"High explosives" doesn't just mean "bigger boom"

แชร์
ฝัง
  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มี.ค. 2021
  • I didn't even realise that "low explosives" were a thing; let's talk about deflagration, detonation, and how high explosives can actually be safer. • Thanks to Steve from Live Action FX!
    Filmed safely: www.tomscott.com/safe/
    Camera: Simon Temple templefreelance.co.uk
    Edited by Michelle Martin: / mrsmmartin
    🟥 MORE FROM TOM: www.tomscott.com/
    (you can find contact details and social links there too)
    📰 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER with good stuff from the rest of the internet: www.tomscott.com/newsletter/
    ❓ LATERAL, free weekly podcast: lateralcast.com/ / lateralcast
    ➕ TOM SCOTT PLUS: / tomscottplus
    👥 THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: / techdif

ความคิดเห็น • 4.2K

  • @TomScottGo
    @TomScottGo  3 ปีที่แล้ว +22915

    Steve is extremely qualified as an explosives engineer, but thankfully after what he says here, not as a firefighter.

  • @meltedmuffin
    @meltedmuffin 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3188

    I feel like this series is going to end with Tom Scott standing underneath parliament saying "now we've covered all of that"

    • @the_victorious_1
      @the_victorious_1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +262

      The last ride of Mad Cap'n Tom!

    • @edwardsadler7515
      @edwardsadler7515 3 ปีที่แล้ว +191

      Anyone recall the long-lasting graffiti on a motorway bridge? "Where are you, Guy Fawkes, now that we need you?"

    • @Pixelarter
      @Pixelarter 3 ปีที่แล้ว +71

      Tom Scott would be a great anti-hero

    • @dustysparks
      @dustysparks 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      James Burke meets Tom Scott? Yes, Please.

    • @512TheWolf512
      @512TheWolf512 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Wait, Tom is irish?

  • @Backslasherton
    @Backslasherton 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3601

    Tom Scott: "You know what's a good socially distanced safe activity to make a video of? Blowing up the English countryside."

    • @ZT1ST
      @ZT1ST 3 ปีที่แล้ว +125

      Tom Scott: "I need a thing I can do a video about while safely following Covid-19 protocols of staying at least 6 feet apart from my subject."
      Tom Scott: "*Googles 'Safe distance from high explosive devices'*"

    • @fuzzyboi1721
      @fuzzyboi1721 3 ปีที่แล้ว +58

      Thats the germans favorite activity

    • @GameFuMaster
      @GameFuMaster 3 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      *_nods in German_*

    • @freakyfreak1
      @freakyfreak1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Very Irish of him

    • @fariesz6786
      @fariesz6786 3 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      rule of thumb for social distancing: assume that any other person could violently explode

  • @NFSHeld
    @NFSHeld 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5601

    Can we take a moment to appreciate a GoPro standing literally an arm's length away from 40g of Semtex going off and just doing some nifty backflips? It's incredible how tough they have become.

    • @leemarshal3329
      @leemarshal3329 2 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      I was thinking that.

    • @AllisterCaine
      @AllisterCaine 2 ปีที่แล้ว +322

      No. The force is dissipated in all directions. It has to be channelled in one way or the other. So the amount of force the gopro actually has to withstand is not as much as it looks. Film that same scenario underwater and it might end very different.

    • @robtomben
      @robtomben 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      How do you know that's Semtex?

    • @Alphonselle
      @Alphonselle 2 ปีที่แล้ว +305

      labeled on the screen corner. semtex.

    • @robtomben
      @robtomben 2 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      @@Alphonselle Cool

  • @roberternest7289
    @roberternest7289 2 ปีที่แล้ว +459

    Fun fact: Semtex and boot sole checking were both invented in the Czechoslovakian Republic, the boot sole checking because someone tried to pass SEMTEX through airport security

    • @No.Good.Nickname
      @No.Good.Nickname 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

      There is also a Drink called Semtex in the czech republic.

  • @PracticalEngineeringChannel
    @PracticalEngineeringChannel 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8836

    Go pro stuck the landing

    • @DyslexicMitochondria
      @DyslexicMitochondria 3 ปีที่แล้ว +43

      Yes it did

    • @MaGaO
      @MaGaO 3 ปีที่แล้ว +122

      If landing on its back is sticking it, yes.

    • @mattearenzi8972
      @mattearenzi8972 3 ปีที่แล้ว +73

      @Dyslexic Mitochodria I was curious about ur username so clicked on ur profile. Your channeI is a hidden gem bro

    • @speedlite9164
      @speedlite9164 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      I have a feeling this will be the third most liked comment on this video
      Your videos are awesome btw

    • @agestatsega
      @agestatsega 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Damn

  • @Sk1erDev
    @Sk1erDev 3 ปีที่แล้ว +24493

    Why does the high explosive look so delicious

    • @HarnaiDigital
      @HarnaiDigital 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1887

      Because its Is Delicious.
      You Can Literally Taste It. But Once Only. Which Is Spectacular.

    • @RobRidleyLive
      @RobRidleyLive 3 ปีที่แล้ว +702

      Snap, Crackle and KABOOM!

    • @nick3718
      @nick3718 3 ปีที่แล้ว +144

      i have other questions

    • @idkusername2981
      @idkusername2981 3 ปีที่แล้ว +69

      not gonna get a free like

    • @soup6478
      @soup6478 3 ปีที่แล้ว +339

      Do you also think play dough looks delicious?

  • @TheFirstHarbinger
    @TheFirstHarbinger 2 ปีที่แล้ว +562

    EOD tech here. I'm so glad you qualified that. Side note: whilst secondary explosives are generally safer and more powerful, if they do catch fire and become contained it can lead from deflagration to detonation. This is where they burn, but the containment results in that runaway energy propagation where the gas isn't released fast enough. If it burns hard and fast enough, the positive feedback loop builds enough energy to generate a shockwave and it detonates.

    • @TheFirstHarbinger
      @TheFirstHarbinger 2 ปีที่แล้ว +64

      BTW explosives make me very happy.

    • @BlockOrDeleteMeansIOwnYou
      @BlockOrDeleteMeansIOwnYou ปีที่แล้ว +45

      @@TheFirstHarbinger said the EOD tech, predictably.

    • @scrappydoo7887
      @scrappydoo7887 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Beirut?

    • @TheFirstHarbinger
      @TheFirstHarbinger ปีที่แล้ว +35

      @@scrappydoo7887 Exactly. That was poorly stored, contaminated ammonium nitrate. So safe it's not even really considered an explosive under most circumstances. But with enough heat, containment and a positive feedback loop it can detonate.

