STUDENT BOOK 3 VIDEO SCRIPTS

UNIT 1 REAL WORLD BEST JOB EVER

1.1
My name is Jessica Cramp. I’m a marine biologist. I’m studying animals in the Galapagos Islands. “A
mola mola! Ha! There’s only one animal that swims like that.” I’m here with a team from National
Geographic. We’re in a submarine that can go very deep, to new unexplored places. We’re learning
more about this area so that we can help to protect it.

There are many unique animals in the Galapagos Islands. “Oh, my gosh. Don’t stab us.” My job allows
me to study them. Working in the Galapagos is a biologist’s dream. “It’s truly mesmerizing.” And I work
with two amazing women—we’re probably the youngest all-woman submarine team in the world. “We
should set a goal of trying to find three new species. One for each of us.” I’m very lucky. I have a job
that I love, and that’s very exciting. I feel like a real explorer.

1
UNIT 1 VIDEO VOLCANO EXPLORERS

1.2
“It’s a glimpse into the center of the Earth. It’s like listening to the heartbeat of the planet.”

This is Sam Cossman. He’s at the crater of an active volcano in the island nation of Vanuatu.

“All right, so let’s use the drone to…”

Sam Cossman is an explorer and filmmaker. He’s here to record the volcano in a way that’s never been
done before. He’s using drones with cameras to capture amazing close-up footage of the volcano. The
drones allow Sam to take thousands of great photographs. Sam uses these photos to create first-of-
their-kind 3D models of the volcano, like this one. But things don’t always go perfectly. Because of the
extreme heat above the volcano, many of the drones fall into the lava and get destroyed. Sam’s job is
exciting, but it’s also dangerous. There are poisonous gases, and the heat is extreme—over 500
degrees Celsius!

Sam works closely with Jeffrey Marlow, a geo-biologist. Jeffrey is searching for life in the rocks near the
volcano’s lava. The lava is way too hot for things to live in, but the rocks near the lava are cooler—
below 120 degrees Celsius. Jeffrey is interested in the lifeforms that live in these hot rocks. By studying
these tiny lifeforms, Jeffrey hopes to learn more about how life first formed on Earth. Sam’s cameras
are very important in Jeffrey’s research. They allow Jeffrey to check his work more carefully. For
example, he uses the footage to check exactly where he was when he collected a rock sample. Sam’s
3D models are also useful. They allow Jeffrey to study the different layers of the volcano in detail.

Sam believes that drone videos can be used in many other areas of research. He wants to bring
together the worlds of exploration, video, and science to help push the limits of discovery farther.

2
UNIT 2 REAL WORLD A PHOTOGRAPHER’S JOURNEY

2.1
Max Lowe is a National Geographic Explorer. He travels the world and tells the stories of the people he
meets through photographs. But how did Max become an explorer? And did he always want to be a
photographer?

“No, a long time ago actually, I wanted to be an airplane pilot. But in high school, I started writing and
taking lots of photos. That’s when I fell in love with photography. At that time, I wanted to become a
journalist. When I graduated from high school, my parents gave me my first digital camera.”

Family is very important to Max.

“My father was my hero during my childhood. He died when I was 12 years old, but he continues to
inspire me. My mother is also my hero. She is the one who introduced me to the outdoors. My mother
re-married, so my adopted father is also my hero. He’s always very supportive of me.”

3
UNIT 2 VIDEO THE TABLES

2.2
“I was actually walking by one day. I looked over and I see ping pong balls in the air. I said, ‘Wow.
Tables.’”

“Welcome to Bryant Park.”

New York city. It’s one of the busiest cities in the world. And at Bryant Park, some New Yorkers have a
new way to bond—over ping pong.

“See ya!”

“I take the bus to the train, and then the train to another train just to get here.”

“Bryant Park has a nice New York type of atmosphere. All walks of life, and all the ping pong players
come from all over the world to play at this park.”

“Behind each individual, there’s a story. As I got to know these people, it was fascinating for me to find
out what they went through, and everything led to this place. And it made me feel, like, I’m not the
only one, you know?”

The tables at Bryant Park attract all kinds of interesting people. Who are some of them?

