Flamethrower vs Aerogel

We put aerogel to the test vs 'not-a-flamethrower', a huge 2000°C flame to a large fiberglass blanket infused with silica aerogel - formerly the lightest solid (that title is now held by graphene aerogel).
Special thanks to:
Aerogel Technologies: ve42.co/aerogeltech
Aspen Aerogels: ve42.co/aspen
Ben: @BenScho999999
Dr. Stephen Steiner and the Aerogel Technologies team
The footage of aerogel materials in cold environments was provided courtesy of Aspen Aerogels. Their product, cryogel, was shown to be flexible in liquid nitrogen while preventing cold burns to the hand. They are the manufacturer of the blanket used in the main portion of this video.
This is the finale of my three-part series on aerogel. I'll put links to the other parts below:
World's Lightest Solid: • World's Lightest Solid!
I Waterproofed Myself With Aerogel: • I Waterproofed Myself ...
Huge thanks to Patreon supporters:
Alfred Wallace, Arjun Chakroborty, Bryan Baker, Chris Vargas, Chuck Lauer Vose, Dale Horne, Donal Botkin, Eric Velazquez, halyoav, James Knight, Jasper Xin, Joar Wandborg, Kevin Beavers, kkm, Leah Howard, Lyvann Ferrusca, Michael Krugman, Mohammed Al Sahaf, Noel Braganza, Philipp Volgger, Pindex, Ron Neal, Sam Lutfi, Stan Presolski, Tige Thorman
This is an educational video demonstrating scientific experiments performed by professionals. It should not be attempted by viewers.
Music from Epidemic Sound: epidemicsound.com "Running Against the Clock" "Dangerous Forests"

[@thecowguy1233]

Aerogel: Do you trust me? Veritasium: With every cell of my body.

[@firegames2391]

Love the refrence

[@HelloIAmAnExist]

I mean rightfully so

[@Maven0666]

Isn’t that the point?

[@veritasium]

For the record, Ben has a standing offer for compensation for the 'not-a-flamethrower.' He likes the video and hasn't yet investigated the problem but I suspect something is mechanically wrong with the trigger. Also, we had a real flamethrower lined up to do this, but we couldn't find a safe place to shoot it 150ft (>45m). Plus for the purposes of testing aerogel we needed a hot flame, like the 2000C of this propane 'not-a' flamethrower and we didn't need the hassle of getting diesel or napalm all over the blanket...

[@adfaklsdjf]

Thanks for addressing the emotional outcry about it not being a "real" flamethrower.

[@prototk5186]

My reaction was the title kind of being degrading to the content. Also, the reason for many viewers reaction is all the hyperbolic youtubers freaking out about elon musk inventing the every day man's flame thrower in past videos.

[@JimPankey]

Except you continued to call it a flamethrower. This experiment could have been done with a washcloth and a propane torch. Of course that wouldn’t have been as sensational as “flamethrower”.

[@christianvasquezmusic]

Veritasium i don’t really care, it was still a great video. everyone complaining are pussies

[@jackthmp]

At least use liquid oxygen, this was pathetic

[@Goatic]

They should make a suit made out of aerogel for firefighters

[@pirox2720]

J. S. Have to Give them time to do that the process it make it is really expensive still

[@bogdanmeoff2399]

@Brownie Amanteigado look at prison industrial complex, the inmates make the profits, keep them in there and they turn into legal slaves!

[@helicocktor]

@ǰꜽ Ṱꬴⱥ well yes the aerogel insulation would serve the purpose of cooling

[@helicocktor]

@ǰꜽ Ṱꬴⱥ i understand the impeded heat flow going out, however, we are absolutely capable of going 40-50 for short periods of time just fine. Firefighters are especially trained for these situations and are exposed to hundreds of degrees C ambient temp. Firefighters have been recorded to survive internal temps of over 70°C. With aerogel insulation, the internal temp goes down quite significantly. That sheet on the video registered over 600°C on the hot side and 50°C on the other side. That is definitely survivable for trained firefighters. Aerogel insulating tech in their suits will definitely increase their endurance when fighting fires, especially when fighting prolonged fires like wildfires.

[@juniasdityenbeger4506]

It could be don't? But it would be expensive and you would need a venting system to pull away body heat. I think somone probably has thought about it

[@BlackWing117]

3:17 About to stand infront of a flamethrower *puts safety glasses on*

[@GewelReal]

just in case eyes are the most important

[@sajeucettefoistunevaspasme]

@@GewelReal i would prefer to loose my eyes than my brain

[@themondei746]

You know what they say: safety first!

[@jdotoz]

The goggles do nothing

[@jangancev5009]

We have there channels like LaminarFlowEveryDay, LinusDropsIt and now we have Aerogeltasium

[@aviral1230]

Take my like

[@buryurfear14]

LaminarFlowEveryDay lololol

[@c0naNnn]

Vneveruploadsanymore

[@fuomag9]

You forgot BackyardMercury

[@cagataysunal1130]

@@c0naNnn ...sauce

[@Seruphin]

Does Veritasium have stocks in Aerogel or something?

