- 10 hours ago
Discover the surprising truth behind nail clippers and their hidden potential. This video reveals how that small hole can transform your clippers into an essential multi-tool for DIY tasks and emergency repairs. Learn about the science that makes it possible to grip, twist, and tackle tasks you never thought your nail clippers could handle. From life hacks to incredible secrets, this exploration will change your perspective on everyday tools forever. Uncover the million-dollar secrets hidden in plain sight.
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00:00If you ever find yourself stuck in the trunk of your car, stay calm.
00:04All cars are supposed to be equipped with an emergency latch
00:07to help open the trunk from the inside in the unlikely case it happens.
00:12These latches are so well thought out that they can be opened by people of all ages.
00:17More so, handles are designed to glow in the dark, too.
00:20You can even pull them with a mouth if there's not enough wiggle room to use your hands.
00:25Never mind how you ended up in the trunk in the first place.
00:28Moving on!
00:29If you're ever working with needle and thread,
00:32remember you don't need to stick the needle directly into the spool.
00:36You may end up losing the needle altogether.
00:38Not to mention you can easily hurt your fingers!
00:41A lot of modern sewing kits these days come with a designated place for safeguarding the needles.
00:47It's located at the bottom part of the thread spool.
00:50You'll just need to pull it out.
00:51It's even made to hold multiple sewing needles at a time.
00:56Disposable ballpoint pens come with a little secret of their own.
01:00Did you ever notice that in some of them, there's a small hole in the plastic part?
01:04It's actually a rudimentary ventilation system.
01:08It's supposed to let the ink easily make it to the tip of the pen.
01:12Okay, I know it's in the name, but you really don't need to shake the seasoning shaker to get any
01:17product out.
01:18Don't believe me?
01:20Hey, you're not the only one.
01:21Go grab your favorite seasoning bottle out of your pantry.
01:25If it has one of those removable plastic caps, it's perfect for the experiment.
01:30Instead of shaking the bottle, try holding it from the plastic cap while it's upside down.
01:35Now gently twist the bottle from side to side and, before you know it,
01:40you get some gorgeously flowing seasoning without having to wiggle the shaker and make a mess all over the stove.
01:47On the same note, most salt and pepper shakers should have ridges on the bottom of the glass portion.
01:53In case you get any seasoning stuck in there,
01:56place the bottom of the salt shaker against the bottom of the pepper shaker and wiggle it around,
02:01so the ridges click with each other.
02:03The seasoning should easily pour out now without you having to open the bottle.
02:08In colder weather, you often have so many clothing layers on you
02:12that you can hardly feel the purse or back straps on your shoulder anymore.
02:16Not to mention how fast they can slide off.
02:19Some jackets come with a built-in solution for that,
02:22in the form of a small tab on the shoulder with either a hook or a button.
02:27It's meant to be opened and closed comfortably,
02:29so you can keep your purse in place at any time.
02:34You're most likely using it merely to peel the skin of potatoes, carrots, or cucumbers.
02:39But you can use your vegetable peeler for chopping fine strips of onion as well.
02:44Just cut the onion into quarters vertically and then start slicing.
02:48This might also help out with those embarrassing onion tears.
02:53Most people miss this one, but should you ever have a closer look at your toothpaste tube,
02:58you will surely see some sort of coloring there, either a dot or a block.
03:03Colors can vary.
03:04They can be black, green, red, or even blue.
03:08These color spots are actually meant to help the assembly machines back at the toothpaste factory.
03:13They recognize when and where these machines need to cut the toothpaste tubes
03:17and proceed to fold them for packaging.
03:20For most types of footwear, if there's anything that seems a bit out of place,
03:24always know that it's there for a reason.
03:27Most manufacturers don't put extra items on shoes just for fun.
03:31It would definitely be a waste of time and resources.
03:34For footwear, like boots, for example, there's often a small loop at the top back of the shoe.
03:40It's there to help you when you need to put the shoe on, since you can quickly pull on it.
03:44Plus, you can also hang the shoes somewhere, most likely to dry,
03:48since most boots are meant to be worn in the colder weather.
