Tom Scott

Season 12

A series of educational web videos across a range of topics.

Where to Watch Tom Scott • Season 12

53 Episodes

  • The meters-high mountain of mannequins in the Midlands
    E1
    The meters-high mountain of mannequins in the MidlandsMannequins are generally bought, used once for a project, and then thrown away to landfill. Except here, at Mannakin in Lincolnshire.
  • Ten years ago, I predicted 2022. Did I get it right?
    E2
    Ten years ago, I predicted 2022. Did I get it right?Predicting the future is a fool's errand, but I tried it: talking about phones, lifelogging, and social changes. And on top of that: what do I think's coming in 2032.
  • There's a £100,000 coin buried under this London building
    E3
    There's a £100,000 coin buried under this London buildingThe 1933 British penny is one of the most famous coins in the world. I'm not saying this is definitely a heist movie waiting to happen - but I do think someone should write it.
  • How one British laboratory protects the world's chocolate
    E4
    How one British laboratory protects the world's chocolateThe International Cocoa Quarantine Centre, at the University of Reading, has an important job: stop pests and viruses from hitching a ride, as researchers try to breed better and hardier varieties of cocoa. Here's how they do it.
  • Literally just three minutes where I talk about some rocks
    E5
    Literally just three minutes where I talk about some rocksTom visits Siccar Point in Scotland where two layers of sandstone laid down a hundred million years apart lay side by side.
  • The giant chainmail box that stops a house dissolving
    E6
    The giant chainmail box that stops a house dissolvingThe Hill House, in Helensburgh, Scotland was decades ahead of its time - but that means it's also experimental. And damp.
  • The top secret plan to explode a nuclear bomb in Yorkshire
    E7
    The top secret plan to explode a nuclear bomb in YorkshireIn the 1960s, America was running "Operation Plowshare": the idea that perhaps nuclear bombs could be used for peace, not war. At least some British scientists had similar ambitions, and it involved setting off a nuclear bomb under Wheeldale, in the North York Moors National Park.
  • This town forgot to be a city
    E8
    This town forgot to be a cityRochester, in the south-east of England, was a city for nearly 800 years. And then, in 1998, an administrative error took that city status away, likely forever. Here's the story.
  • The Elie Chainwalk is safe, as long as you follow the signs
    E9
    The Elie Chainwalk is safe, as long as you follow the signsIn Fife, in the south-east of Scotland, there's the Elie Chain Walk: a footpath that's got a reputation for being dangerous. It isn't - as long as you're prepared, and as long as you watch out for the tide.
  • After 140 years, this old technology still keeps trains safe
    E10
    After 140 years, this old technology still keeps trains safe"Anderson's Piano" is a set of wires and signals at the Pass of Brander, near Falls of Cruachan in Scotland, that try to detect when there might be a boulder on the track. They're 140 years old, and so far no-one's been able to find a better solution - but they're working on it.
  • 14 science fiction stories in under 6 minutes
    E11
    14 science fiction stories in under 6 minutesI can't make science fiction any more. So, to get the ideas I have out of my head, I went to a Standard BBC Quarry, and put all of them one video.
  • Reopening an airport terminal is harder than you might think
    E12
    Reopening an airport terminal is harder than you might thinkOn Sunday, the South Terminal at London's Gatwick Airport will reopen for the first time since 2020. It turns out that mothballing an entire terminal isn't quite as easy as turning out the lights.
  • The giant archive hidden under the British countryside
    E13
    The giant archive hidden under the British countrysideDeepstore doesn't let many people film in their massive facilities. So when the team at Laura Ashley invited me down into the mine to look at their archives, I jumped at the chance.
  • How does Britain know what time it is?
    E14
    How does Britain know what time it is?Did I need to get a radio controlled clock and travel to Anthorn to film this video? Absolutely not. But for a few minutes, that clock was really, really accurate.
  • My robot double sells out (so I don't have to)
    E15
    My robot double sells out (so I don't have to)
  • The bridge that must legally wobble
    E16
    The bridge that must legally wobble"Daly's Bridge", in Cork, Ireland, is better known as the Shakey Bridge. Because it shakes. But what happens when a bridge like that has to be repaired and refurbished?
  • Downhill, on a couch, on public roads.
    E17