[@bonersducks5648]

Stonks

[@DxsPro]

he got massive views for his other aerogel videos.. so he is milking it to the max - his evolution to being buzzfeed to get the $$$

[@MilestonePictures]

@@DxsPro max kek

[@antimatter2376]

@@DxsPro He's not doing this for advertisement. He is simply sharing knowledge about aerogel because he thought it was amazing. His reservoir balls video blew up, and yet he did no continuation except for his most asked comment on that video. Not for money or fame, but for his fans and himself. He even said it himself on his video explaining how to get viral. This means his videos have to be engaging, and I can tell that all this is pretty interesting. If you don't believe that then just click off the video and go about your day

[@themartianway]

He bought it in bulk and now has to use it up.

[@LEE-pp3qu]

"I think this is what the internet likes. Really hot stuff applied to novelty objects." You're goddamn right.

[@BierBart12]

1000 degree knife vs aerogel

[@hamishgamble3870]

​@@BierBart12although, this video has 1.9 million views, the first more sciency one in the series has 60 million

[@vincentxu8217]

The girl told me “take off your aerogel” I said man’s not hot

[@annymous-bz2xx]

Man’s _never_ hot.

[@williamcroft728]

My initial reaction was hatred, then I couldn’t hold in the laughter, thankyou

[@t4rv0r60]

brrrrrra popopop

[@GodDinji]

Quick Math!

[@crippledcow2235]

@@GodDinji Maf**

[@elijahb5256]

Next video: Will Aerogel stand up to Shade Balls?

[@peterlemongello3043]

He had a pretty nice physics show now its all airgel and shade balls

[@MendTheWorld]

DSC peterlemongello Mass market audience = "PhysicsBusters"

[@woopygoman]

Shade balls made of aerogel! LOL

[@moroteseoinage]

Will my balls stand up to shade balls?

[@IzzyIkigai]

@@woopygoman you're onto something here!

"have you fired this before ? " "I have not" The guy bought a flamethrower and didn't test it the second it arrived ?

[@infirmux]

all the others who tried, had their appartment/house burn down... ;) I hope it IS a joke only.

[@WithChrist7]

Probably baught it for show.

[@WithChrist7]

Need a 3d printer and get space make some lol

[@loyertamara]

I lifted an eyebrow when he said that too.

[@NickBrennanA]

Said he lived on Cape Cod, and I can attest to the fact that, while its somehow legal to get one of these bad boys into MA, its certainly not as easy to *use* it. Welcome to the blue states

[@jamesdinius7769]

It's incredible to see something so defiant of the power of fire. As someone who has actually studied heat transfer and thermodynamics I can appreciate how impressive this really is.

[@karet2490]

well boys we did it we created fire protection 5

[@jostjosseeri]

Veritasium has become a full-on Aerogel channel. I love it.

[@madeonearth3429]

nah hate it

[@adfaklsdjf]

I love it.

[@EpicBloggerdotorg]

@@madeonearth3429 yeah but you suck

[@jedwardoo]

Deity they’re become semi myth busters channel. Love it!

[@danegerzone4889]

Dscigs GOTEEEEM

[@xlxtus]

Random Dude: put your hand next to the metal plate and the boiling water Veritasium Man: yes

[@Shimanas527]

He is not veritasium man he is Veritasium

[@MeariBamu]

@Veritasium Please try Flamethrower vs starlite

[@jacktorrance1506]

So this could solve the overheating problem of lightsabers

[@nikoolay]

not just lightsabers but laser pointers oh man

[@jamesdinius7769]

No, it'd make it worse by trapping the heat ( unless you mean sheilding the user, but the device still overheats)

[@mr.winter538]

The problem with lightsabers is that for some scenes to work they had to be so hot that they turn air into a plasma wich would not only be devistating for you and everything around you, but it also meant that if you somehow protect yourself from the heat it would esfixiate you. Even if you somehow protected yourself from your own lightsaber, other lightsabers would be as ineffectively at kill you as your own. If lightsabers existed it would be far more effective to just activate them and walking around than using them like real swords, which makes the whole idea pointless, as it would just be a device that gets really hot. Side note: I apologize for anny spelling errors (I am not a native english speaker)

[@magicjello4633]

Olaf Winter bro it’s fine that is really smart

[@mr.winter538]

​@@magicjello4633 Thank you

[@mryan2010]

Love the sound track you chose. Thank you for the link.

[@Oceaniawtf]

So basically Derek stands for A E R O G E L like Destin (Smarter every day) stands for L A M I N A R F L O W

[@Rocket-tk5uk]

Oceaniawtf I love L A M I N A R F L O W

[@srjskam]

Cody is obviously M E R C U R Y in this classification.

[@DiedLiu]

L A M I N A R F L O W !!!

[@Holobrine]

You mean they stan?

[@bruh-rp7ct]

Mark Rober stands for F O R E S H A D O W I N G

[@brianwhitby2703]

did you at least get him a new flame thrower?

[@ClouduSan]

I wish he answered LOL

[@RexMods]

Not a flamethrower was a limited production run IIRC

[@adfaklsdjf]

This is what I want to know

[@guoyu1897]

we are not satisfied with a "I'm sorry"

[@faithfuljohn]

he can't. It's not being sold anymore. Best he can do is pay the money equivalent.

[@masterkiller990]

very good video not only did you cover the title but you also showed a real world application where it can be used. And how futuristic this item can be to us today to help us advance in many ways. love it thanks

[@lon3don]

So good, please keep us posted on the latest developments.

