I wobble a bridge, and I get set on fire.

18th April 2022

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Hello!

I'm on the road! And in my first ever video from Ireland, this week I visit the bridge that must legally wobble. Over on Tom Scott plus, I get set on fire.

This week's video recommendations are all about music. If I'm honest that's more coincidence than deliberate choice, but I'll take a themed week where I can!

The lead singer plays the opening notes of AC/DC's "All Night Long" as a joke. And then the drummer hits a snare as a joke. And then the crowd starts singing. What follows is lightning in a bottle: a series of incredible moments that feels like they're out of a movie. It's an almost-impossible combination of talent, co-operation and the wisdom of crowds, and a wonderful, uplifting moment. There's a time-coded list of all the "little moments" and reactions that you might miss posted down in the comments. (Note: a lot of incredulous swearing after the song ends.)
How loud can a sound physically get? A good question, and a good answer, with a startling demonstration of "perceived loudness" that I wish I'd thought of. (Some moderate swearing, and a warning for headphone users.)
Cutting vinyl at Abbey Road is a really interesting documentary about how to convert modern digitally-recorded music to work with much older technology. It does assume a bit of basic knowledge about how vinyl works, so if you'd like an introduction, Real Engineering has a good breakdown. (thanks to Mike for sending this in!)

Other interesting links I've found this week, away from the worlds of music and video:

How Mexico built Cancun from scratch. I didn't realise that Cancun, which I mostly know as "that drunken spring-break destination Americans talk about", isn't just a planned city, but a planned tourist trap, built from the ground up.
A deep-dive into the supply chain for tiny plastic fantasy/wargaming models.
Deaf people who can speak fluently, and the communication difficulties that follow. A great personal-experience article, if only for the phrase "bullet of stupidity".

And finally, one more video: an important three-part, two-minute tutorial on how to pick up a duck.

Thanks again for being a subscriber to the newsletter: it's continuing to be a really pleasant format to interact with the world, and a great way to send out recommendations. Hopefully you're enjoying it too!

All the best,

— Tom

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