GPT-3: not quite up to the task. Yet. • ElectroBOOM: https://youtube.com/electroboom • Answer in Progress: https://youtube.com/answerinprogress • hbomberguy: https://youtube.com/hbomberguy • MrBeast: https://youtube.com/mrbeast6000 Includes text generated by OpenAI's GPT-3 at my request: https://openai.com • OpenAI had no control or sign-off on this video, although I agreed to abide by their ethical guidelines and social media policy. I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Grey? Blue? Purple? It can look different, depending on the context. Let's talk about color perception, color temperature, and the history of laundry. Atmospheric opacity image from ESA/Hubble (F. Granato): https://www.eso.org/public/images/atm_opacity/ - image licensed under CC by 4.0 - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The optical illusion is original, but based on the work of David Novick: https://twitter.com/novickprof/status/1139342022551191553 More on Illuminant D65: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminant_D65 - the references in this article go into the full technical detail I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

"Life support system" were the three key words that convinced me to do a video about an aquarium. Because yes: behind the scenes at The Deep, an aquarium in Hull, there's a life support system, and it deserves that name. Thanks to all the team at The Deep! More about them: https://www.thedeep.co.uk/ or on their channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thedeephull Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Edited by Michelle Martin: https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin Audio mix by Graham Haerther I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

I didn't even realise that "low explosives" were a thing; let's talk about deflagration, detonation, and how high explosives can actually be safer. • Thanks to Steve from Live Action FX: http://liveactionfx.com/ Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Camera: Simon Temple http://templefreelance.co.uk Edited by Michelle Martin: https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Shakespeare sounds a certain way. Why? And why could it only work in English? • Written with Gretchen McCulloch of Lingthusiasm! Her podcast has an episode about how translators approach texts: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/632086691477323776/lingthusiasm-episode-49-how-translators-approach Gretchen's book BECAUSE INTERNET, all about the evolution of internet language, is available: ???????? US: https://amzn.to/30tLpjT ???????? CA: https://amzn.to/2JsTYWH ???????? UK: https://amzn.to/31K8eRD (Those are affiliate links that give a commission to me or Gretchen, depending on country!) Audio mix by Graham Haerther: https://haerther.net I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

On the south-east coast of England sits Covehithe: a little Suffolk village going back at least a thousand years. By the end of the century, it'll likely have fallen into the sea. Here's why no-one's planning to save it. Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ SOURCES: Shoreline Management Plans: https://www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/environment/coastal-management/shoreline-management-plans/ http://www.suffolksmp2.org.uk/actionplan/docs/2.%20Kessingland%20to%20Covehithe.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20140221104223/http://www.suffolksmp2.org.uk/publicdocuments/finalsmp/Section%204_Policy%20Development%20Zones/PDZ2v9.pdf Article: https://web.archive.org/web/20160913051551/http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/environment/covehithe_landowner_raises_fears_over_coastal_defence_proposals_1_1111983 I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Explosions on film are made to look good: fireballs and flame. In reality, though, they're a bit disappointing. Here's how Hollywood does it. • Produced with an experienced, professional pyrotechnician. Do not attempt. Thanks to Steve from Live Action FX: http://liveactionfx.com/ Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Camera: Simon Temple http://templefreelance.co.uk Edited by Michelle Martin: https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo MARK WAHLBERG IS WEARING A HAT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqz5dbs5zmo

4 minutes remaining. Then 15 seconds. Then 5 hours. Why can't computers just tell you how long something's going to take? • MORE BASICS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL96C35uN7xGLLeET0dOWaKHkAlPsrkcha Written with Sean Elliott https://twitter.com/SeanMElliott/ • Graphics by William Marler https://wmad.co.uk I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

I didn't expect this to work so well. • Includes text generated by OpenAI's GPT-3 at my request: https://openai.com • Art by Chris Quay: https://www.chrisquay.com/ • Got an idea for a video? https://www.tomscott.com/contact/ Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ OpenAI had no control or sign-off on this video, although I agreed to abide by their ethical guidelines and social media policy. Thanks to Eddie the corgi's owner for introducing me to the folks at OpenAI: https://instagram.com/eddie_corg Articles referenced: https://doi.org/10.18653/v1%2F2020.findings-emnlp.301 https://artificialintelligence-news.com/2020/10/28/medical-chatbot-openai-gpt3-patient-kill-themselves/ https://thenextweb.com/neural/2021/01/19/gpt-3-is-the-worlds-most-powerful-bigotry-generator-what-should-we-do-about-it/ New River in Bowes Park image by Nick Cooper on Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_River_Bowes_Park.jpg Licensed under CC-by 3.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

