This is the most interesting roof in London.

The @royalalberthall is 150 years old; the roof is 600 tonnes of glass and steel. And it turns out that there's a terrifying technicians' trampoline, acoustic-dampening mushrooms, and a complete lack of connections.
Thanks to everyone at the Royal Albert Hall: www.royalalberthall.com/
Camera by Jamie MacLeod www.jamiemacleod.co.uk/
Aerial operations by Phil Conrad and Freddie Conrad from Photodrones www.photodrones.com
Edited by Taran van Hemert / taranvh
(The Royal Albert Hall is within the Hyde Park no-fly-zone. Drone operations were specially permitted and approved by the aviation authorities.)
🟥 MORE FROM TOM: www.tomscott.com/
(you can find contact details and social links there too)
📰 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER with good stuff from the rest of the internet: www.tomscott.com/newsletter/
❓ LATERAL, free weekly podcast: lateralcast.com/ / lateralcast
➕ TOM SCOTT PLUS: / tomscottplus
👥 THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: / techdif

[@TomScottGo]

I wish I'd had a bit more time up on the mesh, to get used to it - but we had to be finished by the time rehearsals for the day started!

[@MarkRichards4Prez]

Sick

[@yuno_me]

Hi Scott

[@elementballs]

drip

[@nqcgrapple6557]

Scott i live in that attic i plant weed there shhh.. dont tell the cops.

[@operatorcamp4672]

It starts with All I know It's so unreal Watch you go I tried so hard and got so far But in the end, it doesn't even matter I had to fall to lose it all But in the end, it doesn't even matter One thing, I don't know why It doesn't even matter how hard you try Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme To remind myself of a time when I tried so hard In spite of the way you were mockin' me Actin' like I was part of your property Remembering all the times you fought with me I'm surprised it got so far Things aren't the way they were before You wouldn't even recognize me anymore Not that you knew me back then But it all comes back to me in the end You kept everything inside And even though I tried, it all fell apart What it meant to me will eventually Be a memory of a time when I I tried so hard and got so far But in the end, it doesn't even matter I had to fall to lose it all But in the end, it doesn't even matter One thing, I don't know why It doesn't even matter how hard you try Keep that in mind I designed this rhyme to explain in due time All I know Time is a valuable thing Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings Watch it count down to the end of the day The clock ticks life away It's so unreal You didn't look out below Watch the time go right out the window Tryin' to hold on, they didn't even know I wasted it all just to watch you go I kept everything inside And even though I tried, it all fell apart What it meant to me will eventually be a memory Of a time when I tried so hard

[@MaxxMcGeePrivate]

Kudos to the camera guy who was walking on the mesh too. With no free hands.

[@worldicez]

This. I came here to say this.

[@MakeItWithCalvin]

They are the unsung heroes of these videos.

[@GhostMan407]

the camera man is immune to fall damage by default

[@benoitbvg2888]

He didn't look down... Edit : my bad, he did. Man's a natural.

[@cfstonge]

Tom making it looks more difficult than it really is

[@dodgeman777]

If it’s not permanently attached, does that make it technically a lid?

[@johnathantaylor5913]

Perhaps the biggest lid in London -- or the world?

[@Voltaic_Fire]

I think it does.

[@Filipnalepa]

I wonder it will be lifted if filled with helium or hydrogen. Please don't do it, but if someone have desire to vandalise monument with tremendous amount of all light gas, that might be a way

[@SometimesCompitent]

It’s pretty common in domed stadiums to have the roof unattached.. I’m pretty sure the USA and Japan both have much bigger ones.

[@LorgeDelta]

I can remove your roof. >:)

[@xxsimonsxx7907]

I love how Tom gets terrified of walking in the mesh and then the cameraman is just chilling there, already standing on it

[@aolson5795]

Well, the cameraman never looked down!

[@NoNameAtAll2]

cameramen never die, you know

[@Happymali10]

@@NoNameAtAll2 We just expire and get replaced.

[@grn1]

@@aolson5795 He did look down or at least pointed the camera down quite convincingly.

[@Dan-jp8jr]

@@aolson5795 he did tho

[@Zebra_Cakes]

The reaction “oh my god don’t bounce on it!” Was so genuine 😂 I would be terrified as well

[@d0n_key]

As soon as he started talking about how safe it was, I knew he was gonna bounce to make his point eventually 😂

[@emptyjay488]

My heart rate spiked just watching it!

[@Steets]

The engineer saying that most people, including the fire brigade, just hold his hand to get across the mesh, and then JUMPING on the mesh to prove its safety is awesome.

[@Couram]

this was my job when I did stage work, I was on rail and spot. the catwalks were my domain and it was hilarious to see people so scared when you jump in place and everything shakes slightly xD

[@Drimirin]

I was a ski lift mechanic for a decade and trained several other mechanics. I would bounce the tower or work chair on them early on to test their reaction. You don't want overly nervous or overly confident people working at deadly heights with you.

[@butlazgazempropan-butan11k87]

and then you remember his video abaut riding rollercoasters

[@ttww1590]

@UC5aWUNV-yRy1BV94MOnIJrA You seem to be trying much harder, and not doing aswell. Kinda sad. Remeber you're choosing to act out in this way, so you can break the cycle.

[@varisleek3360]

thousandth like

[@bigclivedotcom]

Tension grids are great once you get used to the idea of walking on air. Actually really practical for gaining easy access to lights.

[@Medic_Chris]

I loved them when working in theatre world so practical and is much easier than a taliscope

[@DerCrawlerVomUrAnus]

I kinda expected to see you here, good sir.

[@matthewbooth9265]

How common are they and where do you generally come across them? I wasn't aware of their existance and now i want to bounce until Tom Scott screams.

[@sauercrowder]

Until you drop your screwdriver, I imagine.

[@matthewfriend59]

@@sauercrowder generally you would tie off your tools so they don't fall like that.