“Maybe Darren. He might be the funniest guy in the park. He always has something clever to say.
“Darren’s a real open guy. He’ll laugh and joke with everybody. Always comes and feeds everybody,
always goes to Jack’s, buys a bunch of sodas and stuff.”

“We have Tyrone, which we call him crazy. Sometimes he brings a wood paddle. Just a piece of wood,
though.”

“I like to say when I’m playing really hard, I’m tough to beat… with my block of wood.”

“Wally Green? As far as I know, he’s a professional table tennis player.”

“When you think you’re good, you look at someone like Wally and realize… you have a far way to go.”

“There’s another character, his name is Sergio. He’s… I don’t know how old he is, but he’s got to be
past 70. Sergio’s a real attack player. If you give him a high ball, he will smash it and smash it and smash
it…”

“There’s a gentleman by the name of Gregory.”

“Gregory is the rock of the park. He’s always there. You can trust him to be here.”

“He’s kind of like the boss. You don’t really know it, but he’s kind of like the boss of the tables.”

“I’m kind of an undercover guy because I do play pro tour for the USA and a lot of times, I don’t want
to tell anybody. It’s usually the other guys saying, ‘Yo, yo, yo. You see that guy right there? That guy’s a
top player in the US.’”

4
Wally Green plays table tennis for the US. He owns the company that built the ping pong tables in
Bryant park.

“Most people don’t know that I’m responsible, or my company is responsible for these tables. It makes
me feel amazing. I mean, the fact that people are playing every day, people are loving it, there’s
tournaments… So the whole point of bringing it here wasn’t in vain.”

5
UNIT 3 REAL WORLD TRAVELING WITHOUT SINGLE-USE PLASTIC

3.1
Hi. I’m Marie McGrory with National Geographic Travel. Recently, I took a trip to Belize, and I
challenged myself to do it without any single-use plastics. This is how I’m taking National Geographic’s
Planet or Plastic pledge and putting it into action.
Avoiding single use plastics in everyday life is already pretty hard but doing it while you’re traveling can
be even harder. It means you have to avoid things like plastic water bottles, and those shampoos at
hotels, and pretty much anything you can eat at an airport.
Here’s what I chose to bring to replace the single use plastics that I would normally be using. A
reusable grocery bag, bamboo utensils, a glass straw, collapsible Tupperware, bar soap and bar
shampoo, two reusable water bottles, and a Steripen.
There is so much I learned from this experience. But here are four things that I think are really
important.

First thing, you have to ask. “Got a straw on my first night and my last night.” Having a glass straw is
not helpful if you forget to say, “No straw, please.”

Second thing is you have to research the water situation. I couldn’t drink the tap water in Belize. And I
worried that if I couldn’t purify my water, I would end up using dozens of plastic water bottles. I was so
relieved that all of the lodges I stayed in and a lot of restaurants had purified-water stations.

The third tip is that collapsible Tupperware is definitely underrated. Turns out it was great for carrying
around snacks and grabbing food to go for when I was in a rush.

The last tool tip is you don’t always need tools. You can skip single use plastics without replacing them,
by saying no to an airplane snack, skipping a sample at an ice cream shop, or asking for a cone instead
of a cup.

6
UNIT 3 VIDEO FIXING THE PLASTIC PROBLEM

3.2
Plastics are everywhere. We use them in all sorts of things. But is this amazing material that we love so
much now becoming a problem? Because plastic is so useful, we make a lot of it. Since 1950, humans
have produced 9.2 billion tons of plastic. That’s the weight of nearly 1,600 pyramids! Much of this
plastic becomes trash that never goes away. Single use plastics, like straws and plastic bags, are the
most harmful. They make up about 40% of all plastic waste. They are often not recycled, and hurt the
environment, animals, and communities around the world.

To fight plastic pollution, we have to change. A great way is to reduce the amount of single use plastics
we use by choosing reusable alternatives. For plastics that already exist, we have to find other
solutions. Some scientists are asking nature for help. Wax worms and meal worms eat plastics and
break them down. Some microbes also help break down plastics more quickly, from hundreds of years
to only a few days.

