Ms. Frizzle's kid sister Fiona takes the wheel at Walkerville Elementary, leading the class on wild adventures packed with science-fueled fun.
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00:00You're relaxed and feeling good. Next thing that you know, you're seeing
00:18octopus in the neighborhood. Surfing on a sound wave. Swinging through the stars.
00:30Take a left at your intestine. Take your second right past Mars on the magic school bus.
00:36Navigate a nostril. Climb on the magic school bus. Spank a plant in two.
00:42On our magic school bus. Rocked a river of lava on the magic school bus.
00:48Such a fine thing to do. So strap your bones right to the seat. Come on in and don't be shy.
00:55Just to make your day complete, you might get baked into a pie on the magic school bus.
01:01Stuck, stuck, stuck inside. It's a wild ride. Come on, ride on the magic school bus.
01:12In Africa, the legendary baobab tree has many names. Tree of life, the talking tree.
01:23And in Sudan, it is known as Ong, or mother. Listen closely as the mother tree whispers to her children.
01:33We must work together, little ones, to help and protect our neighbors.
01:38Fake alert. Sorry, but I'm not buying it.
01:41Okay, I know they're weird. That's really what baobab trees look like.
01:45Fine, but they don't talk.
01:47Sure they do. Probably. Maybe. I think. I don't know. I mean, the whole idea is cool and everything.
01:55But if we want to win this year's Walkerville Science Fair Crazy But True Trophy like we do every year...
02:00We need to come up with something crazy.
02:02Like talking trees.
02:04But true. Like trees that talk.
02:06But what if it's not true?
02:08It has to be. Everything in the forest communicates.
02:11Who told you that? A pine cone?
02:13What if he's right? How awesome and crazy but true would that be?
02:17But it makes no sense.
02:18It totally makes sense.
02:20You're wrong.
02:21Kim's right.
02:22No, he's not. Trees totally talk.
02:24Guys.
02:25Fine.
02:26Oh, just forget it.
02:28Speaking of talking...
02:33Looks like we have a class here that isn't.
02:35Let's see what your body language says.
02:54How did you know all that?
02:56Sometimes you can say a lot without using words.
02:58Conundrum. Now what do we do?
03:00If we want to win the Crazy But True Trophy, we need to prove something crazy.
03:04Exactly. So let's go back to my super fun wacky-ola idea.
03:08How low-temperature superconductivity can be explored via condensation of cooper pairs in a boson-like state.
03:16So, Tim, about those talking trees...
03:18Let's give the trees a chance.
03:20A few talking trees never hurt anyone.
03:22I don't know, guys. It's just too crazy. I think we're wasting our time.
03:26Well, as my great-uncle Douglas Fir used to say, if you think you're barking up the wrong tree, just ask it.
03:32Huh?
03:33Uh-oh. This is starting to sound an awful lot like...
03:36Field trip!
03:43Please keep our limbs inside the bus so we can make like a tree and get out of here.
03:48Bus, do your stuff.
03:56Cool.
03:57Interesting.
04:03A stress mushroom!
04:12Oh, the forest. Where since the beginning of time people have come for peace and tranquility.
04:20Hello? Anybody here?
04:23Yoo-hoo!
04:24Shh! I'm trying to hear the trees, you guys.
04:29Please, please, say something.
04:32I knew it. Nothing to hear here.
04:34Untrue. I hear animal noises.
04:36But is that noise or is it communication between animals?
04:41Noise.
04:42Communication?
04:43Noise is sound without meaning.
04:45And communication is about sending a message.
04:48Remember, Tim said he thinks everything in the forest communicates.
04:51Sure. In his stories, maybe.
04:54Well, we need to prove it.
04:56Then right this way to find out if Tim's talking trash or talking creatures.
05:04Oh, no. I smell a magical transformation.
05:07And I was having such a good hair day.
05:11Go forth and communicate.
05:22Hey, chickadees. What's up?
05:24I don't think they're going to answer him.
05:29But they are talking to each other.
05:32Ralphie, get the translator.
05:36Hey, sweetie. Hey, sweetie.
05:39Hey, sweeties.
05:51What are they saying?
05:55Predator. Predator.
05:57Predator? Where? Where?
06:01Not predator. Friend.
06:06Friend.
06:15Look at that.
06:25A human approaches.
06:28Tall with orange hair.
06:35They're talking about Miss Frizzle.
06:40Friend. Friend.
06:55What's he saying?
06:59Hungry. Hungry.
07:03Smell food.
07:08I smell it, too. Smells sweet.
07:11Follow that bear.
07:25Friend. Friend.
07:27That bear knew exactly where to go and which berries to eat.
07:31We've got to get back and tell the others.