    Downhill, on a couch, on public roads.The Monte Toboggans, in Funchal on the island of Madeira, are wicker sofas: a bit like the gondolas of Venice, only you're going downhill in regular traffic.
  • Europe's toughest airport landing used to be a lot harder
    E18
    Europe's toughest airport landing used to be a lot harderFunchal Airport, on the island of Madeira, was too short for modern commercial airliners: but there was nowhere to extend to. The solution is one of the greatest civil engineering projects of our time.
  • You're not allowed in this cave. But there's a copy.
    E19
    You're not allowed in this cave. But there's a copy.The Chauvet cave, in the south of France, is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, filled with art that's tens of millennia old. No-one's allowed in, for very good reasons: but just a few kilometres away, there's a near-exact copy. Is that enough?
  • I flew with birds. You can too.
    E20
    I flew with birds. You can too.In southern France, there's a man called Christian who flies a microlight aircraft, alongside flocks of birds. And he takes passengers.
  • The massive Fatigue Carousel helps keep roads safe
    E21
    The massive Fatigue Carousel helps keep roads safeThe "accelerated pavement testing facility" in Nantes can simulate decades of road traffic in a few months. Here's how.
  • I rode a giant mechanical elephant. You can too.
    E22
    I rode a giant mechanical elephant. You can too.Les machines de l'île, in Nantes, are famous for their giant mechanical elephant. And to my surprise, tourists can just pay and ride it.
  • Maybe rich people should build weird fountains again
    E23
    Maybe rich people should build weird fountains againThe Wasserspiele of Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe are 300 years old, powered entirely by gravity, and entertaining tourists. As legacies for rich people go, there are far worse ones.
  • It's a pile of mining waste. Want to go skiing on it?
    E24
    It's a pile of mining waste. Want to go skiing on it?Monte Kaolino, in Bavaria, Germany, is 35 million tonnes of quartz sand, piled up over the years from a nearby kaolin mine. In the 1960s, one guy just turned up with skis, and now half a century later it's a theme-park destination for sandboarders and skiiers.
  • Can you really drive while facing backwards?
    E25
    Can you really drive while facing backwards?The team at Sparkmate asked if I had any ideas for things to build. And I realised that, yes, I had a question to answer: and it all goes back to an old kids' television show called "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons."
  • This clock was famous, but the internet ruined it.
    E26
    This clock was famous, but the internet ruined it.Royal FloraHolland's flower auction in Aalsmeer had a famous clock: a literal Dutch auction where the first person to press their button would win. But it's no more, and that's down to the internet.
  • A working flight simulator, no computers necessary
    E27
    A working flight simulator, no computers necessaryThere are only a few working Link Trainers left in the world: but before microprocessors, before display screens, half a million pilots learned the basics of instrument flying inside one.
  • Flying here is (surprisingly) legal
    E28
    Flying here is (surprisingly) legalThe Hudson River Special Flight Rules Area is an incredible thing: unrestricted airspace right next to Manhattan. We flew it.
  • I visited the Yellowstone Zone of Death
    E29
    I visited the Yellowstone Zone of DeathI feel like there are other YouTube channels that would take a different approach here.
  • The world's largest walking robot
    E30
    The world's largest walking robotTradinno weighs 11 tonnes, has a 12-metre wingspan, and breathes fire. And every year, someone has to stab it with a spear.
  • A geyser that shoots sparkling mineral water
    E31
    A geyser that shoots sparkling mineral waterIn Soda Springs, Idaho, there's a geyser that fires carbonated water into the air, on the hour, every hour. I paid a visit.
  • How the US Postal Service reads terrible handwriting
    E32
    How the US Postal Service reads terrible handwritingAt the Remote Encoding Center in Salt Lake City, keyers process 1.2 billion images of mail every year. It's a more difficult job than I thought.
  • Delivering mail by jumping from a moving boat
    E33
    Delivering mail by jumping from a moving boatOn Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, there's a summer tradition: "mail jumping". It's a bit dangerous, a bit ridiculous, and would never be allowed to start today. But it's a tradition.
  • Why the US Army electrifies this water
    E34
    Why the US Army electrifies this waterThe Chicago and Sanitary Ship Canal is the path that invasive carp would take to reach the Great Lakes. So to stop them, the US Army Corps of Engineers has installed an electric barrier. Although for obvious reasons, I didn't get to see it close up.
