Can water solve a maze?

Steve Mould
31 Mar 202309:09
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this video, the creator brings to life a real-world version of Bergman Joe's water maze simulation. Four mazes are constructed: two small and two large versions. The water in the smaller mazes solves the mazes flawlessly due to air pressure, while the larger mazes exhibit different behaviors influenced by surface tension and geometry. The creator also explores the impact of surface tension on water flow and compares the real mazes' behavior to the simulation. The video concludes with a color change experiment in the maze and a career advice plug for the sponsor, 80,000 Hours.

Takeaways
  • 🌊 The video discusses a real-life recreation of a simulated water maze by Bergman Joe, highlighting the creator's fascination with the concept.
  • 🧩 The creator built four mazes in total, varying in complexity, to observe how water behaves in solving them.
  • 💧 In the simpler maze, water finds the solution without taking wrong turns, utilizing air pressure to avoid incorrect paths.
  • 🔬 The water's behavior in the maze is likened to an algorithm that tries all paths simultaneously using air pressure.
  • 🎨 The creator notes a difference between the real maze and Bergman Joe's simulation, where the latter fills the maze completely with water.
  • 🛠️ The larger mazes were built to test the effect of surface tension on water's ability to solve the maze, expecting a different solving algorithm.
  • 💡 The larger mazes revealed that without the influence of surface tension, water tends to take the lowest path first, influenced by gravity and momentum.
  • 🛑 The creator discovered that surface tension and air pressure can halt the flow of water in the maze, even when there's water left in the tank.
  • 🎨 A demonstration of changing the water's color after the maze is solved shows how the dye fills the stagnant areas, visually solving the maze.
  • 🤔 The video concludes with a reflection on career advice and a recommendation for the sponsor, 80,000 Hours, which helps people find impactful careers.
  • 🔗 The sponsor, 80,000 Hours, is highlighted for its evidence-based approach and the variety of tools available to assist in career decision-making.
Q & A

  • What inspired the creator to make a real-life version of the water maze simulation?

    -The creator was inspired to make a real-life version of the water maze simulation because many people sent him the simulation created by Bergman Joe, and it was something he would enjoy making in real life.

  • How many mazes did the creator make in total for this project?

    -The creator made a total of four mazes for this project, which included a simpler one, a more complex one, and large versions of both.

  • What is the key difference between the water's behavior in the real maze and Bergman Joe's simulation?

    -In the real maze, the water uses air pressure to solve the maze without taking any wrong turns, whereas in Bergman Joe's simulation, the water eventually tries every path, even after finding the solution.

  • Why did the water not fill up the complex maze as expected?

    -The water did not fill up the complex maze as expected because the maze was not built watertight, which allowed water to leak through unintended paths.

  • What material was used to construct the mazes and why?

    -Laser-cut acrylic was used to construct the mazes because it allowed for precise cutting and layering to create the maze structure.

  • How does surface tension affect the water's ability to solve the maze in larger versions?

    -In larger mazes, surface tension prevents air from bubbling out, which in turn affects how water fills the maze. Without the significant effect of surface tension, water finds the lowest possible path it can go until it's locked out by the geometry.

  • What method did the creator use to bond the layers of acrylic together?

    -The creator used a solvent that dissolves the acrylic on both sides, causing the layers to weld together as the solvent evaporates.

  • Why did the creator laser cut thin channels into the outer clear acrylic for the larger maze?

    -The creator laser cut thin channels into the outer clear acrylic to allow for the solvent to be squirted in once the clear sheet was in place, facilitating the bonding process.

  • What is the air pressure's role in the water's ability to solve the maze in the real-life setup?

    -The air pressure inside the maze plays a crucial role by pushing back against the water when it tries to enter an incorrect path, effectively helping the water to solve the maze without wrong turns.

  • How does the creator describe the water's solving algorithm in the larger maze without the influence of surface tension?

    -In the larger maze without the influence of surface tension, the creator describes the water's solving algorithm as always taking the path that takes it lower until it can't anymore, and then taking the next lowest path.

  • What is the role of 80,000 Hours in the video and how can viewers benefit from it?

    -80,000 Hours is the sponsor of the video, a nonprofit organization that offers free resources to help people find careers that solve the world's biggest problems. Viewers can benefit by accessing their website for career guidance, problem profiles, decision-making tools, and job boards.

Outlines
00:00
💧 Water Maze Solving Experiment

The video begins with the creator's fascination with a simulated water maze by Bergman Joe, which inspired them to build real-life versions. They constructed four mazes in total, including a simple and a complex one, each in small and large sizes. The small mazes are showcased first, demonstrating how water fills the mazes without taking wrong turns due to air pressure acting as a natural algorithm. The creator explains that when water hits a dead end, the trapped air pressure pushes it back, allowing it to find the correct path. The larger mazes were built to test the effect of surface tension on water flow, hypothesizing that increased size would allow water to find a different path due to reduced significance of surface tension. The video also discusses the challenges of constructing a watertight maze and the role of air pressure in the maze-solving process. The creator suggests that Bergman Joe's simulation might not account for air pressure, which is a key factor in their real-life experiment.

