Watching Pyrex explode from temperature shock at 28,546 FPS is absolutely fascinating

By Luke Dormehl Published July 19, 2016

Glass Explosion at 343,000FPS! - The Slow Mo Guys

Whether it’s the bizarre fetishism of unboxing videos or the day-to-day confessions of vloggers, the internet has a tendency of making the everyday seem extraordinary.

No two people better better epitomize this idea than Gavin Free and Daniel Gruchy, a.k.a. the filmmakers behind the ultra-popular Slow Mo Guys YouTube channel. With the aid of everyday objects and an ultra slow-motion camera they produce videos which show that events as simple as a balloon popping or a puddle splashing look like a Hollywood special effect when they’re slowed down enough.

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In their latest video, the dynamic duo demonstrate what happens when usually-durable Pyrex jugs are forced to undergo an extreme change in temperature: first being heated with a blow torch and then subjected to ice water. (Note to self: don’t try this in your kitchen, regardless of how spectacular it looks.)

Even by the standards set by the Slow Mo Guys, this video is shot in extreme slow motion. Compared to the 120 or 240 frame per second (FPS) you’ll find on an iPhone, Free and Gruchy start off filming at 28,000 frames per second, before ramping up to a mind-boggling 343,000 FPS: the fastest they’ve ever filmed.

“It’s so slow, it’s almost like looking at an entirely different plane of existence,” the filmmakers note.

They don’t just film Pyrex smashing, either. The video also gives a sense of just how long (or short) it takes for the glass to smash by contrasting it with a person reacting to having a drop of water fall into their eye: demonstrating just how slowly we really react as human beings.

Except when it comes to watching YouTube videos, that is — based on the fact that this video only went live over the weekend, and already it’s at 2,220,853 views at time of writing. And going up all the time.

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I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…

Outdoors

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Juiced Bikes Scrambler ebike

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Cars

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volkswagen affordable evs 2027 id 2all

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Cars

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nissan charging ariya superchargers at station

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