75mph Bird to the Face with Adam Savage (@tested) and @bobbyfingers - The Slow Mo Guys

The Slow Mo Guys
15 May 202416:30

Summary

TLDRIn this episode of the Slow-Mo Guys, Gavin collaborates with Adam Savage to capture slow-motion footage of a ballistic gel goose being fired from a giant air cannon at silicone heads. The experiment, inspired by a request from the creator 'Bobby Fingers', involves intricate setups including a 20-foot air cannon and high-speed cameras to study the impact dynamics. Throughout the video, the team conducts multiple tests to measure the speed and impact of the goose, culminating in hilariously grotesque yet scientifically intriguing results. The episode is filled with technical setups, slow-motion captures, and a humorous exploration of bizarre scenarios.

Takeaways

  • 📹 The video features a complex and visually engaging experiment involving a ballistic gel goose fired from a 20-foot air cannon at a silicone head to capture slow-motion impacts.
  • 🔬 The collaboration includes various experts, with Adam Savage from MythBusters creating the air cannon, and Bobby Fingers providing the silicone heads and ballistic gel geese.
  • 🎥 High-speed cameras (TMX 7510) are used to capture the experiment, allowing detailed analysis of the goose's flight and impact at 4K resolution and speeds up to 82,000 frames per second.
  • 🧪 Preparations for the experiment involve using a special lube, typically used for animal birthing, to ensure the smooth firing of the goose from the cannon.
  • 🌟 The experiment aims to replicate and measure the speed and trajectory of the goose, with initial tests aiming to achieve a speed of 75 mph.
  • 👀 The impact results are striking, with slow-motion footage showing detailed reactions of the silicone heads to the goose's impact, capturing expressions and deformations.
  • 🛠️ The setup includes safety protocols around the air cannon, ensuring that pressure is controlled and spectators are at a safe distance during the firing.
  • 📊 The experiment involves multiple tests with variations in goose weight and air pressure to explore different impact outcomes and optimize camera settings for best visual capture.
  • 🤔 The project reflects a blend of scientific inquiry and whimsical experimentation, embodying the spirit of popular science entertainment.
  • 🔄 Feedback from the experiment is used real-time to adjust parameters and improve the setup, demonstrating a dynamic and responsive testing environment.

Q & A

  • What is the purpose of firing a ballistic gel goose out of an air cannon in the video?

    -The ballistic gel goose is fired from an air cannon to create slow-motion footage of it hitting a silicon head. This is done to simulate and record the impact visually in slow motion, providing detailed footage for Bobby Fingers' YouTube channel.

  • Who is Adam Savage and what role does he play in the video?

    -Adam Savage is a former co-host of the TV show MythBusters and he contributes to the video by assembling a 20ft air cannon with a large pressure tank for the experiment.

  • What is the significance of using animal birthing lube in the experiment?

    -Animal birthing lube is used to ease the launching process of the ballistic gel goose from the air cannon by reducing friction inside the barrel, allowing for smoother and possibly more accurate shots.

  • Why was a specific type of air cannon and camera used for the shoot?

    -A 20ft air cannon equipped with a large pressure tank is used to provide the necessary force to launch the ballistic gel goose effectively. The TMX 7510 camera is used to capture high-quality 4K slow-motion footage at speeds up to 82,000 frames per second, essential for capturing detailed slow-motion images of the experiment.

  • What are the safety precautions mentioned before firing the air cannon?

    -Before firing the air cannon, it is emphasized that no one should pass the designated safety line once the cannon is connected and pressurized. Everyone is advised to stay behind a certain area for safety until an 'all clear' is given, ensuring that no one is in danger of being hit by accidental discharge or debris.

  • How does the video illustrate the velocity of the goose post-launch?

    -The velocity of the goose post-launch is monitored through the high-speed camera, capturing its speed and trajectory. The video details checking the speed to see if it reaches around 75 mph, which is done by calculating the time it takes to travel a known distance.

  • What is the 'MythBuzzer moment' as described in the video?

