arrow engineer and son of the company's 780 00:40:56,440 --> 00:40:57,800 co-founder, Dana Morgan. 781 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:02,640 Dana had two great loves in his life - roller-coasters, sure, 782 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:04,080 but also race cars. 783 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:07,680 And when he encountered this lap-bar problem, he turned 784 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:10,520 to his cars for inspiration. 785 00:41:10,520 --> 00:41:13,120 The thing about race cars, they've got a couple of extra 786 00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:15,160 additions to make sure that you stay in your seat. 787 00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:16,920 So, first up, they've got a harness. 788 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:19,320 Now, this is much more than just a normal seat belt, 789 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:23,840 this is something that goes both around your waist, 790 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:27,120 but also over your shoulders, just 791 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:30,000 to really pin you to your seat, 792 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:33,000 so that even if you end up flipping your very expensive race car, 793 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:38,280 you will just dangle there in place until somebody comes to rescue you. 794 00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:42,320 But also, the way that race cars are designed is that you are sitting 795 00:41:42,320 --> 00:41:46,160 back in your seat with your knees held high, and it's this combination 796 00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:47,760 that was going to be absolutely 797 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:49,680 perfect for those barrel rolls. 798 00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:51,720 ENGINE STARTS 799 00:41:51,720 --> 00:41:55,640 Racing cars in the '70s were regularly hitting speeds twice 800 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:59,040 as fast as roller-coasters. 801 00:41:59,040 --> 00:42:00,480 LAUGHING: Woo! 802 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:01,760 I feel really cool. 803 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:05,880 Drivers faced some pretty big G-forces in all directions 804 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:08,320 and could often end up upside down. 805 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:15,600 Oh, BLEEP! Sorry. 806 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:20,480 Need a ride? 807 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:20,480 SHE CHUCKLES 808 00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:24,840 But Dana Morgan knew that those racing car harnesses needed proper 809 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:27,440 product testing for his roller-coaster. 810 00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:30,160 And so he built a backyard roller-coaster prototype, 811 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:33,440 strapped himself and his head engineer in with 812 00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:35,840 a couple of racing car harnesses, 813 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:39,560 flung themselves down through the double barrel roll, 814 00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:42,040 and no-one fell out. 815 00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:45,920 They knew then that this harness was the right sort of shape. 816 00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:48,480 The problem is, it's a bit fiddly, especially if you're trying to get 817 00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:50,000 it on loads of passengers quickly. 818 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:53,080 So what they needed to do next was to design 819 00:42:53,080 --> 00:42:55,640 a more mechanical version. 