Manufacturers have to change, too. Some are already using new ingredients from plants to make
biodegradable bio-plastics. These materials are just like plastic, but because they come from natural
ingredients, they can biodegrade. Manufacturers can also use rubber tree latex instead of plastic. The
tree’s latex is very useful. People use it to make many products, such as rubber gloves and tires.

To solve the world’s plastic problem, we have to look for more natural solutions… like the rubber tree.

7
UNIT 4 REAL WORLD FUR SEAL PUPS

PART 1
4.1
[No script]

PART 2
4.2
These are fur seal pups. They’re tiny, but they’re also ferocious. Douglas Krause is a scientist. He
catches and weighs fur seal pups. To catch a fur seal pup, you have to move slowly and quietly, and try
not to make eye contact. Fur seals pups are extremely cute, and some are very curious, too. Douglas
enjoys his job very much. For him, the best part is watching these adorable pups grow up.

8
UNIT 4 VIDEO AMAZING RATS

4.3
“Good afternoon, you’ve reached rodent control….”

Washington D.C.’s Rodent Control receives several calls about rats in toilets every year. But how do
rats make it through all those drains and small pipes?

First, rats have sharp claws that allow them to climb almost anything. Once a rat is inside the home, it
faces its biggest test. It needs to swim through the last few meters of toilet pipe. The pipes leave no
room for error. At one turn, our rat finds a pocket of air—just enough to help it keep going. But how do
rats get through such small spaces? If a rat can fit its head through an opening, the rest is easy. When
going through a small space, the rat relaxes its ribs, and its body is able to squeeze through.

And how do rats deal with all that water? Rats are land animals, but they’re excellent swimmers, too.
They swim with their back legs, and change direction using their front legs and tail. Rats can swim for
three whole days without stopping! They can also hold their breath underwater for up to three
minutes. This is how rats became global travelers. Because they swam so well, they could easily catch
rides on boats and sail to new shores.

9
UNIT 5 REAL WORLD WORLD TRAVELER

5.1
Hi! I’m Kasha Slavner. I’m 16 and traveling the world with my mom. I’m making a documentary and
writing a book about some of the heroic people I meet.

We started our trip in South Africa, then moved through East Africa to Mozambique, then on to
Tanzania. Our next stop is Thailand. Next year, I’m traveling to South America, where I’m going into
communities and meeting more people who are taking charge of their lives and changing things for the
better.

I want to show that behind every problem we see on the news, there are people who are trying to
bring about change. I want to use my photography and filmmaking to bring these stories to the world.

10
UNIT 5 VIDEO THE BOILING RIVER

PART 1
5.1
Andrés Ruzo is a scientist and a National Geographic Explorer from Peru. His work often takes him to
his favorite place: Peru’s mysterious Boiling River, deep in the Amazon jungle.

“As a boy in Peru, you hear stories about explorers who went into the Amazon jungle. The ones who
came back told incredible tales of shamans, warriors, giant spiders, and deadly snakes. They also told
the story of a river so hot it boiled! Many years later, I became a scientist. I remembered the story of
the Boiling River and asked myself: could it be real? Experts everywhere told me no, it was impossible.”

“But one day, I asked my aunt and she told me, ‘Andrés, the river is real. I even swam in it before.’ I
didn’t really believe her, but she explained that she once visited the river, and that after a heavy storm,
you can actually swim in it. But only for about 20 minutes, before it gets dangerously hot again!”

“I was shocked, and I had to see the river with my own eyes. And so I began my first trip to the
legendary Boiling River of the Amazon.”

PART 2
5.2
In two months, Andrés is going on his twelfth expedition to the Boiling River. He’s going with a team of
41 researchers, and he hopes to learn as much as he can about the river and its surroundings.

“We’re conducting experiments, collecting samples, and trying to answer questions about the river:
why is it hot; why is the water special; what plants and animals live here; and how can we find other
rivers like it?”

Andrés is a geothermal scientist. He studies the Earth’s heat, like what you see at volcanoes. He wants
to use volcanic heat to create electricity cleanly and cheaply. Although the Boiling River is hot, Andrés
doesn’t want to use its heat to create electricity. Instead, he wants to protect the river.