03:52Now, I've been guilty at least once of overdressing with a bunch of layers,
03:57just so I won't need to jam everything in my check-in bag.
04:00But does it become a problem when you actually have to get seated?
04:04What do you do with your coat or your jacket?
04:06Well, have a closer look next time you board a plane on the seat in front of you.
04:11The hook that keeps the tray table upright can double as a jacket hook.
04:16As long as you don't need to have any meals while in the air, you're good to go.
04:21Now, most mascaras expire within 3 to 6 months, I'm told, depending on the manufacturer.
04:27But you can help speed up that process if you're not careful enough.
04:31Continuously pumping the mascara wand, trying to mix in the product,
04:35actually pushes more air into the tube.
04:38This can make it dry much faster, and you evidently won't get the desired results with it anymore.
04:44There's an easy way to check if your mascara is still good enough to use.
04:48If you don't hear a popping noise when you take the brush out,
04:52you may very well need to go get yourself a new mascara tube.
04:55Now, I know we're living in the era of Bluetooth-connected devices.
05:00But for better quality sound, they still recommend using headphones that connect via audio jacks.
05:07Remember seeing black ridges on those jacks?
05:10They aren't there just to make them fit when you plug them into your phone or laptop.
05:14Made out of a special insulating material,
05:17these bands are meant to guard the wires when sound is being transmitted.
05:21Based on the number of bands, you can figure out which end goes where.
05:25Some empty space under noodles in a cup doesn't mean the company producing them
05:30wants to cheat you out of a full portion.
05:32No, no.
05:33It's a manner of keeping the noodles intact during their transportation.
05:37It also helps with the circulation of hot water that is poured over the products
05:41before you can enjoy them.
05:43The V-shaped neckline was initially designed to serve a bunch of objectives.
05:48First, as a way of prolonging the life of the garment that would maintain its shape over the years.
05:53It's also there to fit your head through the shirt in case it needs some stretching.
05:58This way, it ensures a snugger grip around the neck.
06:01Lastly, it helps absorb sweat in case you're wearing the shirt while exercising.
06:07Now, it's not necessarily a custom anymore,
06:09but you may have stumbled upon a dinner jacket with an additional mysterious pocket on the right side.
06:15Turns out, this pocket was used by men to easily reach their train tickets,
06:20since most of them had to travel to work every day.
06:23It helped them keep their jacket buttoned up, but also benefited from the use of a pocket.
06:29Now, it's only added as a decoration, and it doesn't serve an actual purpose anymore.
06:34Speaking of things we don't use these days, or at least for their initial purpose,
06:39did you know Play-Doh was originally a cleaning product?
06:42In the 1920s, the market was in need of a product
06:46that could help them wipe the wallpapered areas around coal-burning furnaces.
06:50The recipe for what we now know as Play-Doh was thus invented.
06:55It was manufactured in white only,
06:57and was supposed to clean wallpaper by being rolled back and forth over the dirt.
07:02It was only later, in the 1940s, that new products for cleaning wallpaper were brought up,
07:08and Play-Doh was redirected toward another area of the market.
07:12Now, while I enjoy a nice piece of toast for breakfast,
07:16isn't it pesky to have to clean out the toaster?
07:19Well, not anymore, since I recently found out that toasters have a slide or a panel at the bottom
07:25that helps get rid of all those annoying breadcrumbs easily.
07:32Now, there used to be a time when you could only have access to video games
07:36by inserting cartridges in your console of choice.
07:39These tiny objects gave many doctors a lot of headaches.
07:43People soon started popping up in hospitals after swallowing small game cartridges,
07:49especially the younger generation.
07:51Nintendo, the company that manufactures the majority of these devices,
07:55had to come up with a creative solution to prevent these accidents.
07:59So, these days, Nintendo Switch cartridges are purposely coated with specific chemicals
08:04that can leave a really bad bitter taste in the mouth.
08:08Not that I'd, you know, recommend you ever try and taste for yourself.
08:13Various types of cheese have holes for a reason.
08:16For example, Swiss cheese is made with special bacteria that produce carbon dioxide.
