00:00There are inventions that make us think, why haven't I thought about it?
00:05Then comes the next question, why don't we have it in our cities yet?
00:10We talk about things like anti-splash toilets, liquid trees and skyscrapers with slides.
00:16Yes, all of this really exists, and you are about to fall in love with these innovations.
00:23Have you ever been splashed using public toilets in the middle of summer,
00:27while wearing shorts and sandals?
00:30It happens even to the best of us, so don't worry.
00:33If only there was a solution to this problem,
00:36maybe a black urinal with a small hole to avoid all the splashes.
00:40It seems as disgusting as painful, doesn't it?
00:43A professor at the University of Waterloo named Jaopan
00:47and his colleagues have found a much better solution to this delicate problem.
00:51Their design was inspired by the physics and behavior of dogs.
00:55When the liquid flows on a surface at a low angle,
00:59splashes are considerably reduced, and the lower the angle, the less splashes there are.
01:05It is even possible to reduce them to zero,
01:08and when dogs urinate, they do it on the vertical surface of a tree or a wall by lifting their hind legs.
01:14This also reduces splashes, whether done on purpose or not.
01:19Well done, Dingo!
01:21The team has invented several models,
01:23and presented them at a conference of the American Society of Physics,
01:26which was a great success.
01:28The inventors claim that all their models are anti-splash,
01:32but their favorites are those in the shape of slices of apple
01:35and those that look like a sink with a narrow opening.
01:39These new urinals are not only elegant, but also more durable.
01:44They save water, chemical products, and human efforts necessary for cleaning after each use,
01:50which benefits everyone.
01:52Here is another innovative idea of public toilets,
01:55this time from Japan.
01:57These toilets have completely transparent walls,
02:00which means that you can see everything that happens inside,
02:03from the toilets themselves to the sink.
02:06At first glance, it may seem intimidating,
02:08but the goal was actually to create toilets secured in parks.
02:12Visitors can check if there is someone inside before entering
02:16and also make sure that the toilets are clean.
02:19Once inside and the door locked,
02:22the walls change color to become opaque,
02:24thus ensuring total intimacy.
02:27These toilets use PDLC-coated glass,
02:31which allows you to go from total transparency to an opacity controlled by electricity.
02:36Now, you are almost convinced to drag these magic cabins, aren't you?
02:41As a bonus, they also serve as public lighting of different colors in the dark.
02:47I would like to see some of them in the nearby park.
02:50Let's take a deep breath.
02:52If you don't like what you're breathing, do something about it.
02:56This is certainly what the brilliant minds of the University of Belgrade, in Serbia,
03:00thought when inventing the liquid tree.
03:03The Liquid 3, also known as the word game,
03:07is a glass container filled with more than 500 liters of water and microalgae
03:11and a solar panel that powers a small pump.
03:14Microalgae require a certain heat,
03:17so in case of lack of sun or low temperature,
03:21the photobioreactor is also connected to the city's electrical grid.
03:26These microalgae work hard to operate the magic of photosynthesis,
03:30transforming water and CO2 into oxygen, which is then released into the atmosphere.
03:35The liquid tree is also equipped with a bench
03:37where you can sit down and admire this fascinating process.
03:40The Liquid 3 requires more maintenance than an ordinary tree in a park.
03:45It is almost entirely necessary to replace the water and microalgae every month and a half.
03:49In addition, it is necessary to remove the biomass, which is a by-product of this process.
03:54And let's face it, nothing can rival the beauty of flowers in spring.
03:58If you walk in the forests of Estonia,
04:01don't be surprised to see large megaphones.
04:04These gigantic wooden acoustic structures
04:07were placed 3 hours away from the capital by students in interior architecture.
04:12They are much more impressive than the roller coasters for hamsters
04:15that I had built for the science fair at school.
04:18That's for sure.
04:20More than half of Estonia is covered with forests.
04:23And the Estonians are proud of this natural wealth.
04:26This artistic project is not the first of its kind.
04:29There was already a winding path,
04:31as well as a wooden hut with multiple facades.
04:34The megaphones were designed to amplify the natural sounds of the forest
04:38and serve as a refuge for hikers.
04:41These wooden structures are quite spacious to accommodate several people.
04:45And if you venture far into the forest,
04:48you will be happy to find them.
04:50The students were tasked with designing a forest library
04:54and they built the megaphones off-site
04:57before transporting them to their current locations.
05:00They are arranged in such a way
05:02that the sounds coming from three directions converge towards the center,
05:05thus creating a natural effect of its surround.
05:08Have you ever helped friends to move into a new apartment
05:11located in a building without elevators?
05:13Then you will surely appreciate this innovation in Amsterdam.
05:17The houses are equipped with hooks at the top,
05:20a medieval invention that allows to hang objects up to the floors.
05:23This simple method, based on ropes and pulleys,
05:26still works after centuries.
05:28But why not just use the stairs?
05:31Well, if you enter one of the narrow buildings of Amsterdam,
05:34you will find that there is hardly enough space to climb alone
05:37and it is even inconceivable to have a table set up there.
05:40In the Middle Ages, just like today,
05:43only the rich could afford to live along the canals
05:46in the most popular neighborhoods of the city.
05:48These bourgeois were mainly merchants
05:51who used the canals for their business
05:53and they stored their goods in the same houses where they lived.
05:57Due to regular floods,
05:59they had to find ways to protect their goods.
06:02This is how they invented systems
06:04to lift furniture, goods, boxes,
06:08instruments and food to the upper floors
06:12by pulling them through wide windows.
06:14This lifting technique is one of the reasons
06:16why the houses in Amsterdam lean forward.
06:19This inclination allowed to protect both the raised goods
06:22and the walls and windows during transport.
06:25Thus, it was not necessary to come into contact with the façade.
06:28The pinions also played a role in this process,
06:31being reinforced to withstand this considerable weight.
06:34In case you are wondering what a pinion is,
06:37it is a section of the wall located between the two sides of a roof,
06:40typical of houses in Amsterdam.
06:43For those who live or work in skyscrapers,
06:45the problem is the opposite.
06:47Leaving the building can take time
06:49because of the waiting line for the elevators.
06:51A slide starting from the top of a skyscraper
06:54could be a solution.
06:56In 2016, such a slide was installed
06:59outside the US Bank Tower in Los Angeles,
07:02at a height of 300 meters.
07:04This transparent glass slide,
07:06one inch thick,
07:08was designed to resist the wind of strong hurricanes
07:11and earthquakes.
07:13Initially planned to attract tourists to the building
07:16and not for the convenience of office workers,
07:19it was finally decided that it was not such a good idea.
07:22It was therefore removed during renovations.
07:25Tommy Fung, a famous Hong Kong photographer,
07:28pushed the imagination even further
07:30by designing an imperial bus
07:32equipped with a slide.
07:34It is not his only futuristic creation in photography
07:37because he likes to play with perspective and proportions.
07:40I imagine myself sliding on this slide
07:43when the controllers land during the journey.
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