Heath Ledger’s version of the Joker was absolutely spellbinding in The Dark Knight. He masterfully captured a kind of sadistic and calculated chaos that never let you know what the villain was going to do next. That’s probably why when Joker asked the heads of Gotham’s underworld if they wanted to see a “magic trick,” they had no idea it was going to be so serious. But was it really all that serious after all?In my latest Because Science, I’m taking the Bat-vator down into the Bat-archives of Bat-medicine to figure out just how dangerous getting a pencil disappeared in your face really is. Although it is a very rare injury, doctors have an acronym for it: TIPI, or Transorbital Intracranial Penetrating Injury. That’s when an object pierces the skull at the back of the eye and makes its way into the brain, where I’m assuming the pencil ends up in The Dark Knight.There have been dozens of recorded TIPIs over the last few decades, which means there is hard data on just how deadly Joker’s trick might be. But you’ll have to watch my latest video above to find out! HA Ha ha.After you watch the new episode above, check out my last video on why stormtrooper armor does in fact make sense, subscribe to this playlist to stay current with the show, buy a Because Science shirt, mug, hat, or collectible pin, and follow me on Twitter to give me a suggestion for the next episode or on Instagram where I’m now posting extra mini-episodes.Want Because Science days before anyone else? Subscribe to Alpha for early access to the show and peep my new show The S.P.A.A.C.E. Program!

More Batman Nerdery!

• How big should Batman’s cape be?
• What is the Joker’s “venom” made from?
• 12 ways Superman could kill Batman instantly, but won’t