  • This massive truck makes artificial earthquakes
    E35
    This massive truck makes artificial earthquakesThe "T-Rex" is the University of Texas' large mobile shaker, and I got to see it in action.
  • This is the most interesting roof in London.
    E36
    This is the most interesting roof in London.The Royal Albert Hall is 150 years old; the roof is 600 tonnes of glass and steel. And it turns out that there's a terrifying technicians' trampoline, acoustic-dampening mushrooms, and a complete lack of connections.
  • How much helium does it take to lift a person?
    E37
    How much helium does it take to lift a person?The Aéroplume, in France, is a helium blimp sized for one person. EUR60 gets you half an hour's flight. I had to try it.
  • Why do YouTubers clap at the start of videos?
    E38
    Why do YouTubers clap at the start of videos?It's about synchronisation, right? Well, not exactly.
  • I thought the treadmill crane was fictional.
    E39
    I thought the treadmill crane was fictional.The treadwheel crane, or treadmill crane, sounds like something from Astérix or the Flintstones. But at Guédelon in France, not only do they have one: they're using it to help build their brand new castle.
  • I finally found a useful monorail.
    E40
    I finally found a useful monorail.The Doppelmayr Garaventa Monorack is a decades-old product. I've no idea how I missed it before. But for the third video in the Monorail Trilogy, this isn't an advert: I'm just happy to be proved wrong.
  • Keeping the world's longest railroad tunnel safe
    E41
    Keeping the world's longest railroad tunnel safeThe Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland is 57km long: and I think its greatest piece of safety equipment is nowhere near the tunnel itself.
  • This 1970s tank simulator drives through a tiny world
    E42
    This 1970s tank simulator drives through a tiny worldAt the Swiss Military Museum in Full, there's the last remaining example of a 1970s tank-driving simulator. But there's no virtual worlds here: it's connected to a real camera and a real miniature model.
  • The government approves of this shark now.
    E43
    The government approves of this shark now.The Headington Shark, in Oxford, UK, is a local icon: but it was protest art, put up without permission. Now, the local government wants to protect it.
  • Is Poland's tap water really protected by clams?
    E44
    Is Poland's tap water really protected by clams?There's a lot of articles written about how tap water in Warsaw is constantly tested by a small team of clams. It felt like a hoax to me: so I went to find out.
  • I can't do this forever.
    E45
    I can't do this forever.
  • This electric ferry uses a very long extension cord
    E46
    This electric ferry uses a very long extension cordThe Udbyhøj Cable Ferry across Randers Fjord in Denmark is electric-powered: but rather than batteries, it's plugged into mains electricity. Here's how it works.
  • This river can be switched on and off
    E47
    This river can be switched on and offSurely water simulation can be done with computers now? Well, not quite. At the University of Sherbrooke, there's an artificial research river, and I asked them to start it up.
  • Why build a diving board twice the Olympic height?
    E48
    Why build a diving board twice the Olympic height?The Montreal Olympic Sports Centre has a 20m (65ft) diving board. That's twice the Olympic height. Why would anyone need that?
  • Cheap, renewable, clean energy. There's just one problem.
    E49
    Cheap, renewable, clean energy. There's just one problem.The Bay of Fundy has cheap, clean power: if you can harness it.
  • Firing radioactive stuff at high speed under city streets
    E50
    Firing radioactive stuff at high speed under city streetsTRIUMF's Rabbit Line, on the University of British Columbia campus, sends slightly radioactive material under the streets of Vancouver at 100km/h. Here's how and why.
  • The US government is giving out free wasps
    E51
    The US government is giving out free waspsThe brown marmorated stink bug is an invasive pest. To help deal with its numbers, the Oregon Department of Agriculture is releasing its natural enemy: the tiny samurai wasp. There's a lot of work that goes into it.
  • I was wrong (and so was everyone)
    E52
    I was wrong (and so was everyone)Updated interpretation of history shows that no, there's little evidence to suggest fire brigades would let buildings burn down if they weren't marked as insured.
  • Doing robotic surgery on a copy of myself
    E53
    Doing robotic surgery on a copy of myselfSurgery on a copy of Tom Scott's abdomen, 3D printed by Lazarus 3D, with various textures and materials.

 

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