- [Narrator] Time has the power to change just about everything, and seeing its effects
unfold right before your eyes can be a truly mind-bending experience. From the real effects of
too much video gaming, to what a decade looks like on Mars, let's explore some astounding sights that demonstrate the
incredible power of time. (upbeat lively music) (creature thuds) In the space of just three years, this lake straight-up disappeared, being replaced by a brand-new
landscape of wildlife. While the photos may look like two completely unrelated locations, the treeline in the
distance remains the same, like a signpost through time. Of course, lakes don't just
disappear without reason, and a lack of adequate rainfall over time emptied this particular lake out, turning it into a fertile paradise. It's a change that's
certainly growing on me. But dried-up lakes don't
always look so lush and green. Bolivia's second-largest body of water, Lake Poopo, disappeared in 2016 after recurring droughts dried up all the salt water, as you can see in this satellite image comparison. What was once a vast
waterscape, is now a white flat of crusted salt and rusting fishing boats, stretching as far as the eye can see. There's a chance it may
recover in the future, but only time will tell. While some environmental changes
can occur in mere months, other processes take their time, as shown in this ingenious
100-year time lapse of the Mer de Glace. Located in the French alps, this stunning, moving glacier was first photographed over a century ago by Eduard Spelterini. In 2017, those photographs
were 3D-modeled, rendered, and cross-compared with modern
images of the same region, showing the path the
glacier carved through the mountains over a century. How cool is that? (gentle upbeat music) When it comes to the
effects of nature over time, you'd be hard-pressed
to find a better example than this image from
St. Andrews Churchyard of Grimsby, Ontario, Canada. This gravestone, thought
to be from the 1800s, has slowly been consumed
by a neighboring tree. Because most trees can't move their roots, they sometimes have to
grow around solid objects in their way, so don't
leave your bike chained up to the local oak for too
long, or this might happen. Canada is also home to this unique example of the power of time. This stately limestone column, located at a busy intersection
in downtown Toronto, has helped support that
Victorian-era building for over 125 years, but
as patrons and pedestrians have touched it, leaned on
it, and rubbed against it, the soft rock has slowly been worn down into an almost unrecognizable shape. So if you want your stone pillar to have a little more character,
just ask your friends to rub it for you. Hmm, maybe I could've
phrased that a little better. Speaking of unusual shapes,
this 2003 old Apple keyboard is displaying some serious wear and tear. It's not just the symbols on the keys that have been worn off. The sheer amount of typing
on certain high-usage keys has worn them down to the point where they look like they've been melted. Almost 20 years of furiously typing emails or searching for cat
videos is likely to blame. Either that, or the keyboard
owner's fingers are extra hot. From the outside, Italy's
famous Leaning Tower of Pisa looks like a victim of time already, but the inside is where
it gets interesting. This iconic landmark has
seen so much foot traffic over the years that its
marble stairs spiraling up to the top have been worn
down by people's footsteps. Different levels of
wear are found depending on how steep that part of
the building's lean is, as this affects how people walk and stand. A few more years, and that set of stairs will make a fantastic slide. But it's not just foot traffic
that can wear down steps. Just take a look this image. While it may look like
the stairwell carved into this rock has been
worn down by visitors, the deep puddle marks in each
step tell a different story. The curved holes and smooth edges of the stairwell indicate
that rain runoff, and maybe even flooding
of the nearby creek, has played a part in slowly
eroding it over time. Either that, or someone didn't
read the wet concrete sign back when planet Earth was being formed. Some people just can't
resist petting a nearby dog, even if it's a statue. This brass dog in one of
Moscow's Metro Stations shows considerable wear from passing patrons who have rubbed this
good boy's nose for luck. But he's not the only one. This statue of Greyfriars
Bobby, a famous dog who reportedly guarded his owner's grave in Scotland for 14 years,
has a similarly shiny snout. And rightly so; a good boy like that certainly earned a few nose-rubs. But not all dogs can
look pristine forever. These portraits by
Amanda Jones capture dogs in their youth as puppies, directly compared to their
years as senior dogs. Like this image of Amanda's
dog Lily the dachshund, captured on the left at
just eight months old, compared to 15 years old on the right. Time may have changed
the fluff of her coat, but it certainly hasn't
worn down the effect of those puppy dog eyes. While some pups look
too cute to be capable of any wrongdoing, this
dog has certainly caused a lot of trouble. Over time, leaning out the
window of his owner's truck has put more than a few scratch
marks on the paint work. This dangling dog has done it so often that it's been worn down all the way to the metal underneath. Maybe the dog just really
hates the color red. Despite having been around
the block a few times, classic retro games like PAC-MAN can still be addictive and fun. This unusual TV screen proves that fact better than anything. The owner played PAC-MAN on it so much that the map of the game was
burned onto the CRT TV screen. This is known as screen
burn-in, or ghost image, caused by long-term use of a specific, non-uniform pattern of screen pixels. Older electronic displays
can hold the ghost image even when the system
isn't turned on or even, in this case, when it's totally detached. I really hope that high
score was worth it. Now, retro video games are great and all, but alcohol arguably holds the title when it comes to getting better with age. These images from the Glengoyne Distillery in Scotland demonstrate the procedure for aging whisky in casks over 30 years. Each bottle shows the alcohol another year into the aging process. The casks are made from different types of oak that once held sherry or bourbon, and the aging whisky gradually absorbs the color and flavor from the cask. Evaporation can also be
seen accurately represented over this time frame, as around 2% of the whiskey's
total volume escapes as vapor through the
porous barrels each year. In the industry, all that
lost whiskey is known as the angel's share, and