820 00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:59,440 They took the harness design but developed it into a steel-framed, 821 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:04,960 padded restraint that, for the first time, went over a rider's head. 822 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:09,720 Arrow staff members had the fun task of testing each iteration 823 00:43:09,720 --> 00:43:14,680 until the Arrow over-the-shoulder restraint was patented and then used 824 00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:16,200 on the Corkscrew, the world's 825 00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:19,240 first-ever double-inverted steel coaster, 826 00:43:19,240 --> 00:43:20,800 in California, in 1975. 827 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:27,720 Over-the-shoulder restraints ushered in a whole new era 828 00:43:27,720 --> 00:43:29,800 of daredevil thrill rides. 829 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:34,000 But in the 50 years since Corkscrew turned our lives upside down, 830 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:38,480 restraint design has come full circle, with the lap bar making 831 00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:40,560 a high-tech comeback. 832 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:41,800 I mean, computer-aided, 833 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:44,040 sensor-assisted, Hyperia-style lap bars. 834 00:43:44,040 --> 00:43:48,120 Instead of being stapled in by shoulder straps, 835 00:43:48,120 --> 00:43:53,560 thrill-seekers like me get more freedom to really feel those Gs. 836 00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:55,600 It is, suspended in time! 837 00:43:58,560 --> 00:44:03,200 Our final component is "wheelie" important. 838 00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:05,200 It's the bit that lets a roller-coaster 839 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:07,640 literally roll and coast 840 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:09,520 while staying firmly on the track. 841 00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:11,920 It's the wheels. 842 00:44:16,320 --> 00:44:20,320 To understand how the humble wheel became the real hidden hero 843 00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:23,240 of roller-coaster evolution, I've come to 844 00:44:23,240 --> 00:44:27,440 the belly of the beast - Hyperia's lair, if you like. 845 00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:29,720 Do you consider yourself big into wheels? I do, 846 00:44:29,720 --> 00:44:31,560 I'm very big into wheels. Do you? 847 00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:33,720 Yes. I have to be, it's for a roller-coaster. 848 00:44:33,720 --> 00:44:35,720 That is Thorpe Park's details man, 849 00:44:35,720 --> 00:44:37,840 Rikki Walliker. 850 00:44:37,840 --> 00:44:40,000 Think of him as a sort of Alfred, 851 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:41,560 tinkering in the Batcave. 852 00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:43,200 This is where we do all our maintenance and storage 853 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:44,640 for the Hyperia trains. 854 00:44:44,640 --> 00:44:45,920 Sleep in here overnight? 855 00:44:45,920 --> 00:44:48,760 Yeah, they do have a bit of a sleep in here at night-times. 856 00:44:48,760 --> 00:44:51,760 They don't have to sit in the rain? No, we keep them dry. It makes it 857 00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:53,680 easier for the maintenance, for the team to work on. 858 00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:55,560 Hyperia's 144 wheels 859 00:44:55,560 --> 00:44:58,520 take a real hammering, with each wheel expected to shoulder 860 00:44:58,520 --> 00:45:03,200 7.5 tonnes of weight up to 400 times a day. 861 00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:08,400 I mean, this thing's going around, like, continually, all summer. 862 00:45:08,400 --> 00:45:10,440 Yes. Do these end up wearing away? 863 00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:12,160 They do slowly wear down over time. 864 00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:13,680 So, as part of our daily checks, 865 00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:15,360 we'll check the diameter of the wheel. 866 00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:17,840 These are our calliper tools. It's like a comedy magnet, innit? 867 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:21,240 It is. So if it had worn away, it would be a skinnier wheel 868 00:45:21,240 --> 00:45:24,640 and would go into the red? Exactly right, yeah. 869 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:28,280 You can't help but notice there's just so many of them. 870 00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:30,600 All looks a bit complicated. 