In Brienz/Brinzauls, a small village in the east of Switzerland, there's a village slipping into a valley and a road that's surprisingly dangerous. Thanks to everyone I interviewed: pull down the description for links and more details! CCTV footage from Geopraevent, used with permission: https://www.geopraevent.ch/ More details on the Brienz radar: https://www.geopraevent.ch/project/rockfall-radar-brienz/ CSD Engineers: https://www.csd.ch/en Camera: Alicja Pahl Producer: Sebastian Capeda at Viven https://viven.ch Editor: Michelle Martin https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

At a pumped storage plant in western Austria, a company called Energy Robotics is testing robot dogs for inspection. All the fancy Boston Dynamics publicity stunts aside: are the robots actually useful? ■ As ever: this is not an advert, Energy Robotics and illwerke vkw had no editorial control. They just asked "do you want to fly your drone inside the Obervermuntwerk II hydroelectric power plant to film a robot dog", and of course I immediately said yes. Energy Robotics: https://www.energy-robotics.com/ illwerke vkw: https://www.illwerkevkw.at/ Edited by Michelle Martin: https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

In Lübeck, Germany, there's one of several eHighway test projects: overhead catenary wires, where electric trucks with pantographs can pull power directly from the grid. Thanks to everyone who gave so much time to make this video possible! More about the eHighway: https://www.ehighway-sh.de/de/ehighway.html Prof. Cebon's work at the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight: https://www.csrf.ac.uk/author/dcebon/ Camera operator: Richard Bielau Producer: Maximilian Thesseling of Klein Aber https://kleinaber.de/ With thanks to all the team at the eHighway and at Spedition Bode GmbH I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

The Brünnlisau shooting range in Switzerland has its targets on the other side of a major road. And it's safe. Here's how and why. Thanks to everyone at the Schiessanlage Brünnlisau! Camera: Alicja Pahl Producer: Sebastian Capeda at Viven https://viven.ch Editor: Michelle Martin https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

On a little canal off the Elbe river in Germany, sits the McBoat: the world's only paddle-through McDonalds. It seemed like the sort of thing I should investigate. Camera operator: Richard Bielau Producer: Maximilian Thesseling of Klein Aber https://kleinaber.de/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

An elevator that can go smoothly from horizontal to vertical isn't possible... right? Turns out that the conventional wisdom is wrong, and the Schmid Peoplemover has been doing that for many years. Camera: Moritz Janisch Producer: Marcel Fenchel https://www.fenchel-janisch.com/ Engineering consultant: Calum Douglas Animation: Pete McPartlan I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

In Darmstadt, Germany, there's the Eisenbahnbetriebsfeld: a model railway connected to actual railway signalling equipment, so that controllers can learn without putting any real trains in danger. I got to learn the very basics. ■ More about the railway (in German): https://www.eisenbahnbetriebsfeld.de/ Camera: Moritz Janisch Producer: Marcel Fenchel https://www.fenchel-janisch.de Editor: Isla McTear With thanks to Deutsche Bahn and DB Training, AKA Bahn, the Institut für Bahnsysteme und Bahntechnik at TU Darmstadt, and all the team at the Eisenbahnbetriebsfeld! I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

The Nürburgring Nordschleife is the longest permanent racetrack in the world: 21km of unforgiving blind corners and hills, nicknamed "the Green Hell". Oh, and some days, it's also just a public toll road with no speed limit. More about the Ring: https://www.nuerburgring.de/en.html About "Touristenfahrten", Tourist Drives: https://nuerburgring.de/driving/touristdrives Driver: Andy Gülden Camera: Moritz Janisch Producer: Marcel Fenchel https://www.fenchel-janisch.com/ Location assistance: Misha Charoudin (who included me in his vlog from the day! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu0VnfvKgKw ) I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Over the Manchester Ship Canal, you'll find the Hulmes Ferry, the Thelwall Ferry, and the Warburton Toll Bridge. They're all strange in their own way, all under the control of one company, and all dating back to old laws and legal documents from a hundred years ago. I was in the area, so I stopped by, and found that things might be changing soon. REFERENCES: Manchester Ship Canal Act (1885) Rixton and Warburton Bridge Act (1863) (NOTE: it looks like permission for the toll bridge was set up by the 1863 Act, but that was a different bridge over the River Mersey, and the laws and permissions were transferred over to the Ship Canal when they needed a bigger bridge and it is a complete mess of legal wrangling. As it doesn't affect the final story, I quietly elided that whole section because it was far too dull!) Other references: https://moneyweek.com/414922/11-november-1887-work-begins-on-the-manchester-ship-canal https://hulmesferry.co.uk/ https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/t