with a name like that, it sounds like heaven's going
to be one hell of a party. Many organizations claim
they get good business, but this store can really prove it. The bell next to the door of this shop has knocked against the wood so many times that it's worn a hole
right through the top. The store is located next
to a university campus, so that amount of
business isn't surprising, although it's not the only thing worn down by eager students. This photo of the worn-down door handles from Michigan Student Union show how most students over the years have vastly preferred the right-hand door. It could be because most
students are right-handed, or that they walk on the right side down the hall once they enter. Either way, they certainly seem
to have a handle on things. Whilst some things wear down
over time, others build up, like the mineral deposits in this pipe. Believe it or not, that
thick crystal-like layer built up in just six months. But how is that possible? Well, this pipe was used to
transport water from a natural thermal spring to a swimming pool. The geothermal water
itself is full of minerals, which are gradually deposited, crystallizing into
clumps inside the pipes. It's a very similar process to how crystal-filled
caves form in nature. Only, a crystal-blocked
pipe ruining your pool time is a lot less awe-inspiring. It doesn't take a road-markings expert to know that guide tracks over crosswalks definitely shouldn't look like this. But this mess isn't intentional, nor is it the result of
a shaky-handed painter. In reality, the passing of many cars on a hot summer day has made
this once-straight track too crooked to guide anyone. Over time, hot temperatures
have heated up the asphalt and paint, making it more malleable. It's then been gradually
dragged in different directions by passing cars, leaving their imprints on the road markings. That really puts the drag in drag race. And while we're at it, why
don't you drag your finger, or cursor, I don't discriminate, over to those like and subscribe buttons and give 'em a click? Go on, I know you can
do it. I believe in you. But time doesn't just
hold power over Earth; we can see its effect on Mars too. The Mars Rover, which
landed on the red planet in 2004, went equipped with a camera. After 10 years of hard work, its anniversary photo shows the changes the planet has made to
the Rover's base area. Red dust now coats the
once-shiny solar panels and the rocks around the base
have been exposed by wind. When your little robot arms
can't use a mop and bucket, what a difference a
decade on Mars can make. Looks like the red planet's first colony is going to need a pressure washer. Back on planet Earth now, and
while there's no red dust, the weather in Texas still
managed to break down the color of this soda can
left exposed to the elements. The technical term for
this kind of color fading is photodegradation,
where ultraviolet rays in sunshine break down the
chemical bonds in pigments, fading the color of an object. The can had been sat in that cup holder for about two years, and only the parts of the can exposed to the sun were faded. Well, it's either that, or Coca-Cola have done
some terrible re-branding. Here's an image that tells
a heart-warming story. That brick corner wall
forms part of the exterior of a bike store which has been around for approximately 30 years. Customers visit with their bikes, and many of them park up
on the exact same corner. As countless pedals of
happy customers have struck the same bricks, part of the corner has slowly worn down into a groove, making it an even better
home for parked-up pedals. Time certainly made sure to
take a chip off this old block. If you're going to fly a flag, you might want to double
check your hoisting equipment to ensure your flag doesn't
literally go a-flying. At least, that's the conclusion drawn from this incredible
example of wear-and-tear. This hook came from a
flagpole that had been in use for over 20 years. As the flag waved and flapped in the wind, the rope wore down the metal of the hook until it was dangerously close to breaking loose and flying away. If I were the owner of this hook, I'd just be grateful I
didn't accidentally take it with me on a mountain expedition. There are over 46,000, convenience stores dotted about Great Britain, and while a lot of them look similar, you can see how this one stands out. This store, found in London,
has two distinct patches on the floor that show where
people have been standing and waiting to pay over
the course of years. It's an amazing example of how
a negligible amount of force, in this case, people simply
standing in the same spot, can have a surprisingly substantial
effect over a long time. Either that, or the
cashier is extremely slow. But that worn-down shop
floor is nothing compared to the devotion of Buddhist monk Hua Chi, whose exact footprints have been ingrained into the wooden floor of his temple. For over 20 years, this man has prayed at the exact same spot in Tongren, China, reciting and practicing
up to 3,000 prayers a day. This drawn-out dedication
has worn those perfect prints of his feet over an inch deep in some places into the wooden floor. His dedication has, quite
literally, left its mark. Some marks of time passing can prove to be a little more destructive than others, like this scorch line
burned into dry grass. Whilst there's no arsonist to blame, the cause of the burn
comes from the glass bowl of the light above it. As the sun passes overhead,
the spherical shape of the glass creates a
point of intense heat by focusing the sunlight
onto one small patch, kinda like a bratty kid killing ants with a magnifying glass. But as the sun changes
position in the sky, the patch moves, until it's
out of the glass orb's focus. To avoid a scorched lawn like this, may I suggest lamp shades. What can I say? I'm full of bright ideas. While old Father Time is
responsible for a lot of change, Mother Nature also has a shared
hand in speeding along some of the more drastic transformations, like those of Zlatni Rat Beach in Croatia. Back in 2018, a powerful storm managed to shift huge amounts of the beach's sand, turning the straight tip into an almost 90-degree bend
virtually overnight. This natural golden
cape's iconic protrusion into the sea makes it susceptible to changes from high
winds and strong waves. Funnily enough, this has happened on several occasions, and the beach has been transformed
into numerous incredible hook-like shapes over the years. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, the sands of time. Which real-world phenomena
have you encountered that reminded you of the
awesome power of time? Let me know in the comments
below, and thanks for watching. (upbeat lively music)
