New Curiosity and Puzzlements posted monthly.

Can't wait for the next posting? Check out the some of our previous posts below! 

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Past Curiosity and Puzzlement Postings

1. Floating cube

Take a look at this amazing 2-dimensional drawing that looks like a 3-dimensional cube floating above the paper! So cool! After you watch it, replay it and see if you can follow the directions to create your own!

2. Athlete in armor?

Imagine wearing a suit of armor. How would it feel? How would you move? How would it sound? Now watch the video to see some people putting armor to the test

3. Octopus Photographer

This Octopus named Rambo can operate a camera. Watch her take photos of people as they visit the aquarium.

4. Cross-shaped flier

Where do you predict the cross will travel when he throws it? Pause the video at 5 seconds and predict its flight path. Watch the video to see if your prediction was correct.

5. Pumpkin Smash

What do you do with pumpkins after Halloween is over? Ever thought about donating them so that elephants can smash them?

1. Can a robot make you breakfast?

Do you think a robot can make you breakfast?  Watch and find out :0)   

2. Slow-motion Surfing

Watch surfing in super slow motion, 1000 frames per second. I love seeing them barreling (between 2 and 3 minutes in the video) - so cool to see in slow motion.

3. The impossible cube

Look at this impossible cube.  Take a look at it at the start of the video, pause at 4 seconds, and predict what you think it will look like as it starts to turn. Watch the video and see if your prediction was correct. 

4. Seed to 600lb pumpkin (time-lapse)

Follow a time-lapse of a pumpkin growing from a seed to a 600lb monster

5. Foodnited States of America

Check out these food-related puns of all 50 states.

1. What are they making?

Watch this  video and see if you can guess what they are making (be sure to hide the title above the video before you begin :0)

2. Chalk Drawings

Check out these chalk drawings that look perfect from one spot and out of proportion from anywhere else.

3. How do you make a metal chain?

Check out how this automated machine makes a metal chain! 

4. Jingle Bells

 It's "Jingle Bells" performed on, um, wrenches.

5. Dancing with a difference

 Can you guess what makes this dancer unique - you have until 30 seconds into the video to guess. 

1. Crazy Conveyor Belt

Watch these fascinating conveyor belts  effortlessly shuffle objects around! How does it do that? 

2. Kids drawing made into a real object

A dad turns his 6-year-old's drawings into “realistic” renderings 

3. How do you build the world's tallest Lego tower? 

Check out the ultimate Lego build. You will find the world's tallest Lego tower in the Guinness Book of Records :) 

4.  Can you whistle? 

 Mr. Wiles, band director in Muskogee, OK, can whistle two notes at once. Actually, that's understating it. He can whistle a melody and a counter-melody at the same time! Can your class spot how he does it? Two notes start around 0:13.

5.  How do you stop an asteroid from hitting earth?

 NASA made history by being the first humans to change the path of an asteroid by slamming a spacecraft into it 

1. Caramel Apples

Ever wondered how caramel apples are made?! Check out this machine in action. If you want to see more details, watch a second time but in slow motion (click the gear icon and adjust playback speed on YouTube videos, try slowing to 0.25× to see what else you notice)

2. Hot snacks

Check out these photos using a thermal camera to visualize the heat in food. Can you guess what the different foods are? What do the colors mean about the food? 

3. Book Illustration with a difference

 Watch Bri Marie paint the city of Gondor on the edge of a copy of The Lord of the Rings. Don't do this at home without asking permission first.

4. What is this?

 Beautiful, time-lapse photography of something moving. What is it? What are your clues? Start the video 13 seconds in to avoid a spoiler in the title :0) 

5. What about this?

Watch this fun time-lapse. Skip the intro and hide the title if you want to guess what you're looking at.

1. Ultimate ride on a mountain bike

If you have ever wondered if you could ride down a mountain on a mountain bike, check out this video from Scotland. Do not try this at home!!! 

2. Underwater Vortex Rings 

Can you knock over rocks with vortex rings underwater? Watch this diver try it out

3. Can a bike walk?

 What on earth is a walking bike? Watch it once, then go back and watch closely to notice how the gears and chains work to make the legs walk. 