“Scientifically, the Boiling River is unique. It’s the largest known hot river in the world, and unlike other
hot rivers, it is nowhere near an active volcano. Also, its waters are so pure you can drink it. You can
use it to make tea, straight from the river.

“The wildlife here is really special too. The river is hot enough to kill humans, plants, animals, honestly
anything that falls in! But every time I visit, we learn about amazing new plants and animals living in
the surrounding jungles and around these dangerously hot waters.

“The river is also culturally important—local people believe that it’s the home to powerful jungle
spirits. The people there use its waters to make medicines, to heal, cook, wash…even drink. It’s a big
part of their lives and their traditions, and I’m very lucky. I’m friends with the local shaman in the
community, and he allows me to study the river. It’s really important that I have the support of the
locals. We are working together to protect this river that we love so much.”

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UNIT 6 REAL WORLD SIX DEGREES

6.1
Mark Lynas is the author of Six Degrees. In his book, he describes what will happen when the world’s
temperatures increase by six degrees. Even a one-degree change has a huge impact.

“Most of the world’s coral reefs will disappear. They will die. With a two-degree increase, we will see
further big changes. For example, polar ice caps will melt faster, and this will cause sea levels to rise. At
three degrees, much of the world will experience increased drought. According to some computer
models, parts of the Amazon could become extremely dry. It would then take just one fire to burn
down much of the Amazon.”

After just a three-degree increase, the results are frightening. But Mark says there are solutions.

“For example, we need to decrease our use of coal, oil, and natural gas. But of course, we need to get
our energy from somewhere.”

How does Mark feel about solar and wind energy?

“These are important, but I also think we should use nuclear power. Without it, I believe the fight
against global warming will be almost lost.”

And finally, Mark has one last suggestion.

“I actually believe we need to produce more genetically modified food. They can help feed millions of
people because the new GM crops can be drought and heat tolerant.”

12
UNIT 6 VIDEO RENEWABLE ENERGY

PART 1
6.2
Around the world, people are using more renewable energy. These alternative energy sources could
hold the key to combating climate change. But what is renewable energy? Renewable energy comes
from sources that won’t run out. The most common are solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass.
About 90% of the energy we use comes from non-renewable sources. But renewables are the fastest-
growing energy source in the world.

PART 2
6.3
Renewable energy has many benefits. First, it will help us combat climate change. Renewable energy
creates no direct greenhouse gases. The only emissions are produced indirectly during manufacturing,
installation, operation, and maintenance—but these are minimal. Second, it will help decrease
pollution. Wind, solar, and hydroelectric systems create no air pollution. Geothermal and biomass
energy emissions are much lower than fossil fuel emissions. Third, we will have a reliable source of
power. Renewable energy sources are… well… renewable: they will never run out. The facilities cost
little to operate, and the fuel is often free. Renewable energy prices will therefore remain stable over
time.

But renewable energy is not without downsides. First, it generates power on a much smaller scale than
fossil fuels. Second, wind farms and dams can disrupt wildlife and migration patterns, and cause
ecological destruction. Third, both solar and wind energy are intermittent—they only work while the
sun is shining or while the wind is blowing. Batteries can store energy for later use, but they are often
costly.

Switching completely to renewables won’t be easy, but it will get easier with time as the technology
gets cheaper and better. And it will definitely help the environment, too. With renewable energy, an
end to climate change could actually be within our reach.

13
UNIT 7 REAL WORLD THE SPACE RACE

7.1
In the 1950s and 60s, there was a race between the United States and the Soviet Union. This was called
the Space Race. It began in 1957, when the Soviet Union sent Sputnik into space. This was the first
human-made satellite.

Then, on April 12th, 1961, the Soviets sent the first person into space. His name was Yuri Gagarin.
The Americans responded quickly. On May 5th, 1961, Astronaut Alan Shepard became the first
American to travel to space. And In 1962, John Glenn flew around Earth three times. He was the first
American to orbit Earth.

