Beakman's World

Asked about garbage, Beakman begins by noting that Americans throw away about almost half a million tons of trash each day, including, forty?eight million disposable diapers, twenty thousand TV's and forty?three thousand tons of food. Explaining that garbage generally ends up in landfill or being incinerated, Beakman encourages everyone to "reduce" (use less of anything when possible), "reuse" (use, things more than once when you can) and "recycle" (return materials that can be reclaimed). However, as Beakman notes, hazardous materials such as car batteries need to be disposed of with care. After stating that the Earth weighs six quintillion tons, that the largest beaver dams are over 200 feet long, and that the first bus was invented in England back in 1830, Beakman asks for a quiet moment. However, the noisy din of a lawn mower soon shatters his tranquility. Asked by Liza, how it works, owner and operator Lon Mower explains that his grass cutting machine uses a gas?powered internal combustion engine to help turn a cleverly designed blade. Asked how weather is predicted, Beakman first defines meteorology ?? the study of the Earth's atmosphere and the changes in its conditions which produce weather. After discussing the value of knowing what the weather will be, Beakman relates the history of instruments like the thermometer and barometer before revealing that more than 3,500 stations around the world are used in conjunction with satellites to help forecasters with their predictions. Finally, after Beakman makes a simple barometer from some common household items, he notes that the hottest recorded temperature was 136 degrees Fahrenheit (in Libya), while the coldest was 128 below zero (in Antarctica).