34 Years Of Strandbeest Evolution

[@veritasium]

Fight the data brokers with Incogni. Head over to incogni.com/veritasium to get 60% off your annual subscription.

[@pyeitme508]

Nope

[@ReyKingGaming]

WE GOT VERITASIUM BEING A GOAT BEFORE GTA 6

[@neochrispogi]

Agree to comment above

[@Alfred-Neuman]

Yeah!

[@cslivestockllc138]

@@veritasium we got a superb science channel selling out to advertisers. Period. Posting elementary stuff just for ad space

[@OrcusTrek]

As a mechanical engineer, I can't explain the level of satisfaction I get after watching Strandbeest march along the beach in an era when electronics are so accessible. It feels like purity.

[@pirojfmifhghek566]

Purity of concept. It is so simple, but it has to be. The public wouldn't have given him any credit if it wasn't an entirely mechanical design. I think his strandbeests could be elevated to a higher level with even a minimal amount of electronics. But if he were to include just one copper wire or solar panel, everybody would think he was cutting corners and they would stop paying attention to his accomplishments.

[@SharperthanA]

As another ME, I can say, the feeling is mutual.

[@Intelligence_Failure]

alman?

[@Beyondra]

I completely resonate with you! Strandbeest is truly a masterpiece of mechanical art, where pure principles of physics and engineering come to life. It’s amazing to see them move so gracefully powered only by the wind, almost as if they have a ‘soul.’ Have you ever tried building a mechanical model inspired by Strandbeest yourself? I think you could create something truly impressive! 😁

[@SahilRawat-h9h]

Even without being a mechanical engineer, I agree with you. The kind of time and persistence it would have required to come up with all of this and no to mention the brain. Just pure genious.

[@lualdiz]

This is a level of automaton that victorian makers could only dream of, and no advanced components either! This man is a modern day Da Vinci for sure.

[@massdysfunkton]

my first thought within 30sec of the video starting was that he was a modern da vinci... except with better physics and the advantage of zipties

[@nomad_ape]

Exactly what I was thinking, Leonardo da Vinci!

[@TrunkyGurden]

hahahaha if only davinci had a computer as advanced as windows 3.1!

[@babalonkie]

Until you realise you can remove 99% of the material and put wheels on it...

[@JohnDoe-qz1ql]

If you think that, you’d be amazed at what they really had.

[@sheepieworks4974]

Fun fact, i live near where his workshop is in the netherlands and when i was younger i stumbled upon his workshop and ripped one of the pipes to play around with, i bumped into the guy and we had a talk for over an hour explaining what he was doing and how it all worked, he even let me keep the pipe. Great guy!

[@enemdisk6628]

I was lucky to meet him too. Great human being. So nice and intelligent.

[@dominofalling2038]

Why did you rip one of his pipes?

[@LockDOTspot]

​@@dominofalling2038they were probably smoking weed

[@Felix-qq6sx]

@@dominofalling2038 Because taking stuff we're curious about is a very old instinct of ours?

[@badmatz8968]

Amazing

[@Adrenalien406]

The kid in orange hauling ass towards the water as he says "Hopefully with a connection of brain cells and muscles they can avoid the water" is incredible comedic timing. @15:01

[@guestguest9603]

😂😂

[@JanBetonnetje1]

Looool

[@JLwing2010]

So good! 😂 Nice observation!

[@Ishan9726gaming]

and the fact that the chapter it's in is called "A Developing Brain"

[@fluffiddy6515]

Fun fact: it can not move backwards. It can only move forwards until all its enemies are destroyed

[@narottammurmu]

tatakae!

[@inqow1886]

looks like the founder as well, we might need to rethink all this

[@steinchentv9533]

Sasageyo

[@recurvestickerdragon]

water sensing with a Venturi, steering by asymmetrically altering leg sweep angles via proportion control, collision sensing, possibly even calling out to and hearing one another

[@AalapShah12297]

Today I Learned Derek has probably seen Attack on Titan

[@gorilladisco9108]

It's amazing that Theo Jansen didn't have computer education. He invented the names for his device components himself. One Japanese reporter once pointed that a component was a NAND gate, but he said he named it LIAR SWITCH because it went the inverse of the input.

[@Shotgunspixie]

Liar Switch is abetter name than NAND though.

[@arvana]

​@@Shotgunspixietotally agree, NAND gates should be called LIAR gates from now on!

[@EstamosDe]

​@@Shotgunspixiehe is really creative, that is a good name, I wont forget it

[@lars3509]

How did he implement an evolutionary algorithm in the 90s if he had no computer education?

[@yoichi6634]

im not calling it nqnd gate anymore

[@OscarS123]

Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests are the perfect fusion of art, engineering, and evolution-it’s like watching nature reinvent itself through human creativity. The fact that these structures ‘walk’ with such elegance makes me wonder: are we looking at the blueprint for future bio-inspired robotics? Absolutely mind-blowing! Kudos to Veritasium for making a video about this masterpiece!

[@mountainjeff]

Kinda wonder what a modern AI would come up with for the 13 magic numbers.