[@shanerc]

So what you're saying, is that every director that has made a scene of London being destroyed by some natural disaster has missed a golden opportunity to show the roof of the Royal Albert Hall being lifted off and cartwheeling through the city? Or maybe they have and now I know to look for it.

[@NoNameAtAll2]

saving the idea

[@Kimblesgarage]

I was thinking of a Gru style villain stealing it with a giant magnet on a helicopter 😂

[@Pax.YouTube]

Write it down, write it down!

[@cindchan]

Now I want to see that in a movie!! 🤣

[@leonie7754]

I'm just glad I wasn't the only one to think that!

[@localfloridaman4038]

Tom: I'm scared of heights The cameraman: I don't have such weaknesses

[@FelixIsGood]

We all know the cameraman cannot die.

[@stevealharris6669]

I do.

[@Lulu-qp4jm]

I feel your "this completely illogical" statement Tom. I am a civil engineer. I know how over built bridges are. I still can't walk on anything like glass where I can see down.

[@engineeringvision9507]

I'm quite happy to walk across a mesh floor and look down. What I am not happy to do is be in a position where I can fall a long way down. Falling down hurts.

[@MrDavil43]

@@engineeringvision9507 I think it was Douglas Adams who said that it wasn't how far you fell towards a planet, it was how hard you hit it that was the problem.

[@buddyclem7328]

@@MrDavil43 Heating up several thousand degrees as you break the speed of sound must be decidedly unpleasant too.

[@M1America]

Its not completely illogical if you consider MI5 blowdarting the Queen through the mesh roof haha.

[@genoob5843]

@@buddyclem7328 worded it like it was nothing but a mild annoyance lmao

[@leinadreign3510]

I really love how Tom isnt shying away from showing his fear of heights and holding the inspectors arm for safety. Something you arent seeing often.

[@IHateUniqueUsernames]

He said this long ago before it is his brand to be truthful, real and authentic; and these instances for human weaknesses help sell that brand - and makes us love him for it.

[@Archgeek0]

"Terrifying Technicians' Trampoline" is a deeply glorious phrase. Well stated, Tom.

[@rin_etoware_2989]

it is also grammatically iffy- oh god i just turned into _that_ guy, didn't i

[@Axqu7227]

Im stealing “deeply glorious phrase”

[@philipsheehan3754]

I used to be a theatre tech, the best part of it was seeing how the new techies reacted to the grid. Some would avoid it like the plague, others would use it like a trampoline. It was amazing bouncy

[@TheBirchCreek]

There are all sorts of people. I am not particularly afraid of heights, but sometimes I can feel a bit uneasy about certain structures. Once, we climbed a telecommunication mast, together with my friend, about 30 meters high. The whole structure was gently moving from side to side, swinging in the wind - just a few centimetres to each side, but one could definitely feel it. I assured myself that it was completely normal, given the properties of the structure, but I certainly had no desire to make it move more. However, my friend, as soon as he had reached the top platform a few moments later than me and had also noticed the swinging, started moving his weight in sync with the mast, trying to make it move more to see the limits of the movement. :) I wasn´t too pleased by that experiment, to say the least... :)

[@alex.g7317]

@@TheBirchCreek where do you work? what the profession?

[@thedarkroomlondon]

There's nothing quite like the joy of bringing a bunch of bouncy rubber balls up to a grid. Obviously on an off-day, obviously with the venue empty and secure. But bouncing bouncy balls from >3 stories high is a right laugh!

[@a20axf]

@@thedarkroomlondon well that’s not an image I ever thought I’d have in my head 😂👌🏻

[@sarinabina5487]

@@thedarkroomlondon i love that omg

[@mitchellwalker9839]

Can we just applaud Scott’s cameraman for filming him while walking on the mesh

[@damionlee7658]

Camera operators... The silent superheroes.

[@bagnome]

The cameraman always lives. That's why he wasn't scared.

[@charlesnathansmith]

@@bagnome someone has to remain to tell the tale

[@simonbone]

And for being in position in case Tom goes splat.

[@RainaRamsay]

+

[@Nttmf]

Victorian engineering at its pinnacle. I wish more people would acknowledge the workers that constructed these amazing buildings.

[@ordinarytree4678]

And how many people died either building it or handling and mining and manufacturing the steel.

[@mijoges6288]

I learned about it in my World History class (In America). Absolutism stunning architecture that I hope I get to see in person one day.

[@chrisanderson2368]

People did just as amazing things with less. Medieval cathedrals, ancient castles, tombs, and palaces. Amazing in every way in any time period.

[@hiddenbunny7205]

@@chrisanderson2368 and a lot of sacrifice of human lives

[@kelrogers8480]

​@@chrisanderson2368don't be so bitter and miserable. Other people find it amazing - let them!

[@violagreene4643]

I'm terrified just watching this video. I can't imagine how Tom felt. And the calmness of the safety officer is just inconceivable.

[@topo6790]

The safety of the cameraman:

[@jdubya7139]

Job interview for safety officer position: Walk across that mesh. If you can do it without flinching, you're hired.

[@jdjfajfiladjfasdhflkasdksj6280]

"You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means"

[@KSchawacker]

I'm an event production rigger and I can confidently say that that I still experience vertigo above about 50ft. It's completely normal and something that gets easier the more you work at height. No shame in seeking hand holds at those heights.

[@N1njatortus]

My worst was having to replace confetty up a 7 meter ladder it was so wobbly that if someone walked in the room I felt it

[@Mikowmer]

My dad's got a 50 ft yacht. I'm the one who has to get hoisted up the 70-80ft mast. While I've gotten used to it, I still move slowly and deliberately when handling tools and stuff. It's actually worse halfway up the mast than it is up the top because the wake of other boats can get you swinging more in the middle than at the top.

