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You know that feeling when you hear a song so good you just want to… obliterate it? Okay, maybe not, but that's exactly what the Slow Mo Guys, Gav and Dan, did to a stack of unsuspecting vinyl records. Armed with a high-speed camera and a need for speed (or destruction, we're not judging), they spun those records until they literally went kaboom.
Curious to see what happens when you spin a record at 12,500 frames per second? Spoiler alert: it's way cooler than you think.
From Vinyl to Shrapnel: A High-Speed Journey
The Slow Mo Guys didn't just slap a record on a turntable and crank up the RPMs. They used a powerful motor salvaged from a Dyson vacuum cleaner (because why not?) and a variac to control the speed. This allowed them to gradually increase the RPMs, building suspense until the inevitable, explosive finale.
"It's like ripping a book," Gav says, holding a record with reverence. "It's just not to be done, is it?"
Don't worry, vinyl lovers, they used records from Goodwill. Think of it as giving those old LPs one last hurrah before they become dust in the wind… or, you know, dust from a high-speed disintegration.
The Science of Destruction: Why Records Shatter
Ever wonder why a spinning record doesn't just fly apart like a frisbee? It all comes down to physics.
As the record spins, centrifugal force pushes outward, trying to rip it apart. The record's material strength fights back, trying to hold it together. At a certain speed, the centrifugal force overcomes the material's strength, and bam – instant confetti.
The Slow Mo Guys took things a step further, painting the records in quadrants to track their movement as they disintegrated. This made for some seriously mesmerizing visuals, with shards of color flying off in all directions.
More Than Just Destruction: The Beauty of Slow Motion
While watching things explode in slow motion is undeniably cool, the Slow Mo Guys' experiment reveals something deeper: the hidden beauty in everyday events. By slowing down time, we get to see the world in a whole new light, revealing intricate details and unexpected elegance in even the most destructive moments.
So, the next time you listen to your favorite record, take a moment to appreciate the forces at play. And if you ever get the chance to see a vinyl record explode in slow motion? Don't pass it up. It's an experience you won't soon forget.
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