[@willkelly86]

In addition to a real flamethrower, it would be nice to see how a control fiberglass welding blanket holds up without the aerogel component.

[@pinkyster9384]

Or any material for that matter. Codyslab did a video about that subject. Many people do experiments without a proper control group

[@nomars4827]

I think 2-3 cm of high density basalt fiber blanket will perform the same.

[@justindie7543]

@@pinkyster9384 I believe Cody showed that a piece of bread was just as effective at protecting his hand from a welding torch.

[@pinkyster9384]

@@justindie7543 yeah exactly, which shows that the material wasn't extraordinarily "fire proof"

[@Tahoza]

"This is what the internet likes: hot things applied to novelty objects" ...your reductionistic observation is both accurate and humbling... people are just big cats with fancy laser pointers...

[@BattousaiHBr]

i think it was a joke referencing the 1000°C knife vs videos

[@umkm2k]

It works for Hot Ones, as long as you see celebrities as novelty objects

[@3ckitani]

-Basically Rule 34-

[@samehedi]

@@BattousaiHBr and i was thinking he's talking about porn :-(

[@fz5212]

So, you guys just broke his flame thrower.

[@danieleleuteri107]

Derek's wife: He must be thinking of someone else, he doesn't love me anymore Derek: What if I covered my children with aerogel for the next video?

[@cipherx2181]

"Aerogel vs Volcano"

[@filthyego8433]

“Broke his flamethrower but I got my content”

[@aussiedogfighter285]

a small price to pay

[@mikeearly2106]

As a volunteer firefighter, I am now curious if this company might be looking into infusing aerogel into nomex and kevlar threads to be used in turnout gear???

[@fredfinks]

Have you seen the heat resistant gel type goop thats sold in tubs? Dont know what its called but i saw a video of firemen lathering themselves up in it before going in. It was a miracle thing. You cover your hand and it wouldnt burn if this flamethrower was on it. Downside is the mess but HELL if i was a firefighter i wouldnt do my job unless this was supplied. It didnt seem too costly. The firecrew in the video made it seem like it was part of their regular kit.

[@awesomo660]

fredfinks the stuff they use for movies where stuntmen are on fire corridor crew has a good video on it

[@mikeearly2106]

@@fredfinks I'm not aware of any real world use of such a product in fire services as a form of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). There is a product that you can apply to homes and vehicles that acts as you describe, but I would not want to cover my gear in it. When we are crawling around in a fully involved structure, any gel would get wiped or scraped off and the product I am aware of highly cautions that you need 100% coverage to be effective. Also, most of these gels are water based and water is heavy. This would ad to the 70+ pounds that we already have to wear/carry to enter a building, and I'm not too fond of that idea nor do I know of any firefighter that would be. Also, we train hard for and even have competitions on what is called Speed Dress where we must be able do don every part of our PPE including air pack in under two minutes. I cannot imagine any firefighter wanting to add another layer to that ensemble that would take time away from making entry and getting the job done. IOW, time is also our enemy and we want to reduce time spent doing things that aren't going to contribute significantly to getting the job done as quickly as possible. So, here is my thought....Typical turnout gear is made of three layers: 1) Outer shell that is fire resistant and tough enough to handle the harsh environments we crawl/wallow around in (Nomex and Kevlar); 2) Vapor/blood borne pathogen layer to keep moisture and other icky stuff out of the area where our skin is ( imagine steamed lobster if that layer isn't there); 3) Insulating layer to help keep heat out....Problem one, when we sweat in that inner layer, we can actually steam in our own sweat if the temps get hot enough. Problem two, these three layers are heavy and bulky which slows us down and makes us work harder. If Aerogel is as demonstrated and if it can withstand the rigors of us crawling/wallowing around in nasty junk, then it seems that if we could combine the insulating properties of Aerogel into the actual structure of the Nomex shell, we might be able to eliminate or reduce the insulating layer which is the bulkiest part of the ensemble. Also, if it would keep us cooler, we might not be as subject to being flash steamed in our own juices. Obviously it will need to meet the extreme demands of NFPA certification before being approved for use in fire services. Just wanting to put the idea out there if any one is interested in finding another possible application for this amazing product......

[@jacobkingdon387]

They use it in NASA Space suites now

[@Geologist_Mike]

Mike Early it’s not a gel, it’s more like a powder. It’s only a gel during early stages of manufacturing. They take that gel and flash heat it at super high temp to remove the liquids and leave behind a silicon lattice that’s a super insulator.

[@sidd0405]

3:38 Derek is looking like ghost rider without flames.

[@GLACIOUS13]

Third (or forth) video. These are so great, I've lost track! Learning is "Fund d' Mental". Thank you for enriching my mind.

[@domvasta]

I hope you bought Ben another overpriced propane torch

[@iSwanqa]

Dom Vasta that’s what I’m saying without him half of this video wouldn’t be possible. Better buy him another damn flamethrower

[@scepticusverisimillimenonm8450]

Any news on this?

[@abduljalilebrahim6017]

Again any news on this? Poor ben

[@MichaelOfTroyWasHere]

Any update?

[@ninetails6218]

We gotta know

[@ancbi]

I hope Ben gets something back for the death of his flamethrower. Also, 3:38 Derek under thermal camera reminded me of Agent Smith.

[@crissdarkk]

They are working something out already

[@excitedbox5705]

The tank probably just froze up and the flamethrower will be fine.