[@jacobkudrowich]

You experience the sensation of the room moving or you moving ? That's a strange reaction I've never had that to heights

[@lohphat]

I wonder if vertigo is an evolutionary adaptation to keep us safely in the trees. We don't mind distance above or out laterally, but we get pensive about distance below us. I believe there was a study in the 50s or the 60s about putting babies on glass tables and there was a critical age in months where once the infant developed a sense of spacial orientation and abstraction, they became frightened when placed on a transparent surface too high off the floor.

[@Mikowmer]

@@derektaylor2941 I can't climb the mast, as it doesn't have handholds. So instead I get hoisted up on a rope. In the end, I act like a pendulum. At the top, it's a very short pendulum, so when a boat comes by, the wake only makes the top of the mast sway with me there with it. However, halfway up, the pendulum is longer. So, if I'm not holding on and the wake hits the boat, the top of the mast sways, and I get swung out even further. So I have to put in a lot more effort halfway up to stop myself swinging all over the place than I do at the top.

[@StuffandThings_]

Victorian engineering is just so wild. Some stuff is incredibly overengineered, whilst at the same time some stuff is incredibly underengineered. Its like that awkward point in the industrial revolution where they became confident enough with the new industrial capabilities to start doing some really crazy stuff, but there wasn't enough precedent to really know what was or wasn't enough. The Forth Bridge and the Tay Bridge (the one that collapsed) are a great example of this juxtaposition.

[@rollthetape88]

i think you're refering to being a qualified engineer,

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

The Victorians knew that they needed to engineer stuff to work right. So they just engineered whatever they could and didn't bother about the things they couldn't.

[@plumeater1]

"Architecture begins where Engineering ends" - Walter Gropius

[@goekhanbag]

I think we’re at that point now in Software Engineering.

[@imicca]

its not surprising to see such amazing works because if you are not good at it - off with your head! ironically most durable engineering is built under oppression of some kind

[@thecrom777]

My anxiety skyrocketted the moment you stepped on the mesh and the panic set in.

[@defs8073]

Why? It's a video

[@jcskyknight2222]

Mine sky rocketed when the camera looked down...

[@theenami]

fr tho i'm not even there and i felt like i was gonna cry 😭

[@fish-d6488]

its so charming watching tom wig out about the tension grid. you get so used to scary heights so fast when you work show tech -- its always interesting to see a new person approach them with, like, normal and appropriate self-preservation instincts

[@KeithHearnPlus]

I love how Tom isn't afraid to, well, be afraid on camera. I think it's one of the reasons he has such a great following. He feels more like a friend than a celebrity.

[@Glaaki13]

I was thinking the same

[@Egilhelmson]

So you think Tom Cruise couldn’t do this?

[@s70driver2005]

@@Egilhelmson acting scared and being scared on camera are 2 different things.

[@christosvoskresye]

@@s70driver2005 Exactly. And I think most of us believe Tom Cruise is completely insane to begin with.

[@MijinLaw]

I did find his response hilarious TBH, but not in mean-spirited way, and indeed fair play for being willing to share this.

[@theshinxhunter]

I love how Tom both fully admits his fears when confronted with something that terrifies him, and does his best to face them and experience something cool. It’s really admirable.

[@IanMustafa]

you should watch Tom Scott Plus then

[@isaiahromero9861]

@@elainejohnson796 having fears is cringy? Literally what? Horrible take

[@griffinmckenzie7203]

@@elainejohnson796 Then stop watching him? Nobody is going to miss your view and it won't change your life.

[@soundscape26]

@@elainejohnson796 Most people would have the exact same reaction as him walking over that mesh... not hiding it makes Tom extremely relatable to his audience.

[@SaintDuma]

I'm an entertainment technician and my reaction to the grid was "oh an easy one to work on" -- wire tension grids are great, you need no additional safety gear to avoid falling. You just gotta not drop anything.

[@FabulousFadz]

2:20 - I used to do sound setups for various functions as part of a team and at one of them in 2008 I wasn't on active duty but decided to assist in tear down. Some speakers had been suspended above the stage in a conference center and I was directed to the place I could turn a crank and lower them. The moment I stepped out to the area and felt the bounce, I noticed that I was on a mesh and I could see all the way down to the stage where people down there looked so small. My legs just stopped moving. Regardless of my mind telling me it's safe because other people were walking on it I just couldn't move. My legs didn't respond to anything I wanted. No one helped me and I ended up having to lie down and roll to the edge which was only half a meter away. I didn't take down those speakers. But I discovered a fear I didn't know I had.

[@benjaminstanford1436]

It cracks me up that Tom has such a rough time looking down, and then two seconds later it shows these historical images with workers just chilling at the top of the metal frame 😂

[@ishanr8697]

4:53 you can see the pic of the workers.

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

True fact: Many of the construction workers who build New York skyscrapers are Mohawk Indians, who have a gift for overcoming fear of heights!

[@neumdeneuer1890]

@@Blaqjaqshellaq I have read somewhere that your info is actually an urban myth. They in fact were afraid but in their culture admitting this was not acceptable so they pretend to not be afraid.

[@ImaginaryChannel]

@@neumdeneuer1890 well, if someone hides their fear of heights and carries on working at that height, wouldn't you call that overcoming the fear? Wouldn't you call that brave? It would be stupid not to feel some fear within at those heights, but the difference is whether you keep functioning. I know I'd probably freeze up like Tom did, unlike those workers who didn't only have to stand there but move around steel beams without safety gear.

[@Phantomic11]

bin chillin

[@emmarubacava]

Hello Theatre Lighting Technician here, Wire tension grids are a god send! I always feel so much safer and more confident when rigging and focusing from a wire tension grid as opposed to ladders or harness work or more traditional common place grids that are just iron beams with gaps big enough for your foot to slip through. Wire tension grids I’ve worked on in the past have had huge signs up that say “THIS IS NOT A TRAMPOLINE!” however… Fantastic video! Thank you for making it and thanks Royal Albert Hall for the backstage tour!

[@davidjmcgraw]

Completely agree. I always feel safer on a tension grid than a catwalk.

