5 Interesting Things

I get ideas for videos that I really like but they're too short for their own video. So I've collected 5 here into one video.

* It's not really correct to say the wasp "wants" something. It's more accurate to say that the wasp has evolved traits that cause it to behave in certain ways. The same goes for the fig plant. It doesn't *want* to be pollinated. But this language of intent and desire is a useful shortcut when talking about evolved behaviour and traits.

The vortex shedding animation was created by Cesareo de La Rosa Siqueira. Used here with thanks.

The Great Courses Plus is currently available to watch through a web browser to almost anyone in the world and optimized for the US, UK, and Australian markets. The Great Courses Plus is currently working to both optimize the product globally and accept credit card payments globally.

[subzeroelectronics]

Everyone’s like,
“Ew, dead wasps!”
well, I’m sure we can all agree that living wasps are much worse for eating.

[wolfandbrie]

When two fig trees love each other very much. A wasp comes about and does the rest.

[Stallnig]

"Son, i believe it's time for you to learn about the figs and the wasps."
"Dad, I already know about the birds an- wait what?"
"...also there's caterpillars"

[mrnicomedes]

Steve didn't *want* to use the word "want" in those ways, he's just an educational youtuber who has evolved to behave in a way that distills information and disseminates it in the most expedient fashion.

[RobertMilesAI]

Excellent video, like the format, never eating another fig.

[jaapsch]

Love the vid. Here's an index:
0:41 Image stabilization
4:44 Fig wasps
8:20 Chimney fins
10:47 Lima beans
12:31 String tower
13:30 Great Courses Plus
14:38 Bonus fig fact

[DiabolicaLuke]

interesting fact 1.1 - dslr cameras with image stabilization actually move their imaging-sensor to cope with shaky footage - you can even hear and feel the mechanism working (at least on my older pentax)

[WulframII]

Steve — I just wanted to let you know that years later, your videos are still teaching me things.

I was waiting in the truck while my wife was shopping and noticed these spirals going up the antenna of the truck beside me. I then realized that mine also had the spiral. It hit me, all these years later, that you had explained why they have the spiral in this very video!

When my wife came out, I nerded-out and explained resonating frequency to her and your chimney example!

[robertpdot]

I've never wanted to not eat a fig any more than now.

[Ninth_Penumbra]

It's fascinating to me how sophisticated plant communication actually is. There are plenty of examples of a single plant releasing a stimulatory chemical during an animal attack, triggering responses in neighboring plants of the same species. An example of this is the tobacco plant: It can actually alter the chemistry of it's leaves & stem to increase it's toxicity in response to attacks by tobacco beetles, and also signal to other tobacco plants to do the same - all without a central nervous system!
There are rich & dynamic conversations between plants happening all around us, just at very different time scales...

[janbogar]

Caterpillar: "Om nom nom."
Lima bean: "There is always a bigger fish".

[diamondsmasher]

"Interesting things"
Step 1: Cut a hole in a box.

Uhh... I'm not sure I want to see the rest of this, Steve

[jamesdavis]

I love the air quotes to acknowledge that anthropomorphising scientific concepts is misleading but sometimes "useful". We've got a real teacher here. Fantastic videos Steve.

[preddy]

I'm done eating image stabilization cameras, figs on the other hand seem delicious.

[indyola]

The vortex shedding spoilers on towers are also useful when strapping down a tent with flat webbing belts. They are generally pulling the tent down toward the ground so the tent doesn't fly away. Typically rated for 5000-10, 000 pounds of tension, the straps are attached to 1 inch wide stakes hammered 40 inches into the ground. The straps vibrate strongly in the wind, like that rubber band with the hairdryer. The fix is to give each strap a half twist or a full twist. totally stops.

[mariatrombley]

I’m so glad I came across your channel!! So informative and extremely entertaining!!! You are so freakin intelligent...I feel smarter after watching lol!! Thank you for your wonderful content!!

[SteveMould]

... number 2 will shock you! (to a greater or lesser extent than the other 4 things). Hope you like the format!

Quick note about image stabilisation in the Pixel 2. It seems there is OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) in the phone too, which is a type of mechanical stabilisation that involves moving the lens to keep the image stable. From my research this is used to reduce blur in still images but not to reduce shake in video. It's all about the internal sensors for video on the Pixel 2.

[Nixitur]

So, are figs considered carnivorous plants then? After all, they literally digest the wasps.

[oyuyuy]

Fun fact: Youtube implemented 'Shorts' just to give Steve a new format to use for video ideas like these

[joshuacoppersmith]

I love the title, and I think each having almost nothing directly in common makes the video work. Any theme would in fact make it seem more like a countdown video.