    • @taiwanluthiers
      @taiwanluthiers ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@TheFirstHarbinger Well you also have the genius who thinks breaking up clumped up ammonium nitrate with dynamite is a good idea...

  • @TheOneWayDown
    @TheOneWayDown 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1074

    It's worth mentioning that modern smokeless gunpowder is a low explosive and that's why barrel lengths matter with firearms, cause as long as there is propellant to burn the bullet will continue to accelerate to a point, and the brass case expands to keep the gasses contained while it burns. That's actually where I learned the difference, interesting stuff

    • @RealMrSmit
      @RealMrSmit 2 ปีที่แล้ว +66

      Yes and no, barrel length does matter a lot, but usually all of the propellant is burned after 4 to 10 inches of bullet travel(in a rifle), but it still accelerates as long as the pressure from the back is greater than the barrels friction trying to slow down the bullet.

    • @petermichaelgreen
      @petermichaelgreen ปีที่แล้ว +62

      ​@testicular Both high and low explosives produce gasses, the key difference is in the speed. High explosives react so fast that the air "can't move out of the way in time" and you get a pressure wave even in open air. Guns use low explosives because they want the explosive to propel the bullet, rather than blowing the gun to bits.

    • @andyleighton6969
      @andyleighton6969 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Maybe worth pointing out that "modern smokeless gunpowder" is actually cordite, a different low explosive.

    • @nathangamble125
      @nathangamble125 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      @testicular low explosives deflagrate. high explosives detonate.
      Both produce gas, but deflagration propagates through the heat of combustion while detonation propagates through a shockwave.

    • @JETZcorp
      @JETZcorp ปีที่แล้ว +11

      It's also worth noting that some materials can exhibit both behaviors, depending on the circumstances. A mixture of gasoline and air, given high enough pressure and temperature, can detonate via a shockwave, rather than burning in a flame front like normal. I was going to say this was because gasoline is a big soup of all sorts of chemicals with different properties. This is true! But, gaseous hydrogen is about as pure an element as you can imagine, and even serious experts can have trouble predicting whether hydrogen will go "womp" or "bang".

  • @metropolis10
    @metropolis10 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2722

    I like how unlike the thousands of "don't try this at home" warnings we see on youtube videos of people doing stupid stuff, you actually hired an expert.

    • @ninjafruitchilled
      @ninjafruitchilled 3 ปีที่แล้ว +144

      Just be glad that the people on TH-cam doing stupid stuff don't have access to high explosives :).

    • @dragonscale46
      @dragonscale46 3 ปีที่แล้ว +87

      @@ninjafruitchilled or low explosives

    • @metropolis10
      @metropolis10 3 ปีที่แล้ว +49

      @@ninjafruitchilled missed opportunity to say `low explosives` here! Sure less powerful but so much easier to screw up!

    • @ninjafruitchilled
      @ninjafruitchilled 3 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      @@metropolis10 Haha thing is that they do seem to be able to get their hands on low explosives ;).

    • @SotraEngine4
      @SotraEngine4 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ninjafruitchilled so they got an electric car, electric mower and owns nothing that runs on diesel, gas or anything like that?
      Got it

  • @alpheusmadsen8485
    @alpheusmadsen8485 3 ปีที่แล้ว +487

    "High explosives won't go off ... unless you want them to." Although this depends on the explosive: nitroglycerine in particular is *notorious* for going off simply by dropping it.

    • @jackiemowery5243
      @jackiemowery5243 2 ปีที่แล้ว +70

      Then there id NI3. You don't even have to drop that sht. It makes dandy fly paper. Flies light on it and it blows their little sses off.

    • @Natimaguitar
      @Natimaguitar 2 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      @@jackiemowery5243 my dad and his friend used to make it in the 60s, I think they stopped after his friend lost a finger.

    • @Pyrokatze
      @Pyrokatze 2 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      Then there is NCl3, it's like NI3 but it even explodes when it is wet.

    • @jackiemowery5243
      @jackiemowery5243 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@Pyrokatze Hmmm . . . How do you make that? NI3 uses ammonia and iodine, ammonia and bleach just produces Cl2 gas. Bubble Cl2 thru ammonia? "Remember, Kids, don't try this at home! We're professionals. "

    • @youknowwho7838
      @youknowwho7838 2 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      Nitroglycerine isn’t as sensitive as people make it out to be. Yes it will go off if struck by a hammer, but it *can* also not go off when struck by a hammer. It requires a surprising amount of energy to detonate the stuff, to the point where dynamite (Sawdust or some other inert absorbant substance soaked in nitroglycerine) is often detonated using a blasting cap, much like the semtex in this video.

  • @gnas1897
    @gnas1897 2 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    "In fact, you are allowed to have 50kg of high explosives in your car"
    IRA: How about that Brit's car?

    • @RackHasAttacked
      @RackHasAttacked 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      They actual kept it in Irish cars and parked them outside of schools

  • @12packersfan
    @12packersfan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4117

    Tom has finally figured out how to perfect TH-cam: just make videos with explosions

  • @philnightjar1971
    @philnightjar1971 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8853

    “In fact, you’re actually allowed to have 50 kilos of high explosives in your car.”
    That’s what my recruiter told me.

    • @gordon1545
      @gordon1545 3 ปีที่แล้ว +153

      Gerry Adams liked this comment.

    • @57thorns
      @57thorns 3 ปีที่แล้ว +380

      I suspect that is assuming you have all the other permits and licenses for them. And, as was said in the video, you keep your detonators in another car, and that car has to be marked.

    • @Rachara
      @Rachara 3 ปีที่แล้ว +184

      Welcome to the no fly list. At least you got that car to travel with!

    • @ant7936
      @ant7936 3 ปีที่แล้ว +100

      I have a feeling 50 kgs would be enough for most purposes.......

    • @TheLordHiggs
      @TheLordHiggs 3 ปีที่แล้ว +61

      IRA will use this as an instructional video 😂

  • @anthony2816
    @anthony2816 3 ปีที่แล้ว +85

    I remember in the Gulf War the Marines let me absolutely vaporize a metal oil drum with a pound of C-4 (via detonator). They they showed me how you could take a piece of C-4, light it with a match, and use it to heat a cup of water. Mind-blowing.