[@sarahprunierlaw9147]

+

[@engineeringvision9507]

@@davidjmcgraw I'm not scared of heights, I'm only scared of realistic prospects of falling down.

[@davidjmcgraw]

​@@engineeringvision9507 Falling is easy; it is the landing part that is hard.

[@Psylaine64]

dare you to add a sign to every grid that says ' This is 'probably' not a trampoline''

[@danjenkinsdesign]

Love it. Saw the thumbnail of a tension grid and said "oh, Tom's visiting a theatre". Tension grids are fantastic and yes they do take a little getting used too, but once you realize that there is a crazy amount of safety and engineering that have gone into the design the fear just goes away.

[@tradetor]

2:33 The moment when you understand all the math and it is telling you that it is completely safe but your body still just couldn't trust it

[@Mysterios1989]

About interesting roofs. If Tom goes back to Germany eventually, he should get into the roofs of the Cologne Cathedral. It is an interesting story. The Cathedral, while construction started in I think the 14th century, had a several century long construction stop and was only finished in the 19th century. The roof, while made look from the outside old, was made with back then modern technology, meaning a massive steel roof construction. This construction was responsible for the Cathedral surviving WWII, as the bomb that did land in the roof did not burn it down like Notre Dame.

[@rahmspinat]

Nortredam? Holy moses my friend. It's Notre Dame.

[@AldanFerrox]

Also, its crooked, which you can easily see when you are up there.

[@rin_etoware_2989]

France already knows the dangers of burning medieval roofs: Chatres Cathedral's "forest" framework in the roof burned down in 1836 and has since been replaced with metal frame

[@plootyluvsturtle9843]

that’s really cool

[@bytesabre]

Was just there, was blown away by how absolutely huge it is

[@elementalturnip]

I love how Tom showed more fear walking on this mesh than he did when he was strapped to the top of a flying biplane.

[@fademan77]

Or going down a wind turbine backwards!!

[@guymontag2948]

I'm terrified of heights, but I love to fly. I think it's a normal thing, but I don't know why it happens that way.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Our caveman ancestors knew, fall from height, bad. Our caveman ancestors never had the need to develop a fear of biplanes.

[@AstralDragn]

I think its related to the amount of control. On the plane Tom couldn't do anything to affect whether or not he was safe really once they were up, but the mesh is innately determining on his mind if its a safe or unsafe action with clear things that determined it as unsafe right in front of him.

[@wannabetitan700]

or going into that place without laws (yellow stone)

[@deice3]

I feel for Tom, its not easy having to face a phobia. Its hard to understand how irrational the fear is, you can consciously be 110% certain the situation is safe, but your mind just goes "nope!". Mine is wasps, if any of those come at me I'm 10m away before the thinking parts of my brain kick in.

[@ruzziasht349]

A phobia? I think that's common sense.

[@sameture561]

Sorry for your loss Tom

[@rhettorical]

You could tell me that mesh is strong enough to stop a freight train and it still wouldn't make me feel more comfortable walking on it when it's that high. Props to Tom for going out there.

[@marcussherlock6318]

There's a solid metal mesh on the floor of the observation deck of the Toronto CN Tower. Feels the same way. They now let you strap into a harness and lean your full weight over the edge.

[@Monkey80llx]

To be fair, Tom does scare easily. Very easily 😆

[@DanielBParada]

@@Monkey80llx very easily

[@td1559]

I wonder whether the lack of attachment actually has design benefits, e.g. reducing stresses due to different expansion rates due to temperature of the iron roof and the brick walls.

[@polerin]

It really explains the creaking too. Literally sliding. Wonder about friction?

[@a.debree6771]

It does reduce the stresses due to the different expation rates. That makes this a great design.

[@Jehty21]

@@polerin I don't think so. That creaking sound just sounded like the metal roof expanding. You can hear the same sound by metal carports or sheds.

[@nanoflower1]

@@Jehty21 I can hear it every morning when I take a shower. The heat from the shower causes the wood construction behind the wall to expand and creak. One of the oddities of using wood to build many buildings here in the USA.

[@criollitoification]

It seems counterintuitive to learn as I did before I got into construction that all buildings should expand and contract by design, and that the engineers problem is knowing how and at what points within the fabric of the building to implement movement joints to best achieve these characteristics. I know that as a youngster these ideas were alien to me as I would look at buildings being immovable solid masses.

[@craftthemoon]

I heard the news today… oh boy.

[@KinkyTurtle]

This video was so fascinating I didn't even care that you didn't explain how many holes it would take to fill the Albert Hall!

[@gtoger]

This is beautiful. I love that the engineering has "just worked" for all these years, and the hall is still regularly used for modern productions.

[@MickeyMallone.]

It's absolutely stunning

[@ennocramer4703]

@GTOger: There are now 542 replies to you asking your community, what might be the reason for you to no longer post any videos - I wonder if that is not yet enough to provide us with an answer?

[@panda-wk8mv]

a lot of stuff in england is like that

[@mirstong]

@@ennocramer4703 who are you talking to?

[@LeifNelandDk]

Well, it didn't "just work" acusticly

[@kestrel7493]

The fact that he hedged his bets so much to not even call this the most interesting roof in the UK makes me wonder what else there is

[@NIDELLANEUM]

with all the places he knows, wouldn't surprise me

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Might not even be the most interesting in London as the Beatles famous performance on the roof was in London

[@Poldovico]

@@Alex-cw3rz I'd argue "some famous blokes played music here once" is far less interesting than "this gigantic piece of construction isn't actually attached to anything". Like, even if we care about star power as much as we do about inherent properties, it's the Beatles that are interesting, not the roof.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

@@Poldovico I mean the fact is that one is an entire documentary of intrigue of a band falling apart. Whereas one is did you know this isn't attached which is very cool, but then that's it, it's not even unique dry stone structures and walling isn't that unusual in the UK.

[@Poldovico]

@@Alex-cw3rz But none of that stuff is actually about the roof.

