Awesome Etc

One of the more interesting items you can produce in a machine shop is a sphere inside of a cube. Emil Hogslätt shows how he produced one such object using a DMG Mori 5-axis milling machine. The finished product is immensely satisfying, as are the soothing noises the machine makes as it cuts and smooths the aluminum piece.

Gold, silver, and platinum are just a few of the 118 elements which appear on the Periodic Table. Word nerd RobWords explains the etymology of some common chemical names, why their symbols don’t always line up with their full names, and how to pronounce the word “aluminum” once and for all… maybe.

Redditor arcedup works in a steel mill and wanted to test out the video capabilities of their phone. While they were at it, they captured this wonderfully satisfying clip of molten hot steel being turned into a coiled rod. Is it wrong that we want to make the world’s largest Slinky with it?

During parkour team STORROR’s “Floor is Lava” challenge, the team headed to Full Fathom Five, a seaside sculpture made of 108 granite pillars, then attempted to run from one end to the other. It’s incredible to see these athletes make it so far without being covered with scrapes and bruises.

Over the eons, animals have appeared in all shapes and sizes – from tiny tardigrades to building-sized dinosaurs. Global Data created this video to illustrate the relative sizes of some of Earth’s many creatures, including both thriving and extinct species. The Giant Hairy Scorpion wins our award for best animal name.

These stainless steel eating utensils from Caliber Gourmet open and close like a butterfly knife. Imagine doing all of those fancy balisong tricks with this thing and then whipping out the spoon to eat a bowl of ice cream. Now that’s eating with style! Don’t need both? The spoon and fork are also sold individually.

Need to unwind your mind? The Wryfield Lab YouTube channel is filled with soothing visuals and soundscapes. Among their collection is this reverse video of tomatoes being sliced, resulting in the illusion that they’re being reassembled. They also unsliced some kiwi and paprika, as well as unpeeled a grapefruit.

This animated short film follows a legendary craftsman who lost his arm and uses who uses a prosthetic arm to take down his enemies. The fight choreography is amazing, and we love the use of sawdust in place of blood. Go behind-the-scenes here, then support their Kickstarter for a feature-length film. (Thanks, Rob!)

We’ve enjoyed many videos from Dianna Cowern aka Physics Girl. She recently stopped posting and we wondered why. It turns out she is battling complications from long COVID. After facing her own health struggles, her friend Simone Giertz posted this update. You can help support Dianna’s recovery by joining her Patreon.

Japan’s Nichia Corporation makes some of the best LED for flashlights. Their 519A module is designed to produce a high-CRI light that’s easy on the eyes and can push out impressive brightness with less amperage than its predecessor. Everyday Carry picked five flashlights that pack the 519A, ranging from 500 to 3800 lumens.

The Polaris RZR XP has been redesigned for greater agility and durability. The angular, side-by-side UTV has a new 114-hp ProStar 1000 Gen 2 engine, a stiffer chassis, and Walker Evans Racing Needle shocks with 20.5″ of travel. Improved seating positions offer sportier driving and better rear seat visibility in the 4-seat model.

(PG-13: Language) Sascha Vernik’s award-winning animated short film takes us on a wild ride with a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown and whose efforts to set things right send him on a mind-bending journey through space and time. Read more about the filmmaker’s process Directors Notes.

Humans like to give flowers and chocolates as part of our dating ritual. Other species offer gifts as part of their courtship too, but their selections aren’t nearly as appealing. SciShow explains some of the strange and downright gross-out gifts that animals and insects present to each other as an offering to potential mates.

We love the flavor and texture of mochi. This video from YumYum takes us inside of a Taiwanese kitchen for a look at how they turn rice pearls into a powder, then a starchy goo that forms the foundation for the tasty treats. They then chop up and process taro and mix it into the rice base with red bean paste to create a filling.

From his horns to his red suit to his pitchfork, we all have a pretty specific image in our minds of what The Devil looks like. In this TED-Ed video by educator and Episcopal priest Brian A. Pavlac, he delves into the origins of the ultimate evil dude and his various depictions over the years.

Angle grinders can be quite dangerous if not used properly – and in the hands of the Beyond the Press channel, they’re far more likely to cause harm. For their series Grinder Discs That Shouldn’t Exist , they wanted to see what would happen if they attached a circular saw blade to an angle grinder. Then they leveled things up 4x.

DanCreator has made some pretty amazing cardboard objects over the years. Now he’s gone and built not one, but three full-size vending machines out of the corrugated brown paper. Not only do they look like the real thing, but the soda fountain, can dispenser, and instant ramen machine are fully functional.

Hate when people look over your shoulder to see what’s on your screen? While there are privacy filters that can reduce the viewing angle of displays, Hugh Jefferys’ mod prevents others from seeing an iPad Mini’s screen, and only someone wearing polarized glasses can view its contents. It’s a neat idea but a daunting task.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. And apparently, war creates a lot of necessities. So it’s no wonder so many things get invented for the military. Mental Floss digs into nine popular items that you probably didn’t know started with a military purpose from Silly Putty to Slinkies to powdered cheese.

Hydraulic Press Channel has smashed many items until they exploded . Fortunately, the humans conducting these experiments have stood behind a blast shield for protection. But what if you stood right next to the press without any safety gear? We now know the painful answer with the help of a ballistic gel head.

We were convinced this video was sped up, but it’s not. What you’re about to witness is the crazy speed that an electric model car can hit when placed on a twisty, slotless car track. The description doesn’t say if the Tamiya Mini 4WD car has been modified in some way, but we’re betting it’s been tweaked. And then there’s night mode.

Filmmaker Jennie Williams takes us to the Northern reaches of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, to look at a New Year tradition of the Nunatsiavut, the region’s Inuit people. During the festival, locals emerge from the sea in tattered clothes and scary masks to bring gifts to the good children and chase down the bad kids.

Every kitchen must have at least one cast iron pan, especially if you sear meats. Eater host Daniel Geneen takes us inside the Lodge Cast Iron factory in Tennessee for a look at how they crank out nearly 2 million pans per month. It’s cool to see how they melt down casting scraps and reuse them.