Around the world, there are regulations for "influencers". Those regulations make sure that if someone is paid to endorse a product, they have to declare that payment to the people watching. But why does no-one on TV, or film, or anywhere else have to do that? ???????? CREDITS ???????? Written and performed by TOM SCOTT https://www.tomscott.com/ Script assistant ANDREA MARKS Animation BILLY CRINION https://twitter.com/BillyCrinion and WILLIAM MARLER https://wmad.co.uk Dubbing mixer GRAHAM HAERTHER "Does the Spearmint Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight" by Rose/Broom/Breuer (1924), arranged for orchestra by BENJAMIN SQUIRES https://www.benjaminsquires.co.uk/ Thanks to EVAN EDINGER, JESSICA ENDOYAN, CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ, the TINY SPECK team, and SAM VALIANT Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ © Pad 26 Limited MMXXI ???????? SOURCES ???????? ???? PAYMENT AND CONTROL Lonnie Donegan changing Spearmint: mentioned in a lot of places, but I can't find a contemporary account. Ray Davies flying: https://twitter.co

In the 18th century, firefighters weren't always meant to fight fires. If your building didn't have a fire mark, they might just let it burn. The reason: fire insurance, and fire insurance companies. [CORRECTION: the plaques on the wall at 1:10 are parish boundary markers, not fire marks! The facts and words in the video are true, but those markers were misidentified in the sources I used. Apologies.] Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ SOURCES: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/how-great-fire-london-created-insurance https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lecture/transcript/print/protecting-london-the-phoenix-rebuilding-london-after-the-great-fire-and-the/ https://researchonline.rca.ac.uk/4481/1/Miranda%20Clow_thesis_1%20of%202_Text.pdf https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/museum/history-and-stories/ "No pay, no spray": https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna39516346 "It's not reasonable": https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/it-s-not-reasonable-alta-woman-faces-28-000-bill-from-private-fire-department-1.3566291 Additio

Torpenhow Hill, in the Lake District in the north-west of England, is the only place in the world whose name has the same word four different times. That's the story, anyway. The truth is a bit more complex. Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ REFERENCES: The Debunking of Torpenhow Hill: http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4733&context=wordways Etymology from the Oxford English Dictionary https://oed.com (requires an academic or pay-for login) CNN story about Wanaka Tree: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/wanaka-tree-new-zealand-vandalism-intl-hnk/index.html Torpenhow Hill on Google Maps, and the Street View image nearby: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Torpenhow+Hill/@54.7396682,-3.2522896,14z/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Check out BrainCraft! https://www.youtube.com/braincraft - start with the Growth Mindset https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxv_FHrRYQw or lucid dreaming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5qUr0enMGE • Deep in Brooklyn there's a beach you definitely wouldn't swim at, unless you're an archaeologist. Dead Horse Bay served as an unofficial dump for decades, and now as the sand is washed away the boroughs' history is slowly being revealed, one china plate and glass bottle at a time. It's popular with local archeologists (both ameteur "treasure hunters" and professionals) as they wade through New York City's past. But this year, a darker side of the city's history has emerged: traces of radon gas and gamma radiation exceeding ambient levels. As parts of the beach have been closed off, locals are worried: will their artifacts and their history now just wash out to sea? And when trash becomes treasured, do we have a responsibility to preserve it? Drone footage courtesy of Justin Brooks. Navy Deck Marker image co

Check out Jordan's channel! https://youtube.com/jordanharrod - or start with her video on AI diagnosis of coughing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqXcLF8vVH4 or how deepfakes have fingerprints: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lnEst2nojA • And, please don't try this at home. SOURCES: TEXT: Generated by Jordan Harrod using GPT-3 OpenAI, https://openai.com/blog/better-language-models/ AUDIO: https://resemble.ai VIDEO: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1908.05932.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/1712.05884.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/2006.07634.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/2008.11363.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/1811.08180.pdf https://www.vice.com/en/contributor/samantha-cole https://arxiv.org/pdf/1511.06434.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/2011.09055.pdf

Check out Atomic Frontier! https://youtube.com/atomicfrontieronline - start with the video on a country-sized telescope https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZVcWJ0pFTc or the world's deepest scuba dive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s65T7ZHZp14 • Turns out that trying to precisely detect fire from space is more difficult than "point a camera at it".

