- 14 hours ago
- #brightside
- #brightsideglobal
You may have heard the urban legend that a penny dropped from the top of a skyscraper can kill a person or crack the sidewalk. But is this really true? In this video, we will explain why a coin falling from a skyscraper is not as dangerous as you think, using physics and math.
#brightside #brightsideglobal
TIMESTAMPS:
0:01 Penny falling from a skyscraper
08:01 What if planets were cubes
16:30 What if the Moon broke in half
This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
#brightside #brightsideglobal
TIMESTAMPS:
0:01 Penny falling from a skyscraper
08:01 What if planets were cubes
16:30 What if the Moon broke in half
This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
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FunTranscript
00:00Now, if you've ever watched a cartoon about an elephant, you've surely noticed a scene where this huge animal is
00:06running from a small mouse.
00:08That's because the myth surrounding them, the one about elephants being scared of mice, is as big and powerful as
00:14these animals are.
00:15It turns out elephants do not have any particular dread of these small rodents, but they don't see well and
00:22tend to move a bit slowly.
00:23So they may be spooked by a faster-moving animal or even a bird if they're caught off guard.
00:30Speaking of myth surrounding animals, we've all been told at one point that bats are blind.
00:36In reality, these small flying creatures can see, but their vision is reduced to black and white hues.
00:42But at night, they can see way better than we do.
00:45Their vision lacks the color receptors that we have, but in low light, we don't see much color either.
00:51Bats have a built-in sonar and can navigate their surroundings better at night.
00:56That's because they calibrate their direction based on how sounds bounce back from the nearest object.
01:01The myth about bats being blind probably appeared because these animals don't see as well as we do in daylight.
01:09If an insect falls from a certain height, does it sustain any damage?
01:13Well, the subject is a bit complex, but let's take ants, for example.
01:19Ants don't get any injuries during such a fall, and that's because they're so small.
01:23A lot of other insects can fall for miles and still be fine.
01:27The explanation has a lot to do with math and physics.
01:31But to put it simply, so I can understand it, most insects are not heavy enough to impact the surface
01:37they hit.
01:38More so, while falling, they don't actually gather speed.
01:42They slow down.
01:43An ant's relative large surface area, for that tiny weight, creates a lot of drag as the bug moves through
01:49the air.
01:50So it slows down as it reaches the end of its flight.
01:55There's a similar myth surrounding pennies falling from a tall building.
01:59Some people claim that when a penny is dropped from a great height, it speeds up, and it can end
02:05badly for a person in its way.
02:07In reality, because of its size and shape, a penny falling down from a tall building can cause the same
02:13damage as a falling leaf.
02:15Should it fall on your head, you'd only feel a tiny bit of pressure.
02:19As it descends, the penny collides with air particles, which prevents the small object from accelerating.
02:26And, of course, that's a drag.
02:28That resistance of air surrounding it is the reason why the penny cannot arm anyone.
02:34There are some other examples that may get a bit more dangerous, like a ballpoint pen, for example.
02:40It all depends on its design and the way it falls down to the ground.
02:44It can spin, flutter, or just go straight down, depending on the way of descent.
02:50A dropping pen might even damage a sidewalk and cause some injuries to pedestrians.
02:56Now, remember the five-second rule?
02:59Yeah, that's a myth, too.
03:00Even if you picked up that cookie as soon as you dropped it on the floor, eating it is still
03:05not safe.
03:06Bacteria can get on your food very fast.
03:09Pieces of food with wet surfaces, like fruit or a slice of tart, mmm, can pick up harmful organisms from
03:16the ground even faster.
03:18Just because you've just finished scrubbing your floors doesn't necessarily make them clean.
03:23Some germs can survive for longer periods of time, and you need very harsh chemicals to get rid of them.
03:29If you drop something while enjoying your dinner, your safest bet will be to just throw it away.
03:35You know how some people say that hitting the snooze button gives you some extra time to rest?
03:41Not only is it untrue, but hitting the snooze button can also reduce your sleep quality.
03:47Those 10-minute intervals of sleep you get over and over again aren't the good type of sleep.
03:52It's fragmented.
03:53If anything, it'll make you feel more tired during the day.
03:57More so, you can actually sleep too much, and oversleeping makes you even sleepier, and can affect your metabolism and
04:04your energy levels.
04:06Not to mention, it can be a real pain for people sharing the same bed or room with you.
04:11I know, I know, breaking up with a snooze button can be a real heartbreak, so let's see what you
04:17can do.
04:18First of all, set a realistic alarm.
04:21If you're more of a night owl, don't force yourself to wake up really early in the morning if you
04:26don't have to.