[@nicodesmidt4034]

@@mountainjeffyup, that would be very interesting

[@MotoraBicleta]

@@mountainjeff Base 10 is not magical.

[@ndlsjk]

@@mountainjeff I was thinking about how to phrase the question to chatgpt lol. Or if you could program it into a quantum computer (my understanding of quantum computers is low but their ability to test many combinations at the same time is why they are so scary for passwords and stuff)

[@KrakenIsland64]

​@@mountainjeff What are the 13 magic numbers: The "13 Magic Numbers" refers to a concept from the field of nuclear physics, specifically relating to the stability of atomic nuclei. These numbers are the proton or neutron numbers that result in more stable nuclei due to the arrangement of nucleons (protons and neutrons) in the nucleus. The 13 magic numbers are: 2 8 20 28 50 82 126 184 212 226 330 350 408 These numbers refer to the "magic numbers" of protons or neutrons that form complete shells within the nucleus, making them more stable and less likely to undergo radioactive decay. The first seven numbers (2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, 126) are the most well-known and have been experimentally observed to be associated with particularly stable isotopes of elements. The later numbers are part of theoretical predictions for even greater stability, especially for heavier, more complex elements. The answer is probably not applicable here, but I could show you how Google works so you can find information without proposing hypothetical questions in youtube comment replies, if you'd like.

[@JKBrickworks]

I had the pleasure of speaking with Theo after building my LEGO version, and his passion for the Strandbeest is amazing. It was also really cool to see a brief glimpse of my version in this video! Super cool.

[@Joneender]

Pleasure seeing you here, Mr JKBrickworks!

[@helgefan8994]

When I was doing research in computer graphics more than 10 years ago, I came up with an algorithm to simulate rigid body mechanisms with thousands of joints efficiently. However, initially I had trouble getting my paper through peer-review, partly because most of my examples were rather far-fetched and contrived. Theo Jansen's Strandbeest turned out to be the perfect scalable, real-world example to demonstrate the advantages of my method and the paper got accepted. So I'm really grateful that he published the "genetic code" of his genius walking machines. Also thanks for the great video :)

[@Cirwlos]

One way to describe it is 'a solution in search of a problem.' Another way is to see it as a piece of garbage polluting the beach, causing to global warming, and attracting hostile aliens who will connect us to machines to steal our bioelectricity, because apparently, interstellar aliens can't figure out how to obtain resources by themselves.

[@SafetyLucas]

Sounds interesting. What's the paper called?

[@lithiumdeuteride]

Where can we read your paper? It sounds interesting!

[@codyoftheinternet]

I’m commenting too because I want to be notified if/when you reply

[@jordan9604]

It is essentially lattice work, yes?

[@59day19]

everyone gangster until a strandbeest becomes self conscious

[@RedDevil2557]

Well technically it can be as the word means beach animal

[@jocysatu1038]

Probably in a few hundred years or so I ain't gonna reach that.

[@Sekir80]

If we believe that consciousness is the emergent property of complexity.

[@stupidredguy87]

​@@jocysatu1038 might be shorter than u expected, new york times once said it would take 10 million years to make a plane

[@thestarseeker8196]

@@jocysatu1038you will, if vampire

[@danbojtor]

When Derek said the Strandbeest was invented 34 years ago, I was expecting footage from the 70's, not 1990.

[@henryptung]

If you think that's crazy, just wait another 34 years.

[@yekrallum]

Fact 😅

[@travelingbird5415]

😅

[@leeanngorne8517]

As a genx’er, that hit hard. lol

[@hoebare]

Me too, bud. Me too.

[@Protopaq]

I have a small Strandbeest from his webshop on a bookshelf, and it's a thing i hold dear. I love the combination of simplicity and mathematical intelligence behind the design. Theo is a visionary that gave 'life' to a creation. Boss move.

[@scriven-shafts]

“ 17:38 Sand creeps into everything; it’s not an easy thing.” I owe Anakin so many apologies. And probably a gift basket.

[@ixinor]

lol

[@whomidity3953]

​@@ixinorI'm sorry but what is that emoji dawg

[@6thwilbury2331]

I'm a simple mind: I absolutely thought there would be a cut to "I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere" right on that line. Another channel would. Veritasium is above that.

[@ixinor]

@@whomidity3953 SpongeBob m8

[@Gabzilla19]

​@@whomidity3953KZbin has some built in emojis. I think these ones are like KZbin Livestream basic pack, but can also get custom KZbinr ones from their premium subscription thing I think

[@distico]

Theo is an artist that happens to be a polymath engineer. As artist he doesn't need a goal or a reason, he's just expressing himself. Strandbeesten are the Dutch Eiffel tower, a beautiful artwork and a masterpiece of engineering and science of materials.

[@peterfrance702]

And obsession

[@MrShysterme]

Yes, when I saw that he wrote his own CAD and genetic algorithm in 1990, I knew he was likely a genius. It isn't common for someone to be a gifted visual artist and also have that level of mathematical and analytical ability. What a neat guy.

[@JeremyLogan]

Did you miss the majority of the video? It might be art, but the whole video was just proof that he didn't understand basic engineering or materiel science. A second-year university student could have engineered these in a semester, and not needed genetic algorithms and thousands of hours of computations to explain how skis/sleds work. Also, maybe not scotch tape.

