Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is a puppet character from the Muppet Show and the lead scientist of the Muppet Labs, “where the future is being made today”. His first name is in reference to Robert Bunsen, the chemist that developed the Bunsen burner, and his last name to the honeydew melon, which his head strikingly resembles [1].

With the help of his shy assistant Beaker, he invents crazy gadgets such as a nuclear-powered shaver, a hair-growing tonic, or fire-proof paper [2]. The tests and experiments on his inventions almost always backfire, resulting in Beaker experiencing a wide range of mishaps and side effects and often leading to the destruction of the lab as well.

Although not really a great example of laboratory safety and responsibility, Dr. Honeydew and Beaker are cherished childhood companions of many and were even voted the UK’s favorite fictional scientists in 2004 [3].

References

• [1] Bunsen Honeydew, wikipedia.org. (accessed July 14, 2017)
• [2] 10 of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew’s best Muppet Labs Experiments, Rated for Scientific Accuracy, syfy.com. (accessed July 14, 2017)
• [3] Mad Muppets top cult science poll, news.bbc.co.uk. (accessed on July 14, 2017)