04:27Find a sleeping schedule that works for you, and most importantly, stick to it.
04:33Get out of bed as soon as you wake up.
04:35The change in posture will trigger the right chemicals in your body that will eliminate your need to go back
04:41to sleep.
04:42As a last resort, you can even move your alarm clock across the room.
04:46If you need to get out of bed to hit the snooze button, you're less likely to get back to
04:51sleep.
04:52You might have heard that lightning never strikes the same place twice.
04:56Well, this information is also dangerously wrong, as lightning often occurs in the exact same place, or at least nearby,
05:04twice.
05:05Also, if you're ever in an open field during a thunderstorm, the best course of action is to find shelter.
05:12Don't touch anything mechanical or electrical, either.
05:15If you're indoors, stay away from the windows.
05:18Should the storm start while you're kite flying, best to postpone it until it's over.
05:24Let's move on to those myths about the human body.
05:27Some people say we only use 10% of our brain at any given time.
05:32This information is false.
05:34I only use 5%.
05:35Actually, our brain is busy all day long and through the night as well.
05:40It never turns off completely, not even when we sleep.
05:44Our brain works like a small factory.
05:46Each area is designed to help us with a particular task.
05:50Most of the time, our brain is preoccupied with doing things we aren't even aware of,
05:55like breathing, walking, or digesting food.
05:58Each time you learn a new language or get better at a certain skill,
06:02you don't unlock a new part of your brain because it's never idle.
06:06But depending on the activity you're doing,
06:09you may be utilizing some portions of your brain in a new way.
06:14Now, pet lovers may have heard this one.
06:16A dog's mouth is cleaner than that of a human.
06:19Meth alert!
06:20Their mouths are much dirtier than ours.
06:23Dogs can also carry a lot of diseases,
06:26especially if they are not well taken care of.
06:28Apart from that, a dog uses its mouth for a whole lot more things than we do.
06:33The animal needs it to get to know its surroundings better,
06:36since it doesn't have opposable thumbs.
06:39So they end up using it to pick up things from the ground,
06:43and these things haven't been washed, obviously.
06:45They also tend to lick all sorts of things that aren't necessarily sanitary,
06:50like garbage, floors, or their own paws and stuff.
06:53As endearing as it might be,
06:56try to remember this the next time your dog rushes to lick your face.
07:00You know, we have many more senses than the classic five we've all heard about.
07:06Sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.
07:08Apart from these, we have at least four others.
07:11We human mammals have proprioception,
07:15which is our ability to orient ourselves in space.
07:18Then we have thermoception,
07:20which is our ability to estimate our own temperature
07:23and figure out if we're hot or cold.
07:25We have equilibrio-section.
07:28That's our sense of balance.
07:30Lastly, we have interoception,
07:32or the sense of our own physiological condition.
07:35It's the sense that allows us to figure out whether we're hungry or sleepy.
07:40Here's a cool party trick.
07:41Next time someone talks to you about how we humans have five senses,
07:46barge in and say you have nine.
07:48Before you start explaining what each of them does,
07:51let them wonder if you're a superhero with supernatural powers.
08:00Have you ever wondered why all planets are perfectly round?
08:03And what if these celestial bodies decided to break the rules and change their shape?
08:08Would we end up with square planets,
08:10triangular moons,
08:11or maybe even intergalactic shapes we can't even imagine?
08:15Well, let's find out.
08:17So how do planets form in the first place?
08:20The universe is filled with swirling clouds of dust and gas.
08:23These clouds, called molecular clouds,
08:26consist of various elements and compounds,
08:28such as hydrogen, helium, carbon, oxygen, and so on.
08:31They're like a cosmic kitchen filled with the ingredients needed to cook up some brand new planets.
08:38The first step in the recipe for planetary formation is called the accretion theory.
08:42Let's say that something happens that causes gravitational instability,
08:47like a supernova goes off nearby or something.
08:50This pushes the gas and dust in the cloud and causes them to come together.
08:56Because of gravity, these particles start falling toward a central point.
09:01They become more tightly packed together,
09:03like when you squeeze a ball in your hand.
09:06And eventually, they're squeezed so hard that the cloud starts to flatten into a disk shape,
09:11kind of like when you mix flour and water to make pizza dough.
09:16This disk is called a protoplanetary disk.
09:19It's also spinning because the cloud's particles had some rotation to begin with.
09:24Now, imagine these tiny dust particles and gas molecules dancing around in the disk.
09:30Sometimes, they bump into each other.
09:32And when they do, they stick together like Velcro.
09:35These little clumps of dust and gas are called planetesimals.
09:39They're the building blocks of planets.