[@Peter_Riis_DK]

@@excitedbox5705 Exactly. Surprised mr. Veritasium didn't think of that.

[@benschofield1361]

@@Peter_Riis_DK we thought of that and thats not the issue

[@dysfunktion4711]

Damn man, I feel sorry for the guy with the flamethrower. First time test and now it's broken ^^

[@Jak_1999]

Veritasium thank you for your Aerogel videos I really enjoyed them and they inspired me to make a seminar work at my school about aerogel :)

[@RP-16]

Wendover: planes RLL: corollas Veritasium: aerogel Polymatter: China

[@jyetie]

SmarterEveryDay: l a m i n a r f l o w

[@dexter2392]

Kurzgesagt: *ants*

[@dexter2392]

Infographics Show: *prisons*

[@kangsate3459]

Kurzgesagt: bird

[@irispettson]

Tierzoo: teamplay

[@DexFire1115]

It was : flamethrower v.s aerogel Then: not-so-flamethrower v.s aerogel Now: world’s best heat shield is 99.8% air

[@Galym3d3]

He's trying to find the most click bait title.

[@GrogAdHoc]

@@Galym3d3 Changing titles is a click bait tactic.

[@chonkycapybara6169]

@@Galym3d3 Pretty much this

[@DeathFrankCore]

He should change the title in this "I was raped by aereogel while a flamethrower was heating me up"

[@hugowijk3676]

I think he changed to title to worlds best heat shield around the time that he also deleted my comment at the very top calling it out, guessing he just doesn't want people to think about the issue at all.

[@valerija.legasov548]

Whooow, this is simply amazing... Chemistry and life, life and Chemistry and the life connects us... All the best from the Czech republic...

[@Princess_T86]

Wow, make your houses with this Behind the brick, so when it goes threw a drouth and massive heat instead of rain in years this would be a great product in Australia 🇦🇺

[@BlackMambo5]

Punctuation marks, use them.

[@MrRavmoor]

@@BlackMambo5 The irony.

[@HungryGuyStories]

_"The internet likes applying heat to novelty items."_ The internet also likes crushing things with hydraulic presses, dropping things onto trampolines from tall towers, and making "tires" out of materials one would never make a tire out of like matches and concrete.

[@qwertyTRiG]

I'm not familiar with that last genre.

[@HungryGuyStories]

@@qwertyTRiG 1. Hydraulic Press Channel. 2. How Ridiculous. 3. Garage 54.

[@qwertyTRiG]

@@HungryGuyStories Okay. I'll throw a glance at Garage 54. Thanks.

[@Kags]

I've literally seen all 3 of those in many forms

[@shuttlethefox6042]

Don't forget making knives out of random things you wouldn't make knives out of

[@SanicTheHidgehag]

The title changed like 3 times before I got around to watching this xD

[@RedLeader327]

Same

[@veritasium]

haha so I gave you more info on what it's about. At some point, YT will let us A/B test thumbnails and/or have real-time info about click through rate. At that point, I won't have to manually fiddle with titles and thumbnails as much.

[@snappycattimesten]

Veritasium it thumbaitening

[@ntt2k]

@@snappycattimesten .. you're welcome to watch something else. I would rather have Derek figure out the workings of KZbin to provide us content (that costs time & money) for free than not to have videos at all

[@peejay1981]

@@veritasium So it's not clickbait, it's science! Nice Job!!

[@austinmeyer]

Wow. Amazing as always, mr veritasium!

[@MegaCaptain5]

Can't wait to see aerogel clothing and jackets so we could have light hoodies or jackets to survive the winters. Or having lots and pans or other cooking supplies that you could easily touch without worry

[@justamanofculture12]

Good ideas

[@rikipatel4340]

Or just dust yourself in insulating aerogel powder like talcon powder to keep yourself warm.

[@alexparker5127]

Like aerogel oven mitts and not applied to the cookware itself I assume? If you coated the cookware in aerogel how would it heat and cook the food? lol

[@fullmetalpleb]

@@alexparker5127 picture super nimble oven mitts though, chefs would love it

[@pepejumps8981]

Check out oros!

[@hugowijk3676]

Not a flamethrower though, more like a big blow torch. Still hot though

[@ACMJPT.2]

Hugo Wijk was going to say that too😂😂😂

[@andrasnagy2410]

what's the difference?

[@og7023]

@@andrasnagy2410 flamethrowers spit out the fuel that burns as well

[@Unique007]

@@caolan3202 Exactly 👍 well said.

[@trabladorr]

Not even a blowtorch, as it does not mix air into the fuel before burning

[@ralphjeromebatuigas7462]

With this technology, we can defeat the Fire Nation and restore balance in the World

[@goldensnitch5492]

AIRBENDER

[@MasterJohnny007]

@@goldensnitch5492 No wonder they were all killed off. They should have bended Aerogel instead ;)

[@goldensnitch5492]

@@MasterJohnny007 yeah makes sense :P

[@leiffff]

@@goldensnitch5492 Aerobender**

[@walangchahangyelingden8252]

@@goldensnitch5492 Air just makes fire stronger, cause oxygen is a reactant for combustion. But, Aerojellbender? Slime is one of the bending abilities.

