Gravitational Waves Work Like This Drill on Spandex

I take a classic demonstration of warping spacetime and figure out how to demonstrate gravitational waves with the addition of some wheels and a drill.

Discussion video about LIGO and gravitational waves:

Tom Scott's video about frame rate:

[thoperSought]

that explanation of how you did the slow-mo with the stroboscopic effect at the end was nearly as amazing as the demo itself. I think I loved every single thing about this video

[ElizabethSwims]

You should put a planet in that universe while you run the drill and see what effect it has.

[Lorenzo-kevr]

That demonstration of the stroboscopic effect was a gem inside a gem, I loved how those two topics merged together perfectly!

[reginabedgood]

When you are so smart that you don't even need a high speed camera to do a demonstration of gravitational waves. Goals.

Here from Smarter Every Day! This was a great video to recommend to get people hooked on your channel!

[logicalfalse]

If you drew a black 'L' on the fabric you would be able to fully demonstrate the LIGO setup since the weave within the fabric would stretch in an analogous way to space-time base on the amplitude and direction of the wave. Neat.

[shelvacu]

I think I liked the details at the end of how you did it the best :D

[SallyLePage]

What a fab demonstration! Plus I'm glad you described all the work that went into calculating how to get it to work - I would never have guessed how accurate you needed to be!

[ThePanacronic]

Here from "Which Way Will the Water Go? - Smarter Every Day 226" Excited to see what your channel has to offer.

[djimavicprokvideologangro]

I guess you could say these are going wheely, wheely fast...

[mattcay]

I love how you became 'the guy that pours stuff out of beakers' as you put it and also fully embraced it :D Can't wait for the second Mould effect :)

[davidb]

That was super cool. I love your method of capturing the “slow motion” wave propagation without a slow motion camera. It made me think of how when you record the rim spinning on a car, as the car accelerates the rim appears to go through cycles of slowing down until it stops and then reversing in direction.

Plus, the visual aid is awesome. Thanks!

I came here from Smarter Everyday and you’ve earned my subscription. 👍

[zurri]

Not only gravitational waves, by pressing your finger there you also visually demonstrate that energy is mass.

[GoalOrientedLifting]

These types of videos are the reason I love this channel. You explain something really technical in a semi-simple way.

The speed of fabric and the trick with the camera was like a hidden Easter egg of physics.

[XverXDriveX]

Destin sent me here. The fact that you found this out on your own is mind blowing and deserves my subscription.

[BurakBagdatli]

I wish I could give this video a million likes.

[sebbes]

5:32 *I now have additional questions:*
* What happens if you spin that thing faster than the speed of light in your rubber-universe?
* And what difference does it make if you spin it much faster vs slightly faster than speed of light?
example: instead of spinning 18 times/second you do 20 times/second (as slightly faster) and then like 60+ times/second (as much faster)?
* And does something special happens when you spin it at a multiple of t the speed of light (like harmonic frequencies?)
so: 2x Speed of light & 3x speed of light?
is it similar patterns?

[chrisbovington]

I found you through Tom Scott's channel. I love that you used tau in your calculation. The whole vid was very interesting and well made. Definitely sub-worthy.

[benaycock]

The smug look on his face when he says “I then tightened the fabric on the frame to speed up the speed of light in my universe to get it to the speed I needed it to be” 😂😂what a bad ass

[ebybbob]

Really really cool work. I hope educators are incorporating this into their own demonstrations. Thank you!

[DaffyDaffyDaffy]

Don't have a high speed camera? Increase the speed of light in the universe! I just love the sentiment of that. Great work :)