871 00:45:31,640 --> 00:45:35,960 The three differently-angled wheels all have a different role to play, 872 00:45:35,960 --> 00:45:39,800 designed to keep the coaster moving smoothly, but hugging the track 873 00:45:39,800 --> 00:45:43,000 from three sides to ensure complete safety. 874 00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:45,480 Do you like going on them yourself? 875 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:46,800 I do go on the roller-coasters. 876 00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:50,040 I do tend to continuously engineer my way through it and look 877 00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:51,600 for different things, 878 00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:54,200 a way I can fix or adapt or improve it as I go round. 879 00:45:54,200 --> 00:45:57,320 Do you really? So I'm not a screamer, per se. 880 00:45:57,320 --> 00:46:00,080 An engineer through and through. 881 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:04,160 To keep the ride silky-smooth, Rikki's team lovingly slathers every 882 00:46:04,160 --> 00:46:06,560 wheel with this stuff every day. 883 00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:10,400 Just getting a nice level on your brush. 884 00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:14,160 What actually is this stuff? It's a wax lubricant. 885 00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:16,440 You know that phrase, "greasing the wheels"? 886 00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:18,200 Well, we're taking it to a different level here. 887 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:20,720 It's actually for real. 888 00:46:20,720 --> 00:46:24,560 But to understand why modern coasters have so many wheels, 889 00:46:24,560 --> 00:46:28,200 we have to jump back to the 1900s, a time when roller-coasters 890 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:31,520 had far fewer wheels, and many were basically 891 00:46:31,520 --> 00:46:33,800 just demonic shopping trolleys. 892 00:46:38,960 --> 00:46:43,880 Time to hop on - or, I should say, under - a coaster of yesteryear. 893 00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:47,520 You know those trainsets that you get for kids 894 00:46:47,520 --> 00:46:51,720 that are really annoying and continually come off the tracks? 895 00:46:51,720 --> 00:46:53,960 That's basically what this is. 896 00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:57,560 This old girl is Great Yarmouth's Scenic Railway. 897 00:46:57,560 --> 00:46:58,920 She's nearly 100 years old 898 00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:02,360 and one of the only coasters left 899 00:47:02,360 --> 00:47:05,080 in the world with this type of wheel set-up. 900 00:47:05,080 --> 00:47:08,040 If you ever wondered what the underside of a 100-year-old 901 00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:11,640 roller-coaster train looked like, this is it. 902 00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:14,280 You've got four wheels, and they're just balanced, 903 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:18,080 they're literally balanced on the track, with a little bit 904 00:47:18,080 --> 00:47:19,960 of a lip on this side. 905 00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:22,800 That is it. You go over a bump, you're off. 906 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:25,160 I don't normally get that nervous on roller-coasters, but I think 907 00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:27,720 I'm going to be a bit nervous on this one. 908 00:47:27,720 --> 00:47:31,160 But this coaster's creators knew they had a problem with so few 909 00:47:31,160 --> 00:47:34,800 wheels, and so they built in an extra safety feature, 910 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:37,560 a surprisingly chatty safety feature. 911 00:47:37,560 --> 00:47:39,280 It's my baby. Is it? 912 00:47:39,280 --> 00:47:41,280 Yeah. Has she got a name? This is the Ferrari. 913 00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:44,680 "The Ferrari"! It's the red one. THEY LAUGH 914 00:47:44,680 --> 00:47:48,800 This is Matt Hopwood, and if Matt had a motto, it would be, 915 00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:51,440 "Scream if you want to go slower." 