Can You Swim in Shade Balls?

Veritasium
13 Jun 201910:41
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn a daring and entertaining experiment, the video host dives into a pool filled with 10,000 shade balls, each half-filled with water, to test the feasibility of swimming in them. Despite warnings from the manufacturer about the potential dangers, the host proceeds with the experiment, discovering that while swimming is possible, it is challenging due to the heavy balls causing significant drag. The host also explores the acoustics and light patterns created by the balls. After failing to glide on the surface of multi-layered shade balls, which behave more like a solid, the host successfully floats in a single layer, comparing the sensation to being in a ball pit but warns of the quicksand-like effect upon movement. The video concludes with the host's plan to send signed shade balls to Patreon supporters as a token of gratitude for their support.

Takeaways
  • 🏊‍♂️ The host purchased 10,000 shade balls to test if one can swim in them, despite the manufacturer's warnings against swimming with them.
  • 🚫 The manufacturer of the shade balls does not recommend swimming with them and usually refuses to sell to residential customers due to safety concerns.
  • 🤔 The host acknowledges that swimming in drinking water reservoirs is not advisable, but proceeds with the experiment for the sake of the video.
  • 📦 A single bag of 1,200 shade balls weighs 300 kilograms (660 pounds), making them difficult to transport.
  • 🔍 Only about 91% of the water surface is covered by the shade balls, allowing some light to pass through and create interesting patterns on the pool bottom.
  • 🗣️ The noise generated by the balls is significant when swimming in them, making it hard to hear anything else.
  • 💡 The host explains the concept of drag in fluid dynamics, noting that drag is proportional to the square of the velocity when swimming through the balls.
  • 🚴‍♂️ Swimming in shade balls is challenging and provides an extra workout due to the resistance and impact of the balls.
  • 🦋 The butterfly stroke in shade balls is especially difficult because the balls get pushed in various directions, making it hard to swim.
  • 🤷‍♂️ Multi-layered shade balls act more like a solid, providing significant resistance and making it hard to swim or float on top.
  • 🎨 The host plans to sign each shade ball and mail them to Patreon supporters as a token of gratitude for their support.
Q & A
  • What was the initial reason the person decided to try swimming in shade balls?

    -The person decided to try swimming in shade balls after receiving numerous inquiries from viewers about the possibility of swimming in them, following a video he made about shade balls on an LA reservoir.

  • Why did the shade ball manufacturer initially refuse to sell shade balls to the person?

    -The manufacturer initially refused to sell shade balls because they are not intended for swimming and can be dangerous, as they are half-full of water and quite heavy.

  • How many shade balls did the person purchase for the experiment?

    -The person purchased 10,000 shade balls for the experiment.

  • What was the weight of 1,200 shade balls according to the script?

    -1,200 shade balls weighed 300 kilograms or 660 pounds.

  • What was the person's strategy for getting the shade balls home?

    -The person used a U-Haul to transport the shade balls home after purchasing them.

  • How did the person describe the sensation of being in the shade balls?

    -The person described it as feeling incredible, similar to being in a ball pit, but also likened it to quicksand due to the balls' shifting and sinking when moved.

  • What was the observation made about the effectiveness of shade balls in blocking sunlight?

    -Despite their purpose to block sunlight, a surprising amount of light still gets through because even when packed tightly, the balls only cover about 91% of the water surface.

  • What was the person's conclusion about swimming in a single layer of shade balls?

    -The person concluded that it is possible to swim in a single layer of shade balls, albeit with difficulty, as the balls can move past each other.

  • How did the person describe the experience of swimming in multiple layers of shade balls?

    -Swimming in multiple layers of shade balls was more challenging due to the balls acting more like a solid, providing significantly more resistance and making it difficult to move.

  • What did the person discover about the drag force when swimming in shade balls?

    -The person discovered that drag force, which opposes motion through a fluid, is proportional to the square of the velocity because the faster one moves, the more balls are encountered and the greater their impact as they are pushed out of the way.

  • What did the person decide to do with the 10,000 shade balls after the experiment?

    -The person decided to sign each shade ball and mail them out to Patreon supporters as a way of showing appreciation for their support.

  • What was the person's final recommendation regarding swimming in shade balls?

    -The person advised against swimming in shade balls, stating that they would not promote it as an activity people should do, but rather show what happens to discourage others from attempting it.

Outlines
00:00
🏊‍♂️ Swimming in Shade Balls: An Unconventional Experiment

The video begins with the host jumping into a pool filled with 10,000 shade balls, which are typically used to cover reservoirs and prevent evaporation. Despite warnings from the manufacturer about the potential dangers of swimming in these heavy, water-filled plastic balls, the host is determined to test their buoyancy and the feasibility of swimming within them. The host humorously recounts how the idea for this experiment came about as a result of viewer inquiries. The experience is compared to being in a ball pit, but also likened to quicksand due to the balls' shifting nature. The host also touches on the scientific aspects of drag and its relation to velocity when moving through the balls. The video captures the host's struggle to swim using different strokes and the unique challenges presented by the balls' noise and weight.

05:02
🤸‍♀️ The Physics of Swimming in Shade Balls: A Deeper Dive

The host explores the physics behind swimming in a pool filled with a single layer of shade balls and then in a multi-layer setup, simulating the conditions of the Los Angeles reservoir. The explanation involves the concept of drag, which increases with the square of the velocity due to the increased impact of the balls as one moves faster through them. The host and friends attempt various swimming strokes, including butterfly, and find it increasingly challenging as the balls' resistance intensifies with each additional layer. The host demonstrates that while it's possible to swim in a single layer, multi-layer shade balls behave more like a solid, providing significant resistance. An attempt to float on the surface of the multi-layered balls ends with the host sinking, illustrating the difficulty of maintaining buoyancy. The video concludes with a demonstration of an unorthodox swimming style that involves moving beneath the balls.