4. Woodworking the easy way

Ha! If only it were so easy. Woodworking with a difference.

5. Collapsible fire escape

Collapsible fire escape staircases. What thoughts come into your mind as you watch this? 

6. Can you guess what this is?

Check out this strange object in London, England. 

1. Super Slow-motion popcorn

Ever wondered what popcorn looks like when it is popping? Watch this Slo-motion video of popcorn popping to find out! 

2. Frozen bubbles

A beautiful video of frozen soap bubbles.

3. Cannonball from the back of a truck!

 The MythBusters try to cancel a cannon ball's momentum by firing it backwards from a truck going the same speed as the ball. What do you think will happpen?

4. How high does the sun get on the shortest day of the year in Alaska?

Weather researcher Taro Nakai filmed this time-lapse in Fairbanks, Alaska from 11am – 1pm on the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year. Look how low that sun goes!

5. Ever wondered what a ride on the New York Subway looks like from the driver's seat? 

Take a ride on the New York subway in this time-lapse video.

1. A raven attacks a delivery drone!

Ever wondered what birds think of drones that fly around in the air beside them? Watch this raven show the drone who is boss! 

2. Magnetized liquid 

We all know what magnets look like and what they do, but have you ever heard of a magnetized liquid? Watch and be amazed! 

3. Star Wars Shadow Art 

Check out Red Hong Ye amazing Star Wars Shadow Art - she makes this look easy!!

4. Lego goes Wild!

Amazing models of nature made completely out of Lego. I love the treehouse!  

5. Fireworks viewed from above!

Fireworks are fun to watch at New Year's, but have you ever wondered what they look like from above? Watch the Lima, Peru firework display filmed from a drone!

1. World Record basketball shot - from over 400 feet up!!

A world record basketball shot! From over 400 feet up, off of a dam, a man shoots… and scores! 

2. How do you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in space?

Ever thought about the problems you may have trying to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in space? Check out the video to see how they do it on the International Space Station 

3. Octopus walking on land

Last month we saw an octopus running on two tentacles, this month they walk right out of the water! Who knew octopus had so many hidden talents!

4. World's first and only rotating boat elevator

The world’s first (and only!?) rotating boat lift is in Falkirk, Scotland, check out the video to see it in action. I have been on it, it's pretty cool!!!  

5. Warped Trees

Check out these weirdly warped trees from a forest in Poland! 

1. Running Octopus? Crazy but true!  

Ever seen an octopus get up and walk on two tentacles? Enjoy this weird video! 

2. Can you make a bagel chain?

Mathematician George Hart made a video to show how to cut a bagel into two halves linked like two links in a chain. 

3. What happens to a tennis ball when you hit it? 

Check out this  142 mph tennis serve in super slow motion. 0:17 - 0:22  Who knew that the ball would go completely flat?!?

4. Want a bigger boat? This is one way to do it! 

Watch this cruise ship dock, get sliced in half, and then have a new section added in! The action starts at 60 seconds.

5. How does the internet travel around the world?

Did you know internet cables are under our oceans? Check out this globe mapping major underwater cables.

1. How does a hamster pack so much into its cheeks?

Check out this video and x-ray footage of inside a hamster’s cheeks to find out!

2. Ghostbusters theme as you have never heard it before

This performance of The Ghostbuster's theme is made from noises of everyday items! Too funny!! 

3. Bizarre Volcano

 Check out this bizarre volcano, the lava that looks like mud but is still over 500ºC!

4. Mix it up - instead of carving a pumpkin this year, try a watermelon!

Check out this video, filmed from the artist’s point of view, of a snakes head carved from a watermelon! 

5. Miniature Pottery 

This incredibly small pottery is actually made by hand on a wheel!

1. Floating ball of water in space 

Astronauts on the International Space Station created a colored, bubbly, floating ball of water. This is soooo cool! Think about it, why does the water act like this?

2. Music played on a glass in a sink of water!

 You’ve seen glasses filled with water played as a musical instrument, but did you know it works when an empty glass is played in a sink of water! Watch the video and learn about the science behind the music!

3. Ever wondered what happens when you hit Jell-o with a tennis racket?

Watch a slow-motion video of someone hit Jell-o with a tennis racket. Fun but messy, don't try this at home!! 