916 00:47:51,440 --> 00:47:53,600 My job, basically, control the speed of the car. 917 00:47:53,600 --> 00:47:56,640 So the official title for it would be a brakeman or brake person. 918 00:47:56,640 --> 00:47:58,520 Sorry, what? It's the brakes, 919 00:47:58,520 --> 00:48:00,400 that's how it operates, that's how it stops. 920 00:48:00,400 --> 00:48:02,240 Because the wheels are few in number 921 00:48:02,240 --> 00:48:04,880 and need to remain balanced on the rails, 922 00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:08,240 Matt's job is to brake at all the right points so the carriages 923 00:48:08,240 --> 00:48:09,760 stay on track. 924 00:48:09,760 --> 00:48:11,040 Hey, no pressure! 925 00:48:12,040 --> 00:48:13,600 What happens if you don't brake? 926 00:48:13,600 --> 00:48:15,240 If you don't brake, you won't stop. 927 00:48:15,240 --> 00:48:18,840 Rest assured, Matt has spent 18 years perfecting his 928 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:20,840 boss-level braking skills. 929 00:48:20,840 --> 00:48:23,240 But, I mean, how hard can it be? 930 00:48:23,240 --> 00:48:25,080 I want to see how heavy it is. 931 00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:26,320 Both your feet down. 932 00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:28,120 So back and like that. 933 00:48:28,120 --> 00:48:29,280 And when you've finished, 934 00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:31,800 just release it back again, but don't release the clip. 935 00:48:31,800 --> 00:48:35,320 If you... Oh, my God, that is really hard to do. 936 00:48:35,320 --> 00:48:36,920 I would not, I would not. No, 937 00:48:36,920 --> 00:48:40,000 absolutely not. Absolutely not. No way. 938 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:42,920 OK, let's leave it to the expert. 939 00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:47,320 Oh, my God. 940 00:48:47,320 --> 00:48:50,600 Did you just give it a push on? 100%. It's just gravity-fed, 941 00:48:50,600 --> 00:48:53,200 so without that, it wouldn't move at all. 942 00:48:53,200 --> 00:48:54,600 Amazing. 943 00:48:54,600 --> 00:48:56,560 OK, get ready on that brake, my friend. 944 00:48:56,560 --> 00:48:57,920 Here we go! 945 00:49:00,600 --> 00:49:02,600 SHE LAUGHS 946 00:49:05,120 --> 00:49:07,320 Biggest drop coming up! 947 00:49:07,320 --> 00:49:09,600 Woo! 948 00:49:09,600 --> 00:49:11,040 Ooh! 949 00:49:11,040 --> 00:49:13,280 SHE LAUGHS 950 00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:17,200 Do you brake it here? Yep. 951 00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:18,920 What would happen if you didn't? 952 00:49:18,920 --> 00:49:20,400 The back end would lift up. 953 00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:21,800 Oh, what? It would come off. 954 00:49:21,800 --> 00:49:23,320 No! 955 00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:29,960 It's funny how you can really feel the back pushing you down, 956 00:49:29,960 --> 00:49:32,680 like, you can feel when the back goes, "Woo!" 957 00:49:36,480 --> 00:49:39,920 Back in the 1900s, not every brakeman acted 958 00:49:39,920 --> 00:49:41,560 with Matt's professionalism - 959 00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:45,080 some took the banks and turns without braking. 960 00:49:45,080 --> 00:49:50,560 In 1910, 16 passengers were flung from their seats and four died 961 00:49:50,560 --> 00:49:55,640 on Rough Riders, one of Coney Island's most notorious rides. 962 00:49:55,640 --> 00:50:00,840 Five years later, three more people were killed on the same ride. 963 00:50:00,840 --> 00:50:06,040 But then, in 1919, one man had a brilliant idea. 964 00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:10,440 In rolls John A Miller, known as the Thomas Edison 965 00:50:10,440 --> 00:50:12,120 of the roller-coaster world. 966 00:50:12,120 --> 00:50:15,360 He's like, "Why are we only using one wheel, one pathetic wheel, 967 00:50:15,360 --> 00:50:19,040 "on these things? Why not add in a few more?" 968 00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:24,600 And so he goes on to patent what's known as the up-stop wheel. 