[@functionalvanconversion4284]

Awesome material! I can't wait for this to be affordable enough for housing....talk about less energy use🤯

[@tmoney8435]

we bought some of the silica aerogel for an iceshack to encase the wood stove area to conserve heat in the winter. stuff works wonderfully. only heads up i can give is dress appropriately for handling aero gel insulation. if it gets on your skin it rashes like crazy. n95 mask is also a must

[@danegerzone4889]

If only aerogel could protect me from sick burns

[@neckless69]

“Flamethrower vs Aerogel” “Not-a-flamethrower vs Aerogel” “Worlds best heat shield is 99.8% air?” “Flamethrower vs Aerogel” Looks like we went full circle

[@veritasium]

haha I always thought the right title for this was Flamethrower vs Aerogel, yes I know it's not technically a flamethrower but it throws flames so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@jakehead20]

@@veritasium I mean technically it throws flames, so it wouldn't be too wrong. I mean a more correct term would be "flamespitter" I guess?

[@neckless69]

Pretty sure it’s a modified blowtorch with a cooler shell. But who cares, it looks like a flamethrower, and it shoots out flames.

[@code-cave]

Also "Flamethrower* vs Aerogel"

[@animalsworld6497]

you inspired me to do this kind of things in my channel

[@adamplace1414]

Great video, and great guest as well

[@musicqueen966]

Aerogel: I’m 99% air Chip bags: pathetic

[@AlmondChocolateMilk]

Lol

[@AlmondChocolateMilk]

Air: hold my carbon dioxide

[@musicqueen966]

@@AlmondChocolateMilk hehe

[@alexdivision4320]

So essentially, aerogel is the perfect replacement for asbestos

[@kauhanen44]

And it probably doesn't cause cancer. That's neat.

[@flightgamer7849]

@@kauhanen44 Or like asbestos, we will find out if it does in 20 years

[@tomsko863]

@@kauhanen44 Everything falls into two categories: "definitely causes cancer" and "might cause cancer, but we need more research"

[@Mostlyharmless1985]

lare290 bad news...it’s made of silica.

[@jholotanbest2688]

But it just dosen't have the same feeling as asbestos.

[@dariodalcin5177]

The flame thrower probably stopped working because the liquid gas in the tank got colder and it's vapour pressure dropped

[@TheARN44]

I also wonder if the trigger mechanism froze

[@shanesgettinghandy]

Came down here just to post this. I seriously doubt his flame-thrower... erm.... propane torch that looks really cool - is broken.... the tank just got too cold. It'll be fine.

[@joshandemil]

Agreed.

[@benschofield1361]

@@shanesgettinghandy can confirm an o ring or something broke inside it from the cold

[@Jimmeh_B]

More likely, given the nature of the toy that it is, the pipe that feeds the back of the burner is plasticised rubber double layered and the inner pipe melted shut. Just as cheapo "jet lighters" all do.

[@michaeldickey6225]

I bought one of those blankets almost 20 years ago now. Still have it in my shop.

[@Ronsson]

Where do you get a insulation blanket like that

[@kpadalldotablet1009]

These videos are so cool. Thanks.

[@skult227]

Hey man. You should put 3:36 as the thumbnail. It will attract more viewers. It basically shows what the video is about! Also is a bit clickbaity so the algorithm will like it.

[@AmmielMaynard]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. This video has a terrible thumbnail.

[@munjee2]

@@AmmielMaynard yeah, and this is the second thumbnail

[@evernikao001]

KZbin wouldn't allow that to be the thumbnail because it looks like a person trying to kill or burn someone. So KZbin would remove it.

[@munjee2]

And now he's on a thrid thumbnail and title

[@jeremyapplegate4868]

He addressed that in another video. Unfortunately, KZbinrs are having to deal with algorithm changes. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHnWkmx6ptJ8mpo

[@misakamikoto8785]

Make firefighter's cloth coated with Aerogel to avoid burn damage?

[@Tyo-yw9jh]

Good idea, but it’s super expensive currently still. Also, fire’s heat isn’t the most dangerous part of the job, but building integrity as the structure is subject to extreme heat is.

[@thedestroyer3262]

@@Tyo-yw9jh which is why aerogel should be in insulation since it would greatly increase the amount of time it takes for a fire to weaken a building since aerogel barely conducts any heat.

[@830927mjki]

@@thedestroyer3262 would also double up improving the heating and cooling of buildings generally

[@ZabivakaPirate69]

@@thedestroyer3262 Again, it's still really expensive.

[@rjpena6273]

Also dont breath that stuff in.

[@JJABRAHAM69]

I'm a coatings formulation chemist, and used Cabot Aerogels in developing insulation coatings for industrial applications. It's a bugger to mix into liquid coating mixtures. But it insulates better than any product on the planet. Almost! We also used another product that worked almost as well,but much lower in cost and was proprietary. Fun stuff.

[@TheStringBreaker]

This was amazing to watch 😍

[@alexmannen1991]

Moms: dont put you hand on a hot stove Veritasum: guys watch this

[@overlordbrandon]

2017: Fidget Spinner 2018: Tide Pods 2019: Aerogel Finally, our society is actually advancing

[@isaacgruver7061]

"Yo what's up guys I'm gonna do the aerogel challenge. If you haven't heard, this challenge is it wrap yourself in aerogel like a burrito and cook yourself with your own body heat"

[@ZeKnife]

I remember watching aerogel videos in 2009, society is stagnating.