    • @blackwing1362
      @blackwing1362 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      I hope the C-4 isn't what was mind blowing

  • @rikuurufu5534
    @rikuurufu5534 2 ปีที่แล้ว +81

    For those who may be wondering, "6,000 to 9,000 m/s" roughly equates to Mach 17 to Mach 26 (at sea level in standard temperature and pressure). To put that in perspective, the "High Hypersonic" speed regime is considered to start at Mach 10, and "Reentry speed" starts at Mach 25.

  • @JEY28
    @JEY28 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2270

    Tom is slowly getting very interested in explosives. Next week, we'll see Tom exploding computers by overheating them.

    • @jholotanbest2688
      @jholotanbest2688 3 ปีที่แล้ว +51

      Aren't we all interested in explosions? Freud figured that out a long time ago.

    • @vividandlucid
      @vividandlucid 3 ปีที่แล้ว +122

      "I am standing outside the Museum of Computer Science, from which I have just been banned"

    • @alexplaysminc.-.5922
      @alexplaysminc.-.5922 3 ปีที่แล้ว +51

      @@vividandlucid "See you next week, where I will attempt a heist and blow up the entire museum"

    • @Munkenba
      @Munkenba 3 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      Funnily enough, what looks like Tom's next episode is appearing in the recommended section right beside your comment on my screen. It's titled "That Time I Got In Trouble With The Government".

    • @user-jp7tw3sd3x
      @user-jp7tw3sd3x 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      GamersNexus are already ahead, by setting computers on fire.

  • @spaceyote7174
    @spaceyote7174 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1016

    An example of what Tom's talking about at the start: it took me years to realise 'massive' has the word 'mass' in it - having a lot of mass.

    • @andymcl92
      @andymcl92 3 ปีที่แล้ว +120

      Yup, in fact massive things don't need to be big. In astronomy, there are things called Weakly Interacting Massive Particles and MAssive Compact Halo Objects. (Yes, WIMPs and MACHOs.) The fact that something can be massive *and* compact would be an oxymoron in lay English.
      Also, in science, periodically and frequently mean the same thing - with a fixed period or a fixed frequency. But in lay terms, one means rarely and the other means often.

    • @OrigamiMarie
      @OrigamiMarie 3 ปีที่แล้ว +55

      My ex would correct me, noting that a particular thing that I called massive was actually just voluminous (but lightweight).

    • @TackyHarmonica
      @TackyHarmonica 3 ปีที่แล้ว +84

      And my french teacher pointed out that ‘breakfast’ is the breaking of the fast (that you’ve been doing while sleeping) I felt real dumb after hearing that one.

    • @mokou8851
      @mokou8851 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      i thought R163a1 was the biggest star, because it was the most massive star, but when i compared it to stephenson-18 which is the biggest star (for now). I was really confused as why the most massive star is small compared to the biggest star.

    • @Zaire82
      @Zaire82 3 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      @@andymcl92 Nah, I've never seen "periodically" being used to mean "rarely" _or_ "often".
      It just means "with set intervals" to everyone. People who think otherwise aren't laymen, they're just wrong.

  • @RazTheBaz
    @RazTheBaz ปีที่แล้ว +76

    For those wondering, the tool that explosives engineer Stephen Miller uses to cut semtex is a Leatherman Pulse.

  • @JugglerBlend
    @JugglerBlend 3 ปีที่แล้ว +51

    R. I. P. Table, thank you for educating thousands of people 😔

    • @trif55
      @trif55 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I saw a video years ago that I wish I could find, looking at low vs high explosives and specifically the term Brisance, on that they blow a roughly 1" hole in a 20mm piece of steel plate using a similar high explosive, I wish I could find it! it might even have been on british TV like the BBC or something?

  • @manicdan481
    @manicdan481 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1132

    The biggest takeaway is that GoPros are way stronger than we give them credit for, even Tom and Stephen didn't expect that.

    • @absentapple
      @absentapple 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I have seen a video from a GoPro being engulfed in molten lava and it survived somehow.

    • @Daniel-yy3ty
      @Daniel-yy3ty 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      just don't shoot arrows at them... they don't like those at all

    • @benrex7775
      @benrex7775 3 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      @@Daniel-yy3ty I didn't know GoPros have knees.

  • @haggis53
    @haggis53 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4075

    tom: that is a high explosive
    me, an intellectual: forbidden bubblegum

    • @Nuovoswiss
      @Nuovoswiss 3 ปีที่แล้ว +123

      You joke, but certain nitrate high explosives are actually used as medicine (mainly nitroglycerine, but other alkyl nitrates/nitrites will have the same effect). In high dosages they will cause terrible headaches due to over-dilating blood vessles. Though in the case of the C4-type explosives in the video (based on RDX or HMX), they will get metabolized into formaldehyde, which causes cancer and possibly permanent blindness depending on how much you ingest.

    • @thebathman0987
      @thebathman0987 3 ปีที่แล้ว +44

      Don't chew too hard

    • @spoofy5207
      @spoofy5207 3 ปีที่แล้ว +67

      @@Nuovoswiss that's why it's forbidden

    • @franzferdinand2240
      @franzferdinand2240 3 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      @@thebathman0987 don't wanna make a shockwave

    • @lemfandango
      @lemfandango 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Dude sick maymay

  • @Harcix
    @Harcix 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    0:57 Steve is slowly walking away from the explosion, not even looking at it - like a badass from an action movie.

  • @gavinedmondstone316
    @gavinedmondstone316 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Nicely done. Now I am getting into finer points. Not all high explosives are molecular explosive, like TNT or PETN, with the fuel and oxidizer all in one molecule. Some are mixtures such as ANFO (ammonium nitrate-fuel oil) - no chemistry happens when these are mixed. Similarly smokeless powder, usually considered a low explosive, is primarily composed of nitrocellulose which does have a fuel and oxidizer in one molecule. The defining difference is the speed of the reaction. High explosives detonate at a supersonic speed while low explosive deflagrates at a subsonic speed.

    • @zerocool2198
      @zerocool2198 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      someone who knows a little bit my friend

  • @alanduae7986
    @alanduae7986 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5622

    I swear, Steve just looks like the engineer from tf2 went to university, got in shape, and got a degree in explosives.

    • @briantorres5363
      @briantorres5363 3 ปีที่แล้ว +407

      The engineer has like 20 phds

    • @DoohikLolwut
      @DoohikLolwut 3 ปีที่แล้ว +278

      What makes me a good demoman?

    • @viktoraspenstam9clillhagas145
      @viktoraspenstam9clillhagas145 3 ปีที่แล้ว +246

      @@DoohikLolwut Well if I was a bad one, I woULD’NT BE SITTIN HERE DISCUSSIN IT WITH YA

    • @zed7038
      @zed7038 3 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      He's also got a nice handlebar.