    -The 'MythBuzzer moment' refers to a reflective moment of surreal realization, mentioned by Adam Savage, where individuals involved in creative or experimental projects ponder the bizarre or unique nature of what they are doing, often questioning how they arrived at that point in their professional or personal life.

  • How do they ensure that the goose is properly lubricated for the experiment?

    -Proper lubrication of the goose is ensured by first firing a test shot with lube only to coat the inside of the barrel. Subsequently, the goose itself is greased and dipped in lube before being loaded into the cannon, ensuring minimal friction during launch.

  • What happens to the Fabio head when hit by the ballistic gel goose?

    -When the ballistic gel goose hits the Fabio head, it results in a significant visual impact captured in slow motion, showcasing the head reacting to the force of the goose's strike. The impact illustrates the potential damage and physical reaction when a soft object hits a more rigid one at high speed.

  • What are the next steps mentioned at the end of the video?

    -At the end of the video, viewers are encouraged to subscribe to the channel for more slow-motion content, and to check out additional videos on Adam Savage's Tested channel and Bobby Fingers' channel for the full video of the Fabio experiment.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Setting Up an Elaborate Slow-Mo Experiment

Gavin introduces a scenario involving a ballistic gel goose being launched from a 20ft air cannon at a silicone head, orchestrated by Adam Savage. This experiment was inspired by a request from Bobby Fingers, a YouTube creator known for detailed dioramas of famous moments. The setup involves intricate preparations with high-speed cameras to capture the impact in slow motion. Adam's involvement brings an element of MythBusters' legacy, enhancing the surreal nature of the project.

05:01

🚀 Launching and Measuring High-Speed Impacts

The second paragraph details the continuation of the experiment, focusing on the actual firing of the gel goose, measurements of its speed, and its impact on the silicone head representing Fabio. Key interactions include technical adjustments to achieve desired speeds and humorous moments reflecting on the bizarre nature of the experiment. The dialogue captures the team's expertise and the oddity of their tasks, culminating in a successful high-speed impact that meets their expectations.

10:02

🔬 Analyzing the Results and Refining Techniques

In the third paragraph, the experiment progresses with multiple launches to test different setups and materials, including a white silicon test goose expected to cause more damage. The team analyzes the impacts in great detail, with Adam Savage guiding the modifications and observing the effects on the silicone head. The comedic and bizarre nature of the testing is emphasized, along with the team's fascination and excitement with the unexpected results.

15:05

🌐 Concluding Experiments and Reflecting on the Day

The final paragraph wraps up the series of tests with concluding shots and a reflection on the day's events. The narrative highlights the unique challenges posed by the environment, such as the sticky clay at the quarry. Gavin ends the video by inviting viewers to subscribe and check out additional content on related channels, signifying the collaborative and public nature of the project. The day is described as one of Gavin's favorite experiences, showcasing the blend of science, entertainment, and community in their work.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡ballistic gel

Ballistic gel is a synthetic material used to simulate human flesh in experiments, particularly in testing the effects of projectile impacts. In the video, a ballistic gel goose is fired out of an air cannon to test the dynamics of impact, which is central to understanding the slow-motion effects on simulated organic materials. This illustrates the video's theme of exploring high-speed impacts in a controlled environment.

💡slow-mo

Slow motion (slow-mo) is a filming technique that captures footage at a higher frame rate than it is played back, making fast actions appear much slower. This technique is fundamental to the video as it allows detailed analysis of fast events, like a ballistic gel goose hitting a target, which are otherwise too quick to be observed by the naked eye.

💡air cannon

An air cannon is a device used to launch projectiles by utilizing compressed air. In the script, Adam Savage assembles a large air cannon to fire ballistic gel geese. This equipment is crucial for conducting the experiments described, providing a method to project objects at high velocities to capture slow-motion impacts.

💡Fabio

In the video, 'Fabio' refers to silicon heads modeled after the celebrity Fabio Lanzoni, who famously had an incident involving a bird strike during a roller coaster ride. These heads are used as targets in the experiments to recreate and analyze the impact of the goose on a human-like figure.