Next, the Americans began the Apollo program. The aim: to put a man on the moon. On July 20th,
1969, they finally succeeded. Two astronauts from Apollo 11 walked on the moon. Neil Armstrong was
the first, and Buzz Aldrin was the second.

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

14
UNIT 7 VIDEO THE UNSINKABLE SHIP

PART 1
7.2
It took three years to build, and less than three hours to sink. The Titanic is perhaps the most famous
shipwreck in history.

It was the biggest and most luxurious ship of its time. And it set sail just once, from England to New
York, on April 10, 1912. The ship weighed a record-breaking 46,000 tons and took about 15,000
workers to build. Surprisingly, it had the best safety features at the time. A popular magazine called it
“practically unsinkable.” People believed the ship could not sink.

Because of this, there were no safety drills, and the crew did not tell passengers where to go or which
lifeboats to board in an emergency. There weren't even enough lifeboats to begin with. There were
only 20—enough for just half the ship’s passengers. Bruce Ismay, the owner, felt that 48 lifeboats—
enough for everyone on board—would make the ship look messy.

The Titanic was all about beauty. There were many luxuries inside, like the famous grand staircase, a
heated swimming pool, a modern gym, four restaurants, and two barber shops. The total cost for all
this? About 7.5 million dollars in 1912. That’s over 400 million dollars today.

PART 2
7.3
Over a hundred years later, the Titanic lies at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, about 3000 meters
deep. But how did it sink? On April 14th, 1912, the ship entered dangerous icy waters. It received six
warning messages, and the captain turned the ship southward. But he did not slow down. By the time
the crew saw an iceberg, it was too late.

In 1985, National Geographic Explorer Robert Ballard and French scientist Jean-Louis Michel discovered
the lost shipwreck. They also found many old items that show the human side of the story, like an old
notebook that belonged to this 17-year-old passenger. It contains pencil writing you can still read
today.

With the help of new technology, researchers continue to study the Titanic. Our interest in this famous
ship is still as strong as ever. If anything, it is the story of the Titanic that is truly unsinkable.

15
UNIT 8 REAL WORLD LANTERN FESTIVAL

8.1
Every year, the city of Chiang Mai in Thailand hosts the Yi Ping Festival—the largest lantern festival in
the country. The festival takes place around November each year, on the night of the full moon. People
believe that releasing the lanterns brings good luck. They decorate their lanterns with wishes and
prayers. They light their lanterns and wait for the air inside to heat up. They then release their lanterns
and watch them float away together with thousands of other lanterns that fill up the night sky.

16
UNIT 8 VIDEO SAILING SOLO

8.2
“It’s the seventh day on the Pacific. I’m on my way to Hiva Oa and I’ve had seven days of great wind.
Last night was even windier. Guppy was practically flying.”

Laura Dekker is from Holland. She’s 14 years old. She’s sailing from Gibraltar in the Mediterranean Sea
all the way to French Polynesia in her 12-meter long sailboat, Guppy. She’s following the same route
her parents took more than 20 years ago. But Laura is sailing alone.

“When I was younger, I saw these pictures from my parents from all these beautiful islands in the
Pacific that I couldn’t even imagine really existed because they looked way too perfect. Now, I can
believe it. I’m here.”

Laura loves the Pacific. She feels that every island is different, with its own culture. And she finds the
people there amazing, too. Laura thinks that people back in Holland have very busy lives. She also
thinks that they care about money too much.

For Laura, money is not the most important thing. For now, she prefers the Pacific and the way things
are in the islands.

To her, the islands are paradise.

17
UNIT 9 REAL WORLD CLASSIC VIDEO GAMES

9.1
These days, many video games look almost as good as movies. But things weren’t always this way.
These three classic video games—video games that people remember for being great—looked very
different.

Back in 1971, the video game company Atari launched the video game industry with Pong. The game
was simple—just two lines and a ball. But it was incredibly popular. In fact, the first machines used to
break down all the time—they used to jam up because they had too many coins in them!

Space Invaders was a Japanese game that was popular in the late 70s. People used to play it at video
arcades around the world. The game was so popular that people said it caused a coin shortage in
Japan! While that story wasn’t true, it did show how popular the game was.

