Slowing Down Light to Make a Real Star Wars Laser Gun

In this video I make a laser gun just like in star wars that shoots laser bullets that you can actually see.
Tom Scott's Video: • Stopping A Laser Beam ...
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*Any experiment you try is at YOUR OWN RISK. The Action Lab assumes no responsibility for any injury if you attempt anything you see in this video or on The Action Lab channel.

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

The Action Lab has The High Ground when it comes to making science content.

[@xristoskaba9383]

Don't underestimate The Action Lab's power!

[@NeverGonnaVivYouUp]

no Obi-wan kenobi has the high ground

[@akshitchoudhary877]

This video is a useless copy of another video which I saw just a couple months ago I think he has lost the capability to make videos with new ideas,he is just copying other's video ideas, nothing new here on this channel now

[@phoenixstormjr.1018]

"Light I have become stronger and faster than any jedi before" *fight* Action lab guy "it's over light I have the high ground"

[@menmanamikaze1830]

I've seen you everywhere now I want to speak with you in real life, maybe we both like the same things.

[@ven5707]

He's too dangerous to be left alive. 2:12

[@saidarshannayak9538]

It's 2:00

[@Passport_1]

It’s treason then

[@br0d1ea1my5]

He is the senate

[@PremChand-Salva]

Glad he didn't shoot lasers from his Eye otherwise that Kryptonian would have been in anxiety....

[@AutitsicDysexlia]

...and you know about it, so now you're too dangerous alive as well!

[@VicNistelrooy]

So, just to clarify, this whole effect is only visible in camera right? Due to the rolling shutter effect. Which makes it impossible to see with bare eye, right?

[@Goldrusher-ee3jo]

Yes

[@cofa4011]

What you see is just an illusion, light doesnt behaves like that in any way ^^ the trick is the camera.. well... actually if you have an incredibly fast recording camera, you can then see the wave propagation of light. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYrWkKyBfLN5iLM

[@CG64Mushro0m]

i think that it *Might* be possible to see with the naked eye, because there is a point where your eye cant see something because it was so fast, so i assume that if you adjust it you might be able to see it like that? im probably wrong thou

[@discreet_boson]

Exactly

[@neprogav]

Well, to be fair, blasters in movies are also seen through the camera.

[@JRS1235678]

"This isn't an illusion" *continues to explain how its an illusion*

[@SebastianRodriguez-lf1bp]

Jared Schultz yeah that was my first thought, got my hopes up on making a cool light show

[@dhararry7929]

He didn't say it's not an illusion, he said it's not a special effect.

[@foresthillwolf7998]

I could immediately tell how he was doing this. Rolling shutter is a common thing when making illusionary videos. I didn't like how he said there was no VFX. He is right, but it's misleading.

[@bachlamtung5131]

well it IS a camera illusion:b

[@justincoleman9776]

@@HelloKittyFanMan. because he's NOT right. He did NOT slow down the speed of light, NOR did he "hold" a beam of light in his hands. This guy's a sham.

[@tamjidtahim3422]

light: im the fastest thing in the universe action lab: i can freeze it in front of me

[@fundemort]

action lab's wife: he lies. actually your monitor tricks you.

[@julesverne4339]

Multiverse is faster than universe is faster than gravity is faster than light. constancy of the speed of light doesn't matter if the direction of spacetime changes making light+gravity a tensor in the universe. ( This is not the most accurate interpretation. just my current viewpoint as per my applications. )

[@Poatatero]

NM Trindle - Gaming and More He gave credit to Tom

[@lukastojanovic8551]

It looked like in The Force Awakens

[@dinil5566]

@NM Trindle - Gaming and More that's ok for me. Because I missed Tom's video but I learned a new thing because of this guy. It's ok to copy stuffs like this. He is just spreading knowledge and sharing it. Also he gave the credits to Tom's. So doesn't take matter of he copied or not. He is just spreading knowledge anyway

[@chinmaydesai2449]

Me in 2010: There will be laser guns by 2020 Laser guns in 2020: 00:33 Pew pew pew pew

[@YesIAmPitri]

Chinmay Desai lol

[@Navoii.]

