The Big Brain Theory
Host Kal Penn pits ten of America's brightest thinkers against one another in seemingly impossible engineering challenges. The winner takes home $50,000 and a one-year job contract with acclaimed water feature design firm WET.
Episodes
S1 | E1
The Next Great Innovator
Ten of the country’s brightest minds begin a competition designed to discover the next great American Innovator. Monumental challenges and strong personalities lead to ingenious designs and drama on The Big Brain Theory.
S1 | E2
Seek and Destroy
The contestants face their toughest challenge yet: stop a missile with a missile. But when Dan storms out of the shop after a heated fight and the opposing team struggles to complete an improbable design, will either team complete their build?
S1 | E3
Three Little Pigs
After Joe and Joel are eliminated, the contestants now face a real-world challenge: build a personal shelter to keep a rescue worker safe from extreme wind, water, and fire. Can the teams keep their cool or will clashes over design derail both builds?
S1 | E4
Triathlabots
Competitors take on an Olympian challenge: design a robot that can tackle three athletic events. The threat of failure looms when one leader fails to manage his team’s talents and later, a shocking elimination leaves one competitor in distress.
S1 | E5
Waterfall
The competitors must harness the power of a waterfall to build an elevator. While one team works together to get their idea off the ground, the other falls apart when tensions between Gui, Amy and Dan reach an all time high. Can they put aside their diffe
S1 | E6
The Wild Card
An explosive wildcard winner is brought back and the contestants are given the challenge of creating an automated machine that can prepare a meal for the masses. Stakes are higher than ever with a double elimination for the losing team, who will survive t
S1 | E7
Catching Cars
Four semifinalists face off in a contest to bring a speeding car to a safe stop. And in the closest elimination yet, the judges must choose between innovation and simplicity. For two contestants, their road to the finale will prove just a dead end.
S1 | E8
Bridge Battle
In the season finale, the final two contestants go head-to-head in a challenge to build a deployable bridge. While one team goes with complexity and creativity, the other goes with simplicity. Which method will win its team leader the $50,000 grand prize?