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This film takes a look at a fascinating parallel world as we encounter the limitations of human vision. Among other stories, we delve...
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00:03Ours is a high-speed world.
00:07Too fast for our senses.
00:09We see only a fraction of what goes on around us.
00:13It's a bit like viewing the world in time-lapse.
00:19What we can't see evades us,
00:22but it is there to be seen
00:24with the help of cutting-edge camera technology.
00:30This is the fascinating journey
00:32into a parallel universe of super-speed.
00:38Where moments of sheer magic
00:41are revealed in fantastic detail.
00:46And the invisible becomes visible.
00:51What the naked eye sees is just a tiny part
00:55of a much bigger reality.
00:58Now, super-slow-motion images uncover a mysterious cosmos.
01:03The world as we have never seen it before.
01:17Of how exceptional athletes like triple world boxing champion
01:22Susie Cantikian achieve their extraordinary abilities
01:25has long baffled science.
01:29But ultra-high-speed cameras now reveal
01:32that Susie punches faster than the human eye can see.
01:37A killer tongue strikes in just 130 milliseconds.
01:41Too fast to react to.
01:45In super-slow-motion, the Shaolin monk's legendary skills
01:50are shown in stunning detail.
01:59Carefully adapted cameras reveal a falcon's breathtaking high-speed perspective.
02:06Keeping seven balls in the air may seem impossible.
02:10But, using special eye-tracking devices,
02:13we explain how a juggler pulls off his high-speed act.
02:28Hamburg Harbour.
02:29A panorama full of visual attractions.
02:32Today, in just one hour,
02:34our eyes have to cope with more visual stimulants
02:37than we would have had to deal with in an entire day,
02:40just 200 years ago.
02:45Our eyes permanently scan our environment.
02:48We can register new information about four times a second.
02:52And that means we only ever see a fraction
02:56of what actually goes on right in front of us.
03:02Genghis is the best power mover in the world.
03:05His ultra-fast movements are fascinating,
03:07but we can never really see the detail.
03:25In super-slow-motion, the real magic behind his performance comes to life.
03:53But why do we miss so much of what goes on around us in real time?
04:10Our eyes perceive the world in single images.
04:14Between them, for a fraction of a second, we are blind.
04:18Our brain needs time to process the registered information.
04:25It's a bit like a flipbook.
04:27We register around 20 pictures a second,
04:30which the brain then interprets as continuous motion,
04:33just like a film.
04:36High-speed cameras, in contrast,
04:39can record several thousand images a second.
04:51Overloaded with stimulants and information,
04:54our eyes are simply not able to cope with the fast pace of the world.
04:58Nor do they need to.
05:00What we can see naturally is all we theoretically need to survive.
05:05High-speed cameras reveal details we're simply unable to register with the naked eye.
05:16But what is speed?
05:18What do we perceive as slow?
05:21And what do we consider fast?
05:25A roller-coaster ride allows us to enter a world of extremes.
05:40We are fascinated by speed.
05:43And for a few moments, our perception of time is left confused.
05:48Is there a difference between perceived time and actual time?
06:05People experiencing extraordinary events often explain how time stood still
06:11and everything happened as if in slow motion.
06:15So, do the felt seconds correspond to actual time?
06:21In fact, time is a construct of our senses.
06:25They parcel reality into small packages of time,
06:29which are then filed away in our brains.
06:33Only extraordinary experiences,
06:35and the technical tricks of new high-speed cameras,
06:39allow us to escape this pre-formatted perception of time and speed.
06:54It's as if we're looking into a new dimension of time,
06:58one we're usually excluded from.
07:02The magic of slow motion exposes the reality of speed.
07:14The flight of this great tit lasts only seconds.
07:18Too fast for us to make out details.
07:24But using high-speed cameras,
07:26we can unravel the fascinating airborne maneuvers
07:30of these tiny 20-gram aerial acrobats.
07:40During its approach to the nesting box,
07:43the little bird seems to be suspended in mid-air for a fraction of a second,
07:47wings folded neatly behind its back.
07:51How and why is not fully understood.
07:54It's probably to control aerodynamics and reduce drag.
08:01The flight of birds still poses many questions for modern science.
08:06Questions that could have far-reaching implications for future technology.