2010: noo you cant just stop light 2020: haha light goes pew

[@monfrere7755]

Lol

[@bachlamtung5131]

was that ever the joke format

[@maximusgoodmeme8183]

Lmao

[@pho3n1x_x50]

I like how light is insanely fast on earth but frustratingly slow in space

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

Just shows how obnoxiously and ludicrously big space is.

[@geo3106]

I like how the light and "pew" synchronised with the music in the beginning of the video.

[@milolomi5600]

01:28 this is what it feels like to be the flash against bullets

[@upstrm-Zbr24]

Nah he almost speed of light so this is how flash feels running with lasers

[@drazy6861]

@@upstrm-Zbr24 he's way faster than light speed

[@lagrothyt6340]

Do 0.25x speech there barely moving that's what flash is against bullets

[@descrypted1666]

Action Lab: **Exists** Light: **This is an avengers level threat**

[@nicholasmasi9699]

I've got to say, your content never ceases to be interesting and totally relatable on a child-like curiosity level. The things you explore are things I imagined were science fiction in my head, never at all even possible to try in real life. Thanks for the great content.

[@reynieryu8024]

0:34 - 0:37 listen to his voice in 0.25 times speed.

[@kubosaurus9029]

XD

[@Artistoh14]

peewww

[@n0nenone]

Even at 2x lmao

[@raduovidiu]

Haha

[@gacgac]

Text to speech sound intensifies

[@zachingtoniii485]

I realized it was the rolling shudder effect when you had a beam hit your hand and then moved your hand away and it was still moving backwards

[@n0nenone]

@@HelloKittyFanMan. leave it.. he'll go by himself

[@duartecastro623]

2020: laser blaster 2030: death star

[@Thorium-j3q]

The force is strong with this one

[@paynegray7131]

“WoW iT jUsT sHoT tHrOuGh tHe EaRtH” Anyone remember this?

[@ignWally]

LMAO

[@ignWally]

I remember it like yesterday

[@1kenziepot22]

Me lol

[@zaky4521]

🤣🤣🤣

[@crab-yt2wy]

I remember watching it with my brother!!!

[@dan5973]

No one: This guy: "As you can see, I've slowed down the speed of light."

[@Jay-cv8xc]

Every time you post, I’m thinking “This is it. This is the first video he can’t actually do.” Then you do it

[@imbadateverygame2920]

ACKSHUALLY Star wars blasters aren’t lasers, they fire physical projectiles

[@1brytol]

They shoot plasma

[@marcowilhelmsen2420]

Thats right

[@marcowilhelmsen2420]

He should put (cringe alert for all star wars fans) in the comments

[@Zipplandia]

@BallOnEm PBS, tibanna gas is one of them

[@pig_master101]

They shoot gas

[@YGOrochi]

I saw a Tom Scott video on this, that one was just as interesting ^^

[@jpe1]

Tham TBM I do give action lab credit for doing it with just one guy, one simple laser, and a fan; Tom had a team and some expensive laser kit (though Tom’s was definitely the better performance)

[@zenvir1680]

The tom scott's video was made by professional laser show team. Obviously they had better setup. But I always love action lab, its truly science channel.

[@ashan723]

Before watching, I thought you super cooled it using sodium particles. A PhD from Harvard slowed down light a few years ago.

[@ashan723]

@@sriramn1809 it is through the air. I first heard it through radio lab. Here are two links kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXLcaoFqe5pgmaM kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2mxm2Wrib-WZ5I If I remember it correctly, she slowed it down to 20 mph it something where you can ride a bike or sprint faster than light. Pretty amazing. Edit: Actually, after listening to it again, she actually stopped it.

[@camtisxr1430]

I love how "impossible" you make those videos. It makes everything so curious.

[@dennisanderson3895]

Awesome! Yes! More practical FX and less CGI! Oh, for the days when film makers - and their FX gurus - had to figure out, "So, *how* do we do this?" That is a wonderful effect - whether the intent is a laser-like weapon, or depicting "photon-digitized packets of data" being transmitted. Well done, James!