08:22As the CO2 is emitted, it blows like bubblegum,
08:26leaving tiny craters, also known as cheese eyes.
08:29Then the cheese is cooled down, but the holes stay in place.
08:35Over 40 billion Oreos are made every single year.
08:39It's the world's most popular manufactured cookie.
08:42The geometric design stamped onto these cookies has the Nabisco logo,
08:47the symbol of European quality, surrounding the word Oreo.
08:51William Tournier created the chocolate cookie design we see today, back in 1952.
08:59If you use reusable bottles, you probably know that sometimes they smell.
09:04Even if you only use it for regular water, it still smells.
09:08But it's not the water that smells.
09:10It's the microorganisms in it.
09:12If you drink water from a bottle, the particles of your saliva and sweat stay in there.
09:17Those bacteria start to build up in the bottle, causing the smell.
09:21So, if you choose reusable bottles, make sure to wash them every day
09:26to prevent those bacteria from building up.
09:29After washing, let it dry completely before using it again.
09:35Not only are the jeans blue, but the police officers' uniforms as well.
09:40The first official police officers appeared in the 19th century in London.
09:44They were given a blue uniform to contrast with the red and white uniform that military workers
09:49had already been wearing.
09:51Two decades afterward, the police force was adopted in the USA, and they followed the patterns.
09:57The uniform is still blue nowadays, because it proved to be a good color.
10:01It's not that visible in dark hours, and police officers can observe things and people staying unnoticed.
10:08Also, stains aren't that visible on dark material.
10:11And, well, everyone knows that police officers wear blue, and they're recognized in.
10:16So, why change that?
10:20Baby carrots are tiny, and unlike regular carrots, wet.
10:24Not unlike baby humans.
10:26Baby carrots aren't some special sort of carrot.
10:29They're actually made of regular carrots by cutting off the skin and outer layers,
10:34and then polishing them to look that pretty.
10:36The problem is, they can't retain moisture.
10:39A regular carrot retains some water inside because of the layers that lock it in.
10:44Once they're chopped out, baby carrots can dry out easily.
10:47So, they usually sell them in bags with some water inside.
10:54Jeans have metal rivets, and they're there from the very beginning.
10:58Jacob Davis, the man who made the first pair of jeans,
11:01added copper rivets to spots where pants are more likely to rip,
11:05flies in pockets, to make them stronger.
11:07Today, they have more of a decorative purpose,
11:10since they are distinctive and traditional for jeans.
11:13Another special thing about jeans is those tiny pockets they have that seemingly serve no purpose.
11:20Well, maybe it's true now.
11:21But years ago, when many cowboys were wearing jeans,
11:25the pocket was made specifically to keep a pocket watch there.
11:28Also, back then, a pair of jeans had just four pockets.
11:32That tiny pocket, the watch pocket, two big pockets in front, and just one pocket in the back.
11:40Car headrests are all about comfort, and detachable headrests are all about safety.
11:46If you pull the headrest out, you'll see two sturdy metal bars.
11:49If you ever get locked or trapped in a car, you can use the bars to smash the window and
11:55get out.
11:57Those little red spots you sometimes see after you crack an egg are nothing to be worried about.
12:03Tiny blood spots can be caused by a small rupture in a blood vessel of a hen as it was
12:08laying the egg.
12:10Eggs with these blood spots are safe to eat, but that spot can be removed if you want.
12:15It won't affect the taste of the egg.
12:17Oh, that's comforting.
12:19Hidden within the Toblerone logo of the mountain is the image of a bear standing on its hind legs,
12:26about to eat that yodeler over there.
12:27No, not really.
12:29This is because bears are a big part of Bern, one of the biggest cities in Switzerland,
12:34where the founder created the triangular chocolate tree.
12:37Toblerone is also a play on the founder's family name, Tobler,
12:41and the Italian word toron for honey and almond nougat.
12:47The space below a cup of noodles is there to protect the noodles during transport.
12:52This technique is called a middle suspension.
12:55Not only are they protected better in their styrofoam cup,
12:58but it also helps those noodles soften more evenly and quickly.
13:02Even though you might have noticed that the hole on the barrel of ballpoint pens has no purpose,
13:07it does.