NERC's Space Geodesy Facility, hidden away in the English countryside, fires lasers at satellites. Because it turns out that knowing a satellite's position exactly is really, really difficult. More about the Facility: http://sgf.rgo.ac.uk/ Thanks to Jay Dickieson for the suggestion! I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

The flight between Papa Westray and Westray takes 80-90 seconds and covers about 2km. Why does it exist? And what's it like? On a rainy day in the Orkney Islands, I went to find out. Thanks to Sam from Wendover Productions! https://www.youtube.com/wendoverproductions I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

The Orkney Islands, off the northern tip of Scotland, have so much electricity that it's actually a problem. Here's why: and here's what they're doing about it. Kirkwall Pier drone shot by Colin Keldie, courtesy of EMEC: http://www.emec.org.uk/ O2 Turbine drone shot courtesy of Orbital Marine: https://www.orbitalmarine.com/ SOURCES: https://www.4coffshore.com/news/ofgem-extends-orkney-transmission-link-deadline-nid23512.html https://www.orcadian.co.uk/new-renewable-generation-connections-welcomed-for-first-time-in-eight-years/ https://www.ssen.co.uk/ANM/ https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/orkney/ https://www.oref.co.uk/orkneys-energy/ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/20/orkney-northern-powerhouse-electricity-wind-waves-surplus-power-hydrogen-fuel-cell https://www.sciencefocus.com/future-technology/the-orkney-islands-the-energy-revolution-starts-here/ https://www.theengineer.co.uk/hydrogen-diesel-injection-orkney-ferry/ https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/blaze-at-tesla-big-

Ness of Brodgar, in Orkney, is one of the most important archaeological sites in western Europe. This week, it was covered by old, worn-out tires. Here's why. ■ Thanks to the Ness team! More about them, volunteering, and donating: https://www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Tower Bridge is a tourist attraction these days: but first and foremost, it's a working, lifting bridge. And river traffic comes first. • Thanks to the Tower Bridge team: they have details of their tours here: https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/ Produced by: Cambria Bailey-Jones Edited by: Guy Larsen Camera: Jamie MacLeod 2nd Unit Camera: Jimmy Blake Drone Director: Matthew Bateman Drone Operators: Ian Hunter, Phil Conrad A Penny4 Production: https://www.penny4.co.uk Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ REFERENCES: Corporation of London (Tower Bridge) Act 1885, https://vlex.co.uk/vid/corporation-of-london-tower-808108441 Hansard debate on Tower Bridge 1970, https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1960-01-27/debates/9f990ccf-e0e0-439c-bdbb-ef42162e4c57/TowerBridge I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

On the German coast of the Baltic Sea, there's a tourist attraction that I think is very strange: the "Tauchgondel", a room that sinks under the waves and lets you go diving... without getting wet. More about the Tauchgondel: https://www.tauchgondel.de/ Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Camera operator: Richard Bielau Production team: Klein Aber https://kleinaber.de/ Thanks to Letizia Geltz for the suggestion! I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Iceland has a new volcano, Fagradalsfjall: I wanted to visit, to talk about the infrastructure around it, and work out how the country deals with a new and dangerous tourist attraction. It didn't go well. Thanks to Bjorn Steinbekk, who I thoroughly recommend if you need a fixer or drone pilot in Iceland! https://www.steinbekk.com/ He's also the person who flew a drone into the lava: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmGKL19W_UM The quote is from Sam Hughes' Ra, which is free online. I thoroughly recommend it: https://qntm.org/ra Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Here's the full video from a camera attached to a bucket on the Claughton Aerial Ropeway! And here's my whole video about the ropeway and its history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RiYXI1Tfu4 Thanks to all the team at Forterra: https://www.forterra.co.uk/ Filmed on a GoPro Hero 9 with Hypersmooth Boost enabled I've got a newsletter now! It goes out every week and includes interesting links I've found while researching that week: https://www.tomscott.com/newsletter/ And there's an experimental second channel in progress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNyOrINHtdM I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

