States of Matter
Motion designer Peter Tomaszewicz’s animated short film messes with our expectations, transforming what should be solid surfaces into sand, fluids, fabrics, gas, and bendy materials using CGI physics simulations.
Motion designer Peter Tomaszewicz’s animated short film messes with our expectations, transforming what should be solid surfaces into sand, fluids, fabrics, gas, and bendy materials using CGI physics simulations.
By using an air pump and a burst disc to pressurize and release helium gas, The Backyard Scientist shows off an insanely powerful NERF gun that can fire darts faster than the speed of sound. Watch, and you might even learn a thing or two about physics.
In theory, energy consumed by a black hole is trapped forever. But it turns out it might be possible to harness the rotational energy of a spinning black hole to do everything from powering civilization to creating the biggest explosive device ever. Kurzgesagt explains.
Life Noggin explores another one of life’s imponderables – what would have to happen for it to be possible for humans to move through solid objects? Even though there’s lots of empty space between the atoms everything is made of, it’s highly unlikely.
Most of the aircraft have traditional wings or helicopter-style blades to take flight. But this contraption works very differently. Watch as an ingenious kid named Finley shows Essential RC his plane that takes advantage of the spinning Magnus Effect to stay airborne.
Engineer Mark Rober and teacher Al “Doc Fizzix” Balmer explain the physics of these primitive race cars that get their power solely from the energy stored in a mousetrap’s spring. Along the way, you’ll learn about the principles of mechanical advantage, levers, and wheels.
Kurzgesagt explores string theory, and how it attempts to explain the nature of the universe. It’s supposed to solve the incompatibilities between quantum and gravitational physics by describing particles as “strings” rather than points. Yeah, we’re still confused.
After seeing the unusual way in which magnets interact with copper, NightHawkInLight explores whether an electromagnetically-generated force field in copper could stop or slow a magnetic projectile in mid-flight.
Nukazooka pokes fun at the wonky ragdoll physics of games like Goat Simulator with this live-action VFX clip about a young man whose body behaves just like the characters in those video games. Fortunately, he’s got the power of invincibility too.
Real Engineering ponders a question that you’d think would have an obvious answer: Which is faster: the world’s fastest production car or the world’s fastest helicopter? The answer might surprise you, and the physics at play are pretty fascinating.
Unlike steel, copper isn’t attracted to or repulsed by magnets. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t some interaction. NightHawkInLight takes a look at some of the strange behaviors that occur between thick sheets of copper and strong neodymium magnets.
Destin from Smarter Every Day teamed up with Gav and Dan from The Slow Mo Guys to see what exactly happens when a bullet hits a piece of bulletproof acrylic, both with a bullet that can’t make it through, and then with a .50 cal that can. Watch The Slow Mo Guys’ video here.
(PG-13: Language) Videogamedunkey gives us a taste of the hilarity that is Gang Beasts. Almost anyone could upload their gameplay of the slapstick ragdoll fighting game and it would be funny. But no one does the “yes, yes, noooo” commentary quite like Dunk.
Part of how CGI has gotten so much better in recent years is the development of systems for specific types of physical realism. Here Soeren Pirk demonstrates an amazing system designed for simulating the motion of tree branches, and the way wood burns when set on fire.
If you’ve ever played with a gyroscope toy, you know it’s pretty cool how they balance when spun. But did you know that effect even continues when it’s placed back in the box? We want to go buy a gyroscope right now so we can try this trick for ourselves.
With the help of his fans around the globe, Destin Sandlin digs into a surprisingly deep and perplexing topic – measuring the steady state velocity of toppling dominoes. The slow-motion footage is fascinating to watch, and you’ll definitely feel smarter after this one.
It’s not too hard to travel faster than sound, but amping things up to the speed of light is a whole other level. Life Noggin pontificates on the what might happen if we could exceed 186,000 miles per second. The whole slowing down light thing seems like a cheat though.
Science channel Cody’s Lab shows us how the interactions between magnets are similar to the way that molecules work, with the most fascinating bit being the glass and aluminum rig he built to simulate the way molecules work in a gaseous state.
Vsauce host Michael Stevens digs deep into the ever-changing concept of the direction “down,” what causes things to fall, and digs into how masses really, really want to pull towards each other in our universe, thanks to gravitational forces.
To celebrate Halloween a couple of years back, The Royal Institution filled a tiny pumpkin with a ceramic superconductor and liquid nitrogen, allowing it to float and glide above a special track made from neodymium magnets.
As much fun as carnival games look, they’re designed to steal your dollars, and not to award you that giant stuffed bear. Engineer Mark Rober is here to explore the math and physics behind carny scams, which are the biggest rip-offs, and a few ways to improve your chances.
BeamNG.drive is an automotive physics simulator that behaves quite realistically. In this satisfying clip from DestructionNation, watch what happens when cars, trucks, and SUVs are subjected to 100 speed bumps in a row without any effort made to slow down.
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