[@codya30]

I laughed a lot when Tom stepped out. As a stagehand who's worked at a ton of venues, I'm always curious of places I haven't been to. I thought it would much much further down but it wasn't an unusual height, and much safer with the mesh than just walking out on iron beams or steel/aluminum truss.

[@postminchoppa]

There is alot of quality rigging going on there

[@ethan-loves]

I'm so grateful that Tom doesn't try to hide his emotions in videos like this. Fear is a natural, healthy response in that situation (at least, until you're desensitized to the height). Showing us his genuine reaction does a lot to destigmatize that fear!

[@u1zha]

@@elainejohnson796 I think he's becoming more and more ambitious, battling his fear of heights well.... Note he has some earlier videos like the one about Pulpit Rock where he hardly even approached the edge.

[@davidhibberd]

I thought Tom had a head for heights, this earlier video (Why Aren't There More Helicopter Crashes In London?) shows him standing on a wall at risk of falling into the River Thames, without much fear. About the fear of heights: it comes from our balance system using the ground as a visual reference so we don't fall over - but when it is a long way down, it doesn't work because there is almost no sideways movement of the ground to feedback. Hence focusing on near objects around instead, or even closing your eyes, helps.

[@davidhopkins8967]

I’ve been up to the Corona in 2015, when I was assisting a photographer who wanted a photo from the top. I was petrified and not much help at all! Everything, keys, phones, jewellery and even the camera lens had to be left outside in case it fell through the iron mesh. This video took me straight back to that day and the way everything wobbled…

[@thegrandnil764]

I carry my DSLR + camping gear up cliffs daily. It's more of an irrational worry than anything.

[@davidhopkins8967]

@@thegrandnil764 the issue isn’t about losing something - it’s about it hitting someone working below at very high speed. That’s why we weren’t allowed anything at all in our pockets whilst on the wire mesh.

[@Suspended4thYT]

@@thegrandnil764 It's for the safety of anyone below

[@o_re_va]

At 3:55 bet the cameraman was just like "Tom don't be such a dramatic" 🙄

[@timsoft3]

every modern brick house is also not attached to the ground. There is a plastic damp-proof course, usually a brick or two above ground level, so no mortar holds the bricks to each other either side, the wall, and house itself relies on the weight of the house to keep it down.

[@starlight_garden]

In some places you need very long poles, though. In order for the building not to move over long stretches of time. If there's a lot of mud in the ground.

[@jamestaliaferro258]

Tom: The roof of the Royal Albert Hall isn’t actually attached. *sound of whirring helicopters in the distance* *grappling hooks attach to the roof and start to lift it off* Tom: *leaps aboard rising roof, pulls off disguise to reveal red fedora and trench coat* “Better luck catching me next time, Player..” *Carmen Sandiego theme plays, roll credits*

[@LeifNelandDk]

How many helicopters would that require?

[@nevreiha]

@@LeifNelandDk a lot

[@jobiden2942]

@@LeifNelandDk at least 2

[@Thamstras]

@@LeifNelandDk According to Wikipedia, 1 Chinook can lift ~10.8 tonnes, so you'd need at least 56 of them. I have a feeling you'd struggle to fit that many in the airspace above the dome. Lets see... A Chinook is ~645.6 sq. ft, apparently the dome covers 20,000 sq. ft so we can fit at most 30. I didn't include the rotors in that calculation so it probably doesn't matter how you try and arrange them vertically, a cable can't go through a fuselage, so I don't think you can do it.

[@Game_Hero]

Tom was Carmen Sandiego all along. I knew it...

[@seamusoriely4702]

I always love how Tom is more than willing to put in those moments that show how uncomfortable/scared he is in a given situation and not just edit it out, it makes the videos so much more realistic and raw

[@soundscape26]

And much more relatable to the audience because most of us would feel absolutely the same if high up there.

[@seamusoriely4702]

@@soundscape26 without doubt! I don't know if I'd even make it onto the mesh

[@stowgood]

Him being terrified of everything is what makes his videos so interesting. (OK everything isn't fair, lots of things)

[@RainaRamsay]

+

[@cometomyfrontdoor]

I'd prefer not to see his over dramatics

[@_angy_7210]

U gotta make it look so easy, thx bro!

[@herzogsbuick]

Thanks for sharing and scaring Tom! Hanging out on the grid is one of my favorite things. I've never seen anything like that one though. Incredible.

[@SuperVstech]

I’m an electrician in NC, USA, and several schools have similar grid work I have to work in, and I completely understand Tom’s reaction…

[@Thurgosh_OG]

NC?

[@marofan47]

@@Thurgosh_OG North Carolina prob

[@ObstagoonGuy]

@@marofan47 thanks, I was confused as well

[@saoirsedeltufo7436]

New Caledonia?

[@marofan47]

@@saoirsedeltufo7436 Why would it be that..

[@43dl3ntil]

2:49 As somebody who is scared of heights I felt your fear through the screen.

[@jorande1e]

Me to

[@bobd2659]

Air grids are amazing! 99% of rigging is SO much easier on them, and the 1% that isn't just takes a little ingenuity to change! You get used to the bounciness after about 3 minutes, but I've found that after 30 - 45 minutes on it, you need to take a break on solid ground because your knees start to hurt. Because the work is so quick on it though, you can be on and off in 10.

[@psychomrw]

"OH MY GOD! Don't Bounce!" You and me both Tom.

[@RainbowFlowerCrow]

That's how I used to feel in elevators when people would jump up and down in them! 😬 Now that I work with and around elevators as a small part of my job, I understand better how they work, so I'm not afraid anymore! I love when our techs come in, because they are cool with nerds like me asking questions to learn about the mechanics of our elevators. I guess the more one learns about something that they're afraid of, the less afraid they become! Unless you're Tom Scott on the mesh at the Royal Albert Hall 🤭

[@spirit5923]

The fact that Tom is so incredibly smart and interesting and yet also openly afraid to walk on the mesh shows how human he is. We appreciate you, my guy.

