You don’t even have to move off the couch. Just aim the remote and push the button.

Remote controls let us turn on machines like TVs and VCRs from far away. How do they work? It has to do with the science of light.

The remote control sends out a special beam of light, called infrared light. You can’t see this light. But when infrared light hits a special sensor in the TV - CLICK! The television turns on.

Amazingly, the remote doesn’t have to be pointed right at the TV to work. Light can bounce off objects. This means you can experiment.

Point the remote up. See if you can get the beam to bounce off the ceiling and turn on the TV. You may have to try aiming it at different places. You can even point the remote at the wall behind you to see if it will work.