[@sohamchakraborty9683]

@@ZeKnife you were ahead of your time bruh!

[@xck]

2019: shade balls and Tic Tok

[@overlordbrandon]

@@xck Tik tok is _dead_

[@karimakela7798]

Everyone in Finland has been in sauna hotter than 100 degrees celsius, even at 120 degrees it is quite comfortable if you don't throw water to the stones. You can also easily touch wooden parts in sauna, it doesn't feel burning hot even at 120 degrees.. depending on quality of the wood. Aspen is the best and coolest material.

[@OhiChicken]

I just found this video. I work at the company that made the first product :) I test the quality of the batting to make sure it's dense enough to be used. Jaw was dropped with a giant smile the whole video thinking about someone making a video about our product.

[@oboy1918]

What product?

[@OhiChicken]

@@oboy1918 Pyrogel XTE by Aspen Aerogel. I work in a completely different building that just stores the fiberglass before more smart people do the "putting the aerogel in" part. It's back breaking work in an extremely hot and dusty environment. I am so thankful the dirtiest I get is covered in fibrous material that makes me a bit itchy.

[@oboy1918]

How many hours pay?,,location thsnks :)

[@Mike3DPro]

Flamethrower breaking? I'm thinking it was the propane tank freezing up

[@stevewalston7089]

Right? How these people didn't know this is rather hard to believe. Besides, it is just a toy.

[@melon_musk]

I also thought the same and was expecting the aerogel guys to isolate the flamethrower for the owner so that wouldnt happen or something...I hope at least they compensated him lol

[@ddegn]

YES!

[@TheMelihTube]

@@melon_musk isolating the flamethrower would not have an effect on it. The propane is freezing since it is loosing pressure und the liquid state of propane is evaporating and therefore taking energy from the environment and cooling down

[@WillMauer]

@@melon_musk It freezes like a deodorant spray can. Like mächlüh said, there's no isolating that.

[@vatablous]

More accurate title: "I get lit on fire by a teenager"

[@deilusi]

I cant wait to insulate homes with composite of this. Have you seen the roof insulation? it's 27-30cm thick minimum. IF you can get almost 15-20 cm back for whole roof area, it's like a free storage room. Damn that's incredible

[@yaarashachar8098]

This is so amazing!!!

[@JosephDawson]

The not a flamethrower is a modified device used in roofing torch. So they can easily be fixed and I would home Veritasium could do a fun short video on how to fix not a flamethrower. :)

[@torakunsama]

Hmm, that blanket can be used for fire fighting shielding! Imagine how light an aerogel thermal armour could be !!!

[@ninetails6218]

Not to mention expensive. Unfortunately it’s not cheap enough yet to be reasonable for departments to purchase.

[@irvindeleon7215]

@@ninetails6218 That really sucks because this thing can truly become a lifesaver

[@imoonset2682]

@@user-by6bg5eu6c This isn't fragile though? It's quite durable infact as shown in the previous video the blanket is on par with fiberglass

[@jamesdinius7769]

Price will likely scale down over time, like computers, cars, televisions, etc. They are already working on faster, less expensive mass production techniques.

[@lucaslucas191202]

@@imoonset2682 And even if it's fragile you'd probably have to put it in between layers of other types of material anyway, which would keep it together.

[@davidstrong7854]

your Channel is the most fun. Thanks .

[@simonvideoelectricunicycle5296]

Plenty of applications! Firefighter's anti-heat insulation blankets/clothes/protective shields/helmets, Spaceships re-entry surfaces, Rockets coming back to earth, cooking pots & pans handles, winter clothings/shoes/hat, home insulation, fire proofing, curtains & SO MUCH MORE!

[@XWurstbrotX]

Aerogel producers right now: *STONKS*

[@TheNoerdy]

If you heat up the air in Aerogel, how long would it stay warm for?

[@WubbyPunch]

AEROLAVA

[@oscarrobinsonteddy9847]

But isn't it the air in the gel that is insulative, not the gel itself?

[@SneakyBadAssOG]

@Billy Riggs Can't we just dip them into lava and then use them as an insulator? We can also let them out on a sun for a day or two in Phoenix, that will do the job.

[@alveolate]

probably a couple eternities would be my guess

[@cheatman05]

It may stay warm on the inside, but its surface would cool to the outside temperature, which is just the opposite of what we've seen in the video.

[@vasudev9332]

That thin sheet of aerogel will conduct heat at such a slow rate that our hand will make the upper surface much more colder than the lower surface of the aerogel sheet And because it'll take so long for the heat to get transferred from the lower surface of the sheet to the upper surface, we can place our hands on the sheet In simple words, the sheet colds down as soon as our hands touches the sheet

[@JimCyanide]

Ok now I really want welding gloves made out of this stuff

[@umangjain293]

Exactly how many times was the title and thumbnail of this video changed?

[@Markle2k]

It's changed again at least once more.

[@captain_code]

3 times

[@hugowijk3676]

EDIT: Don't know if I should delete this but won't for the sake of discussion and any replies under, he responded to me stating he didn't delete and won't because of principle. No idea what happened to my comment but glad it wasn't him. And guess what, he deleted my comment with 60 replies and 1,3k likes that previously was at the very top calling out the fact that it's not a flamethrower

[@Markle2k]

@@captain_code It changed three times yesterday. It since changed again.

