Awesome Etc

Science fiction has always promised us robots to do our bidding around the house. And we want more than just robot vacuum cleaners. In the 1980s, toymaker Tomy tried making a home robot with the Omnibot 2000. LGR looks at this retro automaton, which can speak, play music, and serve drinks.

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.

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.