In Claughton, Lancashire, the Forterra brickworks produces 50 million bricks a year, from shale that's quarried a mile and a half away. To get that shale to the brickworks: the last aerial ropeway in the country. These used to be common: but now, the last one will be gone by 2036. Thanks to all the team at Forterra: https://www.forterra.co.uk/ Thanks to Dave Martin for the idea! Edited by Michelle Martin (@mrsmmartin) Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo I've got a newsletter now! It goes out every week and includes interesting links I've found while researching that week: https://www.tomscott.com/newsletter/ And there's an experimental second channel in progress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNyOrINHtdM

▶ Newsletter! https://www.tomscott.com/newsletter/ ▶ People! https://www.tomscott.com/people/ ▶ Places! https://www.tomscott.com/places/ ▶ Channel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNyOrINHtdM ▶ Ideas! https://www.tomscott.com/contact/

In Ocado's grocery warehouses, thousands of mechanical boxes move on the Hive. Are they all individual robots? Or is this one giant hive mind? • Thanks to Ocado: https://www.ocadogroup.com/technology/technology-pioneers (this video is not sponsored, and they had no editorial control). Reference: Strandwitz P. (2018). Neurotransmitter modulation by the gut microbiota. Brain research, 1693(Pt B), 128–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2018.03.015 -- I should probably have put a "might" in there, but that's a thorough review of research and I think the claim just about holds up! Edited by Michelle Martin (@mrsmmartin) Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Thanks to Grant Hurst from Casual Historian for suggesting the title: https://www.youtube.com/user/grantghurst I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

What do you do with a disused phone box? And can they help save lives? • Thanks to the Community Heartbeat Trust: https://www.communityheartbeat.org.uk/ • and the East of England Ambulance Service: https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/ Automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, help save lives: but they need to be in an obvious, easy-to-access, public place that's protected from the elements. Conveniently, it turns out there's a disused red telephone box sitting in the middle of a lot of British villages... Edited by Michelle Martin (@mrsmmartin) Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo BONUS SECRET LINK: I'm rolling out a weekly email newsletter. It goes out on Mondays at the same time as I publish here: it's got a link to the week's new video, plus interesting links I've found over the week, and occasionally behind-the-scenes stuff or secret projects. If that

Around the old mining areas of North Wales, you can find rock cannon: old Welsh firework sites. Most of the world has never heard of them: so we recreated them on a test range. • Thanks to Steve from Live Action FX: http://liveactionfx.com/ • Thanks to Owain for the idea! Edited by Michelle Martin: https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo BONUS SECRET LINK: I'm experimentally trying out a weekly email newsletter. It goes out on Mondays at the same time as I publish here: it's got a link to the week's new video, plus interesting links I've found over the week, and occasionally behind-the-scenes stuff or secret projects. If that's for you, have a look here: https://www.tomscott.com/newsletter/ (If you tried to sign up to this a few weeks ago and never got a message about it: there were technical troubles. That's why the rol

Barra Airport, in Na h-Eileanan Siar in the west of Scotland, is unique: it's the only commercial airport where the runway's made of sand, and tide covers it up twice a day. Here's how it works. Thanks to all the team at Barra Airport: https://www.hial.co.uk/barra-airport I chartered with Hebridean Air Services from Oban: https://www.hebrideanair.co.uk/ Scheduled flights are available with Loganair: https://www.loganair.co.uk/ Editor: Michelle Martin (@mrsmmartin) Location fixer: Vikki McCraw from Locations 365 http://locations365.co.uk Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

