(gentle music) - [Narrator] Be honest, how many of those weird
yet wonderful things did you find mesmerizing, even if you weren't sure what they were or what was happening? I bet just watching them scratched an itch you didn't know you had, right. Well, if you liked that, then get ready to feast your peepers
on even more fascinating and unusual things that you just won't be
able to take your eyes off. (upbeat music) Phenomenal Firefall Yosemite National Park
is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places on earth. Amidst all of its flawless forest scenery, the spectacular Horsetail
Falls seasonally cascades down the park's most
famous granite rockface, known as El Capitan. As stunning as the 2130
ft waterfall is by itself, under the right circumstances, it becomes even more captivating. For just two weeks in February, when the sun's light is
at the optimal angle, the rays reflect off the
granite behind the waterfall, coloring the falling water bright orange. Though it's not actually ablaze,
the photo-worthy phenomenon is known as a firefall because it resembles a river of flames flowing down the rockface. It's so beautifully stunning that I can't take my eyes off it, and this is just a video. Hella Hot Mud. Now you probably know what volcanoes are, but have you ever heard of mud volcanoes? (bubbling) Unlike normal volcanoes, mud volcanoes don't spew
out molten hot lava, but a much colder mixture of gas, water, and, you guessed it, mud. But this mud is mainly made
up of organic material, and the bacteria in it
gradually breaks it down to produce highly flammable methane gas. Although sometimes, when too much pressure from this gas builds up, it's released in such huge
quantities that the bubbling mud can be set alight. Just like this mud volcano
located in South Taiwan. Despite all the fire, that's got to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Stunning Ice Circles. Back in 2011, this perfect circle of ice was captured slowly spinning
like some kind of tiny, icy carousel on the
banks of a small river. At first, bystanders believed that someone must have carved the
perfectly circular shape out of the ice using
something like a chainsaw. While that might have been the case, these ice circles can also
form completely naturally. Like this one, which formed on a bend in Michigan river back in 2019. The way it turns is utterly hypnotic. But how does this fascinating
natural phenomenon form? Well, one explanation
is that strong eddies in these rivers break off
and rotate sections of ice. As they spin, their outer edges are gradually worn down
against the surrounding ice, leaving the perfectly frozen
circle rotating in place. Although, they're not always this small, because in Maine back in 2019, this utterly colossal
ice circle was discovered spinning hypnotically in
the Presumpscot River. At around a staggering 300 ft across, this freezing water
feature is almost as long as a standard football field. I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to watch this over a
football game any day. Ice baller. While ice circles are
undeniably mesmerizing, the same can be said of ice balls. You see, ice melts quicker when more of its surface
area is exposed to a liquid. So, instead of diluting a
drink with multiple ice cubes, some people create large,
singular ice spheres for their beverages
which melt much slower. But their creation alone, which
uses a specialized machine called an Ice Press, is hypnotic to watch. As you can see, a slab of regular ice is placed in between two
huge heated aluminum blocks. The top one slowly presses
down, melting the ice slab while molding it into
the two spherical curves in each block. In just a few minutes,
the process produces a stunningly spherical ice orb. Now that really puts
the press in impressive. Creative cloud chambers. Despite the name, a
cloud chamber isn't a box that magically captures
clouds from the sky. Although it does,
technically, contain a cloud. These chambers are used by researchers to display the invisible tracks left by radiation particles. To do this, a layer of alcohol or water is heated up and evaporated
so that a thick cloud of vapor fully saturates the
space within the chamber. This is a process called supersaturation. Once supersaturated, radioactive particles traveling about the tank bounce off the tightly packed,
vaporized gas particles, knocking them aside and
leaving mesmerizing tracks in their wake. It's like some kind of
forbidden Etch-A-Sketch, I mean just look how fast they move. What's even more amazing
is that those particles aren't from anything famously
radioactive like uranium, those are just our environment's naturally occurring radioactive particles. Now this is what uranium
particles look like. As you can see, they're
a lot more energetic, and notoriously harmful. But as famously dangerous as it is, I could still sit and
watch this for hours. Cracking lake ice. Now it's not your eyes you
won't be able to tear away from this next example, but your ears. Just take a listen to the
noise this frozen lake makes as its ice slowly shifts and cracks. (ice cracking) Doesn't it sound like a
bunch of lasers firing? Well, this unexpected noise