08:12Flying by beating your wings remains the most efficient method at low speeds,
08:18far superior to the mechanisms of propellers or engines.
08:24Ultra-slow motion footage can provide incredible new insights.
08:28But there are still many unknowns.
08:31How do birds behave at night?
08:33Or when flying through clouds and in bad weather?
08:38These are a few of the questions biologist Martin Wieckelski is trying to answer,
08:45using some unusual methods.
08:47In his Cessna, he follows signals emitted by tiny transmitters
08:52fitted to animals like birds, butterflies, insects and bats.
08:59The transmitters relay the animal's exact positions
09:02and measure their heartbeats.
09:04Like this blackbird, about to embark on its annual migration
09:09to its winter quarters over a thousand kilometers away in the south of France.
09:16Slow motion images, combined with the data from the transmitters,
09:20provide completely new insights into the aerial antics of birds,
09:24including the hunting behavior of falcons.
09:34Vyckelski is fascinated by these high-speed aerobatics.
09:42Falcons have a different perception of speed.
09:45They actually see in slow motion,
09:48enabling them to strike their prey in the space of just a split second.
09:55Fyckelski wants to find out if the fastest hunters on Earth are also the most successful,
10:00or if success is down to power and strength on impact with their prey.
10:07Together with falconer Paul Klima, he fits a camera to a peregrine falcon.
10:13Special sensors measure the bird's acceleration and heartbeat.
10:19The research is still in its infancy, and the forces at work are so powerful
10:24that the technology often succumbs to the bird's extreme maneuvers.
10:39But the camera strapped to the falcon's back gives a first-hand impression of its ultra-fast flying speeds.
10:47It also gives an initial insight into the falcon's in-flight behavior.
10:55But what exactly the bird's eye perceives remains a mystery.
11:05Well, it's really interesting to see what the falcon is looking at from this mounted camera.
11:11Because as a pilot, you want to know what these animals experience, what they see,
11:16and then how they decide to either sort of continue their flight or to dive down.
11:23It's when the falcon gears up to strike its prey that speeds of more than 300 kilometers per hour are
11:29often achieved.
11:40The falcons are some of the fastest birds in the world.
11:43They can speed up when they try to hit the target, when they try to hit a big bird or
11:49a small animal on the ground.
11:54They probably experience some of the biggest G-forces, similar to astronauts or fighter pilots.
12:02And we're trying to understand how they use these forces also to hit these targets.
12:12For some, the ability to fly as fast as a falcon is a dream.
12:16It may not be achievable in person, but specially designed model airplanes are the next best thing.
12:24Rafael Pirca has equipped his remote-controlled model with cutting-edge technology.
12:32Monitors have been built into a pair of skiing goggles, which transmit the high-definition images recorded by onboard cameras
12:40in real time.
12:44The planes can be controlled over long distances as they reach speeds of up to 180 kilometers per hour and
12:51climb to 5,000 meters.
12:55It almost feels like you're flying the models yourself and makes for an adrenaline-fueled ride.
13:01One that has already attracted millions of viewers on the internet.
13:14Engaging in high-speed aerial chases and daredevil maneuvers, the feeling of flying is virtually complete.
13:26But, as exciting as it is, this is still a far cry from the aerobatic maneuvers of the Peregrine Falcon,
13:34let alone its top speeds.
13:47Some people, however, really do live at top speed.
13:57Susie Kentikian is the fastest boxer in history, an unbeaten three-time world featherweight champion.
14:10The 24-year-old athlete is permanently in motion.
14:23During a fight, the graceful featherweight turns into a killer queen, seemingly able to anticipate every one of her opponent's
14:32punches.
14:35Susie Kentikian is faster than the human eye.
14:45So, what is her secret?
14:47How can she defy her own mind's processing time to react with such lightning speed?
14:56In slow motion, Susie appears to be dancing.
15:00Elastic steps and jumps, her body's supreme balance, and every detail of her agile movements become visible.
15:09But where does this petite fighting ace find her strength and speed?
15:14How can she anticipate her opponent's every move?
15:19Scientists want to understand how this super-fast boxer uses her body and senses.
15:27I would say that all this comes to me automatically.