In Glenelg, on the west coast of Scotland, there's the Skye Ferry: the last turntable ferry in the world. And the reason for that turntable is a lot more clever than I initially thought. Thanks to all the team at the Skye Ferry! https://skyeferry.co.uk Editor: Michelle Martin (@mrsmmartin) Graphics: William Marler https://wmad.co.uk Location fixer: Vikki McCraw from Locations 365 http://locations365.co.uk Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Gruinard Island, in the north-west of Scotland, was where Britain tested its biological weapons. That story's been told many times: but I found something in the archives that I don't think anyone's ever noticed before. Thanks to the boat crew and voice artists! Location fixer: Vikki McCraw at Locations 365 http://www.locations365.co.uk/ SOURCES from the National Archives: WO 188/2783 WO 188/3169 WO 32/20442 DEFE 55/118 DEFE 68/991, 992, 993 One other stories I found but couldn't fit into the video: the government spent a long time trying to work out the legal ramifications of selling the island back. In the end, they agreed to guarantee the cleanup for 150 years, which to me is the strongest evidence that there's nothing dangerous left there: they wouldn't have taken that risk otherwise! Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Decades before NASA's Apollo program, the British Interplanetary Society wanted to go to the moon: in a spacesuit that looked like a suit of armour. Thanks to all the team at the National Space Centre: https://spacecentre.co.uk/ And to the British Interplanetary Society for their archive images: https://www.bis-space.com/ Drone filming by special permission of the National Space Centre. Please do not attempt it yourself, the Rocket Tower is made of ETFE foil on a steel frame and propellers must not get close to it! More about the BIS spacesuit: https://spacecentre.co.uk/blog-post/the-bis-lunar-spacesuit/ Edited by Michelle Martin (@mrsmmartin) I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

I found an article that said "The microwave was invented to heat hamsters humanely in 1950s experiments." And I thought, no it wasn't. ...was it? Pull down the description for thorough references and credits. Thanks to James Lovelock for his time! His latest book is Novacene: https://amzn.to/3hmKsWz [that is, of course, an Amazon affiliate link] Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ - thanks to jabs, PCR tests, isolation and distancing. I did consider whether to do an extended interview with Dr Lovelock, but the Science Museum has already done far better than I ever could: On cyborgs, asteroids and Gaia theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg-3wBBpM_M On his greatest epiphany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxYMl4ZBxBk An extended 90-minute interview from the Lovelock Centenary Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGziItCwDJA REFERENCES: HISTORY OF THE MICROWAVE: I Burrell, in the Independent, 1997: "Your money, or the cat gets microwaved": https://www.independent.co.uk/news/your-

Perranporth Beach, in Cornwall, is famed for being the "Lego beach". The truth is more complicated. • Thanks to Tracey Williams! 📸 Lego Lost At Sea: https://instagram.com/legolostatsea or https://twitter.com/legolostatsea 📕 Her photo book ADRIFT: https://amzn.to/3a8glNW [aff. link] Edited by Michelle Martin (@mrsmmartin) Sound mix by Graham Haerther I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Wind turbines have emergency exits, but they might not be for the reason you think. • Thanks to Octopus Energy: https://octopus.energy/octopus-fan-club/ (This video isn't sponsored, but obviously they did let me go up their wind turbine.) Drone camera: Tom Francone Edited by Michelle Martin (@mrsmmartin) Thanks very much to all the team at Octopus Energy and EWT! Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

In Knaresborough, in Yorkshire, sits Mother Shipton's Cave. Folks there have been charging admission for nearly 400 years, and the star of the show is a "petrifying well". A few folk legends do actually turn out to be true. Mother Shipton's Cave: https://www.mothershipton.co.uk/ - thanks to all the team there, and especially to John! Edited by Michelle Martin (@mrsmmartin) Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Thanks to Jake Robshaw for the suggestion. I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