13:08It's called a venting system, which helps the ink flow more smoothly.
13:12This way, an even amount of air pressure is created inside and outside the pen,
13:17allowing the ink to flow into the point easily.
13:21It's not an accident that soy sauce bottles have two spouts.
13:25The sauce is liquid, and it flows out of the bottle pretty quickly once you turn it over.
13:30Most Asian food lovers will admit they've spilled it at least once in a lifetime.
13:35That's why, nowadays, restaurants prefer serving soy sauce in special bottles that have two spouts.
13:41This design allows you to control when and how much sauce will come out.
13:45Just put your finger on one spout while you pour the sauce through another.
13:49If you press your finger tightly to the spout, the sauce will stop flowing,
13:54and if you remove your finger, it will flow again.
13:57And please, do not remove your finger in a restaurant.
14:00It will freak everybody out.
14:03You've probably noticed that train and bus seats are covered in fabrics with weird patterns.
14:09Any idea why?
14:10They use these patterns to cover any germs and stains on the seat.
14:14Oh boy.
14:15The brighter the color and the more patterned it is,
14:17the harder it will be for a passenger to notice any stains and get grossed out.
14:22Also, the patterns are usually so ugly that no one even wants to look at them for long enough to
14:28spot any stains.
14:29So yeah, the pattern is there to make you look away,
14:32and if you look, to make it less noticeable.
14:35No bus will ever have plain white seats.
14:38That's a guarantee.
14:41The middle tab on soda cans can be flipped around.
14:44You can slip a straw in place so you don't have to hold it up your mouth.
14:47This stay-on tab replaced the pull ring tab created in the early 60s.
14:52You remember those, don't you?
14:53Those could be quite sharp and easily discarded where they could be a menace for others.
14:58Now you can pop your straw straight into one.
15:01Also means you can produce some bubbles and make a mess like a three-year-old.
15:07Sometimes, when you purchase an article of clothing,
15:09you receive a plastic baggie with an extra button and a swatch of fabric.
15:14While the fabric is clearly used to patch holes,
15:17it can also be used to test the effects of various cleaners on certain surfaces.
15:22It's handy, too, to test wash cycles before using them to wash the whole garment.
15:29Escalators have those fluffy black brushes for a similar reason that some have yellow lines on their steps.
15:35To try and deter people from getting too close to dangerous places.
15:39People don't always take notice.
15:41And sometimes, clothing can drape close to the point where the step meets the edge or skirt.
15:47The brush is a little barrier to help prevent this from happening.
15:50They can also catch bits of fluff and prevent other small things from falling down into the gaps.
15:57Those takeaway containers most associated with Chinese restaurants
16:01are designed to not only carry your food home, but to store it in the fridge.
16:06They double as a plate, as you can eat straight out of them and don't have to worry about dirty
16:11dishes.
16:11Yay!
16:12They were actually patented way back in 1894 to transport freshly shucked oysters and were known as oyster pails.
16:20They were later adapted to use as leak-proof containers for food.
16:26Ever wondered why coins have those little ridges along the edge?
16:29It's a leftover from earlier times when they were worth more.
16:33Counterfeiters could easily file the edges off to sell as gold or silver coins to make some profit.
16:38The ridges were created so it was much easier to tell which of the coins had been altered.
16:44It's not needed today, but the coins still have that altered style.
16:50All crackers and some cookies have holes to make sure the final product has the right texture.
16:56These teeny tiny holes allow steam to escape, so your crackers and cookies won't snap.
17:01If it weren't for these holes, also known as dockers,
17:04steam would build up inside the tree, and the final result might have been scrumptious,
17:09but it would have been rather oddly shaped.
17:13Dogs like to walk in circles before snoozing
17:15because they inherited this behavior pattern from their ancestors.
17:19There were no special doggy beds back then,
17:22so most pooches would have to push down tall grass to make a sort of snoozing spot.
17:27Plus, as a bonus, those movements scared off all the critters lurking in the vegetation.
17:34Donuts are ring-shaped for a similar reason.
17:36If they hadn't had holes right in the center,
17:39the dough there would have always been undercooked.