[@clray123]

What are you talking about? I remember that he was replaced by an android a couple months ago.

[@travcollier]

A fear of heights is very common, not universal, but maybe more common than not being particularly scared of heights. I did a tiny bit of urban climbing in my youth and had the "I don't know if I can move" moment. I managed to push past it, but can totally sympathize with folks who can't. Oh, and there's also the thing where construction companies doing tension structures prefer hiring climbers and training them in the construction instead of the other way around. There were several stories about that when the Millennium Dome was being built

[@Simon-jv9bm]

Mark Zuckerberg should try it to prove himself

[@LeifNelandDk]

Just imagine it's a tightrope, which he did successfully.

[@BBTManiac]

you can be an engineer and know exactly the weight tolerances involved of every cubic centimeter of every single bit of material in that structure. But when you're up there, seeing the rest of the building bellow you, and seeing the _mesh_ that you're standing on. AND feeling it flex with your movement. Your brain will tell you it isn't safe. Health and Safety Guy has probably been up there thousands upon thousands and thousands of times. His brain is used to seeing the distance bellow, and used to feeling the mesh flex. Knowledge can't make up for trained natural responses, or lack thereof.

[@AlanKey86]

I have an alternative (musical) solution to the echo problem: The echo from the ceiling was ~200 ms, which is equivalent to a crotchet (1/4 note) at 75 bpm. Therefore *if all the music played at the Royal Albert Hall* was performed at 75 bpm, the delay produced by the ceiling echo would blend in nicely! BONUS FACT: If U2 (who are fond of using a dotted 1/8 note delay) they'd need to play every song at 100 bpm. The Edge would have no need for his delay pedal, just let the building do the echo automatically!

[@zyaicob]

I love you

[@ahaveland]

In some circumstances yes, but not if you're playing chromatic scales that clash with the echoes and make a discordant mess - I'd be out of there like a shot! Slapback echoes completely change the original performance into something else, and music is generally composed specifically to take advantage of it, such as JMJ, Pink Floyd etc.

[@MmadA-lg6ix]

Bonus Bonus: Here are some well-known U2 songs with a tempo of 100 bpm, give or take: Bad I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For Running to Stand Still Angel of Harlem All I Want Is You Until the End of the World Walk On Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

[@charleslambert3368]

How long is the delay in Rob Scallon's Rain?

[@MmadA-lg6ix]

@@charleslambert3368 About 375 ms. It's a dotted quarter note setting at around 120 bpm - wouldn't quite fly for that echo but it's incredibly cool nonetheless.

[@JBsTV-ki4vu]

Me and my school performed here for charity when we were ten, excellent experience!

[@thefonzkiss]

No one cares

[@curiouscork6302]

@@thefonzkiss I care.

[@davidjames2910]

Thank you! I have been in the Albert Hall many times but this was a whole new perspective.

[@georgeowen2553]

As an orchestral musician I've played in many amazing spaces, including the Royal Albert Hall, but I always zone out in the rests and end up gazing at the roofs of many places, wondering what goes on. Now I have one of the many concert halls ticked off!

[@UmbrellaGent]

What is your opinion on the acoustics there?

[@limerence8365]

Had a dream about Tom last night. I was being interviewed by him about a giant telescope that could move around a giant glass warehouse and tourists could come in, move it themselves and look through it. Then we watched a weird parade. Then Tom took me on a journey jumping over walls into people gardens. Then we broke into someone's house because Tom was secretly investigating someone and I was caught then pretended it was my house and acted hysterical to escape without raising alarm. Weird dream.

[@bbgun061]

Do you work at a place with a giant telescope that could move around a giant glass warehouse and tourists could come in, move it themselves and look through it?

[@Toothily]

Hehe, good dream

[@limerence8365]

@@bbgun061 In real life no. In the dream I was vaguely aware I was in a dream and had to ask Tom where we were. He kept replying with British place names that I'd never heard of till he showed me on a map and I was like "oh, we're in England". I guess my brain just thought the giant mobile telescope was something Tom would make a video about.

[@casualdejekyll5168]

It wasn’t a dream, Tom just erased your memory to get rid of the witnesses.

[@CzlowiekDrzewo]

Tom Scott plus Limerence. Can't wait for that video!

[@raccoon.legion]

That fear was so genuine that as someone terrified of heights I was feeling it with you

[@kaloarepo288]

Sydney Opera House concert hall had the same acoustic problems and similar "mushroom acoustic circles" were installed to help solve the problems -only moderately successful but the hall has now been completely overhauled and the results apparently have been superb.This is what happens when a building is designed for its architectural qualities and not its acoustic ones.

[@kenbrown2808]

many years ago, patrons eating at one of our local restaurants during a windstorm found out the roof wasn't attached. then once they recovered from the shock of the roof leaving in the middle of the meal, they went out into the car park and found out where it landed.

[@neolexiousneolexian6079]

Should have claimed salvage/abandoned property on it and taken it home.

[@BradleyJager]

“The roof isn’t actually attached” Boys who wants to help me steal a roof

[@BQhjort]

I carry all my groceries in one trip, so I'm down.

[@MAYBEMAYNOTBE2]

Can I watch from distance

[@owenkegg5608]

We just need a VERY big helicopter

[@MAYBEMAYNOTBE2]

@@owenkegg5608maybe 10 regular helicopters or 1000 drones?

[@MattyEngland]

If it was even remotely possible, then a certain group of people with a liking for caravans, would've had it down the scrap metal dealers years ago 😂👍

[@chrisroberts2266]

It's a shame that you didn't go into more detail about the mushrooms. They were designed by Ken Shearer who was responsible for the design of a lot of very important music related acoustic spaces. The original internal canopy that was designed to fix the issues with the acousics for the RAH was less than successful which was why proposals were put forward for solutions to the echo. Also if you don't like the RAH tension grid, you really won't like the O2 arena's one.