Check out Trace's channel! https://www.youtube.com/tracedominguez - start with brain-computer interfaces https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPJDA9t3_m8 or going to space https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jndESKr4SpI • There's an urban legend that poppy seeds can make you fail a drug test. Is it true? And if so: why? I ate a few bagels, and set out to flunk an opioid test. ???????????? SOURCES and REFERENCES ???????????? Drug tests don’t just work as a buzzkill, they can keep doctors and patients honest regarding some of the more dangerous drugs known to man. The problem is, poppy seeds can throw a giant wrench in that circle of trust! Poppy seeds come from the papaver somniferum flower native to Turkey, and even though they don’t contain opium, consuming the seeds has historically caused the tests to register opiate use! In this video, I explore how these tests work, what they look for, and how something as simple as a bottle of seeds available at any grocery store, can cause a false positive for painkillers, heroin, morphi

I asked my audience six questions: some sensible, some ridiculous. I compared their results to the public. And the results were... interesting. • Graphics by William Marler: https://wmad.co.uk and his Lungs Podcast: https://lungspodcast.co.uk Audio mix by Graham Haerther Owl photo credit: Amol Mende via Pexels https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-and-white-owl-close-up-photography-2683982/ Distracted Boyfriend photo credit: Antonio Guillem via Shutterstock, used under license, https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/disloyal-man-walking-his-girlfriend-looking-297886754 Chuck Testa is from Rhett and Link's Commercial Kings on IFC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJP1DphOWPs I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Or: "Tom's Cockup Trip". This is a story about a television title sequence, and about me, as a child, watching it. It’s also a warning about how YouTube won’t last forever, and it's the reason I'm climbing one particular hill in the Lake District. Merry Christmas, Denis Norden. DoP: Simon Handley from Skylark Aerial Photography https://www.skylark-aerialphotography.co.uk/ Music: Benjamin Squires https://www.benjaminsquires.co.uk/ Animation: Matt Ley https://www.mattleywow.com/ Thanks to John Hoare and the Lake District National Park Authority Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

There are lots of disused and never-used roads and bridges in the world. But the Road to Nowhere in Yate, in south-west England, does still sometimes have traffic driving on it. And crashing on it. History reference: https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/14440281.mp-luke-hall-reveals-plan-to-finally-finish-incomplete-road-to-nowhere-in-yate-30-years-after-work-first-started/ Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

The answer is, of course, a bit more complicated than you might think. • Written with Molly Ruhl and Gretchen McCulloch. Gretchen's podcast has an episode all about this: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/154520059101/lingthusiasm-episode-1-speaking-a-single-language Gretchen's book BECAUSE INTERNET, all about the evolution of internet language, is available: ???????? US: https://amzn.to/30tLpjT ???????? CA: https://amzn.to/2JsTYWH ???????? UK: https://amzn.to/31K8eRD (Those are affiliate links that give a commission to me or Gretchen, depending on country!) Graphics by William Marler: https://wmad.co.uk Audio mix by Graham Haerther: https://haerther.net REFERENCES: Eberhard, D.M., Simons, G.F., and Fennig, C.D. (eds.). 2020. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Twenty-third edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. http://www.ethnologue.com. François, A. (2014). Trees, waves and linkages: Models of language diversification. In Evans, B. & Bowern, C. The Routledge Handbook of Historical Linguistics. (pp. 161-189). Londo