09:41And as the planetesimals continued to collide and merge,
09:45they grew larger and larger, forming protoplanets.
09:49The protoplanets were getting serious about their size,
09:52and their gravity became stronger.
09:54Some of them got so massive that they became the grandmasters of their cosmic neighborhoods,
09:58the planets we know and love.
10:01Each planet had its own unique recipe of gases, rocks, and sometimes even water.
10:06But why do the planets look like spheres?
10:07Well, it's all because of gravity.
10:11Let's go back to our protoplanets.
10:13Imagine you're squeezing a balloon with your hands.
10:16The air inside of the balloon pushes back, creating pressure.
10:20Something similar happens with planets.
10:22Gravity squeezes its material inward, pulling in towards the center.
10:27And since gravity acts equally in all directions,
10:30it pulls material from all sides toward the center of mass,
10:33resulting in a sphere-like shape.
10:36And that material pushes back with pressure, resisting the force of gravity.
10:41In the end, they both find a sweet spot where they balance each other out.
10:45It's called hydrostatic equilibrium,
10:48a fancy term that means everything inside a planet is in balance.
10:52But that's not all.
10:53Another thing that makes the planet spherical is their rotation.
10:56Think about a ball of Play-Doh or something like that.
10:59Imagine you spin it rapidly.
11:01The material starts to push outward,
11:03making the Play-Doh bulge at the equator and flatten at the poles.
11:08The same thing happens to planets.
11:10As they spin on their axes,
11:12the combination of gravity and rotation pushes the material outward,
11:16making the planet bulge at the equator.
11:19They low-key want to become disks again.
11:21However, gravity doesn't want any lumpy planets.
11:24It wants them to be nice and round.
11:26So it keeps pulling on the material,
11:29trying to make everything as compact as possible.
11:31Eventually, gravity wins,
11:33and the planet settles into a spherical shape.
11:37Let's take some examples from our planetary playlist.
11:40Jupiter, the giant of the solar system,
11:42loves to show off its oblateness.
11:44It spins so fast that it becomes noticeably squished at the poles and chubby in the middle.
11:49It's like a spinning top with a cute belly.
11:52Saturn, the ringed wonder, also joins the oblate party.
11:56It spins around with its beautiful rings,
11:57and its oblateness is even more pronounced than Jupiter's.
12:01These examples show how rotation can give planets a unique shape.
12:05They go from being perfectly round to having a delightful bulge around the middle.
12:09It's like cosmic pottery, where the spinning motion creates a playful and distinct shape.
12:14So, now you know why the planets are round.
12:17But what's more interesting is,
12:18what if they weren't?
12:19What if they were, let's say, cubical?
12:21Or even triangular?
12:23Well, let's see.
12:25A cube-shaped or a triangle-shaped planet would have its mass spread out in a completely different way than
12:31a sphere.
12:32And you know what that means?
12:33Gravity would be all shook up, too.
12:36On a spherical planet, gravity pulls everything towards the center
12:39because the mass is evenly distributed around that center.
12:42But when we introduce a cube-shaped or triangle-shaped planet, things get interesting.
12:48If you're standing at the center of one of those faces,
12:51you'd feel the strongest pull of gravity.
12:53That's because the faces are the closest to the center of gravity.
12:57And as you venture away from the center and start walking towards the edges,
13:01gravity starts playing tricks on you.
13:03You would feel the struggle against the steep-angled gravity.
13:07Walking on those edges would feel just like climbing a mountain
13:10or walking on a super-steep slope.
13:13All because gravity wants you right in the middle of the face and nowhere else.
13:19Now imagine the terrain along the edges and corners.
13:22It's a barren, rocky, and dry landscape.
13:25Why?
13:26Well, all the water would pool in at the center of each face,
13:29leaving the edges high and dry.
13:31And the air quality?
13:33Well, it's either non-existent or so thin that it can't support life.
13:37Not the coziest place to set up camp, that's for sure.
13:40And don't forget your warm clothes, lunch, and hiking boots.
13:43You'll need them because of the crazy climate.
13:46The type of climate you'll encounter on our cube or triangle-shaped earth depends on how it spins.
13:51If it rotates at its corners, each side would enjoy a mild, temperate climate.
13:56However, if it rotates on an axis through two of its faces, things get intense.
14:01Picture a rollercoaster version of our current climate.
14:04Some faces would be polar wonderlands, icy and chilly.
14:08The top and bottom faces for the cube, and the bottom face for the triangle.
14:12Meanwhile, the other sides would be completely different.
14:16In a cube, they would be scorching hot with an equatorial climate that would make you break a sweat.
14:21Instead of sunlight gently curving along the surface, it would directly beam onto these faces.