[@andrewmwells9606]

This is one of those videos that takes your breath away but you cant stop looking!!

[@derSascha321]

In Düsseldorf, Germany, there is an art installation that gives you the feeling of this place. It is called "in Orbit" and consists of a steel net placed at a height of 25 meters. It can be found in the official art exhibition "K21" of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Have fun, it‘s great…

[@cosmicreciever]

I will have to see it next time I go, the last time I was in Düsseldorf it was closed because of the virus :(

[@microdisturbia]

i live there

[@jakobvanklinken]

it was absolutely terrifying! Great tip

[@Fnsnsbdbwkqnq]

is it still there? found some articles that said it was only until end of 2015

[@SianaGearz]

Damn dude you should have told us while we had 9€ tickets!

[@Waaaltz_]

I like how Tom's confidence quickly drops from 100 to 0 as soon as he looked down. I would definitely feel the same because I have fear of Heights as well.

[@pyropulseIXXI]

It is somewhat pathetic

[@Waaaltz_]

@@pyropulseIXXI ok edgelord

[@bluemalamute]

This made my hands prespire, and I was only watching the video. courageous show, and great video!

[@D25Bev]

This was really nice to see. My Grandad worked a lot on the Albert Hall roof lighting (mushrooms) & sound systems after the war.

[@andrewkovnat]

That ending drone shot was AMAZING! The pull-out was sooo expertly done! You have an excellent camera crew, Tom.

[@thelastcube.]

Mad Cap'n Tom's pullout game has always been strong

[@bsvenss2]

@@thelastcube. Hahahaha

[@ljones2087]

Reminds me of GTA when you get wasted.

[@jenniferneve2723]

I shared every moment of his panic. And when the engineer started BOUNCING, I reacted the same way at the same time as Tom. 😱 I also startled my cat.

[@hwren9845]

I felt my stomach drop a little bit!

[@AltonV]

I got a flashback to when I went up the stairs to the main floor of the Eiffel tower (57m), you can see all the way down and it was terrifying

[@jamespink4202]

I love this stuff. Thank you Tom. I've been an addict for domes, spires, pyramids and towers all round the world, from the Romans, Greeks and later Italians to the O2 and Eiffel, they fascinate me. Thank you for this detail!!!

[@matthewstevens7486]

Back in the late 80's the company i worked for rewired all its secondary lighting, i spent 2 years in there, i have been all over that building including all the roof spaces, it's certainly changed a bit since then, i walked across that mesh grid, its fine until you look down!

[@kickthejetengine]

I love how Tom keeps in the bits where is frightened when on the mesh. I would be too. It’s respectable to show that I think.

[@trashmann9404]

Agreed

[@l0renzz0]

To be fair that mesh looks quite sketchy

[@carolineconnelly8620]

At the 4:00 minute mark, when Tom started walking, I was watching him place one foot immediately before the other with his arms spread, and I wondered whether this had been filmed after his tightrope walking episode.

[@tonymarselle8812]

That last bit of information is the most wild to me. “Let’s drop it right on top then? Count of three?” Bolts be damned.

[@michalpiotrgorecki]

In reality its a spacehip just resting here ready to fly off when needed. Mark my words.

[@Autoskip]

The moment Guy started bouncing was the moment I said “Oh, I like him” It's not quite the same thing, but once when I got too fast on a high-ropes course, and had to wait for the person in front of me, I spent the next 5-ish minutes halfway along that section of tightrope, leaning on the rope that was designed to be a terrible hand-rail, and enjoying the view from 2-3 stories up, so I'd like to think I'd be more like Guy than Tom, but I've got no idea how I'd actually go.

[@Autoskip]

@sourand jaded ...that actually might make sense - if you go over the edge of the steel roof, there's nothing for you to catch onto, but dancing around exposed rafters, you've always got something further over for you to catch (assuming you're not on the end one, but then you've got experience clambering around on individual rafters, which might improve your confidence there anyway) As for ropes and ladders, if a ladder moves over a foot or two, you're toppling, but you can swing on a rope to horizontal if the attachment point is strong enough.

[@tonypang83]

For all the modern skyscrapers we see reaching insane heights, it's these decades and centuries old buildings that really amaze me. It boggles my mind how they did it without modern day technology.

[@pavelow235]

Did they not have math back then?

[@tonypang83]

@@pavelow235 I said technology, not maths. You know, things like modern day construction technology, cranes, transport vehicles, computers for simulating and testing ideas in the design stage, etc…

[@dcarbs2979]

@@pavelow235 I'm more impressed with the Roman technology. They achieved similar results with the Colessium and The Pantheon almost 2000 years earlier. It is the strongest shape geometricly possible in architecture.

[@deathofthemagi]

What I love about Tom's videos is that he takes topics that I would normally never care about or give the time of day and he makes them fascinating

[@gorgewashington1216]

its amazing to konw that the roof is just there without fixation thanks for this incredible video full of info !

[@SirCatsal0t]

I work with rigging productions (concerts, awardshows, television etc.) and I've seen how many people are required to get small simple structures made out of trusses up and standing. So the fact that people managed to construct this 600 tonne iron roof 150 years ago likely without the help of 1 ton motors and the likes is absolutely astounding to me.

[@apjtv2540]

This feels like one of the most genuine reactions we've ever seen from Tom. Don't get me wrong, he's always seemed honest and nice, but that fear reaction dropped the mask completely.

[@Zestrayswede]

You clearly haven't been watching Tom Scott plus

[@whublah]

Ahh he kinda acts like hes on the spectrum. Seems like he has zero social skills

[@Tardisntimbits]

@@whublah I'm sorry, but how? His interactions with people always seem fine, he was just scared, and rightly so.

[@araw_buwan]

Timestamp?

[@hwren9845]

@@whublah No he doesn't, and having zero social skills (something Tom clearly does not suffer from) doesn't indicate being on the spectrum anyway. Stop pathologizing ordinary human behaviour.