4. How do they make glass chandeliers?

You will look at glass chandeliers with new appreciation after watching this video of molten glass being worked into shape to form a chandelier!

5. Fire and Ice!

See what happens when a red hot cannonball is placed on a block of ice!

1. Coolest Lego set ever!!! 

 A full-size car you can drive and it is made completely of Lego! 

2. What is it like inside a volcano?

Scientists use drones to explore inside a volcano!

3. Crayons make art, but can crayons be art? 

Check out these sculptures carved from regular Crayolas.

4. Pygmy seahorse, the masters of camouflage

Watch the pygmy seahorse blend into its surroundings!

5. Which way is up?

Check out this amazing artwork, can you figure out which way is up? 

1. Ultimate ride on a mountain bike

If you have ever wondered if you could ride down a mountain on a mountain bike, check out this video from Scotland. Do not try this at home!!! 

Scientists use drones to explore inside a volcano

2. Show Jumping bunnies??

You have heard of show jumping competitions with horses but have you ever heard of one for bunnies? Check out this video for the cutest show jumping competition ever :0) 

3. Can you make an iceberg float?

Use this interactive tool to draw an iceberg and see what happens to your design. Will it float? Will it sink? Will it flip? Give it a try and learn about the science behind icebergs.

4. Underwater Photographs

Check out these amazing underwater photographs from the 2021 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition. Amazing! Scroll down the page to see shipwrecks, sharks, divers, and more. My favorite is the stingray. :0) 

5. Movie intro 

Movie company intro sounds acapella style (music without instruments) 

1. House of Cards

The most insane house of card creations you will ever see! 

2. Musical 'Ice'truments?

Check out these amazing musical Instruments made from ice

3. Happy Feet

9-Year-Old dancer takes 10,000 steps in this three-minute dance.

4. Let it snow

Have you ever wondered what a snowflake looks like under a microscope?

1. Slow motion magnets!

This is so cool!! Super slow-motion magnets doing all kinds of fun things. Stick around for the colors!

2. Ice stacking - an amazing natural phenomenon

Watch what happens as the wind blows over a very cold Lake Superior, shards of ice undulating like waves. Weird!

3. The most amazing bookstore you will ever see!

 Look at this stunning bookstore outside of Chengdu, China

4. Can you play the violin with a prosthetic arm?

Check out violinist Manami, accomplished violinist, swimmer, and more! 

5. A bridge with a difference.

A bridge that goes… below the water level

1. Musical water glasses!

Listen to Sugar Plum Fairy performed live on water glasses. 

2. Alphabet rocks 

Can you imagine finding a rock that looks like a letter from the alphabet? This Belgian type designer found a stone for every letter! 

3. Holiday Tree Harvest

Ever wondered how they harvest Christmas Trees? Watch and find out

4. If you could decorate a hay bale, what would you do?

Hay bales with a twist 

5. Can you ride a square wheel bike?  

Ever wondered if you can ride a square-wheeled bike? You just need a very specific road

1. You will never look at mold the same way again! 

The Rise of Mold! Watch how four different molds grow… up close.

2. Red hot cannonball!

What happens when a cannonball is heated until it’s glowing red, then put onto a block of ice? Watch and see what happens!

3. Capybara snack time!! 

Watch these capybaras munching on a 100 pound pumpkin! I love it when they finally get inside. 

4. Art in a leaf

Artist Lito creates art by cutting into individual leaves. 

5. What happens to a guitar string when you play?

An extreme closeup of a guitar’s strings struck in extreme slow motion.

1. Good vibrations 

The sound vibrations create unexpected patterns in colored sand as Kenichi Kanazawa “plays” a steel table like an instrument. 

2. Polluted popsicles?!

What if you made popsicles out of… polluted water 🤢.

3. Seed to plant in under 4 minutes 

watch a seed grow into a plant over this 36-day time-lapse 

4. Kid invention could help save the bees

Kid engineer, Amiyr, invents a seed-launching backpack to help create a more pollinator-friendly neighborhood.

5. Slow motion insects

Watch these insects take off in super slow-mo! 