17:42By the way, they're often associated with the police,
17:45because back in the 1950s, donut shops were among the only places openly.
17:50They were a perfect place for police officers to grab something to eat
17:54and even deal with some paperwork during the night shift.
17:58Your jeans are blue on the outside and white on the inside
18:02because of a smart way to weave the fabric.
18:05The warp thread is dyed, while the weft thread has no color.
18:09It's just white.
18:10This way, manufacturers reduce the amount of dye needed for each piece of clothing.
18:15And they're still dyeing to make the jeans.
18:21Okay, I know it's kind of cold to the touch, especially on a freezing winter's day.
18:25But did you know that brass doorknobs actually serve a purpose apart from looking classy and shiny?
18:30Since it's a copper alloy, brass has antimicrobial properties.
18:34That means it can help get rid of harmful germs and bacteria, sometimes in up to two hours.
18:39In high-traffic areas, that's all the more useful.
18:42But since brass is much costlier than other metals like nickel and steel,
18:46you barely see these types of doorknobs anymore nowadays.
18:50Speaking of lovely multi-purpose items, most screwdrivers have a tiny little secret of their own.
18:55They can sometimes be slid through a wrench so that they can be used to create more torque when twisting.
19:01Not to mention the uses when it comes to bolts in hard-to-reach places.
19:05There's a reason why buttons on women's shirts are for the left-handed, and it has nothing to do with
19:11fashion.
19:11This practice dates back to the times when chambermaids were helping ladies dress themselves,
19:16and it was easier for them to perform their job with this orientation.
19:21Having the buttons placed as such indicated a sign of wealth,
19:25so it's easy to imagine why the practice carried on, even though most people dress themselves nowadays.
19:31Next time you receive a package in your mail, take a look at your box cutter.
19:35If it features some diagonal lines on the blade, you're in for a little design perk.
19:40Turns out that these are blades that snap off.
19:43Continuously cutting cardboard can dull the sharp edge of the blade.
19:46To help prevent the need to buy a brand new box cutter,
19:49the top segment along the next line can be broken off to reach a new sharp edge.
19:54To do this, check out the small hole at the base of the tool, sometimes called the blade snapper.
20:00The people that first came up with this brilliant invention were engineers,
20:04inspired by the way chocolate bars are segmented.
20:07Hold on a minute, don't throw away the cardboard package just yet.
20:10Most likely, you'll have some silica gel packets somewhere at the bottom of the box.
20:14Since this gel is basically a drawing tool, it gathers up the moisture out of its environment,
20:19so you can store these packets for further occasions.
20:22Whether you'll need to dry out your phone or some other electrical object,
20:26you can place them in a container next to the silica gel to reduce the damage.
20:31You don't have to be a mechanic to know when a standard car tire needs replacing,
20:35since they come equipped with a neat indicator.
20:37Take a closer look, and you'll see that treads within the tire are a bunch of rubber notches.
20:43When the treads are evened out with the perpendicular bars,
20:46it's a sign you need to book an appointment with your local car service.
20:50Since most likely, the tires have lost most of their traction and may not be safe for driving any longer.
20:56The upper corners of a car windshield feature textured black dots melted into the glass edges.
21:02This neat add-on isn't there for design purposes.
21:05It's called Frit Glazing,
21:07which means that a special type of ceramic paint is added to the window for protecting its sealant from UV
21:14rays.
21:14It also conceals and creates a coarser surface for the adhesive used to set the window in place.
21:22Whenever you're up for a drive,
21:24check out if there's a small tab under your car's rearview mirror.
21:28Bet you didn't know it's there to help switch the mirror from daytime to nighttime views.
21:33It uses a prismatic glass technology to blur the reflection and reduce the glare of headlights behind you in traffic.
21:41People came up with these manually tilted mirrors in the 1930s, but they became standard somewhere in the 1970s.
21:48While you're in the car, check out the headrests, as you most likely don't know that they carry a little
21:54disguised purpose.
21:55Of course, they're adjustable to accommodate passengers of any height so that they get the proper support for their heads
22:01and necks.