[@skraushaar]

I used to work for Q-City, a larger arcade made by q-zar,, the lasertag company. We used this effect on our laserguns to great effect. While it may be physically impossible to dodge a laserbeam, using a combination of infrared lasers, real lasers, the shutter effect, and a computer tracking and running the match, one could absolutely "dodge a laser bullet", and I've done it in game. Thanks for your video.

[@mysticmarble94]

Me :: " Noice ... " Also Me :: Goes on to make it look like my eyes are shooting lasers 😬😬😬

[@jr.p.8429]

Remember you be shine lasers right into your eyes.

[@MnemonicHeadTrip]

Are you 12

[@mysticmarble94]

@@MnemonicHeadTrip Not really ... Are you lacking the necessary skills to detect an obvious joke ? It seems so.

[@shmason740]

MysticMarble you’re talking like you’re 12

[@mysticmarble94]

@@shmason740 Kiddo with Pokemon PFP says what 😂

[@aeekebnath4510]

When it comes to experiments no one can beat THE ACTION LAB !!!😆😆

[@discreet_boson]

Light: I am speed James: Hello there

[@Gilbert_Stinkybottom]

I just love the sound affects

[@arthurting1857]

Light: nothing is faster than me Darkness: finally a worthy opponent our battle will be legendary

[@astrumspace]

Very clever!!

[@marcusquiroa7653]

Laser tag in the future with this? Would make the best thing ever!!! Petition to get him to make a laser tag gun company with beams.

[@nath5343]

Leaked video of Action Lab playing with laser beams

[@darkwolf1328]

This is cool, but I don't remember the guns ever being canonically named Lazer weapon, I think we came to that solution ourselves, but I think it would be inaccurate. I think the properties of a blaster are more similar to a plasma launcher, or possibly a shotgun of sorts launching a dust or powder that is electrically charged. I don't think that Lazer weapons have much potential in any scenario. They are much better equipped as tools for things like surgery and cutting/welding things

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

I dunno, but there are laser weapon systems that can neutralize incoming ICBMs.

[@JFTOGPM]

I dont even know why but i am smiling when the laser really slowing down

[@DerRumo]

His Laser-gun hits more often people then the gun of any stormtrooper.

[@asdfasdfasdfasdf246]

what

[@rainfrog]

@@asdfasdfasdfasdf246 bomber

[@rainfrog]

Ah, yes totally bomber was what I meant to say not boomer

[@dinomiteeatu9787]

lmao stormtroopers rly cant aim

[@detran09]

Someone hasn't played Fallen Order yet...

[@Lolzmira73]

What I love about these videos is that they get straight to the point

[@Rolodzeo]

Like for the "pew pew pew" sound effects.

[@USFighter]

I used to have a physics teacher in highschool that talked and sounded very similar to James. Really loved that class. Brought out the academic in me.

[@nyteblayde9049]

This dude is freezing light while others are cowering in their Quarantine.

[@TSGEnt]

0:32 great Sound FX! 2:03 more Sound FX!

[@Zipplandia]

The blasters in Star Wars aren’t lasers, they use tibanna gas (or equivalent gases) to fire, making them fire plasma

[@cutiepie8035]

You just Did the Impossible to Possible! It's amazing!

[@id104335409]

You saw Tom Scots video too, huh? Yeah, that is a cool little effect.

[@science5576]

It's unbelievable 😮

[@xiaoshen194]

Guys, check 0:12 and watch it at 0.25x, u still won't be able to see light travel at c/4 speed!!

[@downie383]

Well yes, because 300000 kilometers per second divided by 4 is still 75000 kilometers per second, which is still fast enough to go around the entire planer's equator minimum 2 times *per second*

[@Persivefire]

He sounds drunk when I do that though.

[@FelisRatus]

Oh my god i just paused and i see the blue circle of light on the wall but NO BEAM

[@spacexploration4947]

0:12

[@Woolfio]

This is super cool effect.

[@xiaoshen194]

0:33 real footage of 9-yr olds supporting Pewdiepie!!

[@kurtmartin3561]

19*!!!!!

