- I'm Inga.

- And we are, again, trying kids

science experiments as adults.

(peppy music)

Last time, Inga, you told me that you have

never done the potato light bulb science experiment.

- I am very familiar with potatoes.

Taco with potato.

The potato. Potatoes.

Blue potato.

- Yes.

- I went to school in Idaho. - I didn't know that.

- But I don't know what a potato light is.

- Okay, well it's a challenge.

And if we don't quite make it, yeah,

we're gonna have to bring in another expert.

- Which is most likely... - A kid, yeah.

If you're ready to go I think we can

put this divider up.

Divide us! (thunder crashing)

All right, so I was given the ingredients

to this experiment, and so we're gonna see

if we can figure it out without seeing the directions.

What we have in front of us...

- You need potatoes, pennies, zinc plated nails,

some copper wire, a little small light bulb.

- Oh and then also a tiny clock.

All right, and our goal is to light up

this tiny (beep) little light right here.

So the clock requires less voltage than the light.

So getting that working will let us know

if we're on the right path.

- Does it actually work?

You're not just making this up?

- I'm not making this up.

This is a real thing, okay.

Whenever you're ready.

- Okay, ready? - Yeah.

(beeping) - All right, let's go.

(dynamic music)

- I don't know why, I already started

cutting up the potato a bunch.

I don't know whether if this is a necessary.

But now that I think about it,

when I think of an image of a potato light bulb

it's like the light bulb stuck in the potato.

So maybe I'm wrong, I don't know.

- I am just confused because I'm not sure

where the electricity is coming from.

These are all things that you can use to conduct it,

but we need a source, right?

I'm trying to remember what we did in seventh grade.

- Oh wait, I just got an idea.

Gatorade has electrolytes, and I'm pretty sure

that's something that the potatoes need.

So I'm gonna go get some Gatorade, okay.

Shh, I'll be right back.

- What?

I'm gonna look so stupid in this video.

Oh no.

- Start soaking some of these.

- I'm gonna put my glasses on.

I'm gonna look like an idiot with these on.

- This is gonna help me, I think, in the end.

Okay. - In case I get electrocuted.

(thunder crashing) (upbeat music)

Is it crazy if I just stab this into the potato?

- Stabby into the potato.

- This is just like nifty stuff, I can do that.

- It's difficult to deal with these tiny objects.

And children have tiny fingers,

so it's like an unfair advantage.

Of course it's gonna be easier for them.

Maybe all the wires need to be connected to each other.

Do you know what I mean?

Kinda like the internet.

Okay, does that look right?

It doesn't look right, it certainly doesn't look right.

But I think this is one of those things

that looks ugly, it's like an ugly thing.

Are you just thinking about what you

wish you were cooking with these potatoes?

- Yeah, I can smell them.

It smells very good.

(upbeat music)

(gasping)

I got it!

I got a number!

- On the clock?

- I got 12.

- Oh, that means it's turned on.

Okay, okay, okay, okay fine.

Okay.

Well try it with the light,

'cause you have to... (somber music)

In order to win you have to get it with the light.

- [Inga] Okay.

- How much time do we have left?

- One minute. - One minute?

- Oh no! - Okay, all right.

I feel, okay, okay.

This is, come on, come on clock.

- Where's my wire?

(beeping) (dramatic music)

(buzzing)

- Okay.

All right, so I guess you guys

can take this away now, I guess.

Whoa. - Oh.

- What is?

That looks...

I got the clock working.

I don't really know how.

- Well you must've made a circuit.

- Yeah, I mean I know it's supposed to connect to something.

- This was much harder than I thought it would be.

- Oh no, I did not even...

I totally did not expect to go anywhere with this.

- We just wasted so many potatoes

you could've eaten, right?

- [Inga] So many fries, so many mashed potatoes.

- Well I'm very sorry

because we are gonna waste more potatoes.

We are bringing in a science expert,

once again, to show us how to do this project.

All right, come on in.

(cheering)

- Oh boy.

Hi.

- All right, so I guess you're the science expert.

- Yeah, it looks like.

- Okay, how old are you?

- I'm 11 years old.

I'm in sixth grade.

- Have you done this before?

- Yeah, it's pretty easy.

Maybe not for you though.

(funky music)

- Fine, okay, let's get started.

- You guys failed the first time.

I gave you a chance, but you failed.

So take off your lab coats, you don't deserve it yet.

- Okay, I guess you're right. - That's fair, that's fair.

Okay, I'll take it.

- You're right, you're right, you're absolutely right.

- Throw it down.

- All right, maybe we'll earn it back.

- Okay, so let's do the experiment.

- All right.

First cut the potato in half.

Boiled makes it easier to cut.

But that doesn't mean easy.

It just means easier.

Then cut a small slit into each half,

large enough to slide a penny right inside.

Then you wrap the copper wire around the pennies,

and you have to use a different piece for each penny.

Put the little pennies in the little slits.

- It's a potato infested penny.

- Then you wrap the copper wire around some of the nails.

You stick the zinc nails into the potato half.

And the nail and the penny can't touch.

- How do you know what goes where?

- I've done this like five million times.

Make sure all the wires are connected.

Then finally, you take the two loose ends

and connect it to the light.

Yeah, let's just test it on this mini clock

that we have to see...

- [Sarah] Come on baby.

- [Douglas] Hey!

- Okay, there you go.

So there is enough voltage to do the clock.

- Okay, so the long end, the one that's slightly longer,

you kinda wrap the wire.

The shorter end goes with the zinc nail.

- It's not working. - Yeah.

- [Sarah] It's not working, folks.

It's close, but.

What do we do then?

- If it doesn't light up, you need more voltage,

which means you need more potatoes.

- Hold on, so potatoes actually do have voltage?

- Well, they have electrolytes,

which is what's in batteries.

- Oh.

I feel like we should all be using potatoes.

Right?

- You could either charge your iPhone

or you could have some tater tots.

Up to you. - Okay, wow.

That's a hard call, that's a really hard call.

You say tater tots.

We have so many potatoes out here.

This has to work, right?

How are you feeling, Inga?

- Nervous, nervous.

I'm also kinda worried, is it gonna electrocute, no right?

It doesn't have the energy.

- [Sarah] What do you think, might it electrocute us?

- Maybe.

- Wait. (laughing)

- All right, I'm out, bye. - See ya.

Okay, so. - The moment of truth.

- All right, so go ahead.

I've got this one, you've got that.

And...

(buzzing)

(laughing)

Look it's lighting up!

It's a bunch of different colors.

(dynamic music)

Oh my god, that light looks really cool.

- It's like a disco light shining down.

It's like a rave.

With the germs and atoms.

- Wow, I mean, but what happens if you don't have potatoes?

How are you gonna...

- You can also use lemons and oranges,

which is pretty cool.

- Oh, that might've smelled better.

I wish we did that.

- Then again, do you want lemon juice

squirting into your eyes?

- You're right, that's dangerous.

- We learned a lot today.

And we know how to make a potato light,

and you guys can do it too.

Who knew.

I mean, everybody has potatoes at home.

It's a fun experiment.

Kids can try it, adults can try it.

But until next time.

When we do and fail our crazy little science experiments.

- Or maybe we succeed.

- Or maybe we succeed.

- Probably not though.

- Thank you.

Bye! - Bye.