15:31I'm the type of fighter who shouldn't spend too much time thinking in the ring.
15:35If I try to think too much, I can't really generate my punches.
15:39I'm the type of fighter who goes into a fight and immediately tries to act, without analyzing it all too
15:46much.
15:46A bit like starting a film and letting it run.
15:52Sports scientist Heiko Wagner is part of the research team.
15:56In order to measure Susie's muscle activity, he positions 20 electrodes on the athlete's skin.
16:05Infrared markers serve to construct a three-dimensional movement profile.
16:21Wired up like a cyborg, Susie begins the experiment.
16:40Film at high speed, a thousand frames a second, the anatomy of each punch becomes visible.
16:50The fists hit the punch bag at exactly 13 meters a second.
16:55That's almost a third faster than all previously measured male boxing legends.
17:02Susie Kentikian can reach an astonishing frequency of 400 punches a minute.
17:09We know data of Muhammad Ali.
17:12He punched less than 200 milliseconds.
17:16Our data of Susie Kentikian show that she is 50% faster than Muhammad Ali.
17:32It's her incredible speed that lies at the heart of Susie Kentikian's success.
17:43Her opponents are simply unable to see her punches coming, let alone react to them.
17:58The speed of her movement suggests to the scientists that this is no longer a process controlled and coordinated by
18:05active thoughts.
18:15A further experiment should shed more light on this.
18:19Six cameras register infrared flashes that are reflected by markers placed on the boxer's arms.
18:27The data allows the scientists to create an exact profile of her punches.
18:35The result is surprising.
18:38Robo Susie punches as predictably as a machine.
18:44One punch mirrors the next for minutes on end.
18:49As all professional boxers can read their opponents, they have, during years of training, acquired the possibilities to see even
19:04the slightest movement in the eye, the opening in the eye or something else.
19:08And so she can anticipate the punch before it even starts.
19:16Susie's incredible punching talent is the result of whatever processes take place inside her brain.
19:22Each deliberate movement begins in the part of the cerebral cortex reserved for motor function.
19:28From there, the order to move is issued via the cerebellum to the spinal cord and finally the muscles.
19:42Years of training create a program of movements that's processed in the cerebellum.
19:47This is where the sensory information needed for coordination is stored.
19:53In essence, the cerebellum begins to respond independently and routinely.
19:59Too many thoughts interfere with the routine.
20:06Susie Kontikyan can rely 100% on her automatic reactions and movements.
20:12But the moment she begins to think and analyze, perhaps to deliver an extra hard punch, the execution of that
20:20punch suffers.
20:22In a fight, she uses her extraordinary field for speed to assess her opponent's movements.
20:28This means she can anticipate the punches before they come.
20:34You definitely have to be able to feel the punch, in some ways be able to smell it.
20:40You can't just go for it in the first round.
20:43You first have to watch what she does, how she punches and how she reacts to me.
21:01If I would try to punch Susie's nose, which I would never dare to do,
21:07I would never succeed to really hit her.
21:11First of all, I would be much too slow.
21:15And second, she would anticipate any of my punches literally years before I can punch her.
21:26400 punches a minute is phenomenal.
21:29And for most of us, almost unbelievable.
21:34But, in comparison to the wingbeats of a bee, even Susie's boxing prowess seems incredibly slow.
21:43High above the rooftops of Frankfurt, we delve into the universe of the humble honeybee.
21:49An almost invisible world right in the heart of the metropolis.
22:04This is the home of 600,000 busy bees.
22:10Humans have kept bees for eons, yet their sophisticated insect societies continue to hold many secrets.
22:19Mysteries that remain invisible to the naked eye.
22:24This honeybee is about to land.
22:27A delicate creature executing a delicate procedure, revealed in astonishing detail through the macro lens of a high-speed camera.
22:39But, all is not what it seems.
22:42These delicate social insects aren't really known for their antisocial behaviour.
22:48The details revealed by the high-speed camera provide new insights.
23:12Bees are tiny aerial acrobats.
23:15While out collecting nectar from flowers, bees can hover in mid-air to harvest the precious liquid.
23:22Literally, on the fly.
23:38The bees' wings work like propellers, beating up to 270 times a second.
23:44They generate turbulences that keep the insects aloft and allow them to reach speeds of 30 km an hour.