    • @Horny_Fruit_Flies
      @Horny_Fruit_Flies 3 ปีที่แล้ว +61

      I think the engineer already has a degree in explosives

  • @harish1105
    @harish1105 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4716

    Tom's recent videos during lockdown have been about pieces of land (and villages) disappearing and now, two on explosives.
    What are you planning, Tom? Also, are you recruiting?

    • @robertstegmann9260
      @robertstegmann9260 3 ปีที่แล้ว +379

      Don't forget him learning to use a jetpack.

    • @ashleybyrd2015
      @ashleybyrd2015 3 ปีที่แล้ว +181

      I also want in on this militia

    • @yoooranium9293
      @yoooranium9293 3 ปีที่แล้ว +80

      Sark better watch out. The football is just a decoy

    • @nickthephoenix8494
      @nickthephoenix8494 3 ปีที่แล้ว +144

      Looks like the AI didn't just give him video ideas...

    • @filmishit
      @filmishit 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      I hope it's London

  • @avarni
    @avarni 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    0:11 that reminded me to google the etymology of "parapet," a word i look at every time i leave the library, intend to look up, and then forget to by the time i get home. thank you.

    • @ezekielmartin4323
      @ezekielmartin4323 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      For anyone else who's curious, according to Oxford, "parapet" comes from the Italian _parapetto,_ meaning "chest-high wall", from the Italian roots _para-_ ("protecting") and _petto_ ("chest").

  • @Tjita1
    @Tjita1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    There are also explosives that don't rely on oxidisation, but rather on molecular strain, the molecule just simply doesn't want to be in that shape. Generally these are quite unstable, and will quite happily detonate violently by small energy inputs, such as heat or light impacts.

  • @idklol781
    @idklol781 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2380

    Tom sounds like he’s planning for a Tom Scott movie.

    • @TheTechnician27
      @TheTechnician27 3 ปีที่แล้ว +170

      And the whole movie is one long take.

    • @pitedapollo6175
      @pitedapollo6175 3 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      @@TheTechnician27 1917 style

    • @RyuAkamatsu
      @RyuAkamatsu 3 ปีที่แล้ว +141

      @@TheTechnician27 End Credit scene is just Tom running around shouting "One Take! One Take!"

    • @starjake
      @starjake 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      I'm ok with this.

    • @meetaverma8372
      @meetaverma8372 3 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Mnad capt'n Tom, the movie

  • @blackrocket4382
    @blackrocket4382 3 ปีที่แล้ว +377

    I love his slow confident walk away from the test zone every time

    • @twistedtachyon5877
      @twistedtachyon5877 3 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      If you aren't sure your fuse is long enough, it isn't.

    • @mucpougaming6092
      @mucpougaming6092 3 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      youre actually trained to walk away instead of running because its usually more dangerous to run for a variety of reasons

    • @needabettername1559
      @needabettername1559 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Bad guys don't look at explosions

  • @helpmaboabb
    @helpmaboabb 2 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    I had a similar realisation 2 years ago with Low Treason, and yes, it's a thing.
    Oddly enough, I worked for many years for the country's major explosives manufacturer.

  • @4whomittolz846
    @4whomittolz846 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    the way that Steve just walks away after lighting the fuse shows how experienced he is. He cut the cord, he knows exactly how long it will take to blow up, so he knows how long he can take to get to safety.

  • @dansummers2965
    @dansummers2965 3 ปีที่แล้ว +761

    "One dead GoPro..." "Yup..."
    Was I the only person hoping that the closing second or so would be of Tom's face looming over the upset GoPro, and exclaiming some variation on "...actually, no!" ?

    • @57thorns
      @57thorns 3 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      The sound was not recorded on the gopro as they were quite a way away. Notice that the explosive expert had no issues walking away from the low explosive, including the "firecracker" and the burning high explosive, with a lit fuse. The safety distance from the last explosion was much longer.

    • @jonathanm9436
      @jonathanm9436 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      GoPro: "It's just a flesh wound".

    • @Marquis-Sade
      @Marquis-Sade 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@57thorns But why did we hear him talk then?

    • @57thorns
      @57thorns 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@Marquis-Sade The closeup gopro did record sound, but they _also_ had other microphones to record sound, as well as obviously cameras.

    • @57thorns
      @57thorns 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      But it took a while to walk up to the gopro and notice it was still recording, they might not even realise it was still recording while retrieving it.

  • @Ziialan
    @Ziialan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +746

    *Tom is becoming an explosive channel and I'm all here for it.*

    • @SassyP17
      @SassyP17 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Codyslab and him should team up

    • @OryxTheMadGod3
      @OryxTheMadGod3 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      His channel might be _blowing up_

    • @sixstringedthing
      @sixstringedthing 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Tom from ex&f goes off to work on a PhD in some secret government lab...
      *A CHALLENGER APPEARS*

    • @fariesz6786
      @fariesz6786 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      i'm also getting Brainiac vibes

  • @Boleniana
    @Boleniana 3 ปีที่แล้ว +81

    I gotta say, thank you VERY much for all your stuff being subtitled! My HEARING is fine, but my brain processes sensory information a little weirdly, so it can be hard to follow speech if there's literally any other noise happening, or if it's been more than ten seconds so I get distracted even if something is interesting. Thankfully I'm way better at reading text.

  • @mickm2486
    @mickm2486 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Not all explosives are fuel oxidiser reactions though he's describing binary explosives (generally a metal oxidiser reaction) although alot of them these days are actually to do with bond strain, high heat of formation etc in a single chemical (RDX, any of the azides, NTI classic examples) it's not just a really mixed low explosive. It's also catagorized by detonation velocity. The channel explosions and fire explains this really well

  • @DoctorX17
    @DoctorX17 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2290

    I find it fascinating and terrifying that many high explosives look like Play-Doh or clay

    • @arthurmoore9488
      @arthurmoore9488 3 ปีที่แล้ว +190

      Yep, the TSA literally says both of those things can be brought on a plane, but that you will be slowed down. That's why they have the chemical analysis machines to test for bombs.

    • @girlsdrinkfeck
      @girlsdrinkfeck 3 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      the fact u say play doh is triggering, oh americans

    • @Scigatt
      @Scigatt 3 ปีที่แล้ว +90

      That's a deliberate choice, I think. That consistency is much easier to work with than anything else.

    • @muddydave01
      @muddydave01 3 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      Friend used to play touch footy with balls of C4.