[@garycarmody]

I'm not afraid of heights at all... but your reactions had my heart thumping. Good Job! Love your videos :)

[@JohnRay1969]

This is far and away one of my favorite of your videos. My absolute favorite is the one about microwaves where you located the scientist and he gleefully told the story of thawing frozen hamsters. This one made me sick from heights. I had butterflies in my stomach, I was literally pushing against the back of my chair to get away from the edge. Very nice, good on you for walking out there. I'm now remembering your trip to the top of the wind turbine, so that's another one that made me sick. Love it. 💚

[@SolomonSaul]

You missed the most interesting fact - When they designed the roof, the engineer's weren't sure that it would be able to support itself as it was the biggest of its kind. That's why they built it in Manchester and left it for a year before dismantling it and moving it to London. When they dropped the roof onto the walls, the walls of the hall shifted circularly by roughly 1/2". It's caused cracks and stress marks in the brickwork that you can still see.

[@FakeMoonRocks]

Another fun fact: They know how many holes it takes to fill the hall.

[@Jimmyknapp2]

"It kinda broke the building, just not a whole lot."

[@QuixoticDucky]

@@FakeMoonRocks How many holes?

[@VakarisJ]

@@QuixoticDucky 455 holes, probably.

[@TWKB42]

@@QuixoticDucky let's say it takes 4000 holes to fill blackburn lanchashire, then you could prob do the math to figure out how many holes it takes to fill the albert hall hope that helps

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

Human ingenuity when it comes to engineering just keeps evolving and blowing my mind. This is pretty amazing.

[@Frommerman]

The Royal Albert Hall is an example of extremely bad engineering. Sure, it hasn't killed anyone (yet), but it utterly failed at accomplishing the single task it was built to accomplish because the engineers neglected to even check whether their fancy design did the thing it was meant to. All the retrofitting they had to do afterward was a concession that they built a bad building.

[@agentnull5242]

Watch this blow up for no reason :/

[@YOEL_44]

@@agentnull5242 What are you talking about?

[@Kazekou]

The Royal Albert Hall is my favourite space in the world. I love it so much. Thanks for this video. It was really cool and something, I'd likely never seen or known otherwise. Now when I next go, I can stare up in amazement for entirely new reasons

[@PhoenixMF1986]

Just seeing that and seeing you react is making my anxiety spike. My palms are sweaty. I can only imagine what you must have been feeling. I used to help change lighting gels in the roof of my high schools theater and that used to scare me. This is waaaaaaay higher.

[@gabem3593]

These grid systems are fairly common in theaters to help with changing lights, speakers, and such. Real fun to walk around on once you get over how terrifying it is.

[@engineeringvision9507]

I dont' see what is terrifying. You can't fall. It's like being scared of walking along a concrete floor.

[@hb1338]

@@engineeringvision9507 Strictly speaking the mesh could separate from whatever is holding it in place.

[@engineeringvision9507]

@@hb1338 The mesh is on top so it would make no difference

[@dh510]

I demand an entire series of Tom being put in terrifying Situations!! Fighter jets, roller coasters, glass bridges! That's the funniest thing I've seen all day!

[@skele3310]

his second channel has videos of him flying and riding rollercoasters and such! it's awesome!

[@oxybrightdark8765]

He's flown with the red arrows, and on plus, he's done roller coasters and tight ropes.

[@Nelo390]

Check out Tom Scott Plus! It's literally that XD, wish granted.

[@bobdagamer640]

Tom Scott plus is what your looking for

[@timnone2924]

Check out his other channel "Tom Scott Plus", he does just that, the time coaster one was actually really cool, seeing him come around from deathly afraid to almost loving it

[@mapf7097]

Thanks for this view below the roof of one of the most famous buildings in London. Nice to see how simple and reliable it was designed 150 years ago.

[@stephenhill4492]

Had a similar experience with a wire mesh grid when I visited Drax power station in my teens. Everyone else was fine, but I froze completely when looked down and saw the multiple levels of wire mesh flooring below. The only way that I could start moving again and keep in step with my school party was stare fixedly ahead. I’ve remembered that experience for over forty years.

[@DingusBingus1]

I had a second-hand anxiety looking at that footage, but the explanation of the roof and its weight capacity in comparison to how much its currently supporting was actually pretty calming. Made me wanna jump on it too, despite the fact I'd never do such a thing ever

[@SocialistRaccoon]

Love the way Tom describes his fear responses as he goes in his more harrowing videos. Great presence of mind.

[@WS12658]

@@elainejohnson796 Agreed. I've noticed it a lot more in recent videos. I suppose because he's doing stuff out of his comfort zone, but the overreacting/surprise (when he knew full well what he was getting into) is quite annoying.

[@borismuller86]

@@WS12658 I mean, it’s one thing to know you’re going up high and it’s a whole different thing to be up there and suddenly realise that it’s terrifying.

[@ledermueller]

Tom, next time you're in Toronto, we should put you on the mesh grid in the ceiling of the Princess of Wales theatre. Had our whole theatre class up there bouncing on it! Much bigger and no fancy centre support pole.

[@mr-dan-coleman]

Absolutely brilliant! I had no idea!

[@gayahithwen]

I feel like your rope-walking training came into play there the moment you looked down and saw the beam. There definitely looked to be a part of your brain going "oh yes, this part, I know how to do this" as you carefully placed your feet on it just like you were taught. Well done, Tom.

[@peanuts2105]

I used to be a freelance lighting technician in London where I worked at this very venue and others such as the Royal Opera House and the O2. I can tell you this: I used to get the serious sweats and nerves climbing lighting truss that is hung from roofs such as this. Now I work in aerospace - phew!

[@paula200]

Fascinating - as always.

[@iangrimshaw1]

Apparently there are only two fears we are born with; a fear of falling and a fear of loud noises. Good job nobody popped a balloon behind you. Great video, as always!