Ms. Stevens: Our future scientist. What have you made for us?
Dean: Today, I will be demonstrating the principles of a nuclear fission reactor with a dash of pizzazz. Nuclear power plants generate heat by splitting unstable uranium atoms. In my experiment, I will be creating a similar exothermic reaction by splitting oxygen and unstable hydrogen peroxide with potato yeast I made myself. Safety first, though. You never know when there's gonna be a cool nuclear meltdown of radioactive foam. [hands out goggles; pours yeast into volcano] Just a moment. You know, uh, potato yeast can be a slow catalyst. [students murmuring] Maybe it just needs a good stir. Uh, the ratios are probably a little off. Uh, maybe I need a little bit more hydrogen peroxide.
Adult Dean: As my nuclear reactor turned into a sad swamp, I realized that I had been so distracted by my mother and Michael that I hadn't made my yeast properly.
Dean: Ta-da? [students giggle] My yeast must have died.
Mr. Brooks:Shame. I was really excited for this one. [students laugh] I guess science is about failure, too.
Adult Dean: I had never known this level of embarrassment before. Science was my thing. How could I let this happen? [laughter]
Dean: [to Michael] I don't know what you're laughing at. At least I did my project by myself. You needed help from my mom because your mom is so crazy, she got locked up. [laughter] [Michael walks out]
Adult Dean: I'd finally vanquished the supervillain, so why did it feel like I had lost? Wait a minute. Was I actually the villain? As kids, we don't pause to think that every supervillain probably has a complicated backstory. And that superheroes don't always do the right thing. Or that there are some things in this world that hurt even more than getting beat up.