The Spangler Effect - Behind the Scenes Look of The Ellen Show Season 01 Episode 06

STEVE SPANGLER: So we're here at the
Warner Brothers Studios.
This is the home of the Ellen set.
Don't move, don't move.
Here it comes.
Here it comes.
Ahh.
Turn it upside down, put it in the water.
So I bet you think this is the part of the show, where I'm
going to say, don't try these experiments at home.
And you're right, except there is one experiment
we want you to try.
Just look for the graphic that's right here
that says try it.
That's your signal that you can try that
experiment at home.
Everything else, off limits.
Look, I've already given you homework, and the show hasn't
even started.
I'm Steve Spangler and I'm all about making science fun.
For the last 20 years I've been teaching ways to turn
ordinary science experiments into unforgettable learning
experiences.
I have an amazing team, who will do whatever it takes to
affect the way people think about science.
And to do that, I live by one motto--
make it big, do it right, give it class.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Well, we're here at DIA, we are ready to go
to the Ellen Show.
It's a quick trip to Burbank.
And now it's my job to just practice the demos.
So I figure I'll just flip down the tray table and
practice the demos that I'm going to do on the show.
I actually am her bodyguard, I'm Carly's bodyguard.
I speak into my arm.
Sector one clear, sector one clear.
And I just make sure that everything is fine.
I always accompany her like this, like she is a criminal.
Usually I have to take her hands.
The other thing is we've learned how
to merge into traffic.
So there's a correct way to walk and a
correct way not to walk.
You'd better turn around, because you're
going to fall in.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
All right, we're here at the airport.
And, I think, I've got all the demos figured out for the
Ellen Show because of good friend here, Lopez.
All right.
So he and I have discussed this, and we know exactly what
we're going to do on the Ellen Show.
Tell them what we're going to do.
LOPEZ: Well, I'm going to wait and everybody
else will see later.
STEVE SPANGLER: That's right, see he's a consummate
professional, because he knows you don't tell the
demos ahead of time.
You've got to tell me the demo.
But when you think of it , you tell me.
Because I've--
[MUSIC PLAYING]
So here we are in lovely California.
And I didn't realize this, but look at the Hollywood sign.
It is so much smaller in person.
And it's so big on TV.
But look at those letters right there.
And right now, I think that it would be a good idea for me to
climb up in there and I'm just going to--
AIRPORT PORTER: Sir, it's time for you to go.
Please.
STEVE SPANGLER: But I just wanted to see the sign.
AIRPORT PORTER: Well, you see it, sir.
Time for you to go.
STEVE SPANGLER: OK, But I just wanted to see the sign.
I just wanted--
Whenever we do the Ellen Show, this is the time in the
morning, when we sit down and go through notes.
So we do have notes.
So going to kind of go through all the demos, and just make
sure that everything is set, and so forth.
And then, I'm sitting here at the table with Carly and Jeff,
and there's a ton of science stuff that you can do.
Anything that you can find around you.
So look what I've got.
A little diaper time.
If you can find yourself a diaper, you have all the
makings of a great little experiment.
Believe it or not, the secret that makes these diapers super
absorbent is this polymer that's inside.
So you are going to have to give me a couple minutes here.
But you rip open the diaper, and then you kind of get the
polymer out.
Ah.
See, you can start to even see it coming out here.
Watch this.
See the powder that's coming out?
That powder is the polymer that is super absorbent.
OK, watch.
So this goes into a cup.
Here, we won't use all of it.
Perfect.
Watch this.
Here is this water, watch.
So here's what makes it super absorbent.
Watch, three, two, one.
Isn't that awesome?
So this is the material that's in the diaper that causes it
to become super absorbent.
It's a polymer that absorbs about 500 times
its weight in water.
So you can hide this, for example, in the bottom of one
of these cups.
OK, see these cups here?
They're perfect.
So you just put this in the bottom of a cup.
OK.
And so here's that powder.
See, it's hiding here.
So not this one goes on top, a this one's here.
And nobody knows it's there.
Now you just have to find somebody to
play along with you.
Look, it's Jack.
Jack manages the club up here.
And we've made kind of a mess, but I want to show you
something cool.
