(Music plays)

An animated clip shows a big orange X on a blue background. It explodes and letters and numbers come out of it in all directions and float around.

Mathemagician Eric appears on screen. He’s in his mid-twenties. He has short dark brown hair and a beard. He wears a red T-shirt with the show’s logo, blue jeans and red Tennis shoes.

The screen turns red and the logo of the show appears next. It reads "MathXplosion." Meanwhile, cones, cubes and dices float around it.

Kids voices sing a song with lyrics that go
WHAT A HIT
IT'S NOT A TRICK
IT'S MATHXPLOSION
JUST FOR YOU
COOL AND NEW
MATHXPLOSION!

The episode starts with Eric standing in a workroom, he walks over a complex graphic on the ground that looks like it has a curvy edge. He walks as if he wanted to keep balance.

Eric says WHOA.
YEAH!
BEHOLD MY AMAZING
BALANCING ACT WILL HAVE
ME WALKING
IN A CURVE.
WE MAGICIANS ARE
ALL ABOUT USING
ILLUSIONS TO WOW
OUR AUDIENCES.
WAS I REALLY WALKING ON
A CURVED LINE JUST NOW?
OR WAS THERE SOMETHING
ELSE AT PLAY?
SOMETIMES THINGS ARE MUCH
STRAIGHTER THAN THEY SEEM.

(music plays)

He takes a long ruler and starts measuring the lines that were used to make the graphic.

He says I'LL SHOW YOU AN AMAZING
ILLUSION THAT WILL HAVE
YOU SEEING CURVES IN
LINES THAT ARE ACTUALLY
PERFECTLY STRAIGHT.

(music plays)

He grabs a small red rope and tries to make it straight, but it keeps curving. Magically, he makes a sudden move and the rope is stiff.

Eric says YEAH.

(music plays)

Now, Eris is ready for a new project.

He says HERE'S AN AWESOME WAY TO
MAKE AN OPTICAL ILLUSION
TO ASTOUND YOUR
FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
MATHEMATICIANS CALL
IT A CURVE STITCH.
EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE
ACTUALLY NO CURVES.
CRAZY?
NO.
AMAZING?
OH, YEAH.
WE'LL START WITH TWO
LINES OF EQUAL LENGTH.
ONE HORIZONTAL
AND ONE VERTICAL.

A paper sheet o screen shows both lines.

Eric continues
TOGETHER THEY
MAKE AN L-SHAPE.
NEXT, NUMBER THE
VERTICAL LINE.
IN THIS CASE I'M NUMBERING
FROM ONE TO TWELVE
SPACED OUT EVENLY FROM
NUMBER TO NUMBER.
THEN DO THE SAME FOR
THE HORIZONTAL LINE.

He adds numbers to both vertical and horizontal lines.

He continues
JUST LIKE THAT.
NOW HERE'S WHERE THE
ILLUSION COMES IN.
USING YOUR TRUSTY RULER,
DRAW A STRAIGHT LINE
TO CONNECT THE ONE
ON THE VERTICAL LINE
TO THE ONE ON
THE HORIZONTAL.
NOW DO THIS FOR
EVERY NUMBER.
FROM TWO TO TWO, THREE
TO THREE, AND SO ON.

He connects the matching numbers on both lines using a ruler and a marker. The graphic with the illusion comes to life.

He says TA-DA!
THE LINES LOOK CURVED, BUT
THEY'RE ACTUALLY STRAIGHT.
ISN'T THAT AN AMAZING
OPTICAL ILLUSION?

(music plays)

Eric draws a circle and colours it inside. He taps on it and a new clip plays. The video shows a close up to a large bridge that uses the same system as part of its structure.

Eric says CHECK THIS OUT.
THE EFFECTS USED IN
CURVE STITCHING AREN'T
JUST USED BY ARTISTS
AND MAGICIANS.
THEY'RE SEEN ON A HUGE
SCALE IN THE REAL WORLD, TOO.
TAKE THE JERUSALEM CHORDS
BRIDGE IN JERUSALEM, ISRAEL,
AS AN EXAMPLE.
FROM FAR AWAY, THE
BRIDGE LOOKS CURVED.
BUT UPON CLOSER INSPECTION...
THE BRIDGE IS ACTUALLY
MADE UP OF
STRAIGHT LINES.

Eric walks the curvy edge in the graphic once again.

Next, he says SO THERE YOU HAVE
IT, MY APPRENTICES.
YOU CAN USE THE MAGIC
OF THE CURVE STITCH
TO CREATE AN OPTICAL
ILLUSION THAT WILL
THRILL ALL YOUR
FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
IT'S AS EASY AS
CONNECTING THE DOTS.
AND, REMEMBER,
IT'S NOT MAGIC...
IT'S MATH.

A big explosion brings the show’s logo back on the screen.

(music plays)

The end credits roll.

Produced by GAPC Entertainment in association with TVOKids.

Copyright GAPC Entertainment (MathPlosion) Incorporated, 2016.