23:54To add to their astonishing flying abilities, bees have an extraordinary sense of movement.
24:00They see in slow motion, so to speak.
24:11Insect eyes work much like high-speed cameras.
24:15But how do bees find their way back to the hive when searching for food sources?
24:22Bees perceive the world in completely different ways to humans.
24:26When following familiar roots, they resort to an astonishing trick.
24:31They switch their vision to black and white.
24:34This minimises the information registered by their eyes.
24:44Humans can only vaguely imagine the parallel universe in which bees live.
24:49They perceive movements as around 13 times slower than us.
24:54Because visual stimuli are processed more quickly.
25:03They also register an unbelievable number of images every second.
25:08Up to 330, compared to only 25 for humans.
25:20The way bees see flowers is particularly complicated.
25:24Each of their two compound eyes consists of about 6,000 individual eyes,
25:30which create a pattern of countless pixels.
25:34The image only becomes sharper when the bee comes closer.
25:48To ensure a safe approach,
25:50ultraviolet landing strips help guide the bees.
25:54And scout bees then have to relay the information
25:58about the best flower sources to their siblings back in the hive.
26:04This bee was first at their source early in the morning.
26:08Since then, it spent hours returning with more helpers.
26:12All here to harvest the nectar.
26:21The secret of bee language is the waggle dance,
26:25which serves to exchange information in the darkness of the beehive.
26:31The bee relaying the information begins to shake its body about 15 times a second.
26:37It dances more quickly if the flowers are particularly rich.
26:45To decode the signals,
26:47other bees try to get as close as possible
26:49and touch the bee with their antennas.
26:53High-speed cameras enable us to decode each dance move.
27:04The position in which the bees dance provides information about the direction of the nectar source.
27:11The duration suggests its distance.
27:14A highly complex array of processes,
27:17all taking place inside this tiny insect.
27:25Just as much of an enigma as the honey bee is the secret world of the Shaolin monks.
27:33Meditation is said to give the monks legendary power and strength.
27:41As well as breathtaking speed.
27:48Years of meticulous training, combined with a deep understanding of movement, speed and power,
27:55enable the monks to develop incredibly precise and harmonious movements.
28:05But what exactly happens to the energy delivered by the blow of one fighter
28:10and concentrated on a single point on the body of the other remains a mystery.
28:22Only their faces give away the concentration and physical exertion needed.
28:41Xiyan Yao is prepared to take part in an extraordinary experiment.
28:46He wants to burst a balloon by throwing a thin needle like a projectile through a pane of glass.
29:04It sounds impossible, but images recorded at a thousand frames a second provide the proof.
29:11The needle hits the glass with enormous force and crashes right through it.
29:28What is difficult today is to explain sufficiently the ability to combine and to concentrate energy from different areas,
29:40physical, mental energy, and to concentrate them and to focus on one special person.
29:46What is the point?
29:47But when looking to the technology, years ago we have not been able to explain or even to see the
29:55laser.
29:56And today it's not only possible to see and to analyze it, but also to use it for practical purposes.
30:05The Shaolin Monastery has been here in China's Henan Province for almost 1500 years.
30:14Legend has it that just a dozen of its monks could take on entire armies.
30:22Many children arrive at the monastery aged seven in order to train their chi, their inner strength.
30:29The chi can only be controlled and guided by the mind.
30:39It's a question of learning how to put mind over matter.
30:45Extreme concentration, meditation, years of training, and the pressure of not being allowed to fail.
30:53All of this comes together in strength and movements of the highest perfection.
31:02But the secret of the Shaolin teachings, the monk's chi, can't be captured by high-speed cameras.
31:10It's an exquisite state of mind.
31:28But cameras can capture the achievements of other record holders.
31:32The super-fast antics of animals.
31:35It isn't easy. To film them at high speed they have to get used to light.
31:40Lots of it.
31:43More frames a second means shorter exposure times and thus more light than for ordinary cameras.
31:53It takes an hour for this praying mantis to decide to strike.
32:01The strike itself is considerably quicker, just 45 milliseconds.
32:07There's no getting away from this super-fast attack.
32:12Thanks to its incredible camouflage, the praying mantis has no need to stalk its victims.