The Broomway is surrounded on both sides by quicksand and deep, sucking mud. It has no markers and no guideposts. And if you mistime your walk, you won't outrun the tide. Oh, and it's in the middle of a Ministry of Defence firing range. But most of the time, if you want to visit Foulness Island, it's the only way. Thanks to Tom Bennett: https://www.tombennettoutdoors.co.uk/ Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Edited by Michelle Martin https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin Audio mix by Graham Haerther REFERENCES: Christy (1922): "A high road in the sea", The Windsor Magazine, volume 56, p556 MoD Shoeburyness Public Access Leaflet [PDF]: https://www.qinetiq.com/shoeburyness/-/media/3153cda9b4544222aaaa224ba88192a4.ashx I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Tim Berners-Lee envisioned a "universal information system". What went wrong? • MORE BASICS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL96C35uN7xGLLeET0dOWaKHkAlPsrkcha Written with Sean Elliott https://twitter.com/SeanMElliott/ • Camera by Tomek • Graphics by William Marler https://wmad.co.uk I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Gravity Industries make jetpacks. They're not practical. They're not meant for mass use. But they are a lot of fun. They asked if I wanted to try flying one. Thanks to https://gravity.co/ - this is not sponsored but, obviously, they did give me a flight in a jetpack. Gravity's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHr2Z0JWH8KGmQNDp4QXLw Pilot Sam landing on my hand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ch2vHah_Os Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Camera by Simon Temple http://templefreelance.co.uk/ Edited by Michelle Martin @mrsmmartin Audio mix by Graham Haerther I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Pull down this description for information on all the shows I mention, plus all my references, and some advice if you're looking to subtitle your videos! ???????? SUBTITLES ???????? 15% of my viewers watch with subtitles! They're helpful for folks without headphones, or in loud environments, or who can't hear well, or who just like subtitles. More people will watch if subtitles are an option. Before 2020, YouTube had a volunteer community-captions system. Alas, due to spam (and, I suspect, the difficulty of porting it to the new Studio), YouTube turned it off. So your options are: OPTION 1: DO IT YOURSELF If your video is one or two people talking, you can add subtitles easily with YouTube's tools: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2734796 - that's also possible for more complex videos, but it can be time-consuming. OPTION 2: PAY A SMALL AMOUNT If you can afford an editor, you can afford subtitles! They only cost $1-2 per minute of audio. For simple audio, try Rev: https://www.rev.com/blog/coupon/?ref

The Ruhr Valley, in north-west Germany, is an industrial coal-mining area. And because of that kilometre-deep mining, parts of it have sunk, the drainage patterns have changed: and now, if the pumps of Emschergenossenschaft ever stop, quite a few towns and cities will end up flooded. Filmed safely in September 2020: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ REFERENCES: https://www.derwesten.de/region/rhein-und-ruhr/wenn-die-pumpen-stillstaenden-id12358775.html https://fxreflects.blogspot.com/2008/12/ruhr-valley-secrets-richard-serras.html -- and of course, my interview with the team from Emschergenossenschaft Edited by Michelle Martin https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin Thanks to Bela Lempp and Daniel Fischer for the suggestion. (Alternate title: "Iffen Pumperschtoppen, Der Deutschehabitaten Unterwasser". Alternate video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LvY6vQQET8 ) I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

If you want to sell alcohol in England, you need a license. But the Licensing Act 2003 has some unusual exceptions. • Thanks to Marc and the team from the Axceler-8 Hovercraft Centre: http://hovercraftcentre.co.uk/ • Behind the scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQXqkBiqRCI Licensing Act 2003: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/17/contents Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ Camera: Matt Gray https://mattg.co.uk Logistics and original idea: Jonty Wareing https://twitter.com/jonty Thanks to: Rob Hiseman Editor: Michelle Martin https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin Audio mix: Graham Haerther I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Is there a "right" way to pronounce it? And why is it so complicated? • Written with Molly Ruhl and Gretchen McCulloch. Gretchen's podcast has an episode all about this: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/180153994181/lingthusiasm-episode-26-why-do-c-and-g-come-in Gretchen's book BECAUSE INTERNET, all about the evolution of internet language, is available: ???????? US: https://amzn.to/30tLpjT ???????? CA: https://amzn.to/2JsTYWH ???????? UK: https://amzn.to/31K8eRD (Those are affiliate links that give a commission to me or Gretchen, depending on country!) Graphics by William Marler: https://wmad.co.uk Audio mix by Graham Haerther: https://haerther.net REFERENCES: Buck, S. 2014. 70% of People Worldwide Pronounce 'GIF' With a Hard 'G'. https://mashable.com/2014/10/21/mispronounced-words-tech/ O'Leary, A. (2013, May 21). An Honor for the Creator of the GIF. New York Times. Retrieved from https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/an-honor-for-the-creator-of-the-gif/ Olsen, S. The Gif Pronunciation Page. https://web.archive.

