Countries: CA

The Big Question: “When you squish a piece of coal, how does it turn into a diamond?”

Synopsis: Harrison wants to find out if he can really make gems from charcoal or gold from lead. A geologist guest shows him that other kinds of rocks are cool too, especially meteorites. Rocks rock!

My Great Challenge: Challengers pan for gold in a stream, just like old-time miners. But watch out for fool’s gold!

In the Field: Harrison rappels down into a cave to see how stalactites and stalagmites are formed.

The Big Question: “Why don’t humans have tails?”

Synopsis: Harrison’s computer says that people do have tails. How is that possible?! To find out more about tails, Harrison invites animal experts who bring over a live kangaroo, skunk, marten, and snapping turtle. Turns out, different animals use their tails for different purposes.

My Great Challenge: Does a rabbit’s short tail make it harder to catch? To find out, challengers put on both long and short tails, and then have to run for their lives as “carnivores” try to catch them by the tail.

In the Field: Harrison visits a paleontologist at the natural history museum. By comparing vertebrate skeletons, Harrison discovers that tails – including our tailbones – are evolutionary adaptations.

The Big Question: “When will I have my own personal robot?”

Synopsis: Harrison and a cheeky humanoid robot named Nao 1337 compete to see whether humans are better than robots. Along the way, Harrison discovers robots that’ll do everything from vacuum your room to play chess against grandmasters.

My Great Challenge: Kids from a champion robotics club strut their stuff as they compete to see who has the best robot.

In the Field: Harrison visits a tetraplegic who can do amazing things with her robotic arms.

The Big Question: “Will water ever go extinct?”

Synopsis: Harrison’s water is shut off today because of a water main break, so he’s extra interested in how water is formed, and how we can conserve it.

My Great Challenge: In some countries, kids have to carry water from a well instead of getting it from a sink. Our challengers compete to see how much of their daily water they can carry before time’s up.

In the Field: Harrison goes to fire-fighter training, where he puts out real fires with water.

The Big Question: “Do dragons exist?”

Synopsis: To find out where dragon legends could have come from, Harrison goes on a quest to find the biggest, dragon-iest reptiles in the world.

My Great Challenge: How can snakes move without legs? To find out, challengers squeeze into “snake suits,” then race to wriggle their way to the finish line.

In the Field: At a reptile zoo, Harrison handles real-life crocodiles and meets a cousin of the fearsome Komodo dragon.

The Big Question: “What happens to stuff that goes in the trash?”

Synopsis: Garbage is stinky and gross; but Harrison finds out that even smelly garbage can be useful, and that worms make great house pets, and why that tap water you’re drinking may have been in your toilet not that long ago!

My Great Challenge: Challengers pick through the trash to figure out who lives in the household it came from.

In the Field: Harrison gives up his old television set so that he can learn how a recycling center separates and uses each of its individual parts.

The Big Question: “Why do some spiders have eight eyes?”

Synopsis: How do we see? Why CAN’T we see some things? Why do cat’s eyes glow in the dark? Harrison sheds some light on one of our five most important senses: sight! He also learns that seeing more, doesn’t necessarily mean you can see well.

My Great Challenge: Team Lion and Team Tiger search for camouflaged jelly beans.

In the Field: Harrison visits 12-year old Tait in Calgary to learn how to have fun using your other senses, when you can’t see.

The Big Question: “Why are human teeth and animal teeth different?”

Synopsis: Humans and animals have all different kinds of teeth because they eat all different kinds of things. Harrison finds out lots of new stuff about teeth, including why some are sharp and some are flat, why birds have beaks instead of teeth, and how overworked the poor Tooth Fairy is!

My Great Challenge: Herbivore, carnivore or omnivore? Challengers guess if an animal is a meat eater, a plant eater or both based on their teeth.

In the Field: Harrison visits his dentist, Dr. Cooperberg, to find out why taking care of his teeth is so important.

The Big Question: “How come in some sports we wear helmets and some we don’t?”

Synopsis: Harrison takes an in-depth look at sports – from the precise designs of the various balls, to the specialty clothing, to the importance of practice. There’s a lot of science in sports; Harrison finds out how even cheering for your favourite team is good for you!

My Great Challenge: Who has the fastest slap shot? Harrison uses a radar gun to find out which Challenger has the best wind-up!

In the Field: Harrison tests his abilities to find out if he can throw like a professional pitcher, run faster than an Olympian and if he’s got what it takes to race in a wheelchair.

The Big Question: “Do sea monsters really exist?”

Synopsis: Finding out how crucial the ocean is to our ecosystem, Harrison discovers that although monsters might get the attention, it’s the little things that count. For example, a tiny creature called phytoplankton creates half of the oxygen that we breathe. Using potatoes, a marine biologist helps Harrison figure out how fish drink!

My Great Challenge: Harrison hosts a challenge for his guests to figure out how to make plasticine float… then, with musical accompaniment, he reveals the identity of “the monster in the sea”.

In the Field: Harrison visits the shark tank of a sea aquarium to find out if it’s true that sharks die if they fall asleep.