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Exploding Batteries Look Like Tiny Jets at 70,000 Frames Per Second

We can’t think of anything more beautiful in its simplicity than watching things happen in slow motion. Slowing down the passage of time on things that normally happen in the blink of an eye opens up a whole new world to marvel at, and allows us to discover beauty in the otherwise mundane. In other words, explode-y stuff looks way cooler when it’s slower!

YouTube’s resident maestros in the control of time itself, The Slow Mo Guys, have given us a closer look at what not to do with household items by blowing up some batteries. We certainly assumed that some destructive things would happen if you apply a blowtorch flame to an electrochemical cell, but we weren’t aware of how beautiful that destruction can be. What was discovered during the video is that there are vents on most batteries that keep them from becoming tiny shrapnel grenades should they find themselves engulfed in flame. Turns out that the vents on AA batteries turn them into miniature rockets that are a delight to look at in slow motion.

At 70,000 frames per second, a peewee jet-propelled space program might seem like a lot of fun (and we suppose it ultimately is) but you can see that The Slow Mo Guys weren’t entirely prepared for how energetic some of these reactions were. So, although it should go without saying, don’t try this sort of thing at home and just enjoy the mayhem The Slow Mo Guys create from the comfort of your own YouTube feed.

What’s your favorite Slow Mo Guys experiment of all time? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: The Slow Mo Guys

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