75mph Bird to the Face with Adam Savage (@tested) and @bobbyfingers - The Slow Mo Guys
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
🎥 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.
🚀 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.
🔬 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.
🌐 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
💡slow-mo
💡air cannon
💡Fabio
💡MythBusters
💡animal birthing lube
💡high-speed cameras
💡silicon head
💡TMX 7510
💡pressure tank
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
whoa oh my God I lost the
bird hello there I'm gav welcome to the
slow-mo
Guist you may be thinking to yourself
why is a ballistic gel Goose covered in
animal birthing Lube being fired out of
a 20ft air cannon and who's this
Majestic looking bloke about to take the
goose to the
grid well that's an excellent
question a while ago my friend Gus told
me about a YouTube channel called Bobby
fingers did you see that YouTube video
of the guy sculpting M Gibson's DUI uh
arrest no no he makes these insanely
detailed meticulous diaramas of famous
moments in time such as Mel Gibson being
arrested Steven cagar getting slammed
into the ground and Michael Jackson
catching on fire after realizing I was
subscribed to the channel Bobby fingers
sent me a cheeky email he said for his
next video he'd love some slow-mo shots
of a ballistic gel Goose hitting a
silicon head and immediately I knew we
were doing some Fabio so we arranged to
meet up in our usual Quarry in Texas I
brought the highspeed cameras Bobby
brought the Fabio heads and geese and
alltime hero of mine Adam Savage from
MythBusters assembled a 20t air cannon
with an absolute honken pressure tank
big 20 footer we had to rent a 26t van
to fit it in we're using the TMX 7510
and we'll get some nice 4K shots at
1,000 on that one and go up to
80 2,000 on this one not sure we'll need
it it's not going it's not a supersonic
Goose when I'm ready to fire it I'll
bring this over and connect it the
moment that's connected no one goes
past actually everyone should be back
behind here once that's connected
effectively this uh first set of tests
is going to be really straightforward
I'm going to put a little Lube in the
end of this I'm just going to fire it to
fill the end with Loop fill the tube
with Loop then I'm going to disconnect
it grease this bird dip it in the in the
loop here pop it in and we'll power it
up to like 60 PSI and just see how far
the bird goes and hopefully the
highspeed camera will give us some idea
of its speed after a shot before anyone
proceeds to go see what happened wait
for me to say all
clear that's just making sure I'm not
putting anyone in the end of a barrel
where there's still pressure in here for
any
reason he's doing my job we'll thicken
this up it's a um you're supposed to
powder it on your hands before you're
pulling a cow out of another cow and it
uses the cow juice to to uh no no you
wet you put the powder on your hands and
then you wet them and it greases them up
so you can add this to the bucket and we
get lube for the bird have you ever got
any into your peronal cavity say not to
does not
to I mean it is sold
specifically but you can get it into
other cavities just fun this is bargain
Lop what kind of ratio do you go for I
have no idea I think we dump most of
this bottle and we get our
L yeah it's um like a methal cellulose
oh yeah it's like alien
slime oh you can oh it looks
thick
now wow yeah any any cows need to be
born here we can
help that's our breach loading system
Loop shot in three two
one all
right I don't think the bird's going to
make it to the end of the barrel sounds
good though I have no idea if this is
going to work oh look we get a Reverb
now that the barrel was lubed we wanted
fire this test Goose to see how close to
75 mph it would come
[Music]
out oh the cing is
smaller got it you got
[Music]
it you saying you didn't want to go up
to a higher PSI say no no I am going to
a higher PSI okay cool yeah yeah it's in
down it's mostly about how much volume
here we can move through there and it's
possible we can get the bird up to
speed again won't know anything until we
fire this one in three 2
one exceeded every expectation she was
that was
great she bounced real Qui I had no idea
that was great I'm so happy and the
other ones are going to go faster cuz
that bird was Heavy yeah they're lighter
jellous Let's uh let's find out from
these Geniuses how fast that went this
is this is such a
sight it looks like a Concord com out
it's so aerodynamic so good look at it
it doesn't budge an inch it's just
completely still this is we talked about
this in San Francisco I said I didn't
think the head would fly back when it
left the barrel was going to bend around
all right so you need a measurement of
the bird yeah ideally yeah I need the
software to do a proper measurement but
I guess we can just figure out the
framing right let me grab a tape back
you want to measure from the barrel to
the end of the frame and we can figure
out that distance okay that doesn't
sound
right so oh right right
right you can barely see 74 mph is that
right s me check
my 62 in in 47 milliseconds that feels
exactly right so did did you just
literally nail it yeah I've got the same
75 mph yeah I literally nailed it on the
firsty 75 what a professional come up
yeah come over this way do he go so hard
to aim something so
long I have tons of experience with
that yeah I got it what's that I just
like these moments where I'm like going
to go how the did I get
here so yeah in aquari with you clown
shooting ke Cannon you just kind of stop
and assess and go did I get here I I
will tell you and I'm sure you guys have