    • @SoDamnMetal
      @SoDamnMetal 3 ปีที่แล้ว +126

      @@girlsdrinkfeck ??? That's literally its name

  • @mortalspiral
    @mortalspiral 3 ปีที่แล้ว +299

    Reminds me of how I always just thought of pipe cleaners as craft supplies until I saw a bag of them next to a pipe my dad bought. I had just never processed that the name was descriptive of the function.

    • @NoriMori1992
      @NoriMori1992 3 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      Let's be real though, how often are they actually used to clean pipes?

    • @the_victorious_1
      @the_victorious_1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +59

      There's two types:
      1 the soft craft supply kind you give to kids
      2 a hard stiff type that actually cleans pipes

    • @mickys8065
      @mickys8065 3 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      @@the_victorious_1 the soft ones are good for getting flakes of paint out of door hinges (I work back stage for a small theatre company and we paint the hinges alot to match whatever we stick them on, eventually the paint makes it hard for the hinge to function properly, until you run a pipe cleaner down it and pull out a ton of paint)

    • @klauspeterpan9862
      @klauspeterpan9862 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      My missunderstood pipe cleaner for drain cleaner (I mean water runs trough pipes, doesn't it?) and was a bit confused xD

    • @ala5530
      @ala5530 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@NoriMori1992 as a pipe smoker... not as often as they should be, really.

  • @laughterman805
    @laughterman805 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    2:40 burns like a ping-pong ball

  • @750kv8
    @750kv8 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Well, today I learned something again. High explosives really show that in order to create a runaway reaction, you need high pressure, either by containing it, or by its own shockwave. Thank you, Tom!

  • @Pepso8P
    @Pepso8P 3 ปีที่แล้ว +318

    The ring of smoke rising from the firecracker is looking gorgeous.

    • @Schattengewaechs99
      @Schattengewaechs99 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      I think that's a little more than a firecracker.

    • @Genius_at_Work
      @Genius_at_Work 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      40g of Powder is some Hell of a Firecracker

    • @Jordloopin
      @Jordloopin 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Had to rewind a couple times cause I was so distracted by the smoke ring

    • @Nuclear241
      @Nuclear241 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Mini-nukes

    • @Phantryx
      @Phantryx 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Gandalf undercover here xD

  • @modernkennnern
    @modernkennnern 3 ปีที่แล้ว +374

    It happened literally yesterday.
    The Norwegian word for apron is "forkle", and I've never realized it stands for "for"(as is pre/in front of something) + "-kle"(Clothing), so "forkle" literally stands for 'in front of your clothing', which makes a lot of sense.

    • @thecrazything95
      @thecrazything95 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      Same in swedish "Förkläde" För: for, Kläde -> kläder -> clothes

    • @vitus4514
      @vitus4514 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Same in danish: forklæde (klæde = cloth)

    • @ExperimentIV
      @ExperimentIV 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@thecrazything95 which makes me wonder if it’s having ö and ä that makes me notice more quickly. i guess yes in this specific case, but if there was a word in norwegian or swedish that used only the 26 letters of the english alphabet vs. the 29 of swedish/norwegian but didnt have a part of it spelled like a common english word, i don’t think it would trip me up. or maybe im just not fully awake yet.

    • @DrDeuteron
      @DrDeuteron 3 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      what killed me was the "farse-entower" in Berlin. I'm all you call TVs "far-seeing's". that's whack!?? And my host pointed out that in latin, that is "tele-vision". Schooled.

    • @doctormo
      @doctormo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Apron is an example of an stolen N, like apple. A Napron (table cloth) became An Apron as people heard it but didn't see it written down. Same for A Napple becoming An Apple. And if you think about "Napkin", they are cognate. Apron and Napkin are kin.

  • @abrr2000
    @abrr2000 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    it's always worth trawling through old tom scott videos to find the ones you've missed.

  • @deadlineuniverse3189
    @deadlineuniverse3189 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Props to the camera for surviving 4 reactions of 2 different kind of explosive masses being demonstrated while being in close proximity.

  • @Xsophos
    @Xsophos 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2017

    I love those little brain jolts you can get. I had one when I realised that "soft drinks" - lemonade, coke, etcetc - are called soft in contrast to "hard drinks" - alcohol!

    • @innominativecompany4231
      @innominativecompany4231 ปีที่แล้ว +124

      Oh.

    • @squeaksquawk4255
      @squeaksquawk4255 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      Wait, really? I never realised that!

    • @NatureXwars
      @NatureXwars ปีที่แล้ว +120

      I hate that carbonated drinks are classified as such 'cause they are anything but soft on your tongue & mouth...

    • @47Mortuus
      @47Mortuus ปีที่แล้ว +130

      Laptop: A computer that can be on TOP of your LAP.
      Desktop: A computer that can be on TOP of your DESK.

    • @epicmanpog7846
      @epicmanpog7846 ปีที่แล้ว +51

      @@47Mortuus Took you that long?

  • @coltonsupergame
    @coltonsupergame 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1119

    I had one of those obvious moments: I was in spanish class and I learned that monday is Lunes in spanish, which got me wondering. Why don’t we have a day for the moon in english. My reasoning being we have a sunday why don’t we have a moonday? And then I realized...

    • @deice3
      @deice3 3 ปีที่แล้ว +155

      I only now realized the japanese names of those days are direct translations doyoubi is "saturn"-day, nichiyoubi is "sun"-day, getsuyoubi is "moonday".
      I have been trying to memorize them without without making the connection.

    • @fzigunov
      @fzigunov 3 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      You just blew my mind.

    • @joesterling4299
      @joesterling4299 3 ปีที่แล้ว +132

      From Latin, they are Sun's Day, Moon's Day, Mars's Day, Mercury's Day, Jupiter's Day, Venus's Day and Saturn's Day. Both English and Spanish replaced some, though Spanish kept more of them: Lunes for Luna (our moon, as you said), Martes (Tuesday) for Marte (Mars), Miercoles (Wednesday) for Mercurio (Mercury), Jueves (Thursday) for Jupiter, and Viernes for Venus. Not surprising, since Spanish is much closer to Latin than English.

    • @wahoo2384
      @wahoo2384 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      @@vashsunglasses Really? I thought Friday was from the German "Freitag" which is literally "Free Day". Learn Something new every day I guess

    • @chazzer7564
      @chazzer7564 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      lmao

  • @fredflintstoner596
    @fredflintstoner596 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Mrs Richards: " I paid for a room with a view!"
    Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam."
    Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!"
    Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..."
    Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!"
    Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky."
    Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction."
    Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment?