969 00:50:24,600 --> 00:50:28,000 Now, you might imagine that adding more wheels to an extremely 970 00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:32,880 fast-moving train would be a very bad idea, but, actually, 971 00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:36,680 this is a complete game-changer when it comes to safety, 972 00:50:36,680 --> 00:50:38,440 because you have your wheel on top, 973 00:50:38,440 --> 00:50:42,680 as before, but now you have a guide wheel on the side and, crucially, 974 00:50:42,680 --> 00:50:44,840 another wheel underneath 975 00:50:44,840 --> 00:50:49,400 that effectively locks your train to the track. 976 00:50:50,640 --> 00:50:55,640 So, looping back to Hyperia and her 144 well-waxed wheels seems 977 00:50:55,640 --> 00:50:58,240 much less complicated now. 978 00:50:58,240 --> 00:51:01,440 There's the roadwheel, the workhorse that carries 979 00:51:01,440 --> 00:51:04,640 you up the lift and around the track, the sidewheel, keeping 980 00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:08,360 you safe on the corners, and the all-important up-stop 981 00:51:08,360 --> 00:51:10,560 for the upside down bits. 982 00:51:10,560 --> 00:51:13,320 Safety in numbers. 983 00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:15,080 Miller's multi-wheel solution 984 00:51:15,080 --> 00:51:17,480 has been keeping the biggest, fastest 985 00:51:17,480 --> 00:51:20,200 and scariest roller-coasters attached to the tracks 986 00:51:20,200 --> 00:51:22,880 for the last 100 years. 987 00:51:22,880 --> 00:51:25,040 MICHAEL RODD: Headlong dives from giddy heights, 988 00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:27,200 high-speed travel over tortuous routes. 989 00:51:27,200 --> 00:51:30,080 Above all, the total abandonment of the dreamer to a situation 990 00:51:30,080 --> 00:51:32,120 over which he has no control. 991 00:51:32,120 --> 00:51:36,400 And because the roller-coaster arms race never stops, wheels will keep 992 00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:39,560 evolving, like these extra-large bad boys on the latest 993 00:51:39,560 --> 00:51:43,960 record-smashing coaster being built in Saudi Arabia. 994 00:51:43,960 --> 00:51:47,920 These wheels have special cooling rims to deal with extreme heat 995 00:51:47,920 --> 00:51:52,720 and extreme speeds of up to 156mph. 996 00:51:52,720 --> 00:51:56,560 Now, that, my friends, is a full-on roaster-coaster. 997 00:51:58,760 --> 00:52:02,560 For over 150 years, we've been throwing ourselves down 998 00:52:02,560 --> 00:52:05,760 death-defying drops and whizzing around upside down, 999 00:52:05,760 --> 00:52:08,520 all in the pursuit of fun. 1000 00:52:08,520 --> 00:52:11,920 But what if taller, faster, and loopier isn't 1001 00:52:11,920 --> 00:52:13,800 the only way forward? 1002 00:52:13,800 --> 00:52:15,160 This is the future. 1003 00:52:20,360 --> 00:52:21,800 NEWSREEL: The never-stopping 1004 00:52:21,800 --> 00:52:23,720 People Mover introduces Tomorrowland, 1005 00:52:23,720 --> 00:52:27,400 a constantly changing look at things to come. 1006 00:52:27,400 --> 00:52:29,920 Back in the 1950s, the roller-coaster imagineers 1007 00:52:29,920 --> 00:52:32,960 weren't afraid to dream big. 1008 00:52:32,960 --> 00:52:35,960 One ride makes you feel as if you're being shrunk 1009 00:52:35,960 --> 00:52:38,640 as you enter the world of the microscope. 1010 00:52:40,200 --> 00:52:43,680 Next, you're being sent on a trip to the moon. 1011 00:52:43,680 --> 00:52:47,200 The evolution of roller-coasters 1012 00:52:47,200 --> 00:52:50,760 has always been "go big or go home". 1013 00:52:50,760 --> 00:52:54,720 But what if - and stay with me here - what if the future isn't 1014 00:52:54,720 --> 00:52:57,480 "go big or go home", but "go dark"? 1015 00:52:57,480 --> 00:53:00,320 There are things on roller-coasters you can't experience, and that's 1016 00:53:00,320 --> 00:53:02,120 where dark rides come in. 1017 00:53:02,120 --> 00:53:04,520 "Dark rides"? Is that what they call them? Yeah. 1018 00:53:04,520 --> 00:53:05,600 Why do they call them that? 1019 00:53:05,600 --> 00:53:07,240 Well, mainly cos they're indoors. 1020 00:53:08,400 --> 00:53:10,640 That is Sarah Aftelak, 1021 00:53:10,640 --> 00:53:15,640 doyenne of dark rides at multi-media ride manufacturers Simworx. 1022 00:53:15,640 --> 00:53:19,560 It's an indoor theme park ride that relies on media-based attractions, 1023 00:53:19,560 --> 00:53:23,400 but basically it follows a narrative, so you're in the story, 1024 00:53:23,400 --> 00:53:26,040 being either guided along or making choices. 1025 00:53:26,040 --> 00:53:28,760 What, so you can actually interact with the story itself? 1026 00:53:28,760 --> 00:53:29,800 Yeah, yeah. 1027 00:53:31,120 --> 00:53:33,720 Who says it's no fun staying indoors? 