💡MythBusters

MythBusters is a popular science television program that focuses on experimenting and testing myths. Adam Savage, a former co-host, participates in the video's experiments. The mention of MythBusters connects the video's theme of experimental, entertaining science to a broader cultural context familiar to viewers.

💡animal birthing lube

Animal birthing lube is a slippery substance used in veterinary practices to aid in the birthing process. In the video, this lube is humorously repurposed to grease the air cannon's barrel to ensure the ballistic gel goose can be launched smoothly, highlighting the inventive and quirky approach taken in these experiments.

💡high-speed cameras

High-speed cameras are capable of capturing thousands of frames per second, allowing detailed slow-motion playback of rapid events. These cameras are essential tools in the video, used to record the ballistic impacts and provide visual insights into the physics of high-speed collisions, central to the video's investigative theme.

💡silicon head

Silicon heads in the video are lifelike replicas used as targets for the ballistic gel geese. They provide a human-like model for studying the effects of impacts in various experiments, simulating how such an event might affect a real person, thereby enriching the scientific exploration of physical interactions.

💡TMX 7510

TMX 7510 likely refers to a model of a high-speed camera used to capture the slow-motion footage in the video. By specifying this model, the video highlights the technical precision necessary for capturing detailed slow-motion footage that is critical for analyzing high-speed events.

💡pressure tank

A pressure tank in the context of the video is used to store compressed air which propels the ballistic gel goose out of the air cannon. This component is vital for achieving the necessary force to launch the projectile at speeds sufficient to produce meaningful slow-motion effects when it strikes the silicon head.

Highlights

Gavin introduces a unique slow-mo scenario involving a ballistic gel goose and a silicon head.

Adam Savage assembles a 20-foot air cannon for the experiment.

Preparation for the test includes lubricating the cannon with a unique blend of animal birthing lube.

First test firing of the goose at 60 PSI to gauge the projectile speed and effectiveness.

Adjustments made to increase PSI for greater launch power.

Impact results exceed expectations, prompting a higher PSI adjustment.

Gavin and Adam analyze high-speed footage to measure the exact speed of the goose.

Further modifications lead to even more precise control over the cannon's power and the goose's trajectory.

Testing the aim of the cannon with differently weighted geese to optimize performance.

Surprising findings from the impact analysis show detailed dynamics of collision.

Analysis of slow-motion footage reveals unexpected aerodynamic properties of the goose projectile.

Final tests demonstrate the contrasting effects of ballistic gel vs. silicone in projectile experiments.

Adam Savage discusses the physical and scientific implications of the experimental results.

The team reflects on the surreal experience and the excitement of their scientific exploration.

Gavin concludes the session with an invitation to view more detailed analyses on related YouTube channels.