  • @anch95
    @anch95 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    1:39
    Tom: "The gas that it releases expands and builds up pressure and then.."
    My headphones: "Battery low"

  • @markus9020
    @markus9020 3 ปีที่แล้ว +244

    My guy really just walks away from the explosives like a badass

    • @Kyrelel
      @Kyrelel 3 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      It is dangerous to run, so you always walk away ... it tells you the same thing on firework packaging :)

    • @allstarwoo4
      @allstarwoo4 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      You don’t want to trip while close to explosive and your fuse should give you enough time to get to safety. Not to say running away is never an option.

    • @rasphotography
      @rasphotography 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Yup - his purposeful explosives engineer walk is my favourite part of this video.

    • @tealmer3528
      @tealmer3528 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Cool guys don't look at explosions
      They blow them up and then walk away

  • @Charldeon
    @Charldeon 3 ปีที่แล้ว +621

    Too bad there isn't Tom Scott grinning with an explosion in the background on this one.

    • @Dani-ln6sp
      @Dani-ln6sp 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      2 Explosives videos this close together and that grin, this is gonna make for one hell of video or one hell of a trial

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I suppose it's less exciting the second time.

  • @BigPanda096
    @BigPanda096 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Tom Scott's vlogs are more informative than some educational programs.
    Dude is a legend. I would watch him sit in a high class english styled study, and drink tea to classic music. Nothing else. Just that.

  • @nemomoriarty4303
    @nemomoriarty4303 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Tom: Asks if I've ever felt my brain shift
    Me, still processing the video title: Uhuh

  • @tmuller9905
    @tmuller9905 3 ปีที่แล้ว +382

    This should be a series called "wait a minute" or "why does that make sense".

    • @andymcl92
      @andymcl92 3 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Or just "Huuuuhhh!"

    • @qiano17
      @qiano17 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      +

    • @GuyNamedSean
      @GuyNamedSean 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Or Things You Might Not Know

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Both of those are genuinely thought-out names for a series. If I were a content creator I'd steal your title.

  • @Holmesy87
    @Holmesy87 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    It's like that story of soldiers burning high explosives to heat water/cook food because they had nothing else and it was almost perfectly safe to use.

  • @timeflysintheshop
    @timeflysintheshop 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I was aware of most of this, but it was still cool to see it all demonstrated so well! Thanks! 😀👍😀

  • @capsey_
    @capsey_ 3 ปีที่แล้ว +404

    - Oh no! That track is on fire!
    - Don't worry, it's just a high explosives
    - Oh, ok then. Btw what do you think about weather today?

    • @nitehawk86
      @nitehawk86 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      A friend's dad told me they used to heat their rations with C4 in Vietnam.

    • @Misha-dr9rh
      @Misha-dr9rh 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@nitehawk86 I thought they came with heaters.

    • @ExplosivesLaboratory
      @ExplosivesLaboratory 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@nitehawk86
      Well actually Hexamine fuel tablets were used. However, Fun Fact, you nitrate Hexamine to get RDX, the main explosive ingredient in C4, alongside PETN. So I guess he’s telling you the truth but exaggerating a little bit… Unless they really were using real C4 to heat their rations. In which case, cool, but personality, we would save C4 for blowing stuff up instead of cooking, since it’s a nitrosamine, it’s quite toxic and loves to damage to DNA. Not very fun…

  • @Chinnybon
    @Chinnybon 3 ปีที่แล้ว +197

    I never knew I needed to see a guy cut an explosive with a knife before, but here we are.

    • @bagged_milk67
      @bagged_milk67 3 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      My immediate thought is, forbidden butter

    • @felixc543
      @felixc543 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I believe there's more of that in his recent movie explosion(?) video

    • @frog7362
      @frog7362 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Plastic explosives

    • @bevanfindlay
      @bevanfindlay 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      I've done training in this stuff (I'm a fire investigator), and plastic explosive is just like plasticine - to the point that I think our class sample actually *was* just plasticine, because, well... 🙂

    • @artyb27
      @artyb27 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Same here. I guess I never realised just how plastic-y plastic explosive is.

  • @rumvanillaacid
    @rumvanillaacid 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you. Your video helped me trying to explain to someone that bomb damage is not always only the fire caused by the explosion but the force of the explosion itself cause the damage.

  • @ZephytheDragon
    @ZephytheDragon 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Been watching one guy named Tom do energetics chemistry, and now I see the other Tom learning about the results of energetics.

  • @Haseri8
    @Haseri8 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1682

    Yes, that is actually what I imagine an explosives expert to looks and sounds like. How does Tom keep finding the platonic ideals of experts?

    • @MaeLSTRoM1997
      @MaeLSTRoM1997 ปีที่แล้ว +87

      he managed to get out of the cave

    • @noodlesoup2586
      @noodlesoup2586 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      copied

    • @brokentombot
      @brokentombot ปีที่แล้ว +20

      @@noodlesoup2586 pasted too

    • @wooshifgay462
      @wooshifgay462 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      I imagined a drunk scottish cylcops to be honest

    • @lasagna2303
      @lasagna2303 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      ​@@wooshifgay462
      „What makes me a good demoman?“

  • @MrLittlelawyer
    @MrLittlelawyer 3 ปีที่แล้ว +109

    I had this particular realization when I was 15 and I watched a British documentary on explosives, and it changed my life/world. It began me on a journey to become a chemical engineer after it got me super interested in chemistry.

    • @Liggliluff
      @Liggliluff 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Do you say tshemistry or kemistry?

    • @diegodekruif3772
      @diegodekruif3772 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@Liggliluff you pronounce chemistry as kemistry

    • @22tfortnitevevo
      @22tfortnitevevo 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@diegodekruif3772 i pronounce it as zchtemistry

  • @JustJanitor
    @JustJanitor 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This was so incredibly informational and easy to understand. That guy is good.

  • @NaveedShahzadKhan
    @NaveedShahzadKhan ปีที่แล้ว

    I was absolutely stunned by the idea after seeing a visual demonstration of it. It's fascinating to think about and I had never heard of it before.

  • @DexOfOne
    @DexOfOne 3 ปีที่แล้ว +72

    The smoke ring from that explosion (1:47) was so cool!

    • @kasane1337
      @kasane1337 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Others practice doing smoke rings for months, the explosive just does it with no effort.

    • @clockworkkirlia7475
      @clockworkkirlia7475 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Props to the camera for tracking it!