is caused by the ice shifting, likely because of temperature changes. As the inflexible ice cracks, the fissures emit sounds made up of lots of different frequencies. The high frequency popping sounds travel faster through the ice,
so they hit your ears first, followed by the low notes,
giving them that ethereal, echo-like sound. And the more cracks there are in the ice, like here on Gun Lake in British Colombia, the more amazing pops
and echoes they produce. (blasting) Kinda hard to tell if
this is the sound of ice, or the soundtrack to Star Wars. Bizarre Beach Blobs. Have you ever been enjoying
a nice warm day on the beach, when suddenly you notice a strange, sticky-looking blob in the sand? While some people just
can't resist investigating, most simply assume
they're some kind of trash or jellyfish. But sometimes the sheer number
of these literal tide pods scattered over the beach
can be impossible to ignore. So just what exactly are they? Well, depending on their size, the tiny transparent
blobs could be a species of comb jelly called Pleurobrachia Pleius, also adorably known as Sea Gooseberries. Unlike a lot of jellyfish,
this species only grows to about the size of a teaspoon and doesn't have the
ability to sting humans. However, their little swimming
combs aren't powerful enough to swim against strong currents, leaving many stranded along
beaches after the tide recedes. But that's not all they might be. Salps are another organism
with stunning sea through skin. These creatures are
chordates, which are animals with dorsal nerve cords,
so they're closely linked to vertebrates. That means they're more
closely related to humans than they are jellyfish. Well, now that you know
your sea gooseberries from your Salps, which do
you think these ones are? For sea gooseberry, hit that like button, and for salp, hit the subscribe. Or if it's clear to you
that they're something else, let me know down in the comments. Los Angeles' blackballs. Back in the summer of 2015,
residents of Las Virgenes in California were captivated by something they'd never seen before. The Municipal Water District
was filling their reservoirs with truckloads of black balls in a stunning spectacle that's
impossible to look away from. As mesmerizing as watching this reservoir being turned into the
world's biggest ball pit is, why on earth did they do such a thing? Well, it turns out that these
aren't just any black balls, but specially made Shade Balls They're designed to cover
the surface of lakes and reservoirs to prevent
billions of gallons of water from being lost to evaporation. The protective layer they
provide also prevents the water supply from
being polluted by animals, and even stops toxic chemical reactions caused by the sun altering
elements in the water. And it's not just Las
Virgenes that uses them. That same august, the
Los Angeles Reservoir was also filled to the brim with a whopping 96 million
of these big black balls. (whirring) At 36 cents per ball, the cost
of this incredible cascade came to an eye watering $34.5 million. Though still expensive, this
was about $250 million cheaper than any alternative, like
rolling out a specially made, 175-acre tarp over the top
of the massive reservoir. But if they really needed something cheap that was large enough
to block out the sun, couldn't they have just hired your mom to stand in front of it? Glowing ghost mushrooms. Fabulous fungi can be found in forests all over the world, but
there's one special subspecies that puts on a seriously surprising show. This is Omphalotus nidiformis, more commonly known as the Ghost Mushroom. When the sun sets, the
fleshy fans of these 12-inch, funnel-shaped fungi turn
into natures night lights, all thanks to their unusual
bioluminescent properties. But an explanation of
exactly why they glow eluded scientists for over 170 years. That was until 2015,
when researchers realized that there's almost no wind at the base of the trees where the flashy fungi grow. So, in order to reproduce, they needed a windless way
of spreading their spores. As such, these magical
mushrooms have evolved to produce molecules called luciferins, which react with the
air to generate light. It's the same compound
that gives fireflies and deep-sea creatures their eerie glow. But instead of using the light
to attract a mate or a meal, the Ghost Mushrooms
use it to attract bugs. These light loving visitors
brush against the fungi, and in doing so, help
it spread its spores. Now that's what you
call a bright solution. Levitating light shows. While magical mushrooms
can light up the ground, there are even more
mind-blowing light shows happening above your heads. In recent years, aerial drone light shows have become a popular
alternative to firework displays, and you can definitely see why. In April 2020, Verge Aero
brought this spectacular display to the heart of Philadelphia, writing their message of
thanks to essential workers and healthcare providers in the sky. Using some clever engineering
and design software, 150 individual drones were fed a series of complex commands that moved them about the sky in predetermined patterns. The result was a perfectly choreographed show that shifted seamlessly