[@MrShysterme]

@@JeremyLogan Ok, go program a CAD from scratch for me. I'll be waiting. I guess you forgot that he was self-taught in those areas. You could not have created what he did in the end. When I envision what type of pompous jerk makes a comment like you have, it's basically your avatar picture here.

[@ixinor]

@@peterfrance702 Obsession works best since you're constantly battling the problems. Usually they call these people geniuses. Which they are, since they excel in the field they constantly delve in.

[@haroldfinz4863]

Theo Jansen's face, at 15:40, "oh now it's working!" shows the intellectual exuberance (or as some say, the "rush") that explains how he could have kept on keepin' on for so many years.

[@Booger-Magnolia]

Truly. He said “I’m so happy” hahah what a feeling

[@CasketGenneva]

hmm

[@Quebolas]

What an under rated comment. The spirit of exploration!

[@RainBoxRed]

Looks like the face of a child who is in awe.

[@adambushman6096]

It's like runners high

[@amsf1]

This is why you should never lose your imagination or creativity. Nor let anyone discourage you from your endeavor.

[@AbeIJnst]

3:19 Naming the variables "hobbel", "waggel" and "optil" (bounce, waddle and uplift) perfectly describes how humans actually walk.

[@NariGenghis]

Then he waddled away, waddle waddle...

[@arnoudh6203]

(optil = to lift)

[@1000_Gibibit]

Actually "waggelen" would be better translated as "waggling". Bounce in dutch would be "stuiteren"

[@AbeIJnst]

​@@1000_Gibibit Actually I did the translations from the top of my head. 'Waggling' to me is more like wobbling or 'wiebelen'. Synonyms galore. And to add: 'optil' isn't a real Dutch word like 'uplift' isn't really English. The verb is 'optillen' and 'I lift' would be 'ik til op' (one of those separable verbs).

[@dmoeller0]

@@NariGenghis 'Til the very next day

[@andyboone1739]

"Is this Science or Garbage? ... Dutch Art." Nah this is The Best Thing I've Ever Seen.

[@kaasmeester5903]

I never knew the Simpsons commented on these things. But they got it spot on

[@nicodesmidt4034]

It’s usually a thin line between the two 😅

[@GeorgeEllis-q1u]

Well Rembrandt was Dutch art also.

[@B.Ies_T.Nduhey]

And you are SO RIGHT!!! 🤩

[@HaloWolf102]

There is a game called 'Last Oasis' that uses these 'Strandbeests' in their game as mobile bases. I highly recommend it.

[@DeployAway]

What a Legend! I absolutely love people working on Analog tech. As a Software engineer, everyone around me is just putting on a microprocessor on things and calling it a day.

[@lorielizabethwade7505]

Yeah, it's got a nice look to it. This is how I feel about film photography and darkroom work.

[@Norweeg]

I’ve been on an FPGA kick lately. Being able to reprogram the logic gates of a chip on the fly feels a little more analog than your standard electronic devices, at least to me.

[@WrenHunt-l8q]

Yes!! analog is awesome

[@yensteel]

Does a punching card count as a digital or analog tech?

[@astral6749]

@@yensteel digital

[@DantalionNl]

In the Netherlands, this guy is generally perceived as a bit of a loony, but with this video. All his ideas and what he is working towards, the goals he has and the vision he is building upon, make sense. Thank you for putting this together, power to you Theo Jansen.

[@Evil_Q]

“I think I’ll go for a nice calming walk on the beach OH GOSH WHAT IS THAT”

[@basicallybangbang]

Ah, the sight of a walking contraption instantly transports you to the dystopian world of City 17, where the Combine's reign casts a shadow over the remnants of humanity.

[@WrenHunt-l8q]

dutch art

[@benstokes3377]

It keeps moving forward until all of its enemies are destroyed

[@thakrratul1109]

A giant Centipede😂

[@balaenopteramusculus]

Hahaha! I actually walk my dog on that beach. Seeing the strandbeesten is a familiar but always exciting sight.

[@milannossin2098]

I live in scheveningen and usually go to "het puntje" where his strandbeests are located and watch his creations come to life. It really is absolutely amazing to see and a big asset to the city. Its a sight to behold

[@PhotonBeast]

Oh man... that sounds awesome. I hope to get a chance to see him and his 'beests in person at some point.

[@_psyguy]

They're fascinating! I really wonder how he makes money, both to stay alive and also get materials etc. for these creatures.

[@KootFloris]

I love the evolving stuff, as in Theo reacting to questions that come up. I have two more for him: It says at 12:25 you need two things... No, you need four. the other two are: 3. being able to stay within the limits of the beach, thus being able to turn around and walk the other way, read stay safely within it's habitat. And thus 4. Being able to turn with the wind, or use flanking wind to keep the right direction. And or recognise borders of the beach, water edge on one side and dunes on the other.

[@Backstop05]

The exhibition in the Haags Museum couple years back was incredible, to basically see this whole evolution of this video in subsequent creatures posed outside the museum was really something.

