Awesome Dangerous

We’ve seen how circular saw blades can be used to provide traction on ice – at least until they cut all the way through. The Q modified one of those wheeled “hoverboards” to ride on saw blades. He added metal plates to each of the blades’ teeth so it doesn’t dig in as much, but we still wouldn’t want to fall onto them.

Frustrated by a failed project, I did a thing decided to turn to his viewers for some suggestions. Among the stupid and dangerous ideas he tested was a treadmill with a sandpaper belt, a self-heating hot dog, an idiotic way to cut grass, and a food-processor helmet.

After playing around with a gasoline-powered pogo stick you could buy in the 1970s, The Backyard Scientist wanted to see what other kinds of things you could add a gas engine to that don’t need one. So he took a tiny nitromethane-powered engine and revved up a desk fan, a USB charger, and a toothbrush.

Fire breathing is usually a solo endeavor, but not for these guys who turned it into a team activity. Derrick Vermin and his pals pulled off this amazing trick known as the Ascending Dragon, passing fire from one daredevil to another and climbing from the ground floor to the roof of a building.

YouTuber NileRed is known for his dramatic chemistry experiments. Here, he shows off a highly volatile mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide known as “piranha solution,” which work together to absolutely obliterate a hot dog. Needless to say this stuff is incredibly dangerous, so don’t attempt anything like this at home.

Ever wonder what those balls are on aerial power lines? They’re used to prevent small aircraft from running into wires. What’s more interesting is how those balls get installed. Watch as this brave lineman sits on the edge of a helicopter platform, holding the ball between his legs as he heads into the sky and places the ball.

It takes time and effort to learn to throw a boomerang and have it come back to you. But even if we had all the boomerang throwing skills in the world, we wouldn’t attempt what Master S. Kamaraj of Vajram Warriors does – throwing and catching a boomerang with an axe head. He also has done it with a double-sided axe head.

Inventor and maker Colin Furze has been making weapons and vehicles inspired by Far Cry 6. We’ve seen his fireworks backpack, now check out a backpack that belches huge plumes of fire to its sides. In the game, the so-called “Furiosa” backpack can also fly like a jet pack, though.

Working high up at a construction site seems scary enough on its own, but the idea of disassembling the scaffolding you’re hanging from seems even sketchier. At least the two daring workers in this video had safety lines connecting them to the metal ladder they were hanging from, but it’s still a nope from us.

Not long ago, The Backyard Scientist and his pals built a series of dangerous toys. This time, he’s replicated a few toys kids could actually buy, including ones that could strangle you, scramble your brains, and break bones. The highlight: a gas-powered pogo stick that got banned after one year on the market.

You can run down to the Home Depot and pick up a tool that uses gunpowder or compressed air to drive nails. I Did a Thing tried his hand at building his own explosive-powered nail gun, but his looks like a hammer, plus, it’s much more dangerous than off-the shelf tools. Kids, don’t dance barefoot on your lathe.

Inspired by one of the possible scrapyard weapons you can build in Far Cry 6, Colin Furze created a real-world version of a backpack called the “Exterminador.” Rather than firing deadly mortars like in the game, when Colin pushes the button, his pack shoots off a barrage of fireworks. Adding the metal hood was a very good idea.

Longboarding down steep and twisty roads looks like quite the thrill. But it can also be quite dangerous. Boarder Josh Neuman compiled this video of 10 of his most butt-clenching downhill moments. Between the blind corners, steep drop-offs, roadside hazards, and unexpected vehicles, this is one pastime best left to the experts.

We’ve all seen the old baking soda and vinegar volcano experiment at some point. The Action Lab shows off a far more energetic and long-lasting mini volcano, but it requires the use of a toxic chemical that needs to be handles very carefully.

The Japanese sport of Bo-Taoshi is one of the craziest games we’ve ever seen. The chaotic war game pits teams against each other as they attempt to knock a player off the top of a pole, guarded by dozens of defenders at its base. It’s kind of like Capture the Flag, but the flag is a man.

The Hydraulic Press Channel loves to subject things to the force of its 150-ton press. Here’s a compilation of some of the strongest, most dangerous, and most satisfying crushes over the years. It’s also a great demonstration of the varying strengths of different metals.

Launching watermelons from a catapult sounds like a lot of fun, but launching humans seems like a terrible idea. The guys from TKOR teamed up with Jake Makes to build a catapult with a tub at one end that can fire a person into the air. At least they aimed it at a deep pond. Needless to say, don’t try anything like this at home.

If you’re not careful, you can cut yourself while trimming hair with scissors. But in the case of these automatic shears made by Joel Creates, you’re practically guaranteed that you’ll draw blood. He then gave the terrifying motorized scissors to a hairdresser to see how they worked in the hands of a professional.

Dolos are specially-shaped concrete blocks that are used to protect harbors and breakwaters. Parkour athlete Brodie Pawson only sees them as an obstacle to be crossed. We watched in awe as he chased his pal Michael Khedoori across a field of the 80-ton blocks along the Australian coastline without slipping.

Shooting an apple off of someone else’s head with an arrow is a classic archery trick. But this crazy sequence is the first time we’ve ever seen someone shoot an apple off her own head. The clip comes from a 2015 episode of America’s Got Talent, and the woman behind the crossbow is Silvia Silvia.

The guys from BIT – BASE Inspired Travels climbed to the top of this abandoned wind turbine so they could jump off of it. The unusual Ferris wheel design of the windmill is just as interesting to look at as the brief 50-meter dive into the fog. We’d love to see footage of the climb, though.

Enduro racer Mani Lettenbichler takes us behind the scenes of the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble, also known as the hardest dirt bike race in the world. The race takes place in a steep, rocky, rutted, and unforgiving mine in Austria. Sadly, the 2021 event was canceled due to the pandemic, but the race will return in 2022.

It’s been a while since we checked in on PhotonicInduction’s dangerous and destructive electrical experiments. With 1000 amps running through the blade of a kitchen knife, it glows a brilliant reddish-orange and can surely slice through much more than a stick of butter. But how long until the knife itself fails?

Outside of Bangkok, Thailand, adrenaline junkies pilot longtail wood boats with modified car engines that can make 500 hp or more. The boats can hit speeds upwards of 70 mph (112 km/h) as their captains steer inches from their powerful motors. CB Media offers a first-hand look at one of the world’s most bonkers activities.

Capacitors are capable of storing large amounts of energy and releasing it quickly. The Backyard Scientist teamed up with Peter Sripol and William Osman to show just how dangerous capacitors can be by subjecting a variety of objects to the power stored in a 20,000-volt bank of capacitors. Don’t even think of trying this at home.

In Far Cry 6, you’ll be able to craft weapons from junk. Among the possibilities is a gun that fires CDs as projectiles. The guys over at Hacksmith Industries teamed up with UbiSoft to build a real-world replica of the dangerous device and finally gives us a use for all of those old AOL CD-ROMs.