1028 00:53:33,720 --> 00:53:37,320 These very techy rides combine all kinds of 3D visuals 1029 00:53:37,320 --> 00:53:40,200 with increasingly sophisticated mechanics, 1030 00:53:40,200 --> 00:53:42,680 with super-immersive results. 1031 00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:46,240 This is a different kind of roller-coaster 1032 00:53:46,240 --> 00:53:47,400 that you're making here, right? 1033 00:53:47,400 --> 00:53:49,640 Traditional roller-coasters will usually run on a track. 1034 00:53:49,640 --> 00:53:51,000 Ours is completely trackless. 1035 00:53:51,000 --> 00:53:52,400 Riders can make the decision, 1036 00:53:52,400 --> 00:53:54,520 you can have a choice of left or right, 1037 00:53:54,520 --> 00:53:57,840 or even - maybe in the future - driving it yourself. 1038 00:53:57,840 --> 00:54:00,600 So, you've got no tracks, you've got no trains - 1039 00:54:00,600 --> 00:54:02,440 is it even really a ride? 1040 00:54:02,440 --> 00:54:06,880 It is. Our AGV is a very, very cool ride. 1041 00:54:06,880 --> 00:54:10,040 "AGV"? Yeah, automated guided vehicle. 1042 00:54:12,560 --> 00:54:14,400 OK. 1043 00:54:14,400 --> 00:54:17,280 Right... I mean, I'm not sure I really understand it. 1044 00:54:17,280 --> 00:54:18,760 Does that, like, move around? 1045 00:54:18,760 --> 00:54:21,000 Yeah. So, it's like you're sort of pretending you're sitting 1046 00:54:21,000 --> 00:54:22,160 in a police car? 1047 00:54:23,480 --> 00:54:25,480 This isn't any old police car - 1048 00:54:25,480 --> 00:54:27,840 it has got some tricks up its sleeve, 1049 00:54:27,840 --> 00:54:31,280 and I am one of the first to try it. 1050 00:54:31,280 --> 00:54:32,560 Take her for a spin. 1051 00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:33,720 Brakes are off. 1052 00:54:33,720 --> 00:54:34,800 LAUGHTER 1053 00:54:36,880 --> 00:54:38,440 I mean, she's moving. 1054 00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:40,400 We've got full degree of motion here, so left, right, 1055 00:54:40,400 --> 00:54:41,520 back, forth, up and down. 1056 00:54:41,520 --> 00:54:43,320 Yeah. I mean, you do tilt forward quite a lot, don't you? 1057 00:54:43,320 --> 00:54:45,000 Yeah, yeah, there's a good range of motion on it. 1058 00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:48,680 It doesn't need a lot of motion in order for you to experience 1059 00:54:48,680 --> 00:54:51,320 what you need to on a ride, so if you're watching a screen 1060 00:54:51,320 --> 00:54:54,280 and, say, like, you're in a police car and you're setting off 1061 00:54:54,280 --> 00:54:57,400 really fast, all it takes, really, is a little tilt back, 1062 00:54:57,400 --> 00:54:58,480 you're pushed back in your seat, 1063 00:54:58,480 --> 00:55:01,280 as you would be if you speed off in a car. 1064 00:55:01,280 --> 00:55:05,760 I mean, it's cool, but we've had ride simulators since the 1980s, 1065 00:55:05,760 --> 00:55:08,960 and then we swapped bumping around in a box for VR, 1066 00:55:08,960 --> 00:55:11,960 basically bumping around in a chair with goggles on. 1067 00:55:13,160 --> 00:55:16,200 But this is different. 1068 00:55:16,200 --> 00:55:20,280 For now, we are just shuffling around in a big garage, 1069 00:55:20,280 --> 00:55:25,080 but, once released, this AGV will be programmed to speed around 1070 00:55:25,080 --> 00:55:27,400 a specially-designed building, 1071 00:55:27,400 --> 00:55:30,200 interacting with 3D video installations, 1072 00:55:30,200 --> 00:55:33,360 sound effects, even smells. 1073 00:55:33,360 --> 00:55:35,320 Similar rides already exist... 1074 00:55:37,120 --> 00:55:41,240 ..but this new generation of AGVs will allow riders to choose 1075 00:55:41,240 --> 00:55:45,840 their own journeys and interact with other vehicles. 1076 00:55:47,760 --> 00:55:48,920 Show me what she can do. 1077 00:55:48,920 --> 00:55:50,480 Open her up. OK, here we go. Ooh! 1078 00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:52,640 LAUGHTER 1079 00:55:52,640 --> 00:55:53,920 And that's not all. 1080 00:55:53,920 --> 00:55:57,480 When finished, this will be the fastest trackless dark ride 1081 00:55:57,480 --> 00:55:58,680 in the industry. 1082 00:56:01,440 --> 00:56:04,280 With dark rides like this, it's about the acceleration 1083 00:56:04,280 --> 00:56:05,360 because you're experiencing... 1084 00:56:05,360 --> 00:56:07,440 You're not going a really long way, 1085 00:56:07,440 --> 00:56:10,160 but just having that little bit of acceleration straight off, 1086 00:56:10,160 --> 00:56:12,440 you feel it, you feel like you're going fast. 1087 00:56:12,440 --> 00:56:15,800 You get the amazing Gs on a roller-coaster and it's really fun, 1088 00:56:15,800 --> 00:56:17,720 but then you can go next door and experience a ride 1089 00:56:17,720 --> 00:56:19,200 like this with a story, 1090 00:56:19,200 --> 00:56:21,400 with the kind of emotions it brings up. 1091 00:56:21,400 --> 00:56:24,000 Yeah, on this one, you can fully immerse yourself. 1092 00:56:24,000 --> 00:56:25,760 Ooh! 1093 00:56:24,000 --> 00:56:25,760 LAUGHTER 1094 00:56:25,760 --> 00:56:28,760 This hasn't been released into the wild just yet, 1095 00:56:28,760 --> 00:56:30,920 and it's all a bit hush-hush. 1096 00:56:30,920 --> 00:56:32,000 How long do I have to wait, then? 1097 00:56:32,000 --> 00:56:34,440 How long until this kind of thing might be something 1098 00:56:34,440 --> 00:56:36,000 you could actually visit? 1099 00:56:36,000 --> 00:56:38,920 We do have a ride currently in production, 1100 00:56:38,920 --> 00:56:41,240 although I can't say any details about it at the moment. Ooh... 1101 00:56:41,240 --> 00:56:43,960 But are we talking two years? Five years? Ten years? 1102 00:56:45,080 --> 00:56:48,400 Hmm... Someone's keeping their cards close to their chest. 1103 00:56:48,400 --> 00:56:50,800 Will it be in the UK? 1104 00:56:50,800 --> 00:56:51,840 I can't say. 1105 00:56:51,840 --> 00:56:54,440 Will it be in a country that rhymes with boo-kay? 1106 00:56:55,880 --> 00:56:58,400 I can't say that either! 1107 00:56:58,400 --> 00:57:02,280 So, coming to a theme park somewhere at some point. 1108 00:57:02,280 --> 00:57:05,360 I...I think I now know why they're called dark rides. 1109 00:57:07,360 --> 00:57:11,600 Amusement parks have been amusing us for a century-and-a-half. 1110 00:57:11,600 --> 00:57:14,440 They have come a long way since, er, 1111 00:57:14,440 --> 00:57:18,120 drunk dad spinning and launching your children into orbit, 1112 00:57:18,120 --> 00:57:22,600 from the sedate Switchback Railway to the Scream Machines of the '70s, 1113 00:57:22,600 --> 00:57:25,000 to the sophisticated and simple tech 1114 00:57:25,000 --> 00:57:28,360 merging the physical and digital worlds today. 1115 00:57:28,360 --> 00:57:31,000 Aaaaaargh! 1116 00:57:31,000 --> 00:57:33,920 Now, that is clearly the correct use of a laundry basket. 1117 00:57:35,960 --> 00:57:37,520 So, I was thinking about it, 1118 00:57:37,520 --> 00:57:41,280 and I was really struggling to think of another job that is so much about 1119 00:57:41,280 --> 00:57:44,640 just maximising people's joy. 1120 00:57:44,640 --> 00:57:47,760 But to do that, roller-coaster designers have to be continually 1121 00:57:47,760 --> 00:57:49,120 pushing the boundaries, right? 1122 00:57:49,120 --> 00:57:52,800 They're making rides taller and faster and more G-forces, 1123 00:57:52,800 --> 00:57:54,640 and they're adding different emotions, 1124 00:57:54,640 --> 00:57:56,800 they're adding drama, they're adding story. 1125 00:57:56,800 --> 00:58:00,640 And that, I think, is what makes this space really unique. 1126 00:58:00,640 --> 00:58:05,600 There is so much innovation going on all of the time, 1127 00:58:05,600 --> 00:58:07,760 just purely to make people happier. 1128 00:58:09,040 --> 00:58:13,120 Next time, it's the smart doorbell, but this isn't just any 1129 00:58:13,120 --> 00:58:14,480 old standard ding-dong - 1130 00:58:14,480 --> 00:58:18,400 it's the story of a garage tinkerer who hit the jackpot... 1131 00:58:18,400 --> 00:58:21,720 In 2018, sold to Amazon for $1 billion. 1132 00:58:21,720 --> 00:58:23,640 ..some Soviet spy tech... 1133 00:58:23,640 --> 00:58:27,280 Are you sure you haven't just made a sort of futuristic disco ball? 1134 00:58:27,280 --> 00:58:29,720 ..and a student desperate for a drink. 1135 00:58:29,720 --> 00:58:31,800 We did not think this was a big deal at the time. 1136 00:58:31,800 --> 00:58:33,280 We just were having fun. 1137 00:58:33,280 --> 00:58:34,640 And we were thirsty. 1138 00:58:34,640 --> 00:58:36,200 HE CHUCKLES 1139 00:58:36,200 --> 00:58:40,760 The Open University has produced a free poster, exploring what lies 1140 00:58:40,760 --> 00:58:43,720 behind the genius of some everyday objects. 1141 00:58:43,720 --> 00:58:45,320 To order a copy, call... 1142 00:58:48,680 --> 00:58:51,120 ..scan the QR code, or go to... 1143 00:58:54,240 --> 00:58:56,680 ..and follow the links to the Open University.