from flashing messages of thank to a waving American flag, and even the EMS star of life. But if you thought 150 drones were cool, just wait till you see what 1500 can do. As part of China's 2020 Spring Festival, DAMODA took over the Shenzhen skyline with an utterly spellbinding show, consisting of 1500 drones. They flawlessly recreated
famous landscapes from around China in the sky, and even hung a traditional decoration up among the stars. It almost looks better
than the real thing. Not only are displays
like this breath-taking, but they're much cheaper than fireworks because, unlike their
explosive counterparts, both the drones and their
choreography software can be re-used. London's New Year's
fireworks, for example, cost a staggering £2.3 million for just one 30-minute display, that's about $3.2 million. But a show with just 500 flashy drones costs a fraction of
that, at around $300,000. With that said, has anyone
got $299,995 I could borrow? Quirky quicksand. In the movies, quicksand
is dramatically depicted as a sure-fire death-trap that slowly sucks its victims under. But while the truth about
quicksand is much tamer, it's actually much cooler
to look at in real life. So, peel your eyes off the silver screen, and look to the sandy shores
of Morecambe Bay in England. That ground may look solid, but just watch what happens
when you step on it! Parts of the sand lining these shores has become waterlogged,
so while it looks solid on the surface, the second you step on it the sands begin to liquefy. The longer you stay in one place, the more the layers of
water and sand separate, so the densely packed layer of wet sand can suddenly trap you in. But if you dance around from spot to spot like this guy, the layers aren't put under enough prolonged pressure to separate. Although, depending on how
fine the sandy sediment is, the surface can look
unsuspectingly dry and solid until you start stepping on
it, like this lady found out. As strangely satisfying
as that is to watch, I don't think her sneakers are gonna stay that white for long. Gorgeous Geodes. Geodes are nature's true hidden treasures. These spherical rocks don't look like anything
special on the surface, but their cavities are lined
with minerals and crystals. Most are formed from the
gas of old lava bubbles, which have been put under
colossal pressure for thousands, or even millions of years. Eventually, the minerals
in the gasses crystallise, coating the cavity in
a growth of gemstones. They can range drastically in size, measuring from just a few inches to tens of feet in diameter, and weighing from a couple
of grams up to several tons. While their insanely sparkly interiors are hypnotic to look at by themselves, they're nothing compared to
actually cracking one open. But to prevent accidentally
crushing the geode, many professionals rely on
precision pressure cutting tools, like this Cast Iron Pipe Snap Cutter. This loops an industrial
strength chain around the geode and gradually constricts it, until the geode cracks cleanly along the length of the chain. Then, they slack the
chain up, take it out, and reveal what's been waiting within it for all those years. I'm not sure what was more satisfying, the crack or the reveal. What do you think? Let me know down in the comments. The biggest blisters. Almost no one can resist
the urge to pop an angry, fluid filled blister. But what if one appeared in your yard? You'd want to squeeze it and watch whatever was inside burst out, right? Well, bizarrely, the workers
down at this golf course managed to catch that
exact moment on camera. (water splashing) And what an excellent,
if not weirdly placed, water feature it is. Sometimes called grass
blisters or turf bubbles, these bulging blisters
can form when a water or irrigation pipe nearby bursts. This rush of water gets
trapped in between the turf and a layer of plastic sheeting laid down by landscapers underneath, which is used if the original soil is of poor quality. They then shovel new, good soil on top so that the grass they plant grows well. But if the water can't
flow through the top of the turf fast enough, it builds up in these big bouncy bubbles. Although, they're not
always filled with water. Just listen to this. (hissing) That bubble was filled with air. Or, more specifically, methane. Many golf courses like
this a built over the top of old landfills, but as
the trash below decays, it releases methane gas which rises up, creating these funny,
flatulent bubbles underneath the pristine turf. Which one do you want to do
more, watch it deflate slowly for hours on end, or just jump on it? Cool cold pop. The only thing more
mesmerizing than watching the iridescent swirls on a soap bubble is watching icy crystals whirl around them as it freezes solid, like this! And this hasn't been sped up,
it's freezing in real time, In less than a minute,
the entire watery orb is frozen solid, but how
does it freeze so fast? Well, when a bubble is in
a freezing environment, the first part to freeze is the bottom. But the flow of the liquid
in the bubble breaks up freezing particles and carries them off, creating this incredible snow
globe effect while freezing the entire structure from multiple points. Even though the science behind
this is pretty complicated, it just makes it all the