  • @MisterNohbdy
    @MisterNohbdy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +172

    I just explained this distinction to a few people last week in response to their misuse of the term "high explosive". Unfortunately, my explanation was vastly inferior because it didn't go boom. Time to send some links and fix that.

    • @22tfortnitevevo
      @22tfortnitevevo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      oh my god it's anonymous from 4chan i see you literally everywhere

    • @whirlwind872
      @whirlwind872 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@22tfortnitevevo be careful, 4chan is an elite hacker.

    • @22tfortnitevevo
      @22tfortnitevevo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@whirlwind872 oh no i've already been epicly pwned

    • @MisterNohbdy
      @MisterNohbdy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@whirlwind872 On the bright side, because he's 400 pounds and currently stuck in his mother's basement, he's probably not coming for you any time soon.

  • @Icanlogonnow
    @Icanlogonnow 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love how the best part of the video was covered up by other videos that I'm not gonna watch. -Extreme sarcasm-

  • @lamenwatch1877
    @lamenwatch1877 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I thought I clicked on "why movie explosions don't look like real explosions".
    But I was not disappointed.

  • @rizzo_grt
    @rizzo_grt 3 ปีที่แล้ว +51

    3:58 RIP GoPro. Thank you for your service.

    • @0LoneTech
      @0LoneTech 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Judging by the tumbling video footage, it actually handled that just fine. It took a tumble. That's not to say they always will; the shockwave could dislodge something.

    • @rizzo_grt
      @rizzo_grt 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@0LoneTech got ya. Still, that shot with the camera flying is funny and it's even better that Tom didn't have to buy a new one haha

  • @Sylocat
    @Sylocat 3 ปีที่แล้ว +83

    "I didn't even realise that "low explosives" were a thing;"
    Glad I'm not the only one.

    • @allybally0021
      @allybally0021 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      They are but the term is rarely used in practice. Their usual name is their most common function: propellants.

    • @spot1401
      @spot1401 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      up next: low education

    • @allybally0021
      @allybally0021 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@spot1401 That is already a thing........all lefty influenced education to be honest.

    • @spot1401
      @spot1401 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@allybally0021 ah yes, I totally forgot the classic education of Trump and the all accessible for all education of Eaton.

  • @j9lorna
    @j9lorna 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    "So, whats in your luggage?"
    "50 KG of high explosive but its ok, its safe, the detonators are in my pocket"
    "Ok, enjoy your flight"

  • @ls2786
    @ls2786 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    R.I.P. GoPro, You did your job really well.

  • @Geeksmithing
    @Geeksmithing 3 ปีที่แล้ว +213

    As the GoPro laughs: "Is THAT all you got?!!?"

    • @witerabid
      @witerabid 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      just like it did when Tom unleashed the power of a few hundred suns on it in that solar lab... :P

    • @JWhiteley
      @JWhiteley 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      A Go-Pro once stopped a round from a Mosin-Nagant. Saved a journalist.

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      The sequel to this video will be "GoPro's Revenge"

  • @failgun
    @failgun 3 ปีที่แล้ว +303

    It's worth noting that what Tom says at the end about high explosive being inert applies only to modern high explosives like semtex that are specifically engineered to be so. There are plenty of compounds that are high explosive and are also unstable and extremely dangerous to store and handle - a relevant historical example being nitroglycerin (a precursor to TNT) that before the invention of the relatively safer TNT was used as an explosive by itself, and caused numerous injuries and deaths due to how hazardous it is.

    • @jackmclane1826
      @jackmclane1826 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      Nitroglycerin is not a precursor for TNT. It is an ingredient in Dynamite. TNT is a completely different explosive.

    • @lawsonmoskal7363
      @lawsonmoskal7363 ปีที่แล้ว +35

      @@jackmclane1826 Nitroglycerin was used in tunnel boring and mining operations in like the 1700’s many years before tnt was invented (i think OP means precursor to tnt in the sense it was a mining explosive used before tnt was invented)

    • @vaiyt
      @vaiyt ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Nitroglycerin is scarily unsafe. You can make it explode by throwing something at it, or shaking it too hard. I wouldn't recommend yelling at it either.

    • @fallen_saint6939
      @fallen_saint6939 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Or Cordite. Ask the Royal Navy how cordite powder bags on thinly armored battlecruisers went.

    • @Kirt44
      @Kirt44 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jackmclane1826 true

  • @unfinishedsenten
    @unfinishedsenten ปีที่แล้ว

    Cool to see this in such controlled environments, with the exact same weight in each example and the differences in effect and explanations of why by a professional.

  • @iamfinky
    @iamfinky ปีที่แล้ว

    I love seeing this. I would suggest having a diagram to illustrate Steve's explanation of the layering of high explosives though as that would make it a lot easier to understand

  • @paolob.5667
    @paolob.5667 3 ปีที่แล้ว +47

    Tom Scott finally converted to the cult of making things explode for fun.

  • @BrianShelfPartTwo
    @BrianShelfPartTwo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +397

    I very recently realised "shepherd" comes from "sheep herd". Why has it taken me decades to add one letter and make this connection?

    • @omegagamma
      @omegagamma 3 ปีที่แล้ว +45

      now consider that shepherd, as a noun, likely had an -er at the end that has been lost to time. im not a linguist or anything but knowing how messed up all forms of english have been over time, i would not at all be surprised if that fact was true. which to be clear, i have no idea if it is or not.

    • @Zichqec
      @Zichqec 3 ปีที่แล้ว +61

      A few years ago I realized that fireplace is literally a place for fire, and it really messed me up for a few hours.

    • @mambodog5322
      @mambodog5322 3 ปีที่แล้ว +58

      And how horizontal is called that way because it's the way the horizon goes

    • @rareroe305
      @rareroe305 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      And how Skroob (as in President Skroob from Spaceballs) is almost Brooks (as in Mel Brooks) backwards.

    • @thoperSought
      @thoperSought 3 ปีที่แล้ว +47

      @@omegagamma
      your comment made me curious, so I looked it up.
      "shepherd" is a straight descendant of the Old English "sceaphierde", which is indeed "sceap" = sheep, + "hierde" = herder.
      -er existed in OE, but apparently "hierde" already meant a person, and so didn't need it. I'm guessing (guessing mind you) that this is because the _verb_ "herd" didn't appear until the mid 13th c., as a verbification of the noun, which goes back to Proto-Indo-European. I *assume* it replaced a verb, but my source doesn't say what verb, and I don't have time to dig farther, now.
      btw, the "sc" in "sceap" referred to the same sound as "sh", now.