[@ivanstefanac1144]

Going soon for sure

[@furn2313]

When they started talking about how it needs to avoid water I thought to myself “surely this is where we introduce at least one electronic component” but nope! This man is a genius !

[@XimCines]

Actually in 2020 (or was 2021?) NASA made a worldwide contest to achieve robots that doesn't rely on electronics to perform duties on Venus. I think NASA missed this guy. Jansen is seriously underrated! Edit: it was 2018 and he was required by NASA for that same project.

[@johanv4668]

it is like the borg. crude and effective. only big companies invent expensive things to get a profit.

[@ver_nick]

@XimCines Venus is an extremely violent planet, probably you could make heavy metal Strandbeests with metal sails as well, as winds there reach enormous speeds

[@luukderuijter1332]

A cpu is a rock we tricked into thinking. Surely tricking a bunch of sticks into thinking shouldn't be too hard

[@ver_nick]

@luukderuijter1332 to be fair it's a very complicated rock

[@nyghl]

This feels noble. Like a pure form of engineering. An actual showcase of being an inventor! From the motive to the way strandbeest has been developed, evolved. It is such a cool idea, and it also reflect upon us. Not everything has to have "some magical material" or a "miracle event" to create genuine stuff. Like the things strandbeest can do with just some junk is really impressive. It really shows that sometimes things don't need "magical" stuff and with some ingenuity a lot of things are possible. I believe as we become more intelligent and understand the nature even more, we can develop even more advanced and capable strandbeests!

[@core3gamegd587]

7 Veritasium videos in the last month is actually insane.

[@ThePeeingGamer]

must have a well-staffed team!! keep em’ coming

[@randomguy4616]

Bro locked in 🔥🔥🔥

[@mrDarktrooper]

@@randomguy4616 picking up where Tom Scott left off.

[@mip4422]

His boy’s tuition is not gonna pay itself

[@EbefrenRevo]

Insane for real. WAIT, that's doesn't mean we wouldn't get any new videos for the next 7 months ?!?!

[@HelloHSR]

I remember seeing those videos of strandbeest on KZbin when I was a kid. I thought they were fascinating, like something out of a movie. The design is a perfect combination of beauty and genius

[@neochrispogi]

BaconInATube in its natural habitat

[@Ataco2eat]

it would be cool if he found a way to make them reproduce

[@markmuller7962]

@@Ataco2eat Could actually happen with AI

[@neochrispogi]

@@markmuller7962 Sounds like a Mark Rober video; "I Made An AI To Make Videos For Me"

[@zaxmaxlax]

I always found them creepy but beautiful at the same time.

[@LordOstrik]

This man is literally creating pneumatic robotics that can learn to avoid the water. Thats so amazing

[@leannaerickson9745]

I have been interested in Strandbeest for years. This is a great video. It answers many of my questions, I learned more about Theo Jansen, and it is beautiful to watch. Thank you.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@candycoatedroxx]

I love how he describes the Strandbeests as animals. It really shows how much he cares about these ‘creatures’ and how passionate he is.

[@stellviahohenheim]

dude watch the whole video dude just wanted clout

[@-danR]

The animals' name has morphed into the phrase "Strong-based" in my brain and I cannot dislodge it. It is an earworm. I cannot unhear it.

[@BlueFlash215]

​@@stellviahohenheimI advise you to watch it again as well.

[@hughoxford8735]

It’s an animal. It moves. That’s what animal means.

[@MonkeyBurrito]

No, it's just weird.

[@shininio]

Derek Müller, Adam Savage and Theo Jansen in the same video gives me so much joy. I have huge respect for and admiration for those three. Fantastically done Veritasium!

[@costynvd]

I know right? Loving it!

[@Jeza921]

One of the key elements that makes strandbeests so interesting is the way art and science blend together. It is not just a feat of engineering, but also a symbol of continuous creativity. The development of strandbeests over the course of 12,419 days is not only a reflection of the progress of research and technological innovation, but also a journey of exploration into the intersection of science, art and knowledge.

[@MrFirefox]

Art, science and knowledge... they all lead back to nature.

[@Bspammer]

ChatGPT ass comment

[@newlifelodge]

Petroleum based creations are fine I guess, as long as it’s for “science.”

[@MidnightSunna]

I have been in love with Strandbeest for years, I love watching others gets to see and know about them

[@gooose7]

Its so fun to see big audiences get excited about these Dutch Strandbeesten! I ride my bicycle along a large outdoor collection of them every day on my way to school, and it is just amazing!

[@shriharivaidya872]

its crazy how some people chose an art form , dedicate their life to it and end up achieving or creating something that is beyond one's imagination

[@user-gu9yq5sj7c]

Look up Ra Paulette. He carved a lot of beautiful intricate carvings inside a cave in 25 years.

[@thakrratul1109]

Yeah I wonder what can i make

[@ixinor]

Kind of like Da Vinci and many others before him. Obession can be very powerful.

[@Sullyville]

At a time when so many of my childhood channels have quieted down, I'm glad to see peak Veritasium is here today.

