Slow Motion Video: Underwater Bullet

The Slow Mo Guys have a YouTube channel full of amazing videos of ordinary things getting featured (as the name implies) in slow motion, such as a series of mouse traps going off, paint bouncing around on a speaker, deploying an air bag, and many more. 

One of the most fascinating in the collection is a video about shooting a pistol underwater and slowing it down to 1000 times slower than real life.

Wait—they shot a gun underwater? A gun needs a small explosion to fire a bullet, so how can that happen underwater? The gunpowder is contained within the bullet cartridge (unless you have flintlock musket) which shields it from the water and keeps it dry. When the trigger is pulled, the firing pin or striker (depending on the firearm) hits the primer, ignites the propellant, and out it goes. As long as the bullet casing is in tact, it’s no problem shooting underwater. But really, getting your gun wet on purpose is terrible for maintenance.

After the bullet is discharged, the water is forced out of the way. This momentum from the water allows the gas released by the propellent to expand outward more than it typically would. Once the gas is cooled and the water’s momentum slows, the water pressure squeezes the bubble down.

The water resistance slows the bullet dramatically, so it will only travel a few feet. However, please don’t use this information to justify hopping in your pool and trying this out for yourself, as death, injury, and damage to property can occur. Please use firearms responsibly.

Go full screen for this one. It’s pretty badass.

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The Flying Car That Could Expedite Your Morning Commute

An artist’s rendering of the TF-X in flight. Courtesy Terrafugia

Flying cars have long been the unofficial signpost that will mark our entrance into The Future. Now, it appears, that key moment could be soon approaching.

Flying car prototypes are nothing new. The U.S. Patent Office in 1918 issued Felix Longobardi the first patent for a flying vehicle, which was also submersible in water. Subsequent attempts at the flying car, though they flew, weren’t very practical. However, a team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni is working with a company called Terrafugia to develop a prototype that could make flying to work a reasonable proposition.

Fully Loaded

The developers are the same MIT alumni that developed the Transition car-plane, which still requires a 1,700-foot runway to take to the skies. To eliminate the need for runways, their new vehicle, dubbed the TF-X, would be capable of vertical takeoff and landing — a crucial maneuver in urban environments. Based on designs, its flight mechanics would be similar to themilitary’s V-22 Osprey, based on a video released by developers that simulates flight in the TF-X (below).

The TF-X is designed to seat four passengers, fit inside a standard single-car garage, travel 500 miles on one trip, and reach speeds of 200 miles per hour, according to specifications listed on the Terrafugia website. It would take just five hours of training for the average car driver to learn how to safely operate the craft.

And fortunately for future airborne commuters, the TF-X would feature automatic systems that avoid mid-air collisions, detect bad weather, and automatically implement an emergency auto-land procedure if the driver becomes unresponsive.

But the biggest feature to brag about to your friends if you someday get your hands on a TF-X: It’s a hybrid.

Development Timeline

You’re going to have to wait a while before you get behind the wheel of a TF-X. Development is expected to take roughly 8 to 12 years. If the TF-X finally goes to market, it’s estimated to cost about as much as a very high-end luxury vehicle.

However, if you can’t wait that long, the Transition flying vehicle, mentioned earlier, is nearly ready for sale. Designers are still working through product development and the federal regulatory process. If you can spare about $280,000, the Transition could be yours.

 Simulation of TF-X Flight

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Finally — a Band-Aid that Matches Your Skin Tone

Finally — a Band-Aid that Matches Your Skin Tone

File this one under "It's about time:" As part of the 2012 iF Design Talents compititon, four designers have created the Chameleon Bandage, which changes color to perfectly match your skin tone when you stick it on.

I don't know about you, but I've always wondered what genius decided that band-aids should be a tan tint that doesn't quite work withanyone's skin tone. After all, no one -- not even Barbie -- has skin that's the same hue as the bandages available right now.

Related: 11 Makeup Mistakes You Don't Realize You're Making

That's why I stopped using beige band-aids years ago. When I need one, I slap on a multicolored Hello Kitty or Cynthia Rowley design. But while that's fine when I have a paper cut or razor knick on my leg, it's a different story when I burn my chin with my curling iron. There's no way I'm wearing a floral band-aid on my face.

Related: The Best New Ways To Brighten Your Skin

Thanks to this new, color-adjusting bandage, you might actually be able to hide that injury until it heals. While it's still only in the concept stages, were hoping Band-Aid is paying close attention. What about you? Would you buy a Chameleon Bandage? 

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