32:17It just waits for the prey to come within striking distance.
32:25The blue poison dart frog is also impressive.
32:29It strikes so quickly that it's almost impossible to see in real time.
32:42Flies would be ill-advised to relax when this tongue acrobat is about.
32:48It takes just 130 milliseconds to unleash its secret weapon.
32:53An automatic reaction to prey appearing in the frog's field of vision triggers its tongue.
33:03Other speed assassins can be found underwater.
33:09This time the high-speed camera is focused on a killer with a hunting technique that usually leaves onlookers baffled.
33:20The lionfish.
33:21The lionfish.
33:21One of the most ingenious, fastest hunters in the water.
33:29In real time, all we can see is small crustaceans mysteriously disappearing into the lionfish's gaping mouth, one after the
33:39other.
33:42But at a thousand frames a second, it's clear what makes the lionfish so deadly.
33:49An extendable mouth that hoovers up its prey.
34:06The pistol shrimp has an incredible weapon to stun intruders.
34:10It uses its pincer to accelerate a jet of water to 90 kilometers per hour in less than a thousandth
34:18of a second.
34:19It forms a superheated bubble of water vapor, which reaches more than 4,000 degrees and bursts with a bang
34:27loud enough to register on the sonar of submarines.
34:31Any enemies are quickly dispatched.
34:38But if the dexterity of a pistol shrimp is impressive, the skills of a juggler are equally remarkable.
34:45Daniel Hochsteiner seems to defy the laws of gravity.
34:50How does he do it?
34:53In super slow motion, the accuracy and precise timing of his movements, honed by years of training, are revealed.
35:01They're so accurate, they resemble those of the machine.
35:06Juggling happens far too quickly for the juggler to consciously react to the objects in the air.
35:12That would take far too long.
35:14And by the time the brain has decided how to act, three or even six more rackets are up in
35:20the air and have to be dealt with.
35:35The juggler has just 50 milliseconds to register an object in mid-air and keep the pattern going.
35:41But where does he focus his attention?
35:44And the ready time go Marchess?
36:11It is currently a great inclusion of the chance of a laser beam.
36:12And the moment of the sun advanced.
36:13There is no smoke the Croats.
36:13In the air in the air and thenes fishing space, AH lessons 30 seconds.
36:14the secret they record exactly what daniel hochstein was looking at he focuses on just a
36:20single point in front of him the question about the visual perception of juggler is that it is
36:32impossible to track with your eyes every single ball it is only possible to track the complete
36:42pattern of juggling and therefore if you do some experiments with so-called eye tracking devices
36:50you can see that the jugglers are focused on the crossing point of the balls
36:58sport scientist heiko wagner is himself a juggling enthusiast and dares to join the master juggler
37:06no mean feat
37:14wagner wants to find out how the juggler's incredible speed can be explained
37:20he attaches electrodes to the juggler's skin to measure his muscle activity
37:28biceps and triceps have to work together in a highly coordinated rhythm to achieve the precise throwing
37:35and catching patterns needed daniel hochsteiner manages to reach a dynamic level that is almost
37:42at the boundaries of human reflexes the scientists are impressed hochsteiner achieves six and a half
37:50throws a second each throw takes 150 milliseconds during which the objects have to be thrown with
37:58exactly the same acceleration and at exactly the same angle he's practiced these movements since he was a
38:05child and can now execute them without having to resort to conscious decision making
38:21so what happens if hochsteiner is blindfolded can he replicate his virtually automated pattern of movements
38:30for most jugglers it is nearly impossible to juggle blindly so blind juggling
38:37is highly complicated but it is interesting that is that a normal juggler only needs 0.05 seconds for each
38:47ball