Wunderland Kalkar, near the German-Dutch border, is a family amusement park... inside a nuclear power plant that was never turned on. Thanks to all the team at the park! Their web site is at https://www.wunderlandkalkar.eu/en The video from Zwentendorf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUVZbBBHrI4 Edited by Michelle Martin (@mrsmmartin) Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Happy October. Thanks to Daniel, Tom, and Chloe, their channels are below! • Get CuriosityStream + Nebula and my Original for just $2.99/month here: https://curiositystream.com/tomscott Thanks to Charles Yarnold who built the Crime-Solving Skeleton: he's a creative technologist who can build all sorts of odd things! https://charlesyarnold.co.uk/ Thanks to the three folks who faced the Skeleton: DANIEL: https://youtube.com/danieljlayton TOM: https://youtube.com/tomska CHLOE: https://youtube.com/scarfdemon Behind the scenes on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyNTlMkt-_s The original patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US1749090 Found via: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/criminal-confession-skeleton-patent Camera by Matt Gray https://mattg.co.uk Edited by Michelle Martin (@mrsmmartin) Audio mix by Graham Haerther I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Featuring binary versus linear search, and non-clustered indexes. Uh, indices. However you want to say it. • MORE BASICS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL96C35uN7xGLLeET0dOWaKHkAlPsrkcha Written with Sean Elliott https://twitter.com/SeanMElliott/ • Camera by Tomek • Graphics by William Marler https://wmad.co.uk I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

The Roadmachines Mono-Rail may have been the only truly useful, fit-for-purpose monorail in the world. Of the hundreds that were built, most were never meant for passengers. But they did carry a couple of famous people in their time, including a certain secret agent... Thank you to the staff and volunteers at the Amberley Museum - Harry and Gerry in particular - for running the monorail specially, and letting me film! The Amberley Museum is a massive industrial heritage museum in the South Downs, and you can find out more about them here: https://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/ There are lots more videos of Amberley's rail vehicles at the volunteers' channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHTdXU7cfBdNBzdVkgaIrQ My research is heavily based on David Voice's "Mono-Rail: The History of the Industrial Monorails Made By Road Machines Ltd., Metalair Ltd and Rail Machines Ltd", ISBN 1874422877, available from Adam Gordon Books: http://www.ahgbooks.com/index.php/product/mono-rail/ Thanks to Derry Faux-Nighting

Normally, the answer would be no. But in these very limited circumstances, at Iceland's Blue Lagoon, you can swim in geothermal power plant wastewater, and it's even healthy: although the marketing material doesn't usually mention it. Here's a story about geothermal energy, cheap heat, and how to keep some ducks warm. Sources: https://www.c40.org/case_studies/the-worlds-largest-geothermal-heating-system-saves-up-to-4m-tons-co2-annually https://www.verkis.com/projects/utilities/water-supply-systems/nr/982 https://nea.is/geothermal/direct-utilization/heat-pumps/ https://icelandmag.is/article/nine-fascinating-facts-about-geothermal-energy-and-reykjavik https://askjaenergy.com/iceland-renewable-energy-sources/geothermal-different-utilization/ https://nautholsvik.is/en/ https://perlan.is/about-perlan/ https://www.epa.gov/coalash/coal-ash-basics Research on Blue Lagoon and a skin condition: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0738-081X(96)00099-5 Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com o

Sometimes, you regret asking a question. • Win your Ultimate Tech Bundle by entering Fasthosts’ Techie Test here: https://www.fasthosts.co.uk/tomscott Thanks to Graham Haerther for the main audio mix, and for recovering the terrible sound in my echo-filled flat! (For the folks asking: I'm not planning to release the ranked list -- partly because "ranked list of major world religions" sounds like the sort of thing that'll cause trouble, and partly because I can't guarantee there aren't some other nasty things still in the list. Apologies!) 00:00 Introduction 00:38 Every Thing 04:35 How To Rank Everything 05:45 What Is The Best Thing? I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