22:02The hidden feature is that they are detachable and come with two very solid metal bars.
22:08Should you ever find yourself stuck in a car and need to make a fast getaway?
22:12These bars come in handy to crack out the car windows.
22:16So you're out for a drive and you're suddenly out of gas.
22:19What I'm about to describe sounds more like a meme than an actual situation bound to happen.
22:23But what if you're in such a hurry that you accidentally drive off with the gas nozzle still in the
22:29tank?
22:30Well, the nozzles have been designed to prevent any hazards from happening, rest assured.
22:35They feature a breakaway device that will allow the hose to separate when taken out with enough force.
22:41Initially designed in the early 20th century to be worn exclusively by basketball players,
22:47sneakers soon became one of those fashion fundamentals, similar to jeans and leather jackets.
22:52If you take a closer look at them, you'll see they have two extra holes on the side, similar to
22:57the shoelace holes.
22:58They're manufactured as such not only to provide extra ventilation,
23:02but to allow people to get extra creative with their laces when wearing the shoes.
23:07Admit it, you've always thought that chopsticks are merged at the end for the sole purpose of keeping them together
23:12until you're ready to dig into your meal.
23:14That may or may not be the whole truth.
23:16Under a more detailed inspection, the wooden tools feature a square-shaped end.
23:22Chopsticks manufactured like this date back to an old Japanese traditional design,
23:27which can help with breaking the ends easily.
23:29The separated end can then be used as a resting block for the chopsticks
23:34to keep it more sanitized in hopes it can be used again,
23:37since they won't be touching the table or any other surface.
23:41Women's bikes have a special design, which, surprisingly, has a historical and fashionable purpose.
23:47The lower frame is for the most part meant to make up for the generally shorter height of ladies,
23:52compared to that of the average gentleman.
23:54While that is the case for handlebars and saddles,
23:57the overall frame is lower for an additional purpose.
24:00Way back when women wore long skirts and dresses all day,
24:04every day they needed to make sure their outfits wouldn't get caught in the frame.
24:08That's how we came up with a lower-framed bicycle,
24:11perfectly made for women and their needs at the time.
24:15The fact that toothpastes are multicolored is not just a nice perk to make dental hygiene more fun.
24:21There's a secret meaning related to each of the colors, which dates back to the 1970s.
24:26In those days, people grew more and more interested in their oral health care,
24:31and as such, they were looking for products which could do more than merely clean their teeth.
24:36One company was the pioneer in that regard, adding mouthwash to its toothpaste, meaning the blue strip.
24:43They later added on the red strip, meant to feature ingredients which helped with gum care.
24:49Speaking of toothpaste, check the cap next time you open a new tube.
24:52You may be in for a little surprise.
24:54There's a pointed cone shape inside the cap, so you can puncture the seal of the toothpaste without cutting yourself
25:01or ruining your manicure.
25:02Not to mention, it's more hygienic since you won't be able to transfer germs or other bacteria into the product
25:08itself.
25:09On the subject of bathroom countertop items, toothbrushes come with a neat add-on hidden in the bristle patterns.
25:16Apart from making the toothbrush look cooler, they also do come with a practical purpose.
25:22Most toothbrushes come with a pattern of blue bristles intertwined with white ones.
25:26The blue dye is meant to fade out, signaling the time when you need to replace your toothbrush.
25:32Dentists say that toothbrushes should be replaced every three to four months, but it does serve as a great reminder
25:38in case you forget.
25:40Still love playing with Lego?
25:41Don't judge.
25:42Hey, it's a great hobby for all ages.
25:45Notice there's a hole on top of the Lego heads?
25:47Behold, you're looking at a safety feature that the people at Lego designed to prevent choking hazards.
25:53The most dangerous issue should a person swallow any of these pieces is the blocking of the airways.
26:00Designing a hole inside the Lego head helps the air to flow freely through the piece until it can be
26:05removed safely.
26:07We're now used to all sorts of modern light bulbs, some tubular, some shaped like diamonds, and some even twisted
26:14all together.
26:15Historically, light bulbs were round and the initial shape served a purpose in itself.