Transcripts

00:05

whoa oh my God I lost the

00:09

bird hello there I'm gav welcome to the

00:12

slow-mo

00:14

Guist you may be thinking to yourself

00:17

why is a ballistic gel Goose covered in

00:19

animal birthing Lube being fired out of

00:22

a 20ft air cannon and who's this

00:25

Majestic looking bloke about to take the

00:27

goose to the

00:28

grid well that's an excellent

00:31

question a while ago my friend Gus told

00:34

me about a YouTube channel called Bobby

00:36

fingers did you see that YouTube video

00:38

of the guy sculpting M Gibson's DUI uh

00:43

arrest no no he makes these insanely

00:46

detailed meticulous diaramas of famous

00:50

moments in time such as Mel Gibson being

00:53

arrested Steven cagar getting slammed

00:55

into the ground and Michael Jackson

00:56

catching on fire after realizing I was

00:58

subscribed to the channel Bobby fingers

01:01

sent me a cheeky email he said for his

01:02

next video he'd love some slow-mo shots

01:05

of a ballistic gel Goose hitting a

01:08

silicon head and immediately I knew we

01:10

were doing some Fabio so we arranged to

01:12

meet up in our usual Quarry in Texas I

01:15

brought the highspeed cameras Bobby

01:17

brought the Fabio heads and geese and

01:19

alltime hero of mine Adam Savage from

01:22

MythBusters assembled a 20t air cannon

01:25

with an absolute honken pressure tank

01:28

big 20 footer we had to rent a 26t van

01:33

to fit it in we're using the TMX 7510

01:37

and we'll get some nice 4K shots at

01:39

1,000 on that one and go up to

01:42

80 2,000 on this one not sure we'll need

01:45

it it's not going it's not a supersonic

01:49

Goose when I'm ready to fire it I'll

01:51

bring this over and connect it the

01:54

moment that's connected no one goes

01:57

past actually everyone should be back

01:59

behind here once that's connected

02:01

effectively this uh first set of tests

02:03

is going to be really straightforward

02:05

I'm going to put a little Lube in the

02:06

end of this I'm just going to fire it to

02:08

fill the end with Loop fill the tube

02:10

with Loop then I'm going to disconnect

02:12

it grease this bird dip it in the in the

02:15

loop here pop it in and we'll power it

02:18

up to like 60 PSI and just see how far

02:20

the bird goes and hopefully the

02:21

highspeed camera will give us some idea

02:23

of its speed after a shot before anyone

02:27

proceeds to go see what happened wait

02:29

for me to say all

02:31

clear that's just making sure I'm not

02:33

putting anyone in the end of a barrel

02:35

where there's still pressure in here for

02:36

any

02:40

reason he's doing my job we'll thicken

02:43

this up it's a um you're supposed to

02:46

powder it on your hands before you're

02:48

pulling a cow out of another cow and it

02:50

uses the cow juice to to uh no no you

02:53

wet you put the powder on your hands and

02:54

then you wet them and it greases them up

02:56

so you can add this to the bucket and we

02:58

get lube for the bird have you ever got

03:00

any into your peronal cavity say not to

03:04

does not

03:05

to I mean it is sold

03:08

specifically but you can get it into

03:10

other cavities just fun this is bargain

03:16

Lop what kind of ratio do you go for I

03:19

have no idea I think we dump most of

03:21

this bottle and we get our

03:23

L yeah it's um like a methal cellulose

03:26

oh yeah it's like alien

03:28

slime oh you can oh it looks

03:31

thick

03:32

now wow yeah any any cows need to be

03:36

born here we can

03:38

help that's our breach loading system

03:42

Loop shot in three two

03:47

one all

03:50

right I don't think the bird's going to

03:51

make it to the end of the barrel sounds

03:53

good though I have no idea if this is

03:55

going to work oh look we get a Reverb

03:57

now that the barrel was lubed we wanted

03:59

fire this test Goose to see how close to

04:01

75 mph it would come

04:03

[Music]

04:05

out oh the cing is

04:08

smaller got it you got

04:12

[Music]

