Awesome Etc

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.”

NileRed enjoys destroying things with chemistry. In this short video he shows what happens to a gummy bear when its sugar interacts with potassium chlorate, causing the gates of hell to open and swallowing up the innocent bear. If that wasn’t horrific enough for you, some masochist enhanced the video with blood-curdling sound effects.

Cheese can get its flavor from flavor from things like bacteria or mold. But if you enjoy the lemony flavor of French Mimolette or German Milbenkäse cheese, you’ve enjoyed a little bonus protein in the form of cheese mites. Journey to the Microcosmos explains how these tiny organisms add flavor to these cheeses.

TikTok channel Restoration Magic takes things that are already used and puts them back to their original state. In this clip, he took an already-poured bowl of Corn Flakes and milk and made them as good as new. Some of his other restorations include pencil stubs, a broken egg, and already-chewed gum.

We’ve featured many size comparison videos from channels like MetaBallStudios and RED SIDE. Kursgezagt wanted to make a different kind of comparison video, examining opposingly small and large things relative to the size of an average human, from the tiniest proton to the vastness of observable universe.

Dango’s pen housing gives your Sharpie an upgrade. The machined aluminum sleeve securely holds the pen, adding style and substance to the ubiquitous permanent marker. Its pocket clip doubles as a box opener, and the pen has multiple tethering points for hanging. A small hole at the back makes it easy to remove used markers.

Like many of you, we find solar eclipses fascinating. They’re already quite rare, but did you know that someday, there won’t be any more eclipses? Minutephysics explains how eclipses have changed over the eons and how total solar eclipses continue to get less likely. Fortunately, we still get to enjoy one on April 8, 2024.

Have you ever wondered how the gravity on different planets might affect your ability to throw a ball? Dr. James O’Donoghue created this infographic that explores how far and high you could toss a ball, assuming no air resistance. Basically, on Mars, Mercury, and Pluto, you could hit a home run without a baseball bat.

Time isn’t as simple as what shows up on your phone’s screen. Erin McCarthy of Mental Floss offers up a number of interesting tidbits about the nature of time, how humans perceive its passage, how space and time relate, and the different ways of measuring time itself.

We’re always fascinated by the ways different products get manufactured. In this video from Process X, we take a tour of a factory in Japan that cranks out plastic balls for kids to play with. While the start of the video makes it look like they’re making cake mix, we can assure you that PVC isn’t edible.