had this many many times but Jamie and I
talk we called it the myth buzzer moment
for us because we'd be sitting at the
top of a greased slide after weeks of
work going who who who what how no one
asked us to do this no one asked us and
by the way we are at pressure the barrel
isn't hooked up but I'm ready to load
the crap bird and fire it into crap stop
talking about ourselves as start
shooting some GE
the moment like that that Bobby
mentioned is one of my favorite feelings
basically just realizing you're standing
right in the middle of such a surreal
moment having watched every episode of
Mythbusters in my youth I've seen Adam
interact with Phantoms multiple times
but there was that realization for me
right here where I was watching Adam
load up the pipe with the goose as if I
am watching an episode of Mythbusters
Gavin are you guys ready for a potential
and then he turns to me to check if the
Phantoms are ready I just found that
moment so fulfilling
[Music]
it's just best if they're unconscious
next up to test the aim of the cannon
we'd be firing the ugliest bird at the
ugliest Fabio head yeah it's
great going
on whoa oh my God I lost the
bird I lost the bird have you gone far
it did oh
no pre lubed it was a real struggle with
the lube one
oh yeah come out yeah awesome I've got
it the bird is
loaded bird and defabio on three two
one
awesome the unfortunate thing with these
faster cameras is that we're searching
through like 400,000 frames oh
yeah that's 50,000 frames a second 50
yeah Jesus I can speed up a little slide
over God look at the splash on his chin
oh my God it's like literally going in
his
mouth oh
yes it's like pushing his
no [ __ ]
AR look like you got hit by an be hit by
an eel
yeah stop making that that noise
specifically is pretty bad ballistic St
is made for
smacking yeah it looks like this one
will fly pretty proud oh yeah you will
get him yeah she's a Bea oh look at her
she might take a little Force to get in
but don't let go of the tail absolutely
not the first time I've done
this
absolutely go
get in your graci she
goes I have her I
have all right all right here we go
beautiful bird into beautiful Fabio
three two
one that was a good blow the sound
specifically good we're going to have
some good eyeball action
there good grief
range is clear Adam Savage you're going
to want to see
this it's the hopeful look on his face
very Disney prince clearly enjoying
himself on his on his ride yeah you can
just imagine his
exactly oh my God the bird is perfect
now he's seeing
the force equals mass time to
acceleration flip wow it's almost like
he closed his eyes for a
second the bird is just going into the
into itself
Cronenberg speed
up oh my
God that is the most perfect glancing
blow one eye
is it just completely changes the
face amazing
oh he got the whipping he got the tail
in the
neck
sh nice bit of movement down the rack
too oh yeah the thing like had a bit of
recoil that time yeah that's
good oh that's
spectacular most qualified person in the
world and doing speciic this succession
of ridiculous skills I'm pretty good at
the best he was most qualified before
ever started doing any of this as well
what do you think you're the best at oh
I think I'm just all right at loads of
stuff you could have get in giant
balloons I'm pretty well practiced at it
these days without Lube we should just
get some of this animal Lube yeah I know
why didn't we think of that never
thought of that and
uh get in your
[Music]
pup in three 2 1
oh blew his hair off oh yeah oh I can't
believe his eye didn't pop out oh it did
no it didn't no it didn't it didn't
[Music]
and three 2
1 oh eye popped
out what'd you find there Dan just found
the eye you know popped out quite a
far
[Music]
detention oh
oh whips
around run it back very
good
you I'm starting to think Fabio's
telling the
truth the white silicon test goose is
heavier than the ballistics gel geese so
we were curious if it would do even more
damage to the Fabio head
what oh that's what we're talking
about who's the first to find the
eyeballs me found both of them
one it's not like they look like every
other thing on the ground yeah yeah
yeah did it fall out in yes it's deeply
um damaged him it's like gone into his
nose
that's booking it
oh hell that one's really gruesome I
think that's going way faster than the
other
one oh the mechanical coupling between
the bird and the face that is going to
smarten the all
Jesus
Christ God Adam then wanted to see which
Goose would go the furthest distance the
Silicon or the ballistics gel here we go
3 2
1 nice and clean look at that I'm really
curious about which one went farther
oh oh
no I got I
ah I got to rinse my shoes bistic gel
bird went 100 F
feet this one went 150 ft so silicone
wins God damn
it the hard part about the slurry is
that it's a quarry which means it's not
dirt it's it's Clay it's it's under dirt
and it's tenacious as hell it sticks to
everything if you were walking around
here in the rain it gathers up on the
bottoms of your boots until you're like
four or five inches higher I'm not
kidding that would that would stay on
you I have to chip this off of the
screwdriver unless I get it off right
now yeah I can uh I can move about the
cabin
now last shot of the day the
martini you happy Bobby here we go 3 2
1 all in all this was one of my favorite
days ever feel free to subscribe to the
channel if you want to see more slow-mo
and make sure you check out the videos
on Adam Savage's tested Channel and of
course the full Fabo video over on the
Bobby fingers Channel thanks for
watching see you next time oh my God
that's
a
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