[@Sullyville]

A like from Veritasium, wow! But seriously, I've been watching since I was like 12 and now here I am done with getting my master's degree, and Veritasium still hasn't run out of great ideas. You've even inspired me to make videos of my own!

[@Syzygizing]

@@Sullyvilleclassy plug if I’ve ever seen one.

[@adlockhungry304]

Word!!!!!

[@20thCentury_Turtle]

Yeah, it's like Vsauce ran out of content or something? Only Vsauce2 has new long formula videos, Vsauce and Vsauce3 are quiet. CGP grey has of course always been a bit reserved.

[@Aryan_homophobe]

It kinda breaks my heart that this amazing art/engineering project would most likely die with him. The world needs cute, impractical and inspiring things like this one.

[@Joneender]

yeah :(

[@etiennebrownlee4071]

His definition of the life force is very artistic but fundamentally true. Every living creature moves in order to harness and convert the energy from its surroundings in order to move in order to harness and convert the energy from its surroundings... And the cycle goes on and on until the elements defeat it like sands engulfing the Strandbeests on the shore. In its very core, life is merely matter with a desire to harness energy. The Strandbeest is probably the most primal interpretation of life I've ever seen made by anyone so far, and that is what I think makes it so captivating.

[@Kumoiwa]

I don't think Strandbeests are anywhere close to resembling life. The 2 main characteristics of life are: 1. interacting with your environment, which the Strandbeests do in a very very rudimentary way 2. reproduction which the Strandbeests are nowhere near close Don't get me wrong I still think it's a marvel of engineering but comparing it to living organisms is a far stretch

[@etiennebrownlee4071]

@@Kumoiwa Well I did say it was a great "primal interpretation" of life.. Meaning, it is only an interpretation of the primal idea of life.. If you look up the meaning of life in the encyclopaedia, you will see that there is no absolute defenition of life. Yes we have clearly defined life here on earth but it is not all encompassing. You can ask any scientists that we can only make wild guesses on how life could exist elsewhere and there could possibly be life forms that do not depend on reproduction at all.

[@mikeinjapan2004]

Omg please don't argue on semantics.... I do understand both contexts :)

[@nouhorni3229]

​@@Kumoiwa"I don't think they are anywhere close to resembling life" into "They fulfill one of my two criteria" is funny. I get what you're saying just the phrasing caught me.

[@nyghl]

@@Kumoiwa And aren't you simply belittling primordial life forms? Not every life form has to be the modern, developed ones we see right now to be considered "a life form". Sure, strandbeest still has a lot of way to go but it isn't that far from being a life form. It showcases a lot of mechanisms that a primitive life form does but since it is in an "unusual form" and also has weird actions you don't see it as that. Remember, the basis of current life forms we have right now is also from earth materials lol, just coupled in a really clever way at a REALLY long time frame.

[@richard-scholten]

Every kid (but mostly boys) in the Netherlands grew up with these yellow tubes. They are meant for electrical installations to guide the wires. But kids use them to create blowpipes and shoot berries and paper darts. At each other or a target, preferably through the neighbors' open windows :)

[@costynvd]

Haha yea I was a little sad the video didn't mention what the raw materials were, other than the zip ties and tape

[@kylefreeman8084]

Hope this comment makes it to the top. It's a wholesome insight into the daily life of a child living thousands of miles away.

[@Reflexzzzz]

Ty for unlocking a childhood memory. These pipes were awesome as kids, you made darts out of old newspaper, put it in the pipe and rip it off so it's a snug fit. You'd decorate your pipe with colored tape so you wouldn't confuse it for your friends' (and make it look cool)

[@pietervanderveld3096]

We used a white berry, the "sneeuwbes", fitted marvelously. Got the polica after us one day, because one car drivers was not happy being a taget and complained.

[@sirBrouwer]

We my brother and I would ad a balloon to the back of the pipes (we kept the pipe short) and then fire the berries. worked even better.

[@Echiewel]

You've given me a new appreciation of Theo's work. The story about figuring out the legs is amazing. It's essentially what today we might call a machine learning algorithm or when selling it artificial intelligence. Except he first had to translate a real world problem into an equivalent simulation, then have it machine-learn within the limitations of a 1990 home computer and then translate it back into the real world and it worked. That's pretty badass.

[@Kumoiwa]

Nowadays using a machine learning algorithm is as easy as opening a Collab Notebook on your browser and importing scikit-learn but in the 90s it must have been an odyssey. I would love a deep dive on how he designed that algorithm.

[@Josh-d2m]

It's not "essentially" ML, it is. This is called a genetic algorithm, it's a very well established way of finding solutions to complicated problems dating back to Turing. Theo probably learnt it in university. The problem he was solving can be expressed entirely mathematically, so we wouldn't call it a simulation although I can see why you think that. Very cool indeed, I wonder how much better a solution we could get these days by instancing a GPU cluster in Google Collab or something! I imagine this would be a solved problem.

[@Josh-d2m]

​@@Kumoiwait's not too crazy, in the 90s comsci students are doing this in second year. The GA part is actually really simple, you just need to list the variables, have a heuristic function (which determines how successful the result is, ie how flat the bottom is), then a function that takes a list of these parameters and generates a lot more new ones. The code for this part would have been relatively short, in the realm of dozens of loc. The code for computing the path would be longer. The longest by far would be the code to display it in a GUI!