The three players who've already won come back to the tower for one final battle. One of them will leave the Champion of Champions: and two will be Disconnected. AD: White Light provided the SmartStage studio facilities and crew! You can find out more about their technology here: https://tinyurl.com/y7dxo2gz And disguise connected up all the (virtual) moving parts! Learn more about the latest disguise xR solution: https://web.disguise.one/xrtech ???????????????????????? ALEC: https://youtube.com/technologyconnections ELLEN: https://youtube.com/icklenellierose and https://youtube.com/outsidextra VANESSA: https://youtube.com/braincraft ???????????????????????? Host: Tom Scott Question Producer: David Bodycombe Set Designer: Mat Hill Format: Labyrinth Games / Pad 26 For White Light: Andy Hook Harry Greenfield Alex Loftie For disguise: Peter Kirkup Lead Camera: Luis Quiterio White Light Technical Crew: Fraser Carr-Gomm Sirus Fernandes Joseph Lock Composer: Benjamin Squires Editor: Michelle Martin A Labyrinth Games / Pad 26 P

Silfra, in Þingvellir National Park in Iceland, is where the Eurasian and North American continental plates are dividing. It's a crack in the earth where you can snorkel or dive between the continents. Well, sort of. As ever, it's a bit more complicated than that. Þingvellir geology: https://www.thingvellir.is/en/history-nature/nature/geologic-history/ https://notendur.hi.is/oi/geology_of_thingvellir.htm Þingvellir history: https://www.thingvellir.is/en/history-nature/history/ An interoduction to divergent plate boundaries: https://geology.com/nsta/divergent-plate-boundaries.shtml Articles mentioned: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/dive-between-two-continental-plates-iceland-180957983/ http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20140617-swim-between-two-tectonic-plates https://www.businessinsider.com/scuba-diving-between-two-continents-2015-12?r=UK Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott

Vanessa, Kati and Jarvis are the final three players on the broadcast tower, playing a quiz where if you bluff well enough, you don't even need to know the answers. AD: White Light provided the SmartStage studio facilities and crew! You can find out more about their technology here: https://tinyurl.com/y7dxo2gz And disguise connected up all the (virtual) moving parts! Learn more about the latest disguise xR solution: https://web.disguise.one/xrtech ???????????????????????? VANESSA: https://youtube.com/braincraft KATI: https://youtube.com/katimorton JARVIS: https://youtube.com/jarvis ???????????????????????? Host: Tom Scott Question Producer: David Bodycombe Set Designer: Mat Hill Format: Labyrinth Games / Pad 26 For White Light: Andy Hook Harry Greenfield Alex Loftie For disguise: Peter Kirkup Lead Camera: Luis Quiterio White Light Technical Crew: Fraser Carr-Gomm Sirus Fernandes Joseph Lock Composer: Benjamin Squires Editor: Michelle Martin A Labyrinth Games / Pad 26 Production © Pad 26 Limited MMXX https://pad26.com h

Sooner or later, I was going to get around to this: it's one of the most famous experiments in linguistics. • Written with Molly Ruhl and Gretchen McCulloch. Gretchen's podcast has an episode all about this: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/175127434871/lingthusiasm-episode-21-what-words-sound-spiky Gretchen's book BECAUSE INTERNET, all about the evolution of internet language, is available: ???????? US: https://amzn.to/30tLpjT ???????? CA: https://amzn.to/2JsTYWH ???????? UK: https://amzn.to/31K8eRD (Those are affiliate links that give a commission to me or Gretchen, depending on country!) Graphics by William Marler: https://wmad.co.uk Audio mix by Graham Haerther: https://haerther.net REFERENCES: Köhler, W. (1929). Gestalt Psychology. New York: Liveright. Ramachandran, V. S., Hubbard, E. M. (2001) Synaesthesia—A window into perception, thought and language. Journal of Consciousness Studies 8: 3–34. Berlin, B. (1994). Evidence for pervasive synesthetic sound symbolism in ethnozoological nomenclature. In L. Hinton, J.

