The appeal of NHK's half-hour science show "Suiensa" (NHK-E, Tues., 6:55 p.m.) is pretty simple: Cute young women carrying out scientific experiments. The premise is even simpler: Answer an everyday question scientifically.
This week, the topic is the commonly held belief that the human body is capable of producing extra power under "critical circumstances." Of course, everyone knows that adrenalin is produced when the body is stressed by fear, but how can people re-create such situations without being scared?
The "researchers" in the studio try to boost their momentary muscle strength by screaming or doing a lot of pushups just prior to testing. In addition to improved physical power, it turns out that intellectual power is boosted, too.