And in the mid-80s, no game was more popular than Super Mario Bros. The game sold 40 million
copies and inspired more than ten sequels, an animated TV series, and a movie. It was also one of the
first video games that used music to make the on-screen action more interesting and exciting.

18
UNIT 9 VIDEO CREATING THE INTERNET

9.2
Today, about 4.2 billion people worldwide have access to the Internet. They can connect instantly to a
world of information and to people everywhere. The internet has transformed technology, business
and romance, and just about everything else.

Few technological innovations have made as great an impact as the internet. But what is the internet?
It’s a global network of computers that allows people to send and receive information faster than ever
before.

The first computer networks began in the US in the 1950s and 60s. These early networks were small—
they connected computers within an organization. But in 1969, The U.S. Defense Department found a
way to connect networks from different organizations. They called this larger network ARPANET—an
early version of the internet. ARPANET grew, and by the 1980s, it included many government and
research organizations.

In the 1990s, the internet as we know it was born. Personal computers and web browsers became
popular. These allowed regular people to use the internet for the first time. Today, computers, phones,
TVs, gaming consoles, and many other devices all tap into the network, sending and receiving data
instantly.

The internet used to be small, but it now covers the whole world. It has changed completely, and it has
transformed the world in amazing ways. The internet gives people everywhere instant access to
information. It connects people and ideas like never before.

19
UNIT 10 REAL WORLD LIGHTS IN THE SKY

10.1
Amateur astronomers have discovered a new kind of aurora. Scientists have named it STEVE, which
stands for “Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement.”

Regular auroras are green and yellow, with a little bit of purple. And they’re spread out. But STEVEs are
like long purple lines that point in an east-west direction. STEVE’s also occur higher in the sky—about
160 kilometers up in the atmosphere. Regular auroras occur lower in the sky—about 100 kilometers
up, or 60 kilometers lower than STEVEs.

Scientists don’t quite know what causes STEVEs. And why do they glow purple instead of green? That
too is a mystery.

20
UNIT 10 VIDEO LINES IN THE SAND

10.2
Fly in a plane over these mountains in Peru, and you’ll see something amazing. These giant drawings
are about 1,000 years old, and you can only see them from the air!

Explorers first discovered these drawings early in the 20th century, soon after planes were invented. But
recently, researchers discovered more than 50 new drawings using drones.

This is a tupu, a needle-like object used to hold pieces of clothing together. This one is a giant bird. This
drawing is nearly 150 meters long! And here’s a flying woman, next to a monkey.

Before planes, many people thought that the lines on the ground were roads—the drawings were too
big to be seen from the ground! But with the help of drones, archaeologists can now explore more
areas and find more of these magnificent pieces of ancient art.

21
UNIT 11 REAL WORLD SUPERMARKET TRICKS

11.1
You see it all the time. People often buy more than they plan to at supermarkets. But why? Maybe it’s
because of the tricks supermarkets use to get customers to spend more. Here are a few of them.

One: keep customers happy. If shoppers are happy, they’ll stay longer and buy more. Supermarkets
have a number of tricks for making people happy when they enter the store. They put things that smell
nice near the entrance, like bread and flowers together with colorful fruit and vegetables.

Two: put popular items at the back. Supermarkets often put the most popular everyday items at the
back of the store, like milk and eggs. If people want these items, they have to walk past many other
products on the way.

And Three: checkouts. Supermarkets like to put snacks at the checkout counters near the exit. They
want people who are waiting in line to see these items and buy them.

So the next time you’re at a supermarket, ask yourself: Do you really need those things? Or are you
being tricked?

22
UNIT 11 VIDEO GRAVITY STONES

11.2
“Gravity! Gravity! It's good for you and me. Magma stones!”

Ben Morrison is selling an amazing new product.

“Last chance at the stones, guys. These will change your life.”

After a sales pitch…

“It will increase muscle tone.”

…and a before-and-after balance test…

“I can’t tip you over.”

These people now believe in the power of magma stones.

“Gravity!”

“Yeah, I’m sold.”

“There is a limit—four per customer. But these stones really want you to have them.”