And disregard most of this.
And the fact when you do this and you open
this up, it goes tah-dah.
Like this, see?
This is a defect in the bottle.
There are actually holes in the bottle like that.
And that was her idea, so that's her problem.
But here, let me show you this.
This is very cool.
All right, so have you ever seen the three shell game?
JACK: Sure.
STEVE SPANGLER: You know where you put the pea in one.
OK, so watch this.
You put the water here.
OK, now.
Here's what I'm going to do.
I'm going to move them around.
And you tell me where it is.
Oops, it's not in that one.
JACK: Yeah.
STEVE SPANGLER: OK?
All right.
So you're ready?
JACK: Aha.
STEVE SPANGLER: All right, watch this.
It's going to be good.
OK, here we go.
OK, where is it?
In the middle one, left one, or right?
Whoa, see you're watching pretty closely.
OK, I'm going to give you a hint this time, ready?
It's not in this one.
You ready?
Oh look, Elvis.
STEVE SPANGLER: All right, so now where do you think it is?
Left, middle or right?
Ah, see you're watching very, very, very closely.
All right, so this one here, I'm going to give you, OK, you
know where it is.
OK, ready?
Here we go.
Right here.
Right here.
See, it's not in this, so I did that on purpose.
Ready?
I'm doing this whole switcheroo like this.
Where do you think it is?
Nope, not in this one, but that's a good guess.
OK, so now.
Are you ready to keep going?
Here we go.
Here and here.
Now where do you think it is?
JACK: The middle.
STEVE SPANGLER: OK, not in the middle.
No.
OK, keep going.
Right here, and here.
Where you think it is?
JACK: The middle.
STEVE SPANGLER: OK, that was close.
Watch this one.
See the water's gone.
It's gone.
Tah-dah.
JACK: Wow.
STEVE SPANGLER: See is that cool?
JACK: How did--
you're not going to tell me.
But, wow, that was great.
STEVE SPANGLER: When you weren't looking, I just went
ah, and I drank it.
It was perfect.
JACK: Get out of here.
STEVE SPANGLER: See?
That's awesome.
JACK: That was very, very good.
Very impressive.
STEVE SPANGLER: Thanks, man.
Very cool.
There you go, now next time you see a diaper--
see it's a science of a diaper.
All right, cool.
And, now you know.
See how cool is this to be able to do all of this.
We are ready to go.
We'll head to the studios here in just a couple minutes.
And nothing that we did this morning will be on the show.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
STEVE SPANGLER: Well, here we are backstage
at the Ellen Show.
Not everybody gets to see this backstage area at the show.
We are getting ready for the big finale, so we're using
this big, huge swimming pool.
And logistically, you know, you've got to work on things
about how things are going to move in and out of the show.
So, these are the pros that know how to make it work.
I just stand here and wait for them to say go, and we'll head
into rehearsal.
So, I think we've got the cannon pressure set.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
STEVE SPANGLER: Look at this.
This is nerd fest over here.
Do you see this?
See, she has to have a little gun to make sure that the
temperature is OK.
It's ice water.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
STEVE SPANGLER: One of the things I've learned from the
people here at the Ellen Show is not to telegraph things to
the audience.
So normally, as a teacher, I'd just have
everything sitting out there.
But what I've learned is how important it is to keep things
as kind of a secret.
So, when it's ready and they say go, and they open the
doors, everything kind of gets moved into place, and the
audience gets that real reaction.
The other thing that you have to know is that Ellen doesn't
want to see anything that has to happen with the science
experiments ahead of time, so we keep things as shielded
from her as possible.
So it's completely a surprise when she gets to see it.
So when she's seeing it for the first time, it's just like
the audience seeing it for the first time.
It just means we've got to practice a lot internally,
making sure that we're OK.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
STEVE SPANGLER: All right, it's go time.
Let's see how it goes.
Back this way.
See you.
ELLEN: I have safety glasses ready and I have the fire
marshal standing by.
And that can only mean one thing.
Please welcome our science guy, Steve Spangler.
[APPLAUSE]
STEVE SPANGLER: How are you?
ELLEN: Oh I'm good.
How are you?
STEVE SPANGLER: I'm great.
ELLEN: I never like to know what's happening.
I like to be surprised with everybody else.
So what are we doing today?
STEVE SPANGLER: My socks are from JC Penney's.
ELLEN: Thank you very much.
Thank you.

