Sky's 'fraud' blown out of water
A TV science programme stands accused of faking experiments to make them more exciting.
Brainiac, the award-winning Sky One series fronted by Richard Hammond of BBC2's Top Gear, faces criticism from scientists who say its makers turn to special effects when their experiments do not work.
In one episode the show explained how a full bath tub would explode when volatile metals rubidium and caesium were dropped into the water.
It is claimed that when the experiment did not have the desired effect, producers simply rigged the tub with dynamite. While Hammond talks viewers through the procedure as if it is for real, close inspection reveals a wire leading out of the bath.
Ben Goldacre, a neuroscientist and founder of website badscience.net, claims the show habitually fakes its results and justifies the pretence by claiming it is "entertainment". He said: "Some scientists and teachers have been saying for a while that Brainiac might fake experiments. But I don't think it even occurs to most people. It certainly didn't occur to me at first."
A Sky spokeswoman said: "Brainiac is an entertainment show and the emphasis is on having fun.
"However, all of the experiments have proven theory behind them.We're known for our love of big explosions, our fans love them and when we add a little something to create a bigger bang everyone is in on the joke."
But Dr Goldacre said: "Sky saying they are showing what 'should' happen is just bizarre. That's not what science is about." He said he had asked Sky to confirm the authenticity of other Brainiac experimentsbut the broadcaster had refused.
The Sunday night show, launched in 2003, has been hailed for making science popular with children. It recently won a Royal Television Society award. Past features include testing if a mobile phone can ignite petrol vapours, examining effects of electric shocks, and blowing up caravans.
On the badscience.net forum, one posting reads: "If they're making cartoons of experiments they should be clearly marked as cartoons."
Another says: "It's not good enough to claim, 'It's TV, moron, don't take it seriously.'"