38:47to have enough information to have enough information for stable juggling
38:54it's hard to believe but hochsteiner is able to juggle blindfold
39:01and even his muscle activity remains virtually identical
39:05further proof of the high degree of precision achieved in each movement
39:14but to keep track of seven balls in the air and react with split-second timing even hochsteiner requires his
39:22eyes as backup
39:27a juggler of this caliber has to keep an eye on a general pattern of objects in mid-air
39:32rather than monitoring each one individually
39:50but how does a professional table tennis player manage to calculate the super fast trajectory
39:57of his opponent's ball professionals like christian sus have incredibly quick reactions
40:04he's able to follow the ball even at speeds of 170 kilometers per hour
40:13reading every letter of the stamp on the ball is going a bit far that would be pretty hard but
40:19we're
40:19certainly able to calculate quite a lot based on the opponent's movements and those of the ball
40:24so we know how the ball is traveling and how we have to react to it
40:31a genetic predisposition comes to the aid of top athletes which allows them to see particularly sharply
40:38and maximizes the speed of their nervous reactions they often experience the match in slow motion
40:45and perceive the ball in oversized dimensions
40:50it's virtually impossible to increase their speed simply by training
40:55the fastest players can consciously react to a visual stimulus in less than 180 milliseconds
41:0320 milliseconds faster than the average human
41:11so what about animals how quickly can they react to a situation
41:20so what about animals how quickly can they react to a situation
41:22kittens at play are irresistible and almost like little circus acrobats
41:34their incredibly elastic bodies allow them to stretch turn in mid-air
41:47their ultra-flexible spines mean that they can twist in the air to land on their feet
41:53and cushion the impact of a fall from several meters up
41:58their mid-air jumps and twists are phenomenally accurate but it takes time to master them
42:07a high speed x-ray footage shows the cats astonishingly precise movements
42:16cats are also remarkable for another adaptation and their velvet paws have inspired the designers of car
42:23tires looking for a solution to lethal aquaplaning
42:30HEAVY RAINFALL COMBINED WITH HIGH SPEEDS RESULT IN A FILM OF WATER UNDER THE TIRE.
42:37THE CAR BEGINS TO FLOAT AND CAN NO LONGER BE CONTROLLED.
42:49A SLIP UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN TO A CAT.
42:52WHEN PUTTING ON THE BRAKES OR TO GET A MORE SECURE FOOTING,
42:56THE BALLS OF THEIR PAUSE INCREASE IN SIZE.
43:00IT'S AS IF THE CAT PUTS MORE RUBBER ON THE TARMAC.
43:11ENGINEERS HAVE ADOPTED THESE NATURAL ADAPTATIONS FOR THE DESIGN OF CAR TYRES.
43:19GETTING THE TREAD OF A TYRE JUST RIGHT REQUIRES PEOPLE WITH A SENSE FOR DETAIL.
43:24TYRE CARS.
43:28PROTOTYPES ARE PAINSTAKINGLY CREATED BY HAND.
43:31EACH IS MADE TO MEASURE.
43:36AND EACH OF THE FOUR TYRES FOR A NEW TEST VEHICLE HAS TO BE IDENTICAL.
43:41ONLY THEN CAN THE CAR UNDERTAKE THE TEST.
43:54HIGH-SPEED IMAGES DEMONSTRATE A SECOND PRINCIPLE THAT MINIMIZES THE RISK OF ACQUAPLANING.
44:00WHEN THE ROAD IS WET, THE TIRE TREAD WORKS LIKE A SYSTEM OF CHANNELS.
44:05THE WATER IS TRANSPORTED AWAY FROM THE TIRE TO PREVENT THE CAR FROM FLOATING.
44:09THE WATER IS TRANSPORTED AWAY FROM FLOATING.
44:17AT A THOUSAND IMAGES A SECOND, PHYSICISTS ARE ALSO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE WORKINGS OF A CAT'S TONGUE.
44:24UNLIKE DOGS, CATS DO NOT FORM A LADLE.
44:28INSTEAD, THEY DIP THE TIP OF THEIR TONGUE INTO THE LIQUID AND THEY YANK IT BACK UP AT A SPEED
44:34OF 78 CENTIMETERS A SECOND,
44:36PULLING A COLUMN OF MILK OR WATER WITH IT.
44:44AT EXACTLY THE RIGHT MOMENT, THE CAT CLOSES ITS MOUTH.
44:48THE MILK IS INSIDE.
44:50FOUR TONGUE DIPPS A SECOND MEAN A TENTH OF A MILLILITRE FOR THE CAT.
45:01WATER TAKES ON A DIFFERENT GUISE WHEN VIEWED IN SLOW MOTION.
45:05IT SUDDENLY LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO FIGHT TO GET THROUGH.