05:00
🛠 The Challenges and Observations of the Water Maze

In the second paragraph, the creator discusses the practical challenges and observations made during the water maze experiment. They mention a slight leak from the tank but are relieved to find no significant leaks within the maze itself. The water's behavior in the maze is described, highlighting how it fills the lowest parts first,受阻 by the maze's geometry and surface tension. The creator humorously refers to a common maze-solving tip and its potential flaw when applied to a maze made of three parts. They also note that the maze-solving process halts even with water left in the tank, attributing this to the collective resistance of numerous small surface tensions. To visually demonstrate the maze-solving process, the creator changes the color of the water after the maze is solved, showing how the dye fills the stagnant areas. The video concludes with a promotion for 80,000 Hours, a nonprofit organization that offers free career advice focused on finding impactful careers, and encourages viewers to check out their resources for career guidance.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Maze
A maze is a complex network of paths, typically designed as a puzzle to be solved by finding a way from the entrance to the exit. In the video's context, the maze is not just a puzzle but also a physical structure through which water flows, demonstrating a unique method of 'solving' the maze by filling it up. The script describes how water finds its way through the maze, highlighting how air pressure and surface tension affect the water's path.
💡Water
Water is a simple molecule and a vital substance for life, but in this video, it plays a central role in demonstrating physical principles. The script describes how water behaves when poured into an acrylic maze, illustrating concepts like air pressure resistance and surface tension. The water's movement through the maze is a key part of the video's demonstration, showing how it 'solves' the maze by filling it without taking wrong turns.
💡Air Pressure
Air pressure is the force exerted by air molecules on a surface and is a fundamental concept in fluid dynamics. In the video, air pressure is crucial in explaining why water does not take wrong turns in the maze. When water encounters a dead end, the air pressure inside the path pushes back against the water, effectively directing it towards the correct path.
💡Surface Tension
Surface tension is a property of liquids that results from the cohesive forces between liquid molecules. It causes the surface of a liquid to behave like a thin, elastic membrane. The script explains how surface tension prevents air from bubbling out of the maze, which in turn affects how water fills the maze. In larger mazes, surface tension is less significant, and water behaves differently, trying more paths before finding the correct one.
💡Laser Cutting
Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser to cut materials, and it is mentioned in the script as the method used to create the maze structures. The process involves using a laser to precisely cut layers of acrylic to form the maze's design. The script notes the complexity of bonding multiple layers of acrylic together using solvent, which is a critical step in constructing the maze.
💡Acrylic
Acrylic is a type of plastic material known for its clarity and strength. In the video, acrylic is used to construct the mazes because it can be laser cut into precise shapes and is strong enough to hold water. The script describes a three-layer construction with a black acrylic layer for the maze paths and two clear acrylic layers for support.
💡Simulation
A simulation is a virtual model or imitation of a process or system. The script refers to a simulation created by Bergman Joe, which inspired the real-life maze construction. The video compares the behavior of water in the real maze to that in the simulated one, noting differences due to the absence of air pressure and surface tension in the simulation.
💡Solving Algorithm
An algorithm is a set of rules or steps used to solve a problem. In the context of the video, the term is used metaphorically to describe the path that water takes through the maze. The script humorously suggests that the water uses an 'algorithm' based on air pressure and surface tension to find the solution, rather than a deliberate process of trial and error.
💡Momentum
Momentum is the product of an object's mass and velocity and is a principle in physics that explains the tendency of objects to keep moving. The script mentions momentum in relation to the water's behavior in the larger maze, where the water's inertia can cause it to fill certain paths before others due to its momentum.
💡Geometry
Geometry is the branch of mathematics concerned with the properties and relations of points, lines, surfaces, and solids. In the video, the geometry of the maze plays a crucial role in how water fills it. The script explains that the maze's design, particularly the way paths go up and down, affects the movement of air and water within it.
💡Career Advice
Career advice refers to guidance or recommendations given to help individuals choose and progress in their careers. The script concludes with a mention of 80,000 Hours, a nonprofit organization that provides free, evidence-based career advice focused on solving the world's biggest problems. The video suggests that such resources can be valuable for those seeking fulfilling and impactful careers.
Highlights

Creator was inspired by Bergman Joe's water maze simulation and decided to build real-life mazes.

Four mazes were constructed in total: two small and two large versions.

Smaller mazes demonstrated water solving the maze without wrong turns due to air pressure.

Water's interaction with the maze is characterized by an air pressure-based algorithm.

Air bubbles were observed solving the maze after the tank ran out.

Complex maze did not follow the same rules as the simpler one due to a non-watertight construction.

Laser-cut acrylic layers were bonded with solvent, making a watertight seal challenging.

Mazes are revealed to be made of two separate pieces, which can simplify solving when colored differently.

Larger mazes were built to test the effect of reduced surface tension on water's pathfinding.

In larger mazes, water takes the lowest path first, indicating a change in solving strategy.

Comparison made between the real maze and Bergman Joe's simulation, noting differences in water behavior.

Air pressure and geometry prevent water from filling certain areas unlike in the simulation.

Creator speculates that Bergman Joe's simulation lacks air, leading to different outcomes.

Maze-solving halts when water is still left due to collective resistance from surface tension.

Changing water color post-maze-solving visually demonstrates dye filling stagnant areas.

80,000 Hours, a nonprofit organization, is recommended for career advice focusing on high-impact careers.

80,000 Hours provides free resources including problem profiles, decision-making tools, and a job board.

A free in-depth career guide is offered by visiting 80,000 Hours' website with a specific link provided.

Transcripts

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Water MazePhysics ExperimentMaze SolvingAcrylic LayersSurface TensionLaser CuttingAir PressureMaze GeometryReal WorldEducational Video