04:18

it you saying you didn't want to go up

04:20

to a higher PSI say no no I am going to

04:22

a higher PSI okay cool yeah yeah it's in

04:26

down it's mostly about how much volume

04:28

here we can move through there and it's

04:30

possible we can get the bird up to

04:33

speed again won't know anything until we

04:35

fire this one in three 2

04:45

one exceeded every expectation she was

04:49

that was

04:50

great she bounced real Qui I had no idea

04:53

that was great I'm so happy and the

04:55

other ones are going to go faster cuz

04:56

that bird was Heavy yeah they're lighter

04:58

jellous Let's uh let's find out from

05:01

these Geniuses how fast that went this

05:04

is this is such a

05:08

sight it looks like a Concord com out

05:11

it's so aerodynamic so good look at it

05:14

it doesn't budge an inch it's just

05:16

completely still this is we talked about

05:18

this in San Francisco I said I didn't

05:20

think the head would fly back when it

05:22

left the barrel was going to bend around

05:24

all right so you need a measurement of

05:25

the bird yeah ideally yeah I need the

05:29

software to do a proper measurement but

05:30

I guess we can just figure out the

05:32

framing right let me grab a tape back

05:35

you want to measure from the barrel to

05:37

the end of the frame and we can figure

05:38

out that distance okay that doesn't

05:41

sound

05:42

right so oh right right

05:46

right you can barely see 74 mph is that

05:51

right s me check

05:53

my 62 in in 47 milliseconds that feels

05:57

exactly right so did did you just

06:00

literally nail it yeah I've got the same

06:01

75 mph yeah I literally nailed it on the

06:05

firsty 75 what a professional come up

06:09

yeah come over this way do he go so hard

06:12

to aim something so

06:15

long I have tons of experience with

06:18

that yeah I got it what's that I just

06:21

like these moments where I'm like going

06:23

to go how the did I get

06:26

here so yeah in aquari with you clown

06:30

shooting ke Cannon you just kind of stop

06:33

and assess and go did I get here I I

06:36

will tell you and I'm sure you guys have

06:38

had this many many times but Jamie and I

06:40

talk we called it the myth buzzer moment

06:42

for us because we'd be sitting at the

06:43

top of a greased slide after weeks of

06:46

work going who who who what how no one

06:49

asked us to do this no one asked us and

06:52

by the way we are at pressure the barrel

06:54

isn't hooked up but I'm ready to load

06:55

the crap bird and fire it into crap stop

06:57

talking about ourselves as start

06:58

shooting some GE

07:00

the moment like that that Bobby

07:01

mentioned is one of my favorite feelings

07:04

basically just realizing you're standing

07:05

right in the middle of such a surreal

07:08

moment having watched every episode of

07:10

Mythbusters in my youth I've seen Adam

07:12

interact with Phantoms multiple times

07:14

but there was that realization for me

07:15

right here where I was watching Adam

07:17

load up the pipe with the goose as if I

07:20

am watching an episode of Mythbusters

07:21

Gavin are you guys ready for a potential

07:24

and then he turns to me to check if the

07:25

Phantoms are ready I just found that

07:27

moment so fulfilling

07:29

[Music]

07:32

it's just best if they're unconscious

07:34

next up to test the aim of the cannon

07:36

we'd be firing the ugliest bird at the

07:38

ugliest Fabio head yeah it's

07:44

great going

07:45

on whoa oh my God I lost the

07:50

bird I lost the bird have you gone far

07:54

it did oh

07:56

no pre lubed it was a real struggle with

07:58

the lube one

08:04

oh yeah come out yeah awesome I've got

08:08

it the bird is

08:10

loaded bird and defabio on three two

08:20

one

08:22

awesome the unfortunate thing with these

08:23

faster cameras is that we're searching

08:25

through like 400,000 frames oh

08:28

yeah that's 50,000 frames a second 50

08:32

yeah Jesus I can speed up a little slide

08:37

over God look at the splash on his chin

08:41

oh my God it's like literally going in

08:42

his

08:43

mouth oh

08:46

yes it's like pushing his

08:54

no [ __ ]