26:20It was mainly connected to the fact that glass bulbs were hand-blown, which gave them the round shape to
26:26begin with.
26:27The hidden practical reason was that the light bulb filament needed to be at the same distance from every surface
26:32of the glass sphere.
26:34The easiest way to achieve this was to make the glass in the shape of a globe.
26:40Seatbelt on the passenger seats has a fabric loop.
26:43When put under a great amount of pressure, the stitches on the loop rip apart, so the excess fabric can
26:49assist in cushioning the passengers.
26:51The extra few inches can make a great difference within a dire circumstance.
26:56However, there isn't one on the driver's side.
26:59As the driver is so close to the steering wheel, it's safer for them not to have one.
27:03Seatbelts were originally invented in the mid-19th century, though this technology wasn't brought into common practice until the 1960s.
27:13Pre-collision sensory technology has assisted with developing the safety of seatbelts and other features to the next level.
27:20Effectively predicting a car's collision, the technology directs the seatbelts to automatically tighten,
27:26aligning the airbags and ensuring the brakes will be preloaded to reduce shock.
27:31Every year, 6 million car accidents occur, which explains why all cars still must continue to develop safety features,
27:40not only to alleviate accidents, but to protect people more effectively within their cars.
27:45The materials that make up the body of cars only started getting replaced within the last 25 years,
27:52ranging from aluminum and magnesium alloys to carbon fiber composites.
27:56These lighter materials not only enable a more fuel-efficient journey,
28:00but they also ensure that when a car is in an accident, its build provides a crumple zone.
28:06As a car hits another object, the crumple zone absorbs energy from the collision.
28:11Although this would appear to cause more damage to the car, it helps prevent impact on the passengers.
28:17Front and rear bumpers are very underrated,
28:20and, due to their long history of being used in cars, you can't imagine a time we didn't use them.
28:26They were invented in the late 1800s.
28:29The bumpers evolved over the years to the point we don't even realize we have them.
28:33But they're there, quietly waiting under the outer covers,
28:37consisting of compressible foam or plastic around a rigid reinforced bar.
28:42All the windows of your car are made of glass, but the windshield is made of a shatterproof version.
28:49It's laminated, so whatever might hit it,
28:52you can be sure there won't be any shards of glass falling into the front seats.
28:56Normal glass was used up until the 1950s.
29:00As vehicles became more prominent, they made modifications to ensure safety.
29:06Airbags seem like another common feature that has always been there.
29:09In fact, they were originally invented in 1968 and were ahead of their time.
29:15They slowly gained popularity, and, through safety precautions for cars,
29:19they eventually became mandatory for all cars to have, only in 1998.
29:24They have since developed from just being an airbag within the steering wheel.
29:29Today, depending on the vehicle, they can be located throughout the car,
29:33ensuring all potential passengers will be protected.
29:36Crash sensors connected to an onboard computer detect when a collision occurs and trigger the bags,
29:43inflating within milliseconds and providing a cushioned safety within a blink of an eye.
29:48It can be difficult to predict the weather, and even more so to determine traction on the road.
29:53In the late 1960s, anti-lock braking systems, ABS, were implemented in vehicles.
30:00Before that, they had been used in many aircraft, with designs going as far back as 1908.
30:06They soon became a necessity for all vehicles, ensuring traction is maintained on slippery surfaces
30:12and that there is complete control when braking.
30:15Today, ABS has advanced so much that the latest variations ensure further detection when there are strong crosswinds.
30:24Cruise control, initially invented in 1948, has been in constant development over many decades.
30:31Today, adaptive cruise control ensures that when the car is cruising at a constant speed
30:36and detects a slower car ahead, it will then adjust the speed to match the car in front.
30:42Other advanced variants may also ensure the car will make a complete stop,
30:46once identifying that the car in front has done the same.
30:50It's easy to forget to have your high beams on when driving on the long and lonesome road for many
30:55hours.
30:56Automatic high beams are quickly becoming more common.
30:59High-tech camera modules can easily determine what type of light is passing through
31:04and help ensure when the high beam will be necessary.
31:08Although versions of automatic high beams have been around since the 1950s,
31:12they counted on light-sensitive sensors and were very unreliable.