[@jamesgage5418]

I have not seen any comments about having read Jansens book "The Great Pretender", where he describes the entire project in detail as an experiment in evolution. Worth the read. I purchased directly from his website.

[@fruitiger]

Dude your channel is legit become a monster of content production, I love every episode. This is better than anything on television.

[@bhuuthesecond]

Wayyy better than any science or technology programs on TV. I actually think youtubers completely took over informative or educational content.

[@h7opolo]

boycott anime

[@bluecup25]

Contendbeest

[@thestarseeker8196]

@@bhuuthesecondin the day we had Nova, today we’ve got Ve, Brave Wilderness, and Cool Worlds

[@squee147]

I've been a fan of Theo Jansen for over a decade now. So excited to watch this

[@HubertMikaProductions]

There's nothing more inspiring in this world than seeing a man who dedicated his entire life to something beautiful.

[@kshoggi]

something useful would be better

[@AlexanderNash]

It is useful, it generated this piece of entertainment. I mean if you think entertainment is useless then I don't understand why you're even here​@@kshoggi

[@draco6349]

@@kshoggi low-effort troll, do better

[@dutchuncle2716]

@@kshoggi You small-minded fool.

[@Zzyzzyx]

​@@kshoggi Something useful would be more useful. Not necessarily better. 1) Humans need beauty too; 2) there may be uses as yet unknown.

[@Dr.Hiccup]

I avoided watching this video for a couple days cuz the title and thumbnail weren’t captivating. I’m really glad I ended up watching it because this is probably one of the coolest videos I’ve seen in a long time

[@GuyWithAnAmazingHat]

Back in animation art school I wrote a paper about memes and evolution with a section focusing on the Strandbeest. As Aristotle said: "Art is the mimesis of nature" and Richard Dawkins stated that memes are "a unit of cultural transmission". This makes Strandbeest a mimetic entity that survives and reproduces through artists and engineers, it will continue to exist as long as people have interest in it.

[@rattttooooo]

completely agreed!

[@RolandoGarza]

Wow. I hadn't thought about it that way. Thanks for that!

[@ixinor]

Those are deep expressions. Lovely!

[@julioaurelio]

Deep Insights.

[@litterbox019]

there is no antimemetics division

[@tom-on]

I love that he made a pneumatic transistor for this

[@busybillyb33]

If the computer wasn't invented already, this is the guy who would make sure it was.

[@jenniferstrover1276]

I saw this and immediately thought of the Difference Engine. Mechanical computing is SO FASCINATING

[@ExpressoMechanicTV]

The fact that he does all of this with plastic tubes, bottles and cable ties, is truly remarkable. An absolute genius.

[@brookscoleman1890]

Thanks for the numbers. I'm building a walking truck and seeing the links and tube lengths will save me a bunch of experimenting.

[@eriktempelman2097]

I met Theo twice, via a mutual friend. He is kind, modest, astonishingly smart, and best of all, a total cookie. If you can meet him, by all means do so - failing that, find his writing.

[@ongsosr6308]

The Strandbeests remind me of Studio Ghibli. The way they move and the aesthetic of the body parts remind me of a creature in one of those movies.

[@totaltechno7510]

God a studio ghibli biography about Theo Jansen would be so amazing.

[@Rawilow]

​@@totaltechno7510 love this idea

[@eldafint]

Very much have that "gentle-giant" vibe that a lot of ghibli creatures have, I love it!

[@stanleymurray]

Howls Moving Castle

[@user-s3ts8my2x]

The castle from howls moving castle!

[@OscarLT321]

Strandbeest has inspired me as a Dutch mechanical engineer for a very long time. The way he combines practical knowledge and art is amazing. Machines used to be 100% mechanical. Then they became a big part electric. Now it is software as well! I love the progression, seeing all different fields come together to make better and better machines. That being said, there is something magical about 100% mechanical machines, perfectly captured in the Strandbeesten. Unexpected to see Strandbeesten on this channel, hopefully inspiring many others!

[@Ropeorsnake]

it does seem as if they’ve been around for many years

[@devinm524]

Absolutely Incredible I can't thank you enough for producing editing and uploading this content, I feel like there is more room for details and insights the length is good but the content is super compelling minor criticism 19:34 it might be unfair to minimize Theo's passions into the iconic legacy he has created. He harbors an even greater trait, the desire to discover truths in engineering, I'm not an engineer myself but I feel like we can all recognize that sentiment with just a small amount of imagination. This needs to be taught in schools across the world. again thank you

[@uToobeD]

This is like one of those things that you'd find in a Leonardo sketchbook :P Wow

[@modernNeanderthal800]

At the beginning I thought that he would say Leonardo was his inspiration

[@ExistentialExperienceMusic]

This is the most innovative and creative engineering I've seen in a long time. Theo Jansen is truly a modern-day genius, blending art with mechanics in such a unique way. The Strandbeests are not just machines; they're almost like living sculptures that evolve with each iteration. Absolutely mesmerizing!