  • @ClashWithJason
    @ClashWithJason 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Tom scott i love your videos so much .. please never stop :')

  • @AM-dn4lk
    @AM-dn4lk 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    This was an excellent mini documentary. Thank you for sharing.

  • @OfficalHomicidalPoet
    @OfficalHomicidalPoet 3 ปีที่แล้ว +231

    This is a really good topic example of "things we thought we already knew"

    • @laerin7931
      @laerin7931 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Sounds like a new series that would fit right up this channel.

    • @ferrischemistry7879
      @ferrischemistry7879 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      This guy's explanation was terrible and incorrect.

    • @radio2955
      @radio2955 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@ferrischemistry7879 explain it yourself then genius

    • @nuclearwarhead9338
      @nuclearwarhead9338 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ferrischemistry7879 why quiet now?

  • @MWPdx
    @MWPdx 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    2:34 I am definitely not allowed to have 50 kilos of high explosives in my car.

  • @stefanpariyski3709
    @stefanpariyski3709 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very simple and concise, yet illuminating explanation, really liked it.

  • @Niinsa62
    @Niinsa62 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I remember doing national service here in Sweden. We were trained on how to use plastic explosives, including putting the fuse into the primer, and crimping the primer onto the fuse. The NCO told us that you can do the crimping by biting down on the primer. But don't do that. Use these pliers instead. And be sure to keep the primer and the fuse and the pliers out beside your hip, keeping them away from your crotch. And look away, to save your eyes. Just in case you accidentally set off the primer. I still wonder to this day what would have happened to my fingers, if I had messed up. Apparently, the primer is scary dangerous on its own.

  • @SievertSchreiber
    @SievertSchreiber 3 ปีที่แล้ว +203

    Hey Tom, please give a compliment to that guy explaining the explosions! He’s the MVP of these episodes!

    • @erikkennedy
      @erikkennedy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      That's 'Stephen Miller, Chartered Explosives Engineer' to you. 💥

    • @SievertSchreiber
      @SievertSchreiber 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@erikkennedy for if it wasn’t mentioned in the video I thank u for giving that info, thanks!

  • @OnboardG1
    @OnboardG1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +895

    Most people in lockdown: I played some DnD online and put on ten kilos.
    Tom Scott: I made friends with an explosives expert...

    • @curseds0ldier
      @curseds0ldier 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      If you can't beat the enemys, you must hinder them from playing

    • @Limrasson
      @Limrasson ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I did both, sans the ten kilos.
      Actually studying explosives rn.

  • @mikoajnagy8695
    @mikoajnagy8695 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Tom scott is the guy that answers all the random questions you asked to your dad back in the day

  • @rex8255
    @rex8255 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    THAT was one of your best episodes yet!

  • @calumhemphill
    @calumhemphill 3 ปีที่แล้ว +481

    This channel is turning into a revival of Braniac: Science Abuse and I’m all for it

    • @fariesz6786
      @fariesz6786 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      yup, i got the same vibes

    • @johnn1199
      @johnn1199 3 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      Except that unlike that show, this channel doesn't fabricate data

    • @calumhemphill
      @calumhemphill 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @John N yep haha

    • @ActualCharky
      @ActualCharky 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      But... will it fizz, or will it bang?

    • @CatacombD
      @CatacombD 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@johnn1199 I was so disappointed when I learned that brainiac outright lies for entertainment purposes.

  • @jefferroo
    @jefferroo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +175

    Meanwhile, the GoPro says in a little squeaky voice "I'm not dead yet".

    • @Vousie
      @Vousie 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Yup. It kept filming all the way to the end. I would've loved if Tom had added some text or something to say the GoPro isn't dead. Like just subtitles saying "No, it isn't."

    • @HanabiraKage
      @HanabiraKage 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@Vousie In rainbow Comic Sans?

    • @Vousie
      @Vousie 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@HanabiraKage Absolutely. 😂

    • @gavinward5448
      @gavinward5448 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Vousie"No GoPros were injured in making this video."

    • @peterclarke7240
      @peterclarke7240 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      "I feel happeeeee! I feel happeeeee!!!!!"

  • @sergarlantyrell7847
    @sergarlantyrell7847 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Tom Scott: Spoiling my fun at pointing out to people unknowingly talking about [low] explosives "detonating"...
    "Well actually..." (You'll have to imagine the nasally voice) "... You mean 'deflagration' since that is a 'low explosive'..."

  • @jonnyjohn2321
    @jonnyjohn2321 ปีที่แล้ว

    There’s a lot of top shelf knowledge in this video, I appreciate it

  • @jovanweismiller7114
    @jovanweismiller7114 3 ปีที่แล้ว +101

    We used to use C-4 (similar to the Semtex in your video) as fireplace lighter. Wet wood was no problem, because the intense heat from the burning C-4 would dry it enough to catch fire.

    • @yourmum69_420
      @yourmum69_420 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      metal

    • @danmatthiesen9160
      @danmatthiesen9160 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@yourmum69_420 no, actually, metal burns very poorly

    • @andrewche4066
      @andrewche4066 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      @@danmatthiesen9160 Unless it's metal wool/powder

    • @mastershooter64
      @mastershooter64 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@danmatthiesen9160 Unless it's Magnesium

  • @inactiveytchannel
    @inactiveytchannel 3 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    I expected Toms motionless smile when explosive detonated
    I am disappointed

  • @i2rtw
    @i2rtw 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Clear. Concise. Explained so the layman can understand. This was excellent.

  • @AscanioBorsato666
    @AscanioBorsato666 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very interesting lesson. Thank You Tom . Many thanks

  • @euansmith3699
    @euansmith3699 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    "Chartered Explosive Engineer"; that's something great to have on a business card.
    Wow, that deflagration produced a really nice smoke-ring. Also, that was a great shot from the Go-Pro.

  • @fatoprofugus6491
    @fatoprofugus6491 3 ปีที่แล้ว +116

    This is actually a fantastic ad for GoPro cameras.

  • @RSpudieD
    @RSpudieD 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That is really interesting! I truly never thought of if low explosives was a thing! The gopro getting doing a backflip was a good touch!

  • @kevinh7262
    @kevinh7262 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video, Tom.

  • @Habakouk77
    @Habakouk77 3 ปีที่แล้ว +113

    You missed the desclaimer "no cameras were hurt during production of this movie"... Ok, maybe it was hurt a little bit

    • @Tjalve70
      @Tjalve70 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      "No evidence of cameras that were hurt during the production of this movie, remains available to the public."

    • @Genius_at_Work
      @Genius_at_Work 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Nah, GoPros are amazingly tough