GPT-3: not quite up to the task. Yet. • ElectroBOOM: https://youtube.com/electroboom • Answer in Progress: https://youtube.com/answerinprogress • hbomberguy: https://youtube.com/hbomberguy • MrBeast: https://youtube.com/mrbeast6000 Includes text generated by OpenAI's GPT-3 at my request: https://openai.com • OpenAI had no control or sign-off on this video, although I agreed to abide by their ethical guidelines and social media policy. I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Grey? Blue? Purple? It can look different, depending on the context. Let's talk about color perception, color temperature, and the history of laundry. Atmospheric opacity image from ESA/Hubble (F. Granato): https://www.eso.org/public/images/atm_opacity/ - image licensed under CC by 4.0 - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The optical illusion is original, but based on the work of David Novick: https://twitter.com/novickprof/status/1139342022551191553 More on Illuminant D65: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminant_D65 - the references in this article go into the full technical detail I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

"Life support system" were the three key words that convinced me to do a video about an aquarium. Because yes: behind the scenes at The Deep, an aquarium in Hull, there's a life support system, and it deserves that name. Thanks to all the team at The Deep! More about them: https://www.thedeep.co.uk/ or on their channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thedeephull Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Edited by Michelle Martin: https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin Audio mix by Graham Haerther I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

I didn't even realise that "low explosives" were a thing; let's talk about deflagration, detonation, and how high explosives can actually be safer. • Thanks to Steve from Live Action FX: http://liveactionfx.com/ Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Camera: Simon Temple http://templefreelance.co.uk Edited by Michelle Martin: https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Shakespeare sounds a certain way. Why? And why could it only work in English? • Written with Gretchen McCulloch of Lingthusiasm! Her podcast has an episode about how translators approach texts: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/632086691477323776/lingthusiasm-episode-49-how-translators-approach Gretchen's book BECAUSE INTERNET, all about the evolution of internet language, is available: 🇺🇸 US: https://amzn.to/30tLpjT 🇨🇦 CA: https://amzn.to/2JsTYWH 🇬🇧 UK: https://amzn.to/31K8eRD (Those are affiliate links that give a commission to me or Gretchen, depending on country!) Audio mix by Graham Haerther: https://haerther.net I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

On the south-east coast of England sits Covehithe: a little Suffolk village going back at least a thousand years. By the end of the century, it'll likely have fallen into the sea. Here's why no-one's planning to save it. Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ SOURCES: Shoreline Management Plans: https://www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/environment/coastal-management/shoreline-management-plans/ http://www.suffolksmp2.org.uk/actionplan/docs/2.%20Kessingland%20to%20Covehithe.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20140221104223/http://www.suffolksmp2.org.uk/publicdocuments/finalsmp/Section%204_Policy%20Development%20Zones/PDZ2v9.pdf Article: https://web.archive.org/web/20160913051551/http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/environment/covehithe_landowner_raises_fears_over_coastal_defence_proposals_1_1111983 I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Explosions on film are made to look good: fireballs and flame. In reality, though, they're a bit disappointing. Here's how Hollywood does it. • Produced with an experienced, professional pyrotechnician. Do not attempt. Thanks to Steve from Live Action FX: http://liveactionfx.com/ Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Camera: Simon Temple http://templefreelance.co.uk Edited by Michelle Martin: https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo MARK WAHLBERG IS WEARING A HAT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqz5dbs5zmo

4 minutes remaining. Then 15 seconds. Then 5 hours. Why can't computers just tell you how long something's going to take? • MORE BASICS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL96C35uN7xGLLeET0dOWaKHkAlPsrkcha Written with Sean Elliott https://twitter.com/SeanMElliott/ • Graphics by William Marler https://wmad.co.uk I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

I didn't expect this to work so well. • Includes text generated by OpenAI's GPT-3 at my request: https://openai.com • Art by Chris Quay: https://www.chrisquay.com/ • Got an idea for a video? https://www.tomscott.com/contact/ Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ OpenAI had no control or sign-off on this video, although I agreed to abide by their ethical guidelines and social media policy. Thanks to Eddie the corgi's owner for introducing me to the folks at OpenAI: https://instagram.com/eddie_corg Articles referenced: https://doi.org/10.18653/v1%2F2020.findings-emnlp.301 https://artificialintelligence-news.com/2020/10/28/medical-chatbot-openai-gpt3-patient-kill-themselves/ https://thenextweb.com/neural/2021/01/19/gpt-3-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-bigotry-generator-what-should-we-do-about-it/ New River in Bowes Park image by Nick Cooper on Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_River_Bowes_Park.jpg Licensed under CC-by 3.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