1. Marble powered music machine

You might think that marbles aren't musical, but this marble-powered music machine may change your mind.

2. Shape changers

Solid structures can change shape. 

3. Cutest rocks ever!

Can a rock be cute? Akie Nakata paints rocks and transforms them into absolutely adorable animals.

4. Origami caterpillar

How to make an origami caterpillar that moves!

5. Giant lego man costume 

Check out this giant Lego Man costume made from cardboard.

1. Toy In Space!

Ron Fugelseth and his 4-year-old sent a toy train 18 miles into the stratosphere, captured it all on video, and then animated the train’s face. Wait for the big moment at about 1:10! 

2. Ames Window

Here’s a clip from Australia’s The Curiosity Show featuring a fantastic optical illusion, The Ames Window. There are many perfect moments to pause and predict… and be surprised

3. 360° Rainbow

What’s better than a double rainbow? A full-circle rainbow, as shot from way up high on a construction crane.

4. Industrial Cupcake Machine

Measuring, baking, and decorating cupcakes on a large scale with industrial machinery! This will make you want to eat a cupcake :) 

5. Birds On A Wire Song

Birds sitting on telephone wires look a bit like music notes on a staff. Jarbas Agnelli turned a photo of birds into an actual song, which he ended up performing with an orchestra! 

1. Cotton Ball Launcher

How to create a cotton ball launcher using supplies such as a paper towel roll, a pencil, and some rubber bands. And some cotton balls, of course!

2. Underwater Colors

Watch how water changes our perception of color as this GoPro drops 150ft below the surface. Wow!! 

3. Geometric Folded Paper

Matt Shlian folds regular ol’ paper into incredible 3D designs. Do check out the FAQ about his process.

4. Apollo 11 Marching Band

Marching bands put on some amazing shows. Check out Ohio State’s tribute to the Apollo 11 mission. Don’t miss those awesome smoke effects around 2:45!

5. A 3D M

A tutorial for drawing what looks like a three-dimensional letter M. Watch the video and then see if you can use the same technique to create a 3D letter of your first initial.  

 1. Boomerang Trick Shots

These guys are really, really excited about boomerangs. Six minutes long but the first three are enough to give you the idea of the crazy stunts these guys can do with a boomerang.

2. I, Spy Books

Ever wondered how they make the I, Spy books? Watch and find out! How do they photograph the I, Spy books?  Could you try this and make your own I, Spy book? 

3. Giant Cardboard Hand

Put your used cardboard tubes to good use and create a giant, robotic hand!

4. Slow Mo Shatter

Wow! Watch this glass break in super slow-mo! The patterns in the cracks are so cool. 

5. Floating, Sleeping Walruses

Did you know walruses sleep while floating in the water?

1. What Happened To The Louvre?

French artist JR created an optical illusion at The Louvre using 2000 pieces of paper.

2. Dance With Projectors

Check out this dance performance augmented with projectors. Lots of great moments just in the first thirty seconds, but check out the move at 1:15!

3. Trash Monster

Mr. Trash Wheel is a “debris-eating mechanism” in Baltimore Harbor. Watch the video to see him eat his one millionth pound of trash!

4. Rube Goldberg Machine for Food

“Pass the salt, please!” An incredibly elaborate series of Rube Goldberg machines. 

5. Fruit and Veggies Inside Out

Kevin Parry made this stop motion of fruits and veggies slowly disappearing, the second half of the video shows how he did it. 

1. Lego Duplo Factory Tour

Maddie Moate took a tour of a Duplo factory in Hungary. The tour starts at about 1 minute in. 

2. Car Orchestra

In this Lyft commercial, a group of cars perform a song using their horns and alarm sounds. Pretty amazing!

3. Shell Exchange

Watch these Hermit Crabs line up according to size to exchange shells.

4. Bear’s Belly Button

Who made this bear in the snow? And how did they create the belly button!?

5. A Spittle Bug’s Bubbles

This bug builds a house of bubbles.

1. Ghost Apples

In the recent cold weather, apples hanging on an apple tree can form a shell of ice, turn to mush and leak out, and leave behind a… ghost apple!

2. Magnetic Fields in Slow Motion

Through a strong magnet and metallic flakes, we get to see magnetic fields in action… and in slow motion! The action really starts around 0:30.