[@fallboardmusic]

I went to go see them at the Exploratorium a few years ago and was the only one who showed up for the demo that afternoon so the docent just asked me to help him push it around. Those things are HEAVY!

[@nav4688]

oh no was he sad no one else joined?

[@EthanMilesBennett]

Sir, could you please make a video explaining this concept in detail? When books mention two containers with different concentrations of substances A and B, connected by a semipermeable membrane, they describe how diffusion occurs. Substance A moves from its higher concentration to its lower concentration until equilibrium is reached, and the same happens for substance B. What exactly happens at the molecular level during this process? How do the particles "decide" to move, and why does this movement stop at equilibrium? Additionally, for gases, diffusion occurs based on the partial pressure of the individual gases. Could you explain why gases move from higher to lower partial pressure and how this process works at a molecular level? A detailed explanation would be highly beneficial.

[@MANOFTIME]

This reignited my passion for engineering, theo is amazing on so many levels. It looks so complicated yet so simple from the outside and the more you learn about it the more interesting it becomes. Figuring out the challenges of realigning itself from when it's entering the water to storing the energy in a simple yet elegant way is so fascinating to me. Thank you Derek and Casper for this amazing video.

[@KootFloris]

I love the evolving stuff, as in Theo reacting to questions that come up. I have two more for him: It says at 12:25 you need two things... No, you need four. the other two are: 3. being able to stay within the limits of the beach, thus being able to turn around and walk the other way, .and 4. Turn with the wind, or use flanking wind to keep the right direction.

[@ixinor]

@@KootFloris Contact Theo and tell him that. :)

[@sleepingkirby]

8:18 "...explained that having a couple inches of play ...was missions critical...and that's apparently how our walking works." I'm so glad I learned that when I learned animation. So yeah, for those that don't know, walking is essentially a continuous motion of you falling forward and catching yourself.

[@lassipls]

I had the video playing and I swear 2 seconds after I read your comment I hear Adam say the exact same line. We live in a simulation

[@soi5730]

@@lassipls Simulation confirmed.

[@slipstream53]

which is why walking on the moon is so difficult, you fall slower

[@mlee6050]

No wonder animate me before I was 21 was easy, I literally walk easy without bending knees unless climb stairs

[@ParkeWithoutReverse]

So then WHAT ABOUT those heel to toe sobriety tests? You don't get a couple inches of play, so you fail, sober or straight, you fail.

[@chicobicalho5621]

They are fascinating, beautiful, and enchanting. But, I cannot stop thinking of the unbelievable labour intensive process, not only to design and built these amazing objects, but the logistics of transporting, and deploying them, then packing them up and bringing them back to wherever they came from. For every 30 seconds of awe we experience watching them on KZbin, there must be countless exhausting hours of work from a substantial crew, to transport and deploy them. That said, it would be most interesting to see a "making of" of sorts, showing the entire process from packing them for transport, unpacking, and deploying them. Everything about these objects is mind blowing to me.

[@ManumanuHappy]

His workshop is quite literally at the beach, so I think he just walks them there.

[@athaphian]

Thanks for this video! As a fellow Dutchman I love that this work is spreading all over the world.

[@AlexRimbey-j2j]

This guy is super humble but once you get a glimpse into how he does this you realize he's a genius

[@richardlorse690]

Why 'but' 😂

[@LalaDepala_00]

​@richardlorse690 The use of 'but' here is correct. The man is pretending like it isn't a big deal what he is doing (being humble) BUT it IS a big thing that he's doing.

[@sjuns5159]

​@@LalaDepala_00 Yeah "and" would sound weird here. Though of course purely logically "but" just means "and (but I'm a bit surprised about the next part)". Many slavic languages (e.g. Russian, Polish) actually have a three-way distinction. "i" is just "and", "a" means "and but there's two somewhat opposing things, and there's another word for "but", with a clearer opposition (Polish "ale", Russian "nó")

[@AlexRimbey-j2j]

@@richardlorse690 because he presents this project like it's just a simple interactive art piece without over explaining all the difficult work and thinking that goes into it. Like I have seen the leg structure he uses before, but I never knew that he spent so much time writing code to find optimal patterns, and all this back when it was a very complicated problem for computers to solve. It didn't really hit me until he showed the logic gates hes making with valves and how quickly he was able to say "it would only take about 20 cells" to get the machine to turn around, like clearly he has put a lot of effort into figuring out to accomplish that goal, it's not just a concept.

[@LithiumThiefMusic]

I LOVE Theo Jansen!!! So stoked you did a video about his little walky dudes

[@Rhiogh8462]

At every problem I was goin there's no way this can be done without a microcontroller and a bunch of sensors but the guy pulls out a contraption and goes "there, easy!". I love the way things are engineered purely mechanically without any electronics like the good ol'days

[@stanislavczebinski994]

It's amazing to see how little you actually need to solve a mechanical problem - if you put enough brains into it. The way he figured out natural walking is just ingenious. Many robotic companies with big budgets in the millions couldn't get it right for many years. And here is this Dutch artist - who solved this highly complicated mathematical problem many professional mathematicians failed at. I have nothing but respect for this guy.

