Brainiac nights

Tuesday night is Brainiac night. It's the kids' favourite night but my most dreaded one.

For the clueless, Brainiac: Science Abuse is a British entertainment TV show with a Pseudoscience motif. Numerous experiments are carried out in each show, often looking into whether common conceptions are true. The presenters perform experiments using chemicals, metal alkalis and thermite, things that the kids learn in school.

The show centralises along the three main cores of "science" including chemistry, physics and to a lesser extent, biology. People who examine and test the experiments on the show are referred to as "Brainiacs", and each episode would finish with the blowing up of a caravan.

Why am I so fearful of Tuesday night? Well, the boys like me to stay up to watch the show which they waited all week for. Of course, I must watch the highlight at the end when the Brainiacs blow up a caravan. I must admit the explosion is very impressive because you're treated to a very colourful display of light and colours, depending on what explosives are used.

Last night, YK insisted that I mustn't miss the last show in the series. "Please stay up and watch it as my birthday present ok?"

Can I say no to the birthday boy? At 9.30pm, I was struggling to keep my eyes open as I laid under the covers. YK called out, "You're not sleeping are you?"

"Of course not! I'm only preparing myself for Brainiac at 10pm remember?"

So, I dozed off a little and when the show came on, both of them sat on my bed, keeping their eyes peeled on the gogglebox. Soon they were laughing at the wacky experiments involving Brainiacs being electrified or Celebs on Helium. My eyelids were getting heavier by the second.

One of their favourite segments is Domestic Disasters, where the Brainiacs put plastic explosives in a toaster, nitroglycerin in a spin dryer, Potassium in a washing machine, metal objects in a microwave oven or a fire extinguisher in an oven. There's always some kind of explosion going on.

YK will check on me from time to time, ensuring that I am learning as much as they are from the show. My eyelids kept fluttering throughout the show as I tried to stay awake. Honestly, nothing really went into my brain.

I must say Brainiac is highly entertaining and educational but I have one request. Will Mediacorp please don't show the programme at such an ungodly hour? We have to wake up at 5am the next day you know!