Hanna-Barbera Cartoons
Tom & Jerry
This is our first episode taking a close look at the physics of the cartoon world of Hanna-Barbera. Tom & Jerry have had a tumultuous relationship for as long as they have known each other and their uneasy truces quickly dissolve into all out combat. The physics of that combat is what is really intriguing. The prick from a pin will send Tom rocketing skyward in pain, completely defying the conventional law of gravity. Hitting a bowling ball with a bowling pin will cause it to soar through the air like a baseball. Tom getting hit with a sledgehammer will turn him into a railroad spike. How is all of this possible? Listen as we explain it all, and introduce you to a completely new paradigm of cartoon science: Hanna-Barberian Physics!
The Jetsons
The Jetsons was a show about living in the space age, and all the atomic-powered technology you can fit into one futuristic apartment. George Jetson had everything: robot dogs fueled by nuclear energy, a sentient robot maid named Rosie, and a 3D food printer that was operated with punch cards. He even had a three hour workday! Listen as we discuss these advancements, and how they work together within the framework of Hanna-Barberian physics.
The Flintstones
The Flintstones have been dubbed “The Modern Stone Age Family”, and it is absolutely true. Despite the fact that they appear to be living in a prehistoric civilization, they have all the conveniences of the modern world, albeit slightly altered to match their resources. Specialized animals make up the bulk of the work force, including ones that cut grass, quickly chisel pictures, and fill in for a garbage disposal. They have cars that are powered by their feet, yet also seem to attain perpetual motion. Listen as we explain how all of this is possible.
Scooby Doo
Scooby Doo and his crew are part of a company called Mystery, Inc., and they go around solving capers, crimes, and other oddities of high strangeness. Typically the villain is a real estate developer who is masquerading as some sort of supernatural being. Given the skeptical nature of Fred and Wilma, how are the Scooby Gang fooled by masks each and every week? How do you construct a revolving bookshelf, and keep it from accidentally spinning around? How is this show tied to the Spiritualist movement of the 1880’s? We explain these queries and many more this week! Plus if you have ever asked the question “Scooby Doo, Where Are You?”, you are in luck. We finally have a definitive answer.