Alec, Sally and Arun join me at the top of the virtual tower for a game where it doesn't matter if you're wrong... as long as no-one calls you on it. AD: White Light provided the SmartStage studio facilities and crew! You can find out more about their technology here: https://tinyurl.com/y7dxo2gz And disguise connected up all the (virtual) moving parts! Learn more about the latest disguise xR solution: https://web.disguise.one/xrtech ???????????????????????? ALEC: https://youtube.com/technologyconnections SALLY: https://youtube.com/sallylepage ARUN: https://youtube.com/mrwhosetheboss ???????????????????????? Host: Tom Scott Question Producer: David Bodycombe Set Designer: Mat Hill Format: Labyrinth Games / Pad 26 For White Light: Andy Hook Harry Greenfield Alex Loftie For disguise: Peter Kirkup Lead Camera: Luis Quiterio White Light Technical Crew: Fraser Carr-Gomm Sirus Fernandes Joseph Lock Composer: Benjamin Squires Editor: Michelle Martin A Labyrinth Games / Pad 26 Production © Pad 26 Limited MMXX https://pad26.com

Kolbeinsey is the most northern part of Iceland, a tiny island that, according to Wikipedia, is due to disappear due to wave erosion "probably around the year 2020". Which raised an obvious question: is it still there? THANKS TO: This video was inspired by some tweets from author Sam Hughes. You can follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/qntm and read his work here: https://qntm.org/fiction The pilots and team at Norlandair, who sorted out a charter at very short notice: https://www.norlandair.is/ The folks at the Hafdals Hotel, who were okay with me filming from their spectacular view! FILMED SAFELY: see https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ PHOTO CREDITS: Grimsey photos, in order, all licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ Michael Pollak, "basaltsäulen": https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelpollak/30409397618/ John Lester, "IMG_0546": https://www.flickr.com/photos/pathfinderlinden/190514442/ Brian Gratwicke, "Puffin on Grimsey": https:

I invited Jaiden, Ellen and Hank to play a trivia quiz! The sort of quiz where you can get away with wrong answers... if nobody spots them. And since they couldn't be there in person, I've got a massive virtual set. Too many wrong answers, and our players will be Disconnected. AD: White Light provided the SmartStage studio facilities and crew! You can find out more about their technology here: https://tinyurl.com/y7dxo2gz And disguise connected up all the (virtual) moving parts! Learn more about the latest disguise xR solution: https://web.disguise.one/xrtech ???????????????????????? JAIDEN: https://www.youtube.com/c/jaiden ELLEN: https://youtube.com/icklenellierose and https://youtube.com/outsidextra HANK: https://youtube.com/vlogbrothers ???????????????????????? Host: Tom Scott Question Producer: David Bodycombe Set Designer: Mat Hill Format: Labyrinth Games / Pad 26 For White Light: Andy Hook Harry Greenfield Alex Loftie For disguise: Peter Kirkup Lead Camera: Luis Quiterio White Light Technical Crew: Fraser Carr-Gomm S

Cornwall rises and falls by a few centimetres, twice a day. I didn't believe that when I read it. In this video: "ocean tide loading": why, how, and does it actually matter? Thanks to Prof. Peter Clarke, who is a professor of geodesy, not geodisy. Apologies for the typo! https://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/peter.clarke/ References: Francis and Mazzega (1990), "Global charts of ocean tide loading effects": https://doi.org/10.1029/JC095iC07p11411 Allinson, Clarke, et al (2004), "Stability of direct GPS estimates of ocean tide loading": https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GL020588 Edited by Michelle Martin Research assistance from David Fletcher I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

The short answer is: "because it'll make things more secure". The long answer involves Ronald Reagan. • MORE BASICS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL96C35uN7xGLLeET0dOWaKHkAlPsrkcha Written with Sean Elliott https://twitter.com/SeanMElliott/ • Camera by Tomek • Graphics by William Marler https://wmad.co.uk Filmed at the Centre for Computing History, Cambridge: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/ Their current fundraiser: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/computermuseum Image of Dr Corbató courtesy MIT CSAIL, used with permission. I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

In 1834, Parliament burned down, and the Standards of Measurement were melted or destroyed. So when there's no agreed-upon standard for length: how do you fix it? Also: how you can still publicly check the length of your sandwich. Filmed safely: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ There's a correction to this video: the fraction on screen at 00:49 should be 1/299792458. Looks like I copied and pasted an extra 1 and didn't realise it. Apologies. You can see all the corrections for this channel at https://www.tomscott.com/corrections/ Story research by Jess Jewell SOURCES: Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Consider the Steps to Be Taken for Restoration of the Standards of Weight and Measure, 1841, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4xVSAAAAcAAJ A Collection of the General Public Statutes, 1855, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UDCaqwCgBKcC I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Linby is a small village in Nottinghamshire, England. It wouldn't have much strategic value... unless some commander didn't read their map properly. Here's a local legend, with a few questions about it. Edited by Michelle Martin https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin Story research by David Fletcher Thanks to historian Maureen Newton, to this transcription of the HO 203 National Archives database: http://www.warstateandsociety.com/Bombing-Britain - and to the British Newspaper Archive: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ Filmed safely: see https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ for details I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