07:47You guys actually chatted with chipmunks, Arnold?
07:50Please. I was much too traumatized to chit-chat.
07:53We had chatty chickadees, too.
07:55I never knew prairie dog talk was so detailed.
07:58Incredible.
07:59But true. They were totally dishing on Miss Frizzle's fashion sense.
08:03That sounds so cool, you guys.
08:05And you know who we met? Bear!
08:07Yeah. How did you guess?
08:09I didn't guess.
08:16Stay calm, everybody.
08:24Whoa!
08:32Hi, kids. Hiding from a ravenous bear again?
08:35Yes. I was trying to tell them.
08:37That the bear is more interested in berries than kid burgers?
08:40I mean, who couldn't go for a fruit salad any time of the day? Come on.
08:44Exactly!
08:45Because when berries talk, bears listen. Right, Tim?
08:49Totally.
08:50Hold the phone. You're telling us berries talk now, too, to bears?
08:55Maybe not exactly talking like we do,
08:58but the bear knew the berries were ready to be gobbled up.
09:01We could all smell it.
09:06The smell told the bear that there were ripe berries just waiting to be eaten.
09:10A message sent by scent.
09:15But why would berries want to be eaten?
09:17According to my research, raspberry bushes need bears so more bushes can grow.
09:21Animals eat the berries and spread the seeds when they go to the bathroom in the woods.
09:27Fine. But that still doesn't prove that trees talk.
09:30Oh, yeah? Then let's go find out.
09:32How?
09:33Just follow me.
09:47Ah!
09:55Big deal. Grass makes no sound.
09:57Wait for it.
10:03Let's see if we can translate scent.
10:08Hey, that smells like cut grass.
10:10And check out what that smell means.
10:13Danger. Under attack. Resist.
10:17Danger. Under attack. Resist.
10:22How'd it do that? Grass can't talk on purpose.
10:24That's right. It wasn't on purpose.
10:26The grass relayed its warning message through chemical waves that automatically released.
10:31See? Every time you mow the lawn, you smell grass communicating.
10:35I learned this thing or two when I was putting that book together.
10:38So admit it, Ralphie. Plants talk.
10:41Oh, yeah? They talk? Th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th-talk?
10:45Okay, maybe sort of, but there's no way an animal and a plant can talk,
10:49no matter what you say about berries calling the bear.
10:52Oh, really? Well, check out the latest buzz.
10:57Whoa!
11:15Smell. Flower. Beautiful color. Beautiful color.
11:25See? The smelling color of the flower told the bee, come here and pollinate me.
11:38Okay, so I forgot about bees and flowers. Fine.
11:41Plants do communicate with animals with colors and smells.
11:45But...
11:46But what?
11:47The big but. The biggest but of all.
11:50Trees don't talk to trees.
11:53How do you know? You're not a tree.
11:55Oh, this gives me the best idea I've had in minutes.
12:02Good thing I brought along these magical custom-made choose-your-own-life form insta-swappinators,
12:07because this is going to be fun.
12:09Good thing. One second you're a kid, next second you get to be anything you want to be!
12:15All right!
12:16Awesome!
12:17Run!
12:19Wasp!
12:20Birch tree!
12:21Fruit tree!
12:22Wasp!
12:23Oh, why does this remind me of the time we got rooted?
12:26All I want to be is a nice, quiet...
12:31Mushroom?
12:32Arnold, I always knew you were a fun guy.
12:35Carlos!
12:40Hey, Ralphie, here's your chance to be proven wrong.
12:43Let's be trees and settle this once and for all.
12:46Don't need to. It makes no sense.
12:48There's no reason a tree would ever need to talk to a tree.
12:52Ralphie-u!
12:54Ralphie! Come back here and be a tree!
12:57I'm a tree!
12:58I'm a tree!
12:59I'm a tree!
13:00I'm a tree!
13:01I'm a tree!
13:02I'm a tree!
13:03I'm a tree!
13:04I'm a tree!
13:05I'm a tree!
13:06I'm a tree!
13:07I'm a tree!
13:08I'm gonna be a tree!
13:09Come back here and be a tree.
13:11I love my job.
13:13You just don't want to be wrong.
13:15You're just a scaredy tree.
13:17Ha!
13:18I'll show you!
13:23Nobody calls me a scaredy tree!
13:32Curious.
13:33So many trees, yet so quiet.