45:10IT IS IN FACT AN ELASTIC MEDIUM, AROUND 800 TIMES DENSER THAN AIR,
45:16WHICH EXERTS CONSIDERABLE FORCES ON THE HUMAN BODY.
45:21DOLPHINS SEEM TO GLIDE THROUGH THE WATER WITH EASE
45:25AND ACHIEVE SPEEDS OF 55 KILOMETRES AN HOUR,
45:28AROUND 7 TIMES FASTER THAN A HUMAN BEING.
45:37EFFORTLESSLY THEY SCUD THROUGH THE WATER.
45:40PART OF THEIR IMPRESSIVE SPEED IS DUE TO THEIR TORPEDO-SHAPED BODY DESIGN.
46:02BUT THERE ARE ALSO OTHER FORCES AT PLAY.
46:05IN SLOW MOTION IT IS OBVIOUS HOW WATER PRESSURE DEFORMS A SWIMMER'S SKIN.
46:10IT SLOWS US DOWN AND COSTS A LOT OF ENERGY.
46:22BUT A DOLPHIN'S SKIN IS MUCH THICKER AND ITS SURFACE LIKE VELVET.
46:28THIS MEANS THAT THE WATER SLIPS EVENLY ACROSS IT.
46:32INCREDIBLY, A DOLPHIN'S SKIN CELLS REGENERATE EVERY TWO HOURS.
46:38THIS PERMANENT PEELING REDUCES FLOW RESISTANCE.
46:45IT'S A PRINCIPLE THAT SCIENTISTS WANT TO APPLY TO THE SKIN REGENERATION OF HUMAN BEINGS.
46:51AND DOLPHINS CAN ALSO TEACH US A THING OR TWO ABOUT SWIMMING TECHNIQUES.
47:05THE MUSCLE POWER GENERATED BY ITS TAIL FIN ALONE PROVIDES ENOUGH THRUST TO ENABLE A DOLPHIN TO BECOME AIRBORN.
47:12WE WILL BE ON A DOLPHIN.
47:14WE WILL BE ON A DOLPHIN.
47:31WATER MAY BE A TOUGH ELEMENT FOR US TO MOVE THROUGH BUT, SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, HUMANS HAVE ENJOYED BEING IN
47:38THE WET.
47:40looking at a pool party in super slow motion
47:43makes water look as if it has a skin
47:49it takes on an entirely different character
48:10Darren Burrell alias Burl the bubble guy
48:13has found incredible ways of exploiting the viscosity of water
48:17when mixed with soap
48:21using his hands and mouth he creates soap bubbles
48:25that are like fluid works of art
48:28when viewed in slow motion the magic comes into its own
48:40Burl's fragile creations don't just inspire the imagination of children and onlookers
48:45they're subjects for physicists architects and mathematicians
48:50who study them to unravel the principles of perfect form and invisible forces
49:00the bubbles are made of membranes of soap molecules which trap the water
49:05as if by magic they form spheres
49:08the energetically most efficient form due to the smallest possible exposed surface
49:18but they only last for a moment in the blink of an eye gravity exerts its force
49:24force on the water making the bubbles burst
49:42artists have learned to use speed to enrapture our senses
49:46they generate illusions which sometimes make us see things that don't exist in reality
49:52they exploit the gaps in our vision
50:12a fire eaters incredible abilities seem to go beyond what is humanly possible
50:18how does he do it
50:21by blowing the flame away from his face
50:24he ensures that the high carbon dioxide content
50:27in his breath kills the flame before it touches his mouth
50:38fire has always held a fascination for humans
50:41the combination of danger and mesmerizing naked flames make for a spellbinding display
51:09much of what we can barely comprehend in real time
51:13his revealed in slow motion beyond our everyday lives and perceptions of the world
51:20there is a parallel universe of incredible beauty and astonishing facts
51:27seeing it through the lens of a high-speed camera allows us to begin to understand how the world works
51:35the work we can find out on to make our world works
51:35wise
51:36a lot of work
51:38a lot of work
51:39a lot of work
51:39a lot of work
51:52all of our other people
51:52are used to find
51:52how many more people
51:52a lot of work
51:52is
51:53good
51:57good
51:58You
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