“I think I want to buy them.”

And now they’re paying cash, for better gravity.

“Give mama the magma stone. Here you go.”

In one hour, Ben has made $145.

“I’m sold.”

What about you? Would you buy these stones?

“I feel grounded.”

As you probably guessed, Ben’s magma stones aren’t real. They’re just stones! Stones that he got from
this parking lot.

“Suckers! Hear that? That’s the sound of money.”

Ben is actually an actor. He shows how easy it is to fall for a scam.

“That’s amazing!”

But what about the balance test?

23
“It’s pretty simple. The first time I do it, without the stones, I actually push straight down, throwing
their body weight off. Now, the second time I do it, with the stones, I push in, forming a triangle
between their arm and their feet, and making it literally impossible to tip them over. It’s a scam
people!”

Ben’s balance test was believable.

“Do you feel the gravity?”

But he uses other tricks, too. This expert helps explain:

“For starters, the sales man is a nicely-dressed, good-looking guy, creating what’s known as the halo
effect. People’s first impression is that he seems knowledgeable and authoritative, simply because of
how he looks. Second, he’s taking advantage of expert bias.”

“I’ve travelled the world looking for minerals such as this.”

“People are more likely to trust information if it comes from someone they believe is an expert.”

“There’s real science in these.”

“Finally, and most importantly, he’s creating artificial scarcity.”

“These are so rare.”

“Studies shows consumers are more likely to act irrationally if they believe they’ll be missing out on a
great deal.”

A deal worth singing about.

“Magma stones!”

“Gravity is the best thing that’s free, you know?”

“Not quite. Today its costing me twenty dollars.”

In the end, Ben tells his customers the truth about the stones and returns their money.

24
UNIT 12 REAL WORLD SPACE INVENTIONS

12.1
To make living and working in space possible, NASA has invented many technologies. Here on Earth,
we use some of these inventions every day.

For example, have you ever used a water filter? Or heard about water bottles that make river or lake
water drinkable? We have these things because NASA needed a way to recycle water in space. They
created a water filter that was so effective we now use it all over the world.

These days, taking someone’s temperature is easy—you put a thermometer in someone’s ear and get a
reading almost immediately. Thermometers used to be slow, but NASA helped fix this. The infrared
technology they used to measure the temperatures of stars helped make modern thermometers
possible.

Eyeglasses used to have glass lenses. These lenses were heavy, and they were dangerous, too. They
broke easily and sometimes caused eye injuries. Today, most lenses are made of plastic. Once again,
we can thank NASA for this. They helped develop a plastic that didn’t scratch easily. NASA used it in
their space helmets, and eyeglass makers soon used it to make lenses, too.

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UNIT 12 VIDEO THE RED PLANET

12.2
To the ancient Romans, Mars represented blood and war. But to many people today, the red planet is
the key to a bright new future.

Mars formed about 4.5 billion years ago, when gas and dust came together. It is the fourth planet from
our sun, and the second smallest in our solar system. Its diameter is less than the width of Africa, and
its surface area is similar to that of Earth’s continents. Like Earth, it is a solid, rocky planet. From Earth,
it’s a bright red dot in the sky. This bloodlike appearance inspired the ancient Romans to name it after
Mars, their god of war.

Today, the red planet is dry, empty, and cold, with temperatures as low as minus 140 degrees Celsius.
But billions of years ago, it was warmer and geologically active. It even had a watery surface. Old river
and lake beds show that liquid water was—for a time—present on Mars. Mars also had volcanoes that
erupted lava, like Olympus Mons—the largest volcano in the solar system, three times higher than the
highest mountain on Earth. But about 50 million years ago, soon after Earth’s dinosaurs died out,
Mars’s volcanoes also went extinct.

Water on Mars still exists today, but mostly as polar ice caps. Because of the water on Mars, some
scientists think it’s possible that life once existed there. Some even think life could exist there again!
Since the 1960s, there have been several missions to Mars. Scientists want to understand the planet’s
past and present, and whether it can support life in the future.

Life on another planet is probably many years away for humans. But if any planet can give us hope,
then it has to be Mars.

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