Thank you.
STEVE SPANGLER: So I'm fascinated with pendulums.
I don't know about this, but you probably
are too, aren't you?
ELLEN: Sure.
STEVE SPANGLER: Yeah.
So, maybe it's just the swinging repetitive motion.
Maybe I have nothing to do in my life.
But it's--
I like that.
And so I was thinking why don't we do
something with a pendulum.
And so look, it's a bowling ball attached to a
great big huge rope.
Come here, this will be fun.
If I pull it back, and add some energy to it, like when
you're pushing a kid on the playground, you know swinging
the kid, you can make them go higher than how you started.
ELLEN: OK.
STEVE SPANGLER: Which could be dangerous.
ELLEN: Yes.
STEVE SPANGLER: Right?
So that's why I have the stand-in right over here.
This is Mellon.
ELLEN: Hi, Mellon.
STEVE SPANGLER: And, Mellon meet Ellen.

Awkward.
ELLEN: And how do you know it's going to
come exactly back?
STEVE SPANGLER: I don't.
I just saw this on the Internet.
ELLEN: I see.
STEVE SPANGLER: This is what I was thinking is I want you to
stand in the place of Mellon, OK?
ELLEN: No.
So, it's fine.
You don't have to worry about that at all.
ELLEN: I'm not going to do that.
STEVE SPANGLER: But if you had a friend who wanted to?
Lauren, come on out here.

STEVE SPANGLER: Ah, this is so awesome.
So if you stand right here like this, I'm going to go get
the bowling ball.
I'll be right back, OK?
All right, so now watch.
If I bring this right--
LAUREN: Oh boy.
STEVE SPANGLER: --to your face, like this.
Let's see it to your nose.
See how it's touching right there.
And then I let go, it should not come back and hit you.
Now if you move, it could be dangerous.
So that's why this wall is going to come in behind you.
All right, so here we go.
Watch this.
Bring in the wall.
Keep coming.
Keep coming.
LAUREN: Thank you so much.
It's been great.
Thank you for having me.
STEVE SPANGLER: Keep the-- right there, oh it's perfect.
So now, I'm going to bring it right to your nose,
and it'll be great.
All right.
And this is for me, just in case, because I have more
experiments to do, all right?
Drum roll, please.

Here it goes.
Don't move.
Don't move.
Here it comes.
Here it comes.
Ahh.
See, you're fine.
Everything was great.
Let's here it for Lauren.
[APPLAUSE]
STEVE SPANGLER: What I was thinking was is there another
way to crush a can that would be better?
And this is it, all right?
So I've taken the cans here, these cans.
And I put a little bit of water into each of the cans.
So I'm cooking them on our little stove here.
If we turn it upside down into this colder water that's here,
you're going to allow the air pressure to crush the can.
All right, so which one do you want Sprite or Coke?
Which one?
ELLEN: I'll take Sprite.
STEVE SPANGLER: Bingo.
All right, so now you're going to pick up like this, hold it
like this, and turn it upside down, and
put it into the water.
ELLEN: All right.
STEVE SPANGLER: Turn it upside down, put it in the water.
That was a nice one.
Look at that power that's there.
ELLEN: Wow.
That's amazing.
STEVE SPANGLER: But I was thinking, this is your big
show, and you would never allow just that to happen.
So when I was thinking, I thought what if we did it with
a 55-gallon steel drum, all right?
Because who doesn't want to crush one those?
ELLEN: Everyone needs to.
STEVE SPANGLER: Look at this set up here.
This is going to be really great.
ELLEN: Ah, yep.
STEVE SPANGLER: So here's what we have going here.
We have a 55-gallon steel drum.
As he caps it off now, no more air inside, just that steam.
And the molecules are going to go from 1,700 times farther
away from each other then close by.
And see the swimming pool?
Some cold water.
Jeff, will you pour some water on it for me?
So now, watch this, where you just have the air pressure
pushing on it.
And now it's condensing down, and now-- the weird thing--
[LOUD POP]
Isn't that awesome?
Come here, it' s OK now, it's OK.
Listen, listen, listen.
ELLEN: All right, well let's--
[CLUNKING NOISE]
STEVE SPANGLER: See how it's working?
It's just kind of crushing.
The same kind of thing that we're trying to do to get kids
excited, whether it's online or on YouTube, or any other
way they we're doing it.
ELLEN: Well it's always a lot of fun, Steve.
Go to our website to learn more about Steve and his new
YouTube show, the Spangler Effect.
We'll be right back.
Steve Spangler.
[APPLAUSE]
STEVE SPANGLER: It crushed.
Bam, and we got it down.
And the bowling ball didn't smack her in the face.
I say it's good.

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[MUSIC PLAYING]