[@UncleSlimJimmy]

When I saw this effect, one of my first thoughts was the rolling shutter effect. But then he said "This is something that you can see right in front of your eyes". So then I denied my possible answer. And then he continues to explain that this is something only visible through a CAMERA. Lol great video though, keep up the great work!

[@sophomorequez5313]

Plot twist: lazer splits him in half

[@thespalek1]

The force is strong with this one!

[@samnesium2003]

1:03 That belly tho.. :)

[@rajnishkumar459]

Itni achhi angreji kaha se sikhi?

[@bencarter8324]

You’re weird

[@wazaaaken9256]

Ben Carter it’s obvious they’re Asians and the other side of them (indian)

[@sWooSH_wHooSH]

Tond

[@21palaash9armathtrivedi4]

WAZAAAken Wazaaa why you goin on nationality

[@kyleeames8229]

That's probably the most impressive video I've seen on this channel.

[@PremKhunt]

Nasa: Am I joke to you?

[@thewarden1398]

For the record, Star Wars blasters aren't lasers. They fire plasma bolts.

[@saltysteel3996]

Well, Blasters in Star Wars fire plasma. Not laser beams.

[@1kcalves]

Salty Steel actually they fire ionized gas

[@leftbehind3598]

I WANT MORE OF THIS

[@yash2060]

Who missed that 😟 So today m gonna be showing u

[@drunkrc4202]

Best laser video on KZbin.

[@prazatkumai1012]

I like the sound of phew, phew, phew, phew

[@toketalkalaska2540]

You are a straight up genius!

[@jytwinsasmr5569]

May the Force be with Him~ Who’s Big Fan of Star Wars and Light Saber Here? 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️

[@discarded-channel1]

I am.

[@FalconHobbit]

The Action Lab: *Slows down light itself* Me: Impossible

[@pedrobluis]

I see you've watched Tom Scott video 😉

[@pedrobluis]

Ok I saw the description now 😁

[@AlexParkerEmcee]

reading is fundamental. good to consider before rushing to the comment section to make an aforementioned point

[@pedrobluis]

You know most of the videos have little or no information about its contents and that many of them actually encourage you to comment while watching. And what is your problem? Do you prefer me to edit or delete the comment?

[@BurritoMaster24]

i was glad to understand what was going on as soon as i saw it!

[@AlexanderCheong]

Plot twist: ActionLab guy is actually a real life star war from the year 3020. He came to 2020 with his 3020 camera and made a video of him travelling at 300km/sec and reversing time. Those props at the end were fake. Jkjk 😁😁😁

[@pviveknair]

Wow!!! You did the Kylo Ren move on the lazer @1:30

[@itaialter]

1:03 - "...but it's actually happening right in-front of your eyes". 3:00 - "What you need is the rolling-shutter effect". *facepalm*

[@Trititaty]

"right in front of your eyes" is said about our eyes watching this footage shot with a camera with the aforementioned effect, so it's Oll Korrect

Everyone like this comment⬆️.

[@itaialter]

@@Trititaty Oh, I know what he meant, I just think he used it dishonestly so people would keep watching the video so he will get more revenue. So I kinda like him less now (and yes, I know that it doesn't matter to you what I think about it).

[@Trititaty]

@Benjamin Joshua Beggs well, your complain does make sense

[@ACTIVATEDADNANSALIMI1969]

You have done a great job. Looks super. You can make laser beam toy guns. Love the laser beam showing up.

[@thetruthexperiment]

They aren’t lasers in star wars. They’re BLASTERS! I assume they’re plasma balls they’re shooting. Not lasers.

[@AlexParkerEmcee]

cool story

[@FoxerZ]

I watch these at night, so if I don't want to sleep, I can learn

[@VoltageGuy2000]

Thats a hologram!!!

[@YD_.]

Voltage Guy2000 it’s not, it’s a laser. Holograms are projections of light on air

[@VoltageGuy2000]

@@YD_. Thanks...yes, this is not a hologram, but it still looks pretty cool!