10:02
🌍 Distributing Shade Balls to Supporters: A Token of Gratitude

After the swimming experiment, the host addresses the issue of what to do with the 10,000 shade balls. As a gesture of gratitude to the supporters on Patreon, which is a platform enabling financial support for creators, the host decides to sign each ball and mail them out to patrons worldwide. The host acknowledges the high shipping costs but emphasizes the importance of the support received from patrons, which allows for the creation of such unique and ambitious content. The video ends with an invitation for viewers to become Patreon supporters to receive one of these signed shade balls and a promise to provide more details in the video description.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Shade Balls
Shade balls are plastic, black, and half-filled with water, designed to float on the surface of a body of water to prevent evaporation and algae growth. In the video, they are used to create an unusual swimming experience and to explore the physics of drag and buoyancy. The script describes how the balls feel like a ball pit and act like quicksand when one tries to swim in them.
💡Drag
Drag is the force that opposes motion through a fluid. It is proportional to the square of the velocity of the object moving through the fluid. In the context of the video, drag is discussed in relation to swimming through the shade balls, as the faster one swims, the more balls they encounter and the greater the impact they have, making it more difficult to move.
💡Buoyancy
Buoyancy is the ability of an object to float in a fluid. It is determined by the balance between the weight of the object and the upward force exerted by the fluid. The video explores this concept as the host attempts to float on a multi-layer of shade balls, noting that each ball can only support a certain amount of weight before sinking.
💡Swimming
Swimming is the act of moving through water by using one's limbs or other body parts. The video's theme revolves around the feasibility of swimming in a pool filled with shade balls. The host tries different swimming strokes and discusses the challenges and sensations experienced while swimming in this unique environment.
💡Patreon Supporter
A Patreon supporter is an individual who provides financial support to a content creator on the Patreon platform. In the video, the host mentions giving back to these supporters by signing and mailing out the shade balls as a token of gratitude for their contributions that enable such experiments.
💡Physics
Physics is the branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy. The video touches on various physics concepts, such as drag and buoyancy, to explain the phenomena encountered while swimming in the shade balls. It provides a practical demonstration of these principles in action.
💡LA Reservoir
The LA Reservoir is a drinking water reservoir in Los Angeles that uses shade balls to reduce evaporation and chemical reactions caused by sunlight. The video was inspired by questions from the internet community about the possibility of swimming in such an environment, leading to the host's experiment.
💡YouTube Way
The 'YouTube way' is a colloquial term referring to the approach of taking risks or doing things in an unconventional manner to create entertaining content, often associated with the platform YouTube. The host uses this phrase to describe their decision to jump into the deep end of the pool filled with shade balls, rather than taking a more scientific and safe approach.
💡Crystal Structures
Crystal structures refer to the geometric arrangement of atoms, molecules, or ions in a crystalline substance. In the video, the host observes that the shade balls, when packed tightly, form patterns resembling crystal structures, creating interesting visual effects on the pool's bottom.
💡Noise
Noise, in this context, refers to the sound produced by the movement and collision of the shade balls. The host notes that the noise is significant when swimming among them, making it difficult to hear anything else. This highlights the sensory experience of being in a pool filled with thousands of these balls.
💡Velocity
Velocity is a vector quantity that represents the rate of change of an object's position with respect to time and space. In the video, the concept of velocity is discussed in relation to drag, explaining why swimming faster in the shade balls results in greater resistance due to the increased number of balls encountered and their relative speeds.
💡Butteryfly Stroke
The butterfly stroke is a swimming move characterized by a simultaneous, symmetrical movement of the arms and legs. It is considered one of the most challenging swimming strokes. The host and friends attempt this stroke while swimming in the shade balls, highlighting the increased difficulty due to the resistance and movement of the balls.
Highlights

The experiment involved swimming in shade balls, which are typically used to cover reservoirs to reduce evaporation and algae growth.

The host purchased 10,000 shade balls to conduct the swimming test, despite warnings from the manufacturer about the potential dangers.

Shade balls are half-full of water, making them heavy and potentially dangerous for swimming due to their weight.

A bag of 1,200 shade balls weighs 300 kilograms, posing a significant challenge in transportation.

The balls arranged themselves in crystal structures when released into the pool, leaving some gaps through which light still passes.

Swimming in shade balls is noisy, with the sound of the balls being nearly overwhelming when close to the head.

The drag force experienced while swimming in shade balls is proportional to the square of the swimmer's velocity due to the increased impact as one moves faster.

The host found that it is possible to swim in a single layer of shade balls, albeit with difficulty and with many balls hitting the face.

Multi-layer shade balls act more like a solid, providing significantly more resistance and making it difficult to swim.

Attempting to slide or run across the surface of multi-layer shade balls failed due to the balls' instability and water content.

A unique floating experience was achieved when the host remained still on the surface of the multi-layer shade balls, comparing it to being in a ball pit.

Any movement on the surface of the multi-layer shade balls caused them to shift, leading to sinking, similar to quicksand.

The host decided to sign each of the 10,000 shade balls and mail them out to Patreon supporters as a token of gratitude.

The shipping costs for sending the signed shade balls worldwide will be high, but it is a gesture to thank the supporters for their contributions.

The experiment demonstrated the practical challenges and safety concerns of interacting with shade balls in an unconventional manner.

The host emphasized that the experiment should not be promoted as an activity for others to replicate due to the risks involved.

Transcripts
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