There are lots of ways to compare a million to a billion, but most of them use volume. And I think that's a mistake, because volume just isn't something the human brain is great at. So instead, here's the difference between a million and a billion, in a more one-dimensional way: distance. REFERENCES: Humphrey Yang's rice TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@humphreytalks/video/6798276393634467077 and his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/HumphreyYang The Corridor Crew billion video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbVb63qPDQ8 FAQ: Q: Is this accurate? A: Yes. The GPS track on the GoPro wasn't great, though, so the walking sections had to be manually smoothed out. For the main car drive, I relied on a backup GPS tracker taking a sample every 1 second. That data was loaded into an After Effects expression, set to $1 per 0.1093mm. If it couldn't pick up a GPS reading (for example, in the Chestfield Tunnel), it waited until signal returned and then calculated an average speed for the gap. There was one cor

Old Sarum, in Wiltshire, is a now-desolate hillfort run by English Heritage. But it was once one of the most important sites in southern England: so important that it had two members of Parliament. Then, it became a "rotten borough": and a warning about power. Thanks to English Heritage: more information and how to visit: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/old-sarum/ Research and script assistance from Jess Jewell Drone camera by Jamie Bellinger Edited by Michelle Martin: https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin Audio mix by Graham Haerther: https://haerther.net Filmed safely, following all local and national guidance: https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ SOURCES: Corfield, P. (2000). Power and the professions in Britain 1700-1850. London: Routledge. Dodsworth, W. (1814). An historical description of the cathedral church of Salisbury : including an account of the monuments, chiefly extracted from Gough's "Sepulchral Monuments," and other authentic documents : also, biographical memoirs of the Bishops of Sa

Green screen looks terrible sometimes. Here's why. • Get access to CuriosityStream, including Nebula and my original series, for just $2.99/month here: https://curiositystream.com/tomscott Animated by William Marler: https://wmad.co.uk Sound mix by Graham Haerther: https://haerther.net I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

Thanks to Jack from Jacksfilms on piano: https://youtube.com/jacksfilms • And thanks to everyone who answered! Sources and a data download are in the description. History sources: https://www.cracked.com/blog/the-secret-true-history-jingle-bells-batman-smells/ https://www.cbr.com/jingle-bells-batman-smells-secret-origin/ Data spreadsheet link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bVUdszCBsWn5ez9FPFCioirdyNeZu3ctvNYShExpTQo Audio mix by Graham Haerther: https://haerther.net I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

In the Abbey Gardens of Bury St Edmunds, in a quiet corner of a park, sits the World's First Internet Bench. Well, sort of. It's been nearly twenty years, and it's arguable whether it ever did the job in the first place... Edited by Michelle Martin, https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin SOURCES: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1475654.stm https://www.theregister.com/2001/08/10/vandals_and_phreakers_plague_msn/ Archive images courtesy Andrew Parsons / PA Archive / PA Images, used under license. Filmed safely: see https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ for details I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo

The Icknield Way, in south-east England, is a road and footpath that's been part of the landscape for millennia. But if parts of it hadn't been legally marked down, then those parts would have become private land, gone forever. Who has the right to walk where? The Ramblers' Don't Lose Your Way project: https://www.ramblers.org.uk/dontloseyourway/ - and the crowdfunding page for the project : https://www.gofundme.com/f/don039t-lose-your-way "Stories of landowners": John Andrews' "From A Wild Frontier to the Promised Land", which is worth a read: http://www.craddocks.co.uk/pannageman/suffolkpaths.pdf Filmed safely: see https://www.tomscott.com/safe/ for details Edited by Michelle Martin: https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin I'm at https://tomscott.com on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tomscott on Facebook at https://facebook.com/tomscott and on Instagram as tomscottgo