[@suzz1776]

why doesnt this have more views. I'm confused. lol. cuz this is so freaking cool

[@jonobjornholm]

Stop calling it laserguns. It's called a BLASTER

[@hades--2876]

ThatRandomDude damn

[@jonobjornholm]

@@hades--2876 fax tho

[@yitzharos]

I really liked that one. Super fun, surprising results.

[@dy9955]

Tom Scott did this a couple of weeks ago.

[@jeanbonnefoy1377]

Cool, I'd seen Tom Scott's video just a few weeks ago... indeed, the effect remains amazing, tho it doesn't really exist (sadly) in real-naked-eye-life but anyway, your very simple DIY trick is very clever. Kudos!👍

[@arthemyvandalovski1504]

2:00 execute order 66

[@hulksmashnoobsgotit2387]

now we just need to see styropyro do this with a laser bazooka

[@shaankalani7299]

Second

[@Not_Aran8276]

Spam notification

[@GALACTICSAVANT1o1]

Actually u r first

[@Not_Aran8276]

@@GALACTICSAVANT1o1 I can swallow a bottle of cement a

[@Johanns0r]

This would be super cool in your mirror room!

[@lucyegan82]

He's literally copied Tom Scott but made it worst and more irritating

[@Slushee]

I love the fact that you used fugent by lupus nocte as the background music

[@beanienclogs]

Awesome video! This was really fun to watch.

[@BubbleChumpkins]

That's really cool! I will just point out though that they are called blasters in star wars, being called a laser gun is a miss conception. Its never called that in the films. Canonically they shoot superheated bolts of plasma.

[@pramitharyan5167]

Coolest experiment yet

[@user-vn7ce5ig1z]

• Some people might nag about this being pointless or that they already saw Tom do it, but this video actually does add something worthwhile and contribute to the concept with the DIY fan trick. 👍 • While the effect as shown (in Tom's video as well) only works in-camera, it should be possible to get it work for the naked eye as well with a strobe-light; that's the same principle with the levitating-water/magic-fountain illusion.

[@castonyoung7514]

Presumably the eye has somewhat of a rolling shutter effect itself, and I could kind of convince myself that I was seeing the beam move when it went on and off like a strobe, but other than that... you realize that the light from a strobe light is just going to go through the light from the laser right? Like any light-source apart from the laser is completely useless. And even if light could bounce off itself, the strobe would have be turning on and off so fast it would appear like a constant dimm source of light to the human eye, or literally any recording device on the planet outside the Ultrafast Camera at MIT.

[@quigonkenny]

They don't have laser guns in Star Wars. They have blasters. They don't shoot lasers, they shoot a magnetically enclosed packet of superheated plasma. The gas used is tibanna gas, iirc, the same stuff they mined at Cloud City in Empire Strikes Back.

[@namdragon8856]

this is literally why i subscribed to this chanel

[@stay_heisendrated]

Think my dad will enjoy this video he loves Star Wars

[@Rikiwizard]

YOU ALWAYS DO SUCH COOL AND UNIQUE STUFF that ive never seen anyone else do

[@CharlesHrodric]

I just lost it when he made the pew pew pew pew sounds. Lllooolll

[@greenpixel716]

This guy is a LEGEND!!!

[@Denji_Hayakawa]

This is useful for toys and kids cuz it looks fun playing with it ngl

[@derpmany2090]

Now styropo needs to just make it deadly

[@keyngwatson]

Light:exist Action lab:peace was never an option

[@bestarny1423]

Amazing science with easy way showing to us , you are good at it!

[@SimOmega47]

Just to be clear: - When he was filming, in real life, he was just seeing a normal continuous beam, flickering because the fan was turning it On-Off. - The "pulsing" is made with the camera (put sideways), because a camera builds pictures by adding pixels very fast in an up->down scrolling motion. - Then with a stroboscopic effect, by changing the speed of the fan, in relation to the camera frequency (images/sec), he could control the speed of the "pulses".

[@niladrikhanra]

This man is legend.

[@eddietime1811]

I wasn’t gounna like the vid because u hadn’t had given credit but when u did. Thank you for being a legit ytber

[@rolirolster]

As soon as he started turning on and off the beam and saying pew, pew, pew, I hit the like button.