Nuclear Engineer Reacts to ElectroBOOM's Jacob's Ladder

[tomwimmenhove]

He has actually talked about this incident in an interview and how incredibly painful it was and he had to go and lay down for a while before he was ready to continue filming. It was definitely not planned. He almost died there.

[TheXtremeBoltGuy]

Electroboom's talked about this since first posting the video. This is one of the few videos where he actually almost killed himself. Many times he's made it look like he's gotten hurt, but a lot of those were for YouTube comedy. This one was very real, he genuinely almost died when it fell on him

[Kaelicles]

It wasn't planned. In a later interview, he was quoted as saying "I would be dead if not for my shitty wiring."

[PentiumMHz]

When I was a kid, I played with high voltage, but instead of a microwave oven transformer I used a flyback transformer from a TV and some simple two transistor oscillator (it got really hot when running). It created arcs a few mm long and because of the high frequency did not hurt at all (unless I kept the finger near the arc long enough for the skin to heat up and burn at that spot).
I made a mini version of the Jacobs ladder, plasma globe (just a regular lightbulb) and a simple electrostatic motor (works with AC).

15:34 - "what is that?" That is a pencil. Graphite is conductive, so, connecting low voltage high current source to it makes the graphite red hot and the wood starts to smoke a lot. I did that too when I was a kid :)

[Old_Man_Fire]

if you play the bit where the jacobs ladder falls on him in slowmo you can see a bunch of thoughts cross mehdi's face in rapid succession - confusion as it starts moving, then panic as he tries to escape but doesn't have time to, realisation that he's going to have to catch it and fear as a result, then he braces for impact and lasty the look of pain as it touches his hands

[matthewday]

If Electroboom shocked himself for real as often as it looks like, he would be a crispy critter by now

[glasslinger]

I'm still waiting for him to incinerate a $2500 Keysight scope!

[robertchapman]

15:32 That would be ElectroBOOM testing how conductive graphite is, while *IT IS IN A PENCIL.* The wood caught fire evidentially.

[CKOD]

Yeah usually he gets upto stuff that looks dangerous but with due attention to what youre doing, its not likely to injure. Even his messing around with mains stuff (I.e. the "electric guitar" video ) isnt really that risky as he's only doing one hand and (presumably) minding contact with other grounded things. Hes pulling a bunch of slices of the swiss cheese model, but still has a few that require knowledge and attention. But this one... I had the same reaction you did when it happened. just wide eyed knowing I just saw someone inches from death, and the layer that saved him in the swiss cheese model was "luck"

[MisterTheRobot]

As someone who's going in secondary school for electrictian, that was frightening :o

[RealShebang]

ElectroBoom and Chandlers Wildlife are two guys where I watch their videos to make sure they are still alive somehow

[conorstewart]

The thing you couldn’t recognise with all the smoke was a pencil, he sharpened both ends and connected the graphite to a power supply.

[MrThomashorst]

I think what saved him was the immediate short he created when he grabbed both wires and pushed them together.

[sujjalpaikaray]

Hello Sir I have a request why don't you make a video in which you tell us about your journey. How you got into your profession and mich more?

[entropy-cat]

I feel like he intentionally shocks himself all the time not just for entertainment but also remind everyone CONSTANTLY that this shit can be dangerous.

[beansnrice]

ElectroBOOM, the internet's loveable, electrical stuntman.

[Ali_Pxll]

I admire how he knows the limit and professionally play at the edge

[twilighteclipse]

Kinda hammering home the importance of safety: 10 years in a power plant and he’s never seen an arc flash. 1 year working in big box stores and I’ve seen 2, one from an improperly installed lighting power distribution node and another from a damaged capacitor on a cardboard bailer.

[deltab]

I remember when this came out. I really, really hoped that the final accident was fake (as in, the wires weren’t actually energized with a microwave transformer when they hit him.)

But apparently it was just as bad as it looked. He’s lucky to be alive.

[mikemcchesney]

I remember about thirty years ago, a friend of mine and I got on a Burger King Roof. I took a big transformer they had for the Neon Lights. I took it home and cut up a coat hanger for the leads for a Jacob's Ladder. Made GREAT Arcs!