more magical to watch. Awesome Acrylic Pour. Have you ever mixed a whole bunch of different Coloured paints together? Even if you use super bright colors, it almost always mixes into the same weird shade of muddy brown. Unless you use this mesmerizing method, which is called the acrylic pour. Acrylic paint is a kind of polymer paint, the colorful pigment of which is made up of very large molecules. So, when two different paints meet, the sheer size of their molecules prevents them from immediately
bleeding into each other. This means they can be
layered on top of one another like this, and then delightfully drizzled to create magical masterpieces. As it's poured, the different layers of paint spread out gradually, creating this beautifully
layered paint pour. But to finish this piece of art off, the canvas can be tipped to drag the paint in different directions,
creating a color cascade with different layers all along it. Anyone else adding this to
their oddly satisfying playlist? Rainbow Lightning. If you're the kind of
person who likes getting a two-for-the-price-of-one deal, then you're gonna love what happened during this Oklahoma thunderstorm. Did you catch that? Well let's slow it down and see it again. Watch as that lightning
streaks across the same point in the sky where a rainbow has formed. That's two natural phenomena in one. And the science behind
it is just as astounding. Lightning that spreads
out like this is known as Anvil Crawler lightning, as it looks like sparks flying
off the top of an anvil. Instead of striking from
the cloud to the ground, this lightning crawls from cloud to cloud as the storm's electrical
balance equalities. Usually, this happens inside the clouds, so you don't see it. But in this case, the clear conditions not only revealed the
lightning, but the sunlight refracting off the storm's rain also produced a perfectly placed rainbow. What a natural bargain. Water that hates, water? When you spill a little water, it splashes in just about every direction and soaks everything. Or at least, it usually
does, unless you've mixed it with powdered aerogel like this. Whoa, it's acting more like liquid mercury than liquid water. This is because aerogel is a synthetic, ultra-lightweight substance, specially formulated to be hydrophobic, so it doesn't absorb water at all. In its powdered form it can
be used to coat surfaces, which prevents the
build-up of condensation and makes them completely waterproof. However, when the powder is
also immersed in the water, like it is here, it takes on some amazingly
mesmerizing properties. The substance acts like
it's trapped in a bubble, and resists joining back
to separated globules. But it's not just its
own contact it resists. The substance keeps
itself so well contained that the beads it forms
can be moved around and even cut with a sheet of
paper, how amazing is that? Incredible Instant Freezing. Now, we all know that water can exist as a flowing liquid and as an icy solid. But have you ever seen it go from liquid to solid instantly, like this? As well as being supercool to watch, it's also got some supercool
science behind it, literally. You see, water freezes at 32° Fahrenheit, but in order to become
ice, water molecules need to organize themselves
around impurities, also known as nuclei,
in order to crystallize. But in distilled water, the
impurities are filtered out. So even if the water
reaches its freezing point, it can't change states and becomes a supercooled
solution instead. But a single shock wave
can change the molecules arrangement and force them to crystallize. So, just by tapping the bottle, the water freezes instantly! What's more, if this supercooled
water hits any other ice, which contains those essential nuclei, the process of crystallization
travels up the stream. This means that if it's
poured onto an ice cube, it creates an instant ice sculpture. Well, now that we know we can
turn water into ice instantly, is anyone else thinking
about putting on a dress and recreating their
favorite scenes from Frozen? No, I mean, me neither. Hot Water vs Cold Weather. Now, what I'm about to
show you is really cool, or hot, depending on how you look at it. But I need everyone watching to promise that they're not going
to try this at home. Otherwise, you might end up in my Embarrassingly Dumb
Ways People Died series. Are you ready? Okay, watch closely as
this guy throws a mug of boiling hot water into the air on a -10° Fahrenheit day. How spectacular was that? It looks like the water froze immediately, but that's not quite the case. That big cloud over his
head is actually condensate, or water that has quickly
condensed into tiny droplets. Like the clouds your breath
makes when it's cold outside. And those stunning streaks are condensate coming off the spreading water droplets that have been flung into the air, not water that's instantly frozen. For that, the air outside
would need to be a frosty - 42° Fahrenheit. While it's still utterly mesmerizing, remember, it's much safer and warmer to watch the professionals
do it on YouTube. Which of these unusual things could you not take your eyes off? Let me know down in the comments below, and thanks for watching.
