The program opens with the announcement that last week in New York City The Johns Hopkins Science Review was awarded its second George Foster Peabody Award for outstanding educational and informational programming. Lynn Poole honors the scientists currently attending the 90th annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), presided over by Johns Hopkins University's president, Detlev Bronk. Poole describes highlights in the history of the organization, such as Congress' legalization of use of the metric system in 1866 and creation of the U.S. Forest Service in 1896, both based on recommendations of NAS. In 1916 NAS established the National Research Council, and through the efforts of its first chairman, George Ellery Hale, and Dr. Robert A. Millikan, President Woodrow Wilson requested NAS to perpetuate the Council. The remainder of the program explains and demonstrates misconceptions about scientific facts: a copper penny can not substitute for a burned out fuse; small flies are not offspring of large flies (houseflies, blow flies, and stable flies are all in their adult stages); spontaneous generation of rags into mice or horse hair into worms does not occur; people can not be hypnotized against their will; frozen body parts should not be rubbed with snow; ice does not make anything near it very cold (as an experiment with liquid nitrogen shows); water will not put out any fire (water on potassium will start a fire); oysters are also edible in months not containing "r"; mentally ill people can be cured; and mothers do not "mark" their babies before birth. Lynn Poole concludes the program by asking viewers to send him their requests for previous programs they would like repeated in June.

This program consists of experiments to prove the facts of science and disprove the myths. For example, a copper penny is not a good substitute for an electrical fuse because the fuse is insurance against an overload, and a penny will overheat the wires and cause a fire. Dr. Richard Lazarus points out that not all psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental illness and abnormal behavior. He explains the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist and the various interests in the latter's field, such as market research, human engineering, learning styles, and stress reactions. Other misconceptions this program seeks to dispel are that small flies are "baby" flies (they're all in the adult stage); that spontaneous generation occurs, as believed by Hermann von Helmholtz in the 19th century; that people can be hypnotized against their will; that frozen body parts should be rubbed with snow; that ice always keeps things cold; that water can put out any fire; and other superstitions mentioned briefly.