3. Wooden Ball

How do you create a smooth wooden sphere from wood? Watch this man make one from scratch Watch for the patterns that emerge in the final step

4. Paper Mario

A stop-motion version of the first level of Super Mario Bros. 

5. Sound Installations

Artist Zimoun makes giant sound sculptures out of everyday materials. Pretty cool!! 

1. Combined Imagery

These surreal photos from artist Justin Peters blend two images into one. Look carefully!

2. Post-It Art

Over 400 artists participated in the LA Art Gallery Giant Robot’s 14th annual Post-It show. Each piece of art is only 3“ × 3”. 

3. Paris in the 1890s

These videos from the 1890's give us a glimpse of daily life in Paris over 100 years ago. Imagine what your life would have been like then! Video from 1890 

4. Forest Crop Circles

A result of a scientific experiment from 50 years ago, these “crop circles” in Japan are quite disorienting. They were testing how trees grow when they are planted near or far to another tree.

1. Squirrel Obstacle Course

Squirrels figure out a wobbly obstacle course to get a deli

2. PBJs In Spaaaaaace!

What problems might you run into when making a sandwich in space? Astronaut Shane Kimbrough explains how he makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in space. 

3. Puzzle Montage

Did you know jigsaw puzzle makers often use the same pattern for pieces and just print different pictures onto the puzzles? Tim Klein combines these puzzles to create ridiculously funny images.

4. Slow Mo Popcorn

What happens when popcorn is popped in super-slow-mo? Thanks to Damian for the link!

5. Surreal Imagery

This one's hard to describe. Russian Artist Vladimir Tomin creates some fantastically surreal video clips

1. Making Erasers

Ever wondered how erasers are made? Watch this video to find out  (Jump to 1:16 to start)

2. Japanese Sound Garden

Can a bouncy ball in the forest play classical music? Check out this Japanese Sound Garden 

3. Baby Sloth Sounds

Ok, first everyone has to make a prediction: what sound does a baby sloth make? Only then can you reveal the incredibly cute truth!

4. Light Up Piano

Almost like a real-life guitar hero, this light-up piano setup is mesmerizing! Check out Rousseau Musique play several classic pieces.

5. Banana Art

Artist Alex Feliciano created art on bananas for his kids’ lunches! (Don’t worry, the markers were non-toxic )

 1. Harlem Globetrotters trick shot Rube Goldberg Machine 

Harlem Globetrotters, trick shots, and rube goldberg machines - too cool! Check it out

2. Drawing A Hole

Amazing use of tricky perspective! How to create a two-dimensional drawing that looks like a three-dimensional hole. Makes me want to try it out!!

3. How are cookie cutters made?

Ever wondered how cookie cutters are made?  Here are some  videos demonstrating how aluminum cookie cutters are created.

4. Amazing Balloon Animals

Masayoshi Matsumoto’s Stunning balloon animals Not your regular balloon animals!! I love the blobfish!! 

5. Stunning Photo of Lightning

An amazing photograph from Masanobu Higashiyama of a giant cumulonimbus cloud striking Tokyo with lightning. Check out the time-lapse as well.

 1. Cat Zoetrope Cake

Here’s a Cat Cake Zoetrope. It appears to come to life while it spins around. 

2. Liquid Shard

Check out this kinetic sculpture called Liquid Shard from Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics. 

3. Sand Makes Music Visible

Kenichi Kanazawa “plays” a steel table like an instrument and the sound vibrations create incredible patterns in colored sand.

4. Origami Shadow Faces

By carefully folding paper, Kumi Yamashita created these shadowy human profiles .

5. Dragons With One Single Brush Stroke

Japanese artist Keisuke Teshima paints elaborate dragon bodies using just one stroke of his brush. 

6. Volumes

This short, fully CG video from Maxim Zhestkov features thousands of spheres interacting and changing colors. Mesmerizing! 

1. Rube Goldberg Cake Machine.

This is an unbelievable cake-serving Rube Goldberg machine from Joseph’s Machines.

2. HD Aurora Borealis

Beautiful, high definition footage of the Northern Lights during a lunar eclipse!