13:36hello hello can't seem to say anything hey is that Ralphie Ralphie can you hear
13:47me nothing anybody
13:53last time I was a tree I thought the wind and one and I totally plan on
13:59winning again is that Tim over there hey Tim how about that I can't talk to
14:06him and he can't talk to me so trees can't talk I was right Wow
14:13peeing a tree is dull pie with snore sauce huh I guess I'll just have a
14:18little nap until it's time to
14:29hey what's that some kind of bug oh no they're attacking those trees including
14:37Ralphie
14:40hey get off me quit it out yeah somebody have Ralphie somebody anybody
14:48help ouch quit it yeah hey that's my stop stop it
14:57Ralphie needs help hurry oh man why did I have to make us trees why did I think
15:05they could talk I was so wrong and now Ralphie's getting in the live
15:13help help maybe miss Frizzle can help it won't I could yell for her where is
15:18she what a beautiful spot hmm makes you just want to plant yourself down for a
15:26while doesn't it Liz
15:29Oh
15:40oh sir sapping my energy must do something
16:00hey
16:04what's that smell I don't know but it's coming from that tree wait that's not
16:10just any tree that's Ralphie and it smells like a message about a fix what
16:21time is it Keisha it's lunchtime Wanda
16:30oh man am I ever glad to see you don't worry Ralphie we'll help you get rid of
16:37your 8-bit invasion
16:41Oh
16:51thanks you guys oh no he's fading he needs energy what do we do oh well if it
17:00does not look good we need to get him help if I could tell somebody but I
17:05what's that tickling would you keep it down up there I'm trying to nap huh
17:12you're making my mycelia tingle your Celia who is that
17:17Arnold is that you ain't mother Hubbard and what's tingling my mycelia
17:23basically my toes my hundreds and hundreds of long skinny thread like toes
17:28wait is that what's tangled around my roots your toes my Celia hey is that how
17:34we're talking yeah they're like wires kind of that's how we were talking
17:38anyway good night I know what can you talk to anybody besides me
17:45unfortunately yes I better take this hey what's up okay I'll pass it on bye what
17:54was that huh oh just some tree with a message to some other tree happens all
17:59the time oh you can talk to you on the trees well yeah these mycelia things go
18:04everywhere underground every tree in the forest is connected now where was I oh
18:13yeah now
18:18keep it down would you you're making my ring ring you need to tell everybody
18:23Rolfie needs help what why didn't you say so Rolfie needs help
18:38Rolfie needs help oh well sounds like Rolfie needs help guess I should get
18:46everyone's attention hey everyone
18:54Oh magical she's just like the mother tree in Tim's story that's right Jodi
19:01and I have a message for everyone we need to give Rolfie the nourishment he
19:06needs can I get an okay okay okay oh let's do this only how I mean we're all
19:18stuck far apart and Rolfie's way over there oh we have our ways
19:23fir trees send your sugar pine trees send your carbon Arnold ready to receive
19:28and distribute through the mycorrhizal fungus network my who what what I guess
19:33so network ready miss frizzle okay everybody on one two three
19:43okay through this network we can send Rolfie the nutrients he needs to be
19:47healthy okay Rolfie here comes some carbon
19:59nutrients oh yeah whoa that's better okay whoa we did it we saved Rolfie
20:12thanks you guys that was close and thanks for getting the word out Tim
20:16what did you say Rolfie I said thanks for getting the word out oh that's what
20:21you said you said what I also a tree thought you said I see what he's doing
20:27there we're talking yeah and we're trees yeah but not two words and sounds even
20:35better through chemical messages in the air and even more impressively under the
20:39ground through Arnold's toes isn't it wonderful the members of the forest all
20:44look out for one another just like friends do um Rolfie I know you're a
20:49tree and everything but do you have to be so sappy the mother Bell Bob clues to
20:57her children take care of your friends in the forest and they will take care of
21:02you um guys shh because from the wasps to the
21:07aspens to the poplars and the first I seriously believe it or not the trees
21:14can talk captivating but the trees do need some help from the underground
21:20mycelia network or in this case Arnold socks guys it's really not funny but it
21:28is crazy sounds like another winner to me
21:58magic school bus magic school bus magic school bus I'd like to speak to the
22:10magic school bus please
22:18professor frizzle PhD voted to science hi I just saw the last show and I get
22:25that animals and plants communicate but two bears really know that by eating
22:29raspberries they help spread seeds to make new plants not exactly but bears
22:37and berries do help each other even if all the bear appreciates is the yummy
22:42lunch it gets out of the deal so why do plants sometimes communicate chemicals
22:47in the air and other times with this underground network why not pick one and
22:52good question sometimes chemicals or smells work best for short distances but
22:59the fungi network is way better for long-distance messaging because usually
23:09a hub tree or mother tree like in Tim's book oversees the whole community helping
23:17cooperate and share nutrients so that as many as possible survive I'm smelling
23:24one last question well let's just say nothing goes to waste except your time
23:32if you don't check it out
23:46you
24:16you
24:46you