Around the world, there are regulations for "influencers". Those regulations make sure that if someone is paid to endorse a product, they have to declare that payment to the people watching. But why does no-one on TV, or film, or anywhere else have to do that? 👥👥 CREDITS 👥👥 Written and performed by TOM SCOTT https://www.tomscott.com/ Script assistant ANDREA MARKS Animation BILLY CRINION https://twitter.com/BillyCrinion and WILLIAM MARLER https://wmad.co.uk Dubbing mixer GRAHAM HAERTHER "Does the Spearmint Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight" by Rose/Broom/Breuer (1924), arranged for orchestra by BENJAMIN SQUIRES https://www.benjaminsquires.co.uk/ Thanks to EVAN EDINGER, JESSICA ENDOYAN, CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ, the TINY SPECK team, and SAM VALIANT Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ © Pad 26 Limited MMXXI 📄📄 SOURCES 📄📄 💵 PAYMENT AND CONTROL Lonnie Donegan changing Spearmint: mentioned in a lot of places, but I can't find a contemporary account. Ray Davies flying: https://twitter.co

In the 18th century, firefighters weren't always meant to fight fires. If your building didn't have a fire mark, they might just let it burn. The reason: fire insurance, and fire insurance companies. [CORRECTION: the plaques on the wall at 1:10 are parish boundary markers, not fire marks! The facts and words in the video are true, but those markers were misidentified in the sources I used. Apologies.] Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ SOURCES: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/how-great-fire-london-created-insurance https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lecture/transcript/print/protecting-london-the-phoenix-rebuilding-london-after-the-great-fire-and-the/ https://researchonline.rca.ac.uk/4481/1/Miranda%20Clow_thesis_1%20of%202_Text.pdf https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/museum/history-and-stories/ "No pay, no spray": https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna39516346 "It's not reasonable": https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/it-s-not-reasonable-alta-woman-faces-28-000-bill-from-private-fire-department-1.3566291 Additio

Torpenhow Hill, in the Lake District in the north-west of England, is the only place in the world whose name has the same word four different times. That's the story, anyway. The truth is a bit more complex. Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ REFERENCES: The Debunking of Torpenhow Hill: http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4733&context=wordways Etymology from the Oxford English Dictionary https://oed.com (requires an academic or pay-for login) CNN story about Wanaka Tree: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/wanaka-tree-new-zealand-vandalism-intl-hnk/index.html Torpenhow Hill on Google Maps, and the Street View image nearby: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Torpenhow+Hill/@54.7396682,-3.2522896,14z/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Check out BrainCraft! https://www.youtube.com/braincraft - start with the Growth Mindset https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxv_FHrRYQw or lucid dreaming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5qUr0enMGE • Deep in Brooklyn there's a beach you definitely wouldn't swim at, unless you're an archaeologist. Dead Horse Bay served as an unofficial dump for decades, and now as the sand is washed away the boroughs' history is slowly being revealed, one china plate and glass bottle at a time. It's popular with local archeologists (both ameteur "treasure hunters" and professionals) as they wade through New York City's past. But this year, a darker side of the city's history has emerged: traces of radon gas and gamma radiation exceeding ambient levels. As parts of the beach have been closed off, locals are worried: will their artifacts and their history now just wash out to sea? And when trash becomes treasured, do we have a responsibility to preserve it? Drone footage courtesy of Justin Brooks. Navy Deck Marker image co