[@umangjain293]

Hugo Wijk ohhh boy

[@Trye]

I think Aerogel is gonna play really important roles in the near future!

[@isaac10231]

How did you get the music icon with 2k subs, just wondering?

[@HarryWizard]

@@isaac10231 u buy it, this is youtube so they about as corrupt as brazil

[@uncreator3607]

@@HarryWizard Creator on the Rise and Artist on the Rise highlight up-and-coming creators and artists on KZbin. There is no application process. All emerging artists from any geographical location and all creators with over 1,000 subscribers from any geographical location are automatically eligible in the United States. Local creators and artists are eligible in other countries. We consider a number of factors to identify emerging talent, including view count and watch time growth, as well as how frequently videos are uploaded. Selections based on these metrics are then reviewed by KZbin systems and teams.

[@uncreator3607]

support.google.com/youtube/answer/7197000?hl=en-GB&ref_topic=7234701

[@HarryWizard]

@@uncreator3607 ok nerd

[@ZMacZ]

For fixed insulation plates, you can coat them with resin or something. Maybe honeycomb with extremely thin interconnection between one side and the other filled with aerogel. It's a very neat material.

[@reecebauer5261]

I wish these videos were out when I did my areogel presentation in highschool. It would have been so much better

[@Wyvernnnn]

He did say he wanted to make less quality, more click-baity videos but I kinda miss the old Veritasium now. But I get it, I get it :(

[@Snyp3r1337]

Not lower quality, just more clickable titles and thumbnails. Though I do agree quality has gone down.

[@piquat1]

Agreed. This one is actually cringy for me. The music, that intro... not what I come to this channel for. Additionally, this series is feeling like one big advertisement. It's not, as there's no product, but it feels like it.

[@asdcdweadasd]

@@Snyp3r1337 He compares an insulating material to chocolate. Fugging chocolate. It melts when you touch it. What was the educational value of this video? They shot some flames, looked at a flir and learned that aerogel insulates. All covered in dereks previous videos.

[@merlinmediagroup]

@@piquat1 Yeah, he didn't tell us anything we didn't already know from his previous video about this substance.

[@hugowijk3676]

EDIT: Don't know if I should delete this but won't for the sake of discussion and any replies under, he responded to me stating he didn't delete and won't because of principle. No idea what happened to my comment but glad it wasn't him. The worst part is him tailoring the title, description, thumbnail and worst of all the comment section to get the most views and least negativity. Don't know if any of y'all saw my comment calling out it's not a flamethrower (it was at the very top with 1,3k likes and 60 replies) but it was taken. Along with seemingly any other comments calling it out. After he took my comment down he changed the title so that it doesn't even mention a flamethrower, and I'm guessing this wasn't to clear up his mistake. He initially added an asterisk and then changed it to not-a-flamethrower, but my guess is that he didn't want people thinking about the mistake. So he just erased all trace of it.

[@victorhermestorrestomara3050]

Aerogel DESTROYS flame thrower with FACTS and a more than 7 second exposure

[@phillmaltese757]

I love this series of aerogel. Man I want a job to do with aerogel.

[@jakeboss2653]

As an avid backpacker and outdoorsman, this would be amazing for very lightweight and very thin sleepingbags. And also maybe use as a coating to waterproof tents. (could there be a way to put aerogel in an aerosol spray?) I've always wondered if there ever could be some materials out there light and thin enough to keep you warm down to say 40 below temps, and now there is. Amazing stuff.

[@zell9058]

Thank you Ben for sacrificing your not a flamethrower for our edu-tainment

[@Technicity]

+

[@justinwhy6550]

Wow he changed the title after some guys were complaining about the thing simply being a blow torch, I appreciate this

[@JimPankey]

More than "some"; the bigger comment threads all seem to have magically disappeared.

[@Fuzzycat16]

The channel is starting to suck..this is what it means.

[@Splax77]

He used to be good, then the fame got to his head and he sold out to clickbait. Happens to everyone these days unfortunately.

[@mvmlego1212]

@@Splax77 -- It's not quite that simple. He made a video on the subject explaining the situation. It was posted shortly after his shadeball video

[@corney8807]

None of you are right. The flame is literally called the "Not-a-Flamethrower" made by The Boring Company. Look it up.

[@CSLFiero]

In case you're wondering, it's about r33 per inch. Too expensive to replace attic batting, but in strips, it can be used to insulate exterior framing on the studs. 15% losses come from where drywall touches the stud. A thin little strip on exterior wall framing would go the longest way for the money.

[@maeguk1]

I appreciate that even though you are from the US, still you use metric measures. Since this is science, that is the appropriate.

[@JeroenTrappers]

You should try with a oxy acetylene cutting torch.

[@kaingkime7438]

That would burn derek

[@gxexrxmxaxnx]

That would be cheating because those torches cut not by heat alone but also by oxidation.

[@Padeir0]

@@gxexrxmxaxnx It would be interesting to see how much material was lost by oxidation in Derek's test or maybe how much material was deposited by the flame.

[@jarret9438]

@@gxexrxmxaxnx can you explain how they cut with oxidation?

