Awesome Etc

Say you need to cross a river where there is no bridge. The EasiBridge can span up to 18 meters (59 feet) and be deployed by a single person. Once it’s opened and its supports flipped over, it can carry people on a rolling belly slide. Since the prototype shown in this video, the company continued development and testing and was acquired by BANAIR.

After smashing stuff with their shop’s new 300-ton hydraulic press, the Beyond the Press channel got to work on a different kind of destruction. For maximum explosive carnage, they took car and truck tires and filled them way past their safe limits with a 4350 psi (300 bar) air compressor. Don’t try anything like this at home – it’s incredibly dangerous.

Much of America has been gripped by a deep freeze this week. One interesting effect of the deep freeze is something known as Arctic sea smoke – a vapor that forms when frigid air blows across warmer water. EarthCam captured this amazing time-lapse footage of the phenomenon as it occurred over Lake Michigan across from downtown Chicago.

This sturdy fabric pouch from Double RL is designed for carrying grooming supplies, but it’s also great for small tools and pocket knives. It’s made from indigo-dyed Selvedge denim with a contrasting suede base and a heavy-duty brass zipper with a leather pull. Measures 10″ W x 6″ H x 3″ D.

When it comes to missiles, there are three critical factors: range, speed, and accuracy. RED SIDE’s latest comparison video simulates various kinds of missiles to see which ones are the slowest and fastest to reach their target. The video starts with a drag race, followed by a launch-stage-flyby sequence, a range demonstration, and finally, a size comparison.

There aren’t many products that can be made by the millions, but hardware like screws are one such item. This video from SatisFactory Process takes us inside a facility in China that cranks out mass quantities of screws every day. Machines straighten coils of steel wire, cut, shape, then thread the screws before they’re heat-treated for strength and washed.

You might not feel it, but the Earth is spinning quite quickly. Depending on your latitude, you could be going more than 1000 MPH. xkcd’s What If? explores what might happen if, all of a sudden, the planet stopped spinning and the atmosphere kept going. Things wouldn’t bode well for living creatures or structures, thanks to the extreme wind and waves.

When marching bands reach a corner, they typically need a wide berth to fit everyone side by side. But the Ohio State University Marching Band turns tight corners with style. Watch as dozens of band members maneuver into a narrow point, then fan back out as they come around the bend. Here’s what a normal turn looks like at that same corner.

According to the National Earthquake Information Center, there are roughly 20,000 earthquakes around the Earth every year. This fascinating animation from the NOAA, NWS, and Pacific Tsunami Warning Center shows every earthquake and tsunami recorded from January 1901 through December 2020. There’s also a spherical version that ends in 2000.

This factory in Pakistan cranks out thousands of toy horses a day. The process starts by grinding up plastic scraps from the prior day’s work and melting them, then using that to blow-mold the horse’s body. Workers then attach accessories and mold and cut out the wheels before final assembly. It’s not the most modern factory line, but they get the job done.

This mid-size duffel bag from Filson is made from durable waxed canvas with a water-resistant nylon lining. Measuring 20″ x 12″ x 13″, it carries a week’s worth of clothes. In addition to its main compartment, it has endcap pockets, a high-quality YKK zipper and bridle leather accents. A removable shoulder strap provides carrying options. Available in dark tan or orange.

Video creators will appreciate the 5K resolution of Dell’s U4025QW display. It has a curved 40″ screen with a 5120 x 2160 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Its high-contrast black panel IPS screen offers a 99% DCI-P3/Display P3 color space. A built-in Thunderbolt 4 hub has a 2.5 gbps Ethernet port, 4x USB-A, 2x USB-C, HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 1.4 outputs. Drops 2.27.24.

The Slow Mo Guys, Gav and Dan, stopped by the Colorado School of Mines to observe what happens when you fire two identically shaped charges into each other. Their high-speed cameras captured the 15,000 MPH collision in slow motion for us to enjoy. It was really tough to keep the exposure from blowing out because of the intensity of the fireball.

We assumed there were thousands of different ways that a game of tic-tac-toe could turn out. While the game board allows for more than 255,000 combinations of Xs and Os, there are far fewer gameplay outcomes. Musician and coder Marc Evanstein ran the numbers and argues there are only 14 different games to be played. (Thanks, Orion!)

For a decade, Vlogger Tom Scott has entertained and educated us with his science and travel videos. 10 years to the day since his first YouTube clip, he’s decided to take a well-deserved hiatus. His final weekly video – at least for now – is a humble explanation of his reasons for slowing down and a celebration of the incredible experiences he’s shared with us.

Emily the Engineer, proves yet again that just because something CAN be done doesn’t mean it SHOULD be. She recently got a bee in her bonnet about 3D printing a toilet. Before printing the full-size version in pieces, she made a working scale model. After she got the real deal working, she started adding a bunch of unnecessary features.

MetaBallStudios is usually comparing the sizes of things, but in this wild video, they created a CG simulation of what might happen if the moon took aim at Earth, affected its gravity, and eventually collided with it. The destruction isn’t based on scientifically-accurate calculations, but it sure looks terrifying.

English speakers have different ways of pronouncing the same letter combinations. RobWords explains why the Roman alphabet is problematic for speaking English and how an alternative alphabet known as Shavian could improve matters if people would adopt it. The 48-character alphabet was first used in George Bernard Shaw’s Androcles and the Lion.

Joe Porter plays familiar tunes on a variety of musical instruments. After entertaining us with some video game and cartoon music, he’s back with a medley of movie music. His renditions of the theme from Home Alone, Peaches, Over the Rainbow, and Pure Imagination sound magical on the lithophone, slapophone, aquarion, and euphonic array.

The compact JBL Go 3 Eco Bluetooth speaker features a body and grille made from recycled plastic. It’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand but kicks out louder-than-expected volume and punchy low-end for its size. It’s IP67 waterproof and dustproof, making it a great beach or poolside companion. Choose from blue, green, or white.

In 2020, more than 120 billion pieces of cardboard were used to pack and ship items in the U.S. – and that number keeps growing. Cardboard is also one of the world’s most successfully recycled materials. New Mind digs into the history, science, and success of the ubiquitous corrugated paper.

Are sloths lazy? Are elephants afraid of mice? Can porcupines shoot their quills? In this video from Mental Floss, host Justin Dodd explores myths, misconceptions, and inaccuracies about 64 different animals. We’re just glad we’re not actually swallowing spiders in our sleep.

Motocross legends-in-the-making can now dress for the job they want with an exact replica of the AGV helmet used by competitors in the Moto3 World Championship. The spirited graphics on Ian Guevara’s helmet made their first appearance in his first winning race on the Motegi circuit to reflect the Spanish champ’s motto: “Life is music.”