14:27Talk about feeling the heat.
14:30And on a triangular planet, the sunlight would strike the faces at an angle.
14:34This angled sunlight would create fascinating temperature variations across the planet.
14:40Imagine this.
14:41As you move from the base of the triangle towards the tip, the temperatures would gradually decrease.
14:46The base, where the sunlight hits most directly, would be the hottest region,
14:51just like the equatorial climate we're familiar with on our spherical earth.
14:54But as you venture towards the tip, the angle of sunlight would be less direct, leading to cooler temperatures.
15:00But the base is still super cold and dark, since the sunlight doesn't directly reach it.
15:05So the triangle would be absolutely crazy in terms of temperature changes in climate zones.
15:11By the way, you know that cozy blanket of air we call the atmosphere?
15:14Well, on our angular earth, things would get a little topsy-turvy.
15:19Gravity would be pulling stronger from the center of each face.
15:22The result?
15:23The atmosphere would go through some crazy changes.
15:26Picture this.
15:27At the center of each face, where gravity is strongest, the atmosphere would gather and thicken.
15:32It would be like a bustling city, full of air molecules.
15:35But as you venture towards the edges, things would start to thin out.
15:38The atmosphere would become scarce and very thin.
15:42So breathing along the edges would be quite a challenge, and the edges would be a tough neighborhood for life
15:47to thrive.
15:48Moreover, a thinner atmosphere means less protection from the sun's radiation and solar winds.
15:53So corners and edges would be extremely dangerous for humans.
15:57Of course, this is all just a playful exploration of what could be.
16:00Our earth loves its spherical shape, and that's a good thing.
16:03But there's no harm in imagining wild and wonderful possibilities.
16:07So keep your imagination soaring and continue to marvel at the marvels of our amazing planet.
16:12About 8 billion inhabitants of planet earth found out the same terrible news in one day.
16:18Someone saw it on TV.
16:19Others heard it on the phone while scrolling through social media or listening to music.
16:24Some witnessed this news in a dream while sleeping.
16:27Someone's voice said it in all languages to ensure everyone understood it.
16:32I have good news and bad news for you.
16:34Let's start with the bad news.
16:36You're all characters in YouTube videos in which your planet gets into a situation where the moon breaks in half.
16:42For the audience, it will be a hypothetical story.
16:45But for you, these events will become a reality.
16:48The good news is that...
16:50I was joking.
16:51There is no good news.
16:52But don't worry.
16:53The apocalypse won't start on your planet.
16:55Maybe just a little bit.
16:56Have a nice day.
16:59At first, the entire population panics.
17:01Then, a few days later, everyone calms down.
17:04Maybe it was a mass hallucination and the moon will be alright.
17:07But at this moment, scientists have discovered the danger.
17:11A colossal meteorite is flying towards us from the distant depths of space.
17:16This meteorite is super fast and pretty flat but has sharp edges.
17:20Fortunately, it will miss the earth by a few thousand miles.
17:23But the moon won't be that lucky.
17:25The meteorite flies through our earth's only natural satellite directly in the middle.
17:31So, it passes through the moon, sweeps past our planet and flies away into distant space.
17:37At this moment, all people can't take their eyes off the moon.
17:41The meteorite cuts it perfectly in half.
17:44Gently, clearly, painlessly.
17:46So, what shall we do now?
17:49Will the earth survive this?
17:51Our satellite breaks into two equal parts.
17:54But, fortunately, they don't fly away from each other.
17:57The moon's great gravity attracts them back like a magnet.
18:00Scientists are sure that the parts will connect in a couple of billion years and the moon will become the
18:05same as it used to be.
18:06But, the coolest thing is that people won't feel any changes.
18:10Everyone around the world will celebrate this good news.
18:13The voice was wrong.
18:14But then, another problem appears.
18:17A massive meteorite in the form of a shoe is flying from the deepest space to us.
18:23It enters our solar system and approaches the earth at high speed.
18:27The space boot crashes into one half of the moon and then flies away.
18:32Now, the moon is definitely breaking into two parts.
18:35The first half remains in the same place.
18:37The second one is flying towards us.
18:40A small meteor shower begins on earth because of the falling moon fragments.
18:44But, it's not so bad.
18:46Most of these rocks are burning up in the atmosphere.
18:49But, almost the entire split-off half is falling apart around the orbit of our planet.
18:54It forms a stone belt.
18:57Now, the earth is like Saturn.
19:00Rotating fragments destroy part of our artificial satellites.
19:04Communication and the internet work inconsistently.
19:07It takes people a couple of years to restore a stable connection.
19:11The International Space Station no longer exists.