08:57

AR look like you got hit by an be hit by

09:00

an eel

09:05

yeah stop making that that noise

09:07

specifically is pretty bad ballistic St

09:10

is made for

09:11

smacking yeah it looks like this one

09:13

will fly pretty proud oh yeah you will

09:16

get him yeah she's a Bea oh look at her

09:19

she might take a little Force to get in

09:21

but don't let go of the tail absolutely

09:23

not the first time I've done

09:26

this

09:28

absolutely go

09:32

get in your graci she

09:35

goes I have her I

09:38

have all right all right here we go

09:42

beautiful bird into beautiful Fabio

09:45

three two

09:50

one that was a good blow the sound

09:53

specifically good we're going to have

09:54

some good eyeball action

09:57

there good grief

10:02

range is clear Adam Savage you're going

10:04

to want to see

10:07

this it's the hopeful look on his face

10:09

very Disney prince clearly enjoying

10:12

himself on his on his ride yeah you can

10:14

just imagine his

10:16

exactly oh my God the bird is perfect

10:19

now he's seeing

10:20

the force equals mass time to

10:27

acceleration flip wow it's almost like

10:30

he closed his eyes for a

10:33

second the bird is just going into the

10:36

into itself

10:40

Cronenberg speed

10:42

up oh my

10:44

God that is the most perfect glancing

10:47

blow one eye

10:51

is it just completely changes the

10:55

face amazing

11:00

oh he got the whipping he got the tail

11:02

in the

11:03

neck

11:06

sh nice bit of movement down the rack

11:09

too oh yeah the thing like had a bit of

11:12

recoil that time yeah that's

11:13

good oh that's

11:19

spectacular most qualified person in the

11:22

world and doing speciic this succession

11:25

of ridiculous skills I'm pretty good at

11:27

the best he was most qualified before

11:29

ever started doing any of this as well

11:31

what do you think you're the best at oh

11:34

I think I'm just all right at loads of

11:36

stuff you could have get in giant

11:37

balloons I'm pretty well practiced at it

11:39

these days without Lube we should just

11:42

get some of this animal Lube yeah I know

11:44

why didn't we think of that never

11:45

thought of that and

11:49

uh get in your

11:52

[Music]

11:54

pup in three 2 1

12:02

oh blew his hair off oh yeah oh I can't

12:08

believe his eye didn't pop out oh it did

12:10

no it didn't no it didn't it didn't

12:29

[Music]

12:33

and three 2

12:36

1 oh eye popped

12:40

out what'd you find there Dan just found

12:43

the eye you know popped out quite a

12:46

far

12:52

[Music]

12:56

detention oh

13:00

oh whips

13:07

around run it back very

13:11

good

13:19

you I'm starting to think Fabio's

13:22

telling the

13:23

truth the white silicon test goose is

13:26

heavier than the ballistics gel geese so

13:28

we were curious if it would do even more

13:30

damage to the Fabio head

13:32

what oh that's what we're talking

13:36

about who's the first to find the

13:38

eyeballs me found both of them

13:43

one it's not like they look like every

13:45

other thing on the ground yeah yeah

13:49

yeah did it fall out in yes it's deeply

13:54

um damaged him it's like gone into his

13:57

nose

14:09

that's booking it

14:14

oh hell that one's really gruesome I

14:17

think that's going way faster than the

14:19

other

14:23

one oh the mechanical coupling between

14:26

the bird and the face that is going to

14:28

smarten the all

14:29

Jesus

14:32

Christ God Adam then wanted to see which

14:35

Goose would go the furthest distance the

14:37

Silicon or the ballistics gel here we go

14:39

3 2

14:43

1 nice and clean look at that I'm really

14:47

curious about which one went farther

15:01

oh oh

15:04

no I got I

15:08

ah I got to rinse my shoes bistic gel

15:11

bird went 100 F

15:13

feet this one went 150 ft so silicone

15:19

wins God damn

15:22

it the hard part about the slurry is

15:25

that it's a quarry which means it's not

15:28

dirt it's it's Clay it's it's under dirt

15:31

and it's tenacious as hell it sticks to

15:34

everything if you were walking around

15:36

here in the rain it gathers up on the

15:37

bottoms of your boots until you're like

15:40

four or five inches higher I'm not

15:41

kidding that would that would stay on

15:44

you I have to chip this off of the

15:45

screwdriver unless I get it off right

15:48

now yeah I can uh I can move about the

15:51

cabin

15:54

now last shot of the day the

15:56

martini you happy Bobby here we go 3 2

16:06

1 all in all this was one of my favorite

16:09

days ever feel free to subscribe to the

16:11

channel if you want to see more slow-mo

16:13

and make sure you check out the videos

16:15

on Adam Savage's tested Channel and of

16:17

course the full Fabo video over on the

16:20

Bobby fingers Channel thanks for

16:21

watching see you next time oh my God

16:24

that's

16:29

a

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