The Burning Question
Curious Cases
BBC
4.8 • 4.1K Ratings
🗓️ 14 June 2017
⏱️ 19 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"What is fire? Is it a solid, liquid or a gas? Why is it hot and why can you see it in the dark?" asks Hannah Norton, aged 10.
Dr Fry visits the Burn Hall at The Buildings Research Establishment in Watford where they test the effects of fire on building materials.
Whilst Dr Rutherford gets to grips with Michael Faraday's pioneering Christmas Lectures at the Royal Institution of Great Britain on 'The Chemical History of a Candle'. Plus, he chats to forensic chemist Niamh Nic Daeid from Dundee University about our lasting fascination with fire.
You can send your Curious Cases for the team to investigate to: curiouscases@bbc.co.uk
Presenters: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford Producer: Michelle Martin.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'd just like to tell you about a podcast that I've been doing with my friend Brian Cox. |
| 0:04.8 | I'm Robinins. Welcome to The Infinite Monkey Cage. |
| 0:07.2 | What we're doing in this new series, Sharks, fungi, bees versus wasps. |
| 0:11.8 | We're going to explain how bees explode, why wasps don't explode, |
| 0:15.0 | before we then climb into a Supervolcano metaphorically. |
| 0:18.2 | So, if you'd like to hear about the magnificence and strangeness of the universe |
| 0:22.4 | and all the wonders that lie within, listen to The Infinite Monkey Cage. |
| 0:25.2 | And you can listen to the whole series before anyone else |
| 0:27.8 | when you listen on BBC Sound. |
| 0:30.2 | I'm Dr Adam Rutherford. And I'm Dr Hannah Fry. |
| 0:32.8 | And you are going to send us your everyday mysteries. |
| 0:35.8 | And we are going to investigate them using the power of science. |
| 0:39.8 | Science. I like it. |
| 0:42.8 | Hello and welcome to episode three of The Curious. |
| 0:48.8 | It might be two of the curious cases of her and me. |
| 0:54.0 | Indeed. |
| 0:55.0 | Now, this episode is about fire. |
| 0:58.0 | Dana, Dana. |
| 1:00.0 | There were lots of opportunities in the recording for us to sing. |
| 1:03.0 | Thankfully, we did not let Adam take up almost any of them. |
| 1:07.0 | Almost. I slipped one in without you noticing. |
| 1:11.0 | Yes. Yes. Now, we got all of us, got a bit overexcited in this one, |
... |
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