31:16The new varieties can identify the sources of light,
31:20whether it's from the sun, directly from a car's light, or even from the reflection on a sign,
31:25ensuring you won't cause issues with other drivers.
31:29It's a pain in the neck to have to ensure there isn't anyone creeping into that semi-visible corner,
31:35the blind spot, which causes around 400,000 accidents per year.
31:39Solar sensors within rear bumpers of vehicles and blind spot monitoring systems watch and identify adjacent lanes.
31:47They alert the driver that a vehicle may be in the lane beside them,
31:51whether by flashing lights on the dash or from beeping sounds.
31:54This way, they help to alleviate the many concerns the blind spot causes.
32:001.6 million road accidents are caused by texting and driving,
32:04and fatigue normally causes up to 10% of all car accidents per year.
32:09The driver attention monitor helps to alleviate both statistics.
32:14It works through sensors that monitor the car's movements and the amount of steering corrections
32:19to ensure the driver is paying attention to the road.
32:22When the system identifies that the driver isn't completely awake or is slightly distracted with their phone,
32:28it will prompt signals to suggest it's time for a break.
32:32Tires are among the most critical components for your car,
32:35with a close relationship with whatever path you take.
32:38Many safety features rely on the tires themselves for their own independent purposes.
32:43That's why it's super important to ensure the tires are always in top condition.
32:48Tire pressure monitoring systems check the air pressure of all four tires,
32:52ensuring you're aware when they need their pressure increased to avoid the risk of a blowout.
32:57The constant evolution in technologies continues to ensure you stay safe on longer stretches of the road.
33:04Lane departure warnings focus on the lines on the road, ensuring the car stays within.
33:09Whenever a car starts drifting over a line in the road without signaling to do so,
33:14the camera-based feature identifies and signals to the driver.
33:17The lane-keeping assist feature follows the same method of identifying when the car is intruding the bordering lane.
33:24When it gets too close, it will readjust the steering and center the car within its appropriate lane.
33:31Other features in more advanced cars have autonomous driving capabilities.
33:36The autopilot systems have taken cruise control to the next level.
33:40Not only does it allow the vehicle to steer itself in the intended lane while maintaining a set speed,
33:45but it also changes lanes when required, making the ride more and more efficient.
33:51Some safety features are only just making a trend in car models worldwide.
33:55For example, night vision, using thermographic cameras to look out for pedestrians and animals nearby.
34:02It goes within the infotainment screen, facing frontwards and identifying objects from their heat signatures.
34:09It's estimated that there are over 1.4 billion cars in use worldwide.
34:14And as the world's population increases, it's expected that the number of cars will follow suit.
34:20Safety features will continue to adapt further beyond what we know of today.
34:25Infrared headlights will be further adapted to be used in conditions with poor visibility,
34:30like storms, snow, and fog.
34:32They'll be capable of enhancing the visibility of the driver in all conditions without affecting the sight of passing drivers.
34:40Driver override systems will soon be able to monitor and identify human behavior.
34:44Whether due to reckless conduct on the road or for other safety precautions,
34:49cars will soon have the functionality to take complete control of themselves,
34:53ensuring both the passengers' and the driver's safety.
34:57Augmented reality windshields are in early development already,
35:01providing some indicator reflections from the dash onto the windshield.
35:04So, it's quite possible that soon all necessary directions from maps and alerts
35:09will appear right in front of the driver to ensure they never take their eyes off the road.
35:15Airbags will soon not only just be used within a car to ensure the passenger's safety,
35:20they will also activate from the outside of the car once they identify a definitive collision.
35:25The airbags will inflate outwards, covering the entire outside of the car,
35:30and drastically reducing its impact.
35:32It may be so advanced that the bodywork of the car won't even need to be buffed out.
35:37The future technology of cars is expected to be so progressive
35:41that the cars themselves will have their own form of communication,
35:45not with human drivers, but with other cars.
35:48Just imagine cars communicating and sharing information as they identify roadblocks,
35:54issues on the road, or disruptive weather patterns.
35:56It will all ensure the most efficient and safest route possible.
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