[@phinicebear6781]

Idk if I’m just a raving mythbusters fan but Adam deserves a monument or a statue or something. A creative and kind human being who made me interested in questions I don’t know the answers to.

[@tsirakura1684]

I grew up on mythbusters and now I’m becoming a researcher

[@julioaurelio]

Adam Savage is a personal hero of mine as well. His passion is contagious.

[@RonnieStanley-tc6vi]

When I was younger, i built industrial control systems. Once, I worked with some Korean guys that machined these 2"×2" acrylic blocks with air passages that had logic within their valves and passage ways. They could be linked together like a function block program. They used compressed air to control industrial sewing machine systems. Apparently, the material moving over the machines produced so much static that it screwed up sensitive electronics. Seeing this guy expain his water sensing valves reminded me of those controls. They were some of the coolest and most complex valve systems i had ever seen and were transparent. So, you could actually trace the air circuit path just by looking closely.

[@HildeTheOkayish]

That's very interesting! I'm kind of glad to hear that even in our modern world of electronics there is still place for those kinds of analogue contraptions

[@321ooo123]

@RonnieStanley-tc6vi CVT transmissions have similar "hydraulic logic" in them, right?

[@anotherstupidhipster3551]

​@@321ooo123multi-grared automatic transmissions do have systems like this to select gears. CVTs use two cones and a belt between them to achieve gear ratios.

[@calcarmichael755]

It never ceases to amaze me with how often this channel is able to produce such high quality content nearly every week. KZbin channels normally have to choose between quality and quantity, but Veritasium is the exception that can deliver both.

[@TIFFandDRETV]

This has got to be the most creative thing I’ve ever seen. This is what a “dream come true” looks like. Human consciousness is infinite.

[@itssoaztek4592]

I have been following Theo's channel for years. He does amazing work. So glad he gets some recognition here.

[@igoresque]

This video feels like a fever dream, but a weirdly good kind

[@crgo1008]

Like some alternate reality object we don't know it true purpose, like the Rick and morty plumbus.

[@DreadEnder]

18:00 “sold as fossils.” Love that.

[@shahs3262]

This reminds me of that game where your clan has land ships like these and you attack and take over other peoples "ships"

[@Emulation_Inflation]

Adam Savage was the inspiration in my childhood. I used to record every single Mythbusters episode. When i first saw this thing walking across the beach, i blew away.

[@theothertonydutch]

Must have been a windy day huh?

[@Mongo966]

@@theothertonydutch be nice.

[@dogodogo5891]

overrated adam savage just a guy with crab mentality and many tools look the differences a true real artist and engineer himself, jensen, he just happily explain what happened without doing ego bs this n that

[@Mongo966]

@@dogodogo5891 and what are you? just a guy with an opinion? let adam do what he does and theo can do what he does. we can love them both.

[@neochrispogi]

We have reached peak Veritasium, look how often he's posting 🔥

[@Ataco2eat]

real

[@Ataco2eat]

i hope it stay like this for a long time

[@jaktheawesome]

@@Ataco2eatsame. It’d be nice to always have frequent posts.

[@Ataco2eat]

and really good quality

[@BooBaddyBig]

Hopefully no!

[@nerdcorez101]

i Cant thank you enough for using your resources to put this into the view of a wider audience than before! These things are one of my favourite things to look at online. So glad this video exists now.

[@janekschmidt9015]

your topic selection is just crazy good, great video

[@AngryDuck79]

He's still doing this? I heard about these things years and years and years ago and it amazes me that he's still going.

[@ATHFNoobie]

As someone who has never seen or heard of these before, I am truly in awe at how elegant and majestic these beest are.

[@kevin-e5h5t]

Jansen is amazing. It is magical and the peak of whimsy. A task for any Physics student to ponder. With levers, wedges, wheels. cams and wings, it is a joy to watch.

[@JolynBowler]

Thank you for this wonderful update on the Strandbeest. I remember when Adam Sarage built his and have enjoyed Tested and the Strandbeests for years. 💙🌻💙

[@acsody]

Theo Jansen to me seems the epitome of dutch ingenuity. No-nonsense bordering mad scientist. Always admired that trait.

[@tabletopstudios3550]

I did a research paper on the strandbeest a couple years ago. It’s cool to see it explained much better by you.

[@hassanrao470]

15:40 what a priceless smile, this is a man doing what he loves

[@asysyifasuryaprayitna8833]

this guy was an artist, mathematician, engineer and all of the crazy things at the same time

[@Maxjoker98]

16:30 Very cool! That man just demonstrated a simple but complete logic(NOT+OR) family made out of literal tubes and pipes, then build a simple oscillator out of it. Awesome!

[@gorilladisco9108]

It's amazing that Theo Jansen didn't have computer education. He invented the names for his device components by himself. One Japanese reporter once pointed that a component was a NAND GATE, but he said he named it LIAR SWITCH, because it went the inverse of the input.

[@LoisoPondohva]

​@@gorilladisco9108 honestly, as a computer engineer, I'm calling it a Liar Switch from now on.

[@NostraDavid2]

And it's analog as well - a "nerve" can be closed partially. