Ep 5. How to Walk on Water

The Quick and the Curious is a popular science show that explores science in fun and creative ways. In season 1 episode 5, titled "How to Walk on Water," host Quyen Tran takes us on a wild ride into the world of physics and engineering to explain how seemingly impossible feats like walking on water, are indeed possible.

The episode starts with a remarkable sight of a man walking on water. Quyen explains that this is possible because water, like all fluids, has a property known as surface tension, which is what makes it possible for some insects like water striders to walk on water. She goes further to explain that surface tension occurs because water molecules attract one another and cling together, creating a thin skin-like surface at the water's air-water interface.

Quyen demonstrates how to make a boat float using a piece of paper and some scissors. She shows viewers how to cut the piece of paper in such a way that when placed in the water, the paper will be floating on the surface tension of the water. This experiment helps to demonstrate how surface tension works and serves as a great launching pad into why some insects can walk or skate on water.

The episode moves on to show how one can walk on water by using a hovercraft device. Quyen visits a man who has built a personal hovercraft. The hovercraft works by using a fan to blow air downwards onto the water, creating a cushion of air that lifts the craft off the water's surface. The hovercraft also provides an impressive way to travel across water as it can go up to speeds of 30 mph! Quyen also demonstrates how one can make a simple hovercraft using a balloon and a CD and then tries to ride a personal hovercraft.

Next, Quyen explores one of the most unusual ways of walking on water- with the help of cornstarch. Cornstarch mixed with water to form a non-Newtonian fluid, which means it behaves differently from most liquids we know. When enough pressure is applied, the cornstarch-water mixture becomes thick and hard enough to walk on. Quyen and her team mixed cornstarch with water and then placed a rotating platform on top of it. Quyen then attempts to walk on the platform without sinking into the cornstarch-water mixture. The result is a hilarious but fascinating experiment that demonstrates non-Newtonian fluids and their amazing properties.

Finally, the episode ends with a discussion on potential real-life applications of walking on water. It explains how watercraft, known as wing-in-ground-effect craft, can use the principles used in hovercraft to travel across water with greater speed and efficiency. It also highlights the potential benefits of using non-Newtonian fluids to help us in emergency situations like flooding.

Overall, "How to Walk on Water" is an educational, informative, and entertaining episode of The Quick and the Curious, offering a mix of fun experiments and scientific explanations that explain how water and other fluids work. It helps viewers better understand how water, insects, and other things can walk on water- an impressive feat of nature.