Awesome Etc

Aerospace company SpinLaunch created the Orbital Accelerator, a system that launches payloads into space by spinning rockets at nearly 5000 mph and hurling them skyward. Engineer Michael Rechtin built a miniature version of the system for launching model rockets. Like the full-size system, the big challenge is how to stop the rocket from tumbling end-over-end.

When you want to cover the end of a metal pipe, you typically attach a cap and solder it in place. This brief factory video shows how a machine closes the end of a copper pipe by tapering and flattening the metal in one smooth motion. Enjoyed that? We found many more satisfying videos from the same Chinese metal fabrication shop on Instagram.

Ever since watching Sleeper, we’ve wanted a robot butler. In this video from Figure, they show how the Helix AI model unifies awareness, language comprehension, and coordination by asking it it fold some towels. The Figure robot can also perform tasks like setting a table or sorting packages – though the latter seems better suited to conveyor systems.

Spiders are feared by many due to their venomous potential and their creepy looks. But how do these arachnids stack up in the animal kingdom? TierZoo has the answers, with an in-depth look at spiders’ unique attributes, with a focus on their web-spinning skills. Spider webs help spiders move between locations, catch prey, evade enemies, and provide shelter.

In the 1990s, NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) teamed up to conduct an unusual series of experiments. The Tethered Satellite System (TSS) planned to launch a 20 km (12.5 mi) long wire and satellite into space in an effort to harness magnetic energy. Dumb Doggo digs into this strange, but flawed idea.

This folding pocket tool provides 10 useful functions in a compact package. Its stainless steel scissor blades fold into its body for safety, and it packs a mini pair of pliers, Phillips and flat-blade screwdrivers, a file, a knife, a bottle opener, and a SIM card extractor. It also has an integrated steel loop, so you can hang it from your keychain.

This extravagant chess set features design and craftsmanship inspired by Rolls-Royce motor cars. The board is handmade from obsidian tulip and blackwood veneers arranged at a 45º angle. Its minimal, ceramic-coated pieces are magnetic and pack away in a hidden compartment that rises from beneath its board. Available in four finishes and 13 leather colors.

When we first laid eyes on this thing, we thought it was some sort of beer pong set. It’s actually a vintage tinplate toy that shoots a ball into buckets using a pinball-style plunger. Old Things Never Die applied their expert restoration skills to this plaything, removing decades of rust and bringing it back to its original condition, complete with colorful cups.

Like many of you, we assumed that if a bottle says it contains honey, it was made entirely from honey. Apparently, some companies have been cutting their honey with ingredients like sugar or high fructose corn syrup to increase yields and cut their costs. PBS series Reactions used chemistry to help identify if any honey they bought was adulterated.

Did you know you can flip the child-proof lid on pill bottles to make them adult-friendly? Or that some mattresses have a cool side and a warm side? Mike from List 25 offers real-life cheat codes for sneakers, staplers, truck beds, and other everyday items with lesser-known features. That trick to silence your microwave really comes in handy.

Sit back and relax with Taschen’s 1000 Chairs. This compendium is a must-have for anyone interested in modern design. The 664-page art book is packed with photos, historical information, and creator biographies about iconic chairs by Mackintosh, Eames, Ponti, and many other design greats. Expect designs from the 1800s through the early 21st century.

It doesn’t seem like balloons would be particularly complicated to make, but How It’s Made shows us how creating party balloons requires lots of industrial equipment, including electrically-charged vats of liquid latex, balloon-shaped molds, and spinning brushes to create the openings we blow into.

Rising quarterback Cam Cade’s (Tyriq Withers) dreams shatter after a brutal attack by a crazed fan leaves him with a brain injury. Football legend Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) offers to rehabilitate him at his eerie, remote compound. But mentorship turns menacing in this intense and creepy psychological thriller. Produced by Jordan Peele and directed by Justin Tipping.

A normal kitchen blender is powered by an electric motor. Mister Patina thought it would be much cooler to fix his blended drinks using a gas engine. He started by building Toyan’s V8 engine kit, then engineered a drivetrain to spin the blender’s blade. The 4 hp engine works just like the real deal, and the blender can crank out smoothies with the best of them.

The smartphone has replaced so many things that we’ve lost touch with tactile objects. Rhetty for History compiled sounds from vintage toys and other items that will have some waxing nostalgic, and younger folks scratching their heads. Close your eyes and see if you can tell the difference between a cassette player opening and a ViewMaster disc rotating.

You might think the color of LEGO bricks shouldn’t impact their durability. But at least in the confines of this Hydraulic Press Channel experiment, there is a winner. After testing which color is strongest, they tested if supergluing LEGO models makes them any stronger against a 150-ton press. Also, it turns out the brown LEGO bricks really were weaker for a while.