19:15Luckily, all the astronauts managed to return to earth before half the moon got to them.
19:20So, moon rocks are flying around the planet and people see half the moon in the sky.
19:24Life doesn't change much for the first few days.
19:27But, those who live on the coast of the seas and oceans notice the consequences.
19:32The moon used to influence the tides.
19:34It was flying around the earth and made oceans take an oval shape.
19:38There were tides on the side where the moon was closer.
19:41There were ebbs on the opposite side.
19:43But, now, this schedule is wrong.
19:45Half of the moon attracts less water.
19:48Yes, the moon lost half its weight and began approaching the earth.
19:52But, its gravitational force has become weaker.
19:56Seabirds, many species of fish, sea turtles, and other coastal animals may not survive these changes.
20:03Their natural instincts associated with the moon help them determine the time for getting food, breeding, and flying south.
20:11For example, tiny turtles expect a strong tide in the morning.
20:15They run to the water, but the water doesn't reach them.
20:18Turtles can't hide in the ocean in time and become dinner for seagulls.
20:23Crabs can't lay eggs because the tide has started earlier than usual.
20:27Wolves go mad in the woods.
20:29They howl loudly every night and can't stop.
20:32The whole natural world can't understand what's going on.
20:36The human body is also feeling some discomfort.
20:40Many people have low and high blood pressure, and some experience severe headaches.
20:46Half of the moon changes the entire ecosystem of the planet.
20:49Adapting to new conditions will take several tens, maybe hundreds of years.
20:54A couple of weeks pass, and people notice the days are now shorter.
20:59The moon always slowed the Earth's rotation and made one day last 24 hours.
21:04The Earth is spinning faster now.
21:06The night and the morning come earlier than everyone is used to.
21:12Earth's rotation speed has increased and reduced the number of hours per day to 15.
21:17People suffer from insomnia or oversleeping.
21:20The body needs time to get used to it.
21:23Work schedules are changing all over the world.
21:25Previously, people came to the office at 9 and left at 6.
21:29Now, they arrive at 7 and leave at 2 p.m.
21:33Sleep time got shorter, and people are really sad because of this.
21:38Progress slows down because the short working time.
21:41The technologies of the future are now 20 to 30 years late.
21:46Hourly pay remains the same, so bosses now pay less for fewer working hours.
21:51The whole moon stabilized the weather and climate on the planet.
21:55Look at Mars.
21:56It has two small moons.
21:57They quickly spin around it and rock Mars around on its axis.
22:01As a result, strong winds, sandstorms, and thunderstorms often happen on the red planet.
22:08Now, the half of the moon that approached us takes the Earth out of stable rotation.
22:13This changes the seasonal temperatures in the world.
22:16It even gets hotter in hot places.
22:18And snowstorms are raging in cold regions.
22:21There are short, massive downpours instead of sunny weather.
22:24A typical breeze can grow into a hurricane and small waves into a tsunami.
22:30The seasons are changing faster now.
22:33Winters are colder and summers are hotter.
22:37Changing the rotation of the planet affects the Earth's magnetic field.
22:41Since the compass and navigation systems are unstable now,
22:44we need to recalculate where the north and south are.
22:48Birds can't fly south to wait out the winter since they don't know what direction to fly.
22:53Their inner compass is broken.
22:57Several hundred years have passed.
22:59People are entirely accustomed to the new conditions on Earth.
23:02New species of animals and fish have appeared.
23:05Birds can navigate the sky by the moon again.
23:08The planet's economy has been restored.
23:11Hourly wages have become higher.
23:13People now get enough sleep from 5 to 6 hours a day and work for 4 to 5 hours.
23:19The reduction of day and night has also affected the entertainment industry.
23:24Movies now last one hour.
23:27One episode of some TV series lasts 30 minutes.
23:29Life goes faster.
23:31An average person now lives to be 96 years old.
23:35In fact, the passage of time hasn't changed at all.
23:38Its calculus did.
23:41Several thousand years have passed.
23:43People look different now.
23:45Now they have big eyes that absorb more light.
23:48Half of the moon doesn't shine as bright as the whole thing.
23:51So the nights have become darker.
23:53It took the human eye a couple of thousand years to develop the ability to see clearly in this new
23:59dark.
24:01Animals need to navigate better in these conditions.
24:04So their eyes have become larger and more sensitive.
24:07During all this time, people have cleared the orbit of moon rocks.
24:10Several space stations fly around our planet.
24:14And again, people hear this strange voice that once told them that they were all characters in one hypothetical YouTube
24:20video.
24:20This time, the voice says,
24:22Your story ends because the video ends.
24:25I'm sorry.
24:26Good night.
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