[@RealCadde]

​@@jarret9438 Do you know what rust is? That's iron oxide. When you heat a metal, it turns very susceptible to oxidation (rust) because of the heat. Oxidation is basically oxygen bonding with the atoms in the metal forming that oxide. The chemical formula for iron oxide is Fe2O3 which means two iron atoms have combined with three oxygen atoms. You can test this yourself easily. Take some untreated iron, preferably in powder form as it speeds up the reaction and pour some water on it. It will oxidize rather fast. Now do the same but pour boiling water on the iron powder instead. You can speed up that reaction even faster with ionization. Adding salt to the water will make the reaction faster. So, a cutting torch adds an oxygen rich environment and heat to do the same thing, enabling the metal to oxidize faster due to the high number of oxygen atoms and the heat.

[@punkrock4401]

Destroys guys expensive limited edition flamethrower. Proceeds to out him for using it beyond manufacturers specs so NO WARRANTY REPAIRS. Thanks Veritasium!

[@ImRandomDude]

This: dont use not-a-flamethrower longer than 7 seconds. reminds me of apple: you are holding the iphone wrong (antenna gate) www.engadget.com/2010/06/24/apple-responds-over-iphone-4-reception-issues-youre-holding-th/ in a nut, musk is selling shitty burner and hiding behind manual

[@alveolate]

maybe the boring company needs to replace some of the not-a-flamethrower's parts with aerogel so it can last longer.

[@jojodroid31]

It was that guy's responsability. Also, it's literally in the name, it's NOT a flamethrower. It's just a 40€ propane torch you use to burn bad herbs glued to a cheap Airsoft replica. The guy can just switch the propane torch out, it'll cost him probably less than the ride to the place where they filmed it.

[@jojodroid31]

Also, people in the comments down below that seem to be more informed than you said that it probably just got too cold.

[@tomjones6944]

the trade off was being immortalized in this video, not to mention using it for the first time?

[@OreoHT]

We need welding gloved made with this! Fascinating, and so many applications.

[@jjc5475]

did you pay the poor lad? he demolished his flamethrower which is a collectors item for your views. XD i mean yeah he chose to do it but he's also on video so pressure enough.

[@x--.]

In another comment he mentions a standing offer to compensate.

[@qwertyTRiG]

It may recover, depending on what's wrong with it. Another comment suggests that the propane cools and the vapour pressure drops, so just leaving it alone for a while may fix it. P.S. Ben is really cute.

[@gui577b]

It's just a roofing torch. There is nothing to go wrong with it. It's literally just a pipe, valve, and nozzle. He just used it too much so the propane inside the bottle cooled to below the condensation point.

[@xenonram]

A collector's item? Um.... Ok.

[@ValentineC137]

@@xenonram it is a collectors item, you cannot buy them anymore.

[@nager1345]

This is so cool. Imagine the uses

[@saatvik1808]

True 🤔

[@almarc]

Literally.

[@SixOneZil]

Quite literally.

[@justsomeone4347]

*This is so toasty

[@houghwhite411]

Enhanced oven glove?

[@asldfjkalsdfjasdf]

Now try it with an WW2 Flame thrower. :D Thanks for the work! Very informative and fun.

[@nathanzane7529]

As a volunteer firefighter I think this would be amazing

[@mayurvalvi13]

Good guy Ben broke this 'Not a Flamethrower' just for our knowledge thanks dude and a great video like always thanks Derek 🤯

[@Teth47]

That stuff going on around 8:00 Perfect demonstration of the fact that humans don't usually detect temperature, we detect thermal flux. When you touch something and it's hot, you're not measuring its temperature, you're measuring how fast heat is able to move into your skin. That's just usually strongly correlated with temperature, and the more important factor. There are specific temperature sensitive proteins that change shape only at certain temperatures, and those do measure absolute values to maintain homeostasis, but the external sensation of heat is thermal flux.

[@giofunny6391]

You're not the teacher we needed, but the teacher we deserved.

[@Teth47]

@@giofunny6391 Pretty sure I'm just relaying info from another video Veritasium made lol

[@giofunny6391]

@@Teth47 But that's what teaching is all about, passing knowledge. This makes us a bit 'smarter every day'.

[@jacobcoker2287]

they said madlads cant do it but this aerogel did it, it made those superhero sheilds that are immune to fire

[@grittypudding4988]

Bens flamethrower will probably be alright once it cools down, its likely the same effect as with regular propane lighters - the hotter they get the worse they function. Not sure why but I always figured it may be because of the metal expanding and choking the valve.

[@RForReversal]

Veritasium just found some dude with a flamethrower to test the properties of aerogel composite materials. This is exactly what I signed up for.

[@josephburchanowski4636]

To consider the not-a-flamethrower to be a flamethrower is to show lack of knowledge of gas torches and conventional flamethrowers.

[@emilyrln]

RIP Flamethrower... you were too good for this cruel world, and we will never forget you. Great video!

[@zahirig]

I purchased some outdoor research aerogel gloves. I can't wait for winter now.

[@crashk6]

Those weed burner torches really need a 20lb tank to function properly due to the latent heat of vaporization of the liquefied petroleum. Valve (trigger) probably froze (literally) with cryogenic temperature liquid coming out of the propane canister. Edit: I should note 20lb being the common "barbecue" size propane/butane canister in North America. Also as a side note to Veritasium, THANK YOU for using Celsius!

[@rollerskdude]

Som1 ought to look into and fix Ben's 'Not a Flamethrower'.