Check out Jordan's channel! https://youtube.com/jordanharrod - or start with her video on AI diagnosis of coughing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqXcLF8vVH4 or how deepfakes have fingerprints: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lnEst2nojA • And, please don't try this at home. SOURCES: TEXT: Generated by Jordan Harrod using GPT-3 OpenAI, https://openai.com/blog/better-language-models/ AUDIO: https://resemble.ai VIDEO: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1908.05932.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/1712.05884.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/2006.07634.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/2008.11363.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/1811.08180.pdf https://www.vice.com/en/contributor/samantha-cole https://arxiv.org/pdf/1511.06434.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/2011.09055.pdf

Check out Atomic Frontier! https://youtube.com/atomicfrontieronline - start with the video on a country-sized telescope https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZVcWJ0pFTc or the world's deepest scuba dive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s65T7ZHZp14 • Turns out that trying to precisely detect fire from space is more difficult than "point a camera at it".

Check out Trace's channel! https://www.youtube.com/tracedominguez - start with brain-computer interfaces https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPJDA9t3_m8 or going to space https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jndESKr4SpI • There's an urban legend that poppy seeds can make you fail a drug test. Is it true? And if so: why? I ate a few bagels, and set out to flunk an opioid test. 👇👇👇 SOURCES and REFERENCES 👇👇👇 Drug tests don’t just work as a buzzkill, they can keep doctors and patients honest regarding some of the more dangerous drugs known to man. The problem is, poppy seeds can throw a giant wrench in that circle of trust! Poppy seeds come from the papaver somniferum flower native to Turkey, and even though they don’t contain opium, consuming the seeds has historically caused the tests to register opiate use! In this video, I explore how these tests work, what they look for, and how something as simple as a bottle of seeds available at any grocery store, can cause a false positive for painkillers, heroin, morphi

I asked my audience six questions: some sensible, some ridiculous. I compared their results to the public. And the results were... interesting. • Graphics by William Marler: https://wmad.co.uk and his Lungs Podcast: https://lungspodcast.co.uk Audio mix by Graham Haerther Owl photo credit: Amol Mende via Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-and-white-owl-close-up-photography-2683982/ Distracted Boyfriend photo credit: Antonio Guillem via Shutterstock, used under license, https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/disloyal-man-walking-his-girlfriend-looking-297886754 Chuck Testa is from Rhett and Link's Commercial Kings on IFC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJP1DphOWPs I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Or: "Tom's Cockup Trip". This is a story about a television title sequence, and about me, as a child, watching it. It’s also a warning about how YouTube won’t last forever, and it's the reason I'm climbing one particular hill in the Lake District. Merry Christmas, Denis Norden. DoP: Simon Handley from Skylark Aerial Photography https://www.skylark-aerialphotography.co.uk/ Music: Benjamin Squires https://www.benjaminsquires.co.uk/ Animation: Matt Ley https://www.mattleywow.com/ Thanks to John Hoare and the Lake District National Park Authority Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

There are lots of disused and never-used roads and bridges in the world. But the Road to Nowhere in Yate, in south-west England, does still sometimes have traffic driving on it. And crashing on it. History reference: https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/14440281.mp-luke-hall-reveals-plan-to-finally-finish-incomplete-road-to-nowhere-in-yate-30-years-after-work-first-started/ Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

The answer is, of course, a bit more complicated than you might think. • Written with Molly Ruhl and Gretchen McCulloch. Gretchen's podcast has an episode all about this: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/154520059101/lingthusiasm-episode-1-speaking-a-single-language Gretchen's book BECAUSE INTERNET, all about the evolution of internet language, is available: 🇺🇸 US: https://amzn.to/30tLpjT 🇨🇦 CA: https://amzn.to/2JsTYWH 🇬🇧 UK: https://amzn.to/31K8eRD (Those are affiliate links that give a commission to me or Gretchen, depending on country!) Graphics by William Marler: https://wmad.co.uk Audio mix by Graham Haerther: https://haerther.net REFERENCES: Eberhard, D.M., Simons, G.F., and Fennig, C.D. (eds.). 2020. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Twenty-third edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. http://www.ethnologue.com. François, A. (2014). Trees, waves and linkages: Models of language diversification. In Evans, B. & Bowern, C. The Routledge Handbook of Historical Linguistics. (pp. 161-189). Londo