Professor Frink is having a garage sale, and Homer buys a Matter Transporter from him for $0.35. Homer uses the Transporter to exert less effort performing mundane tasks, such as getting a drink from the fridge and walking up the stairs.
Professor Philip Brainard creates Flubber and tries to learn more about it. He performs quick tests on the physical properties of Flubber and finds that it is a highly viscous elastomer that can also phase shift between a liquid and a solid. Using observation skills, he also learns that Flubber is moldable, foldable, ductile, and elastic, among other properties.
Steve wants to use Carl's den as a laboratory to work on his revolutionary experiments. When Carl rejects the idea, Steve captures his interest by explaining that they can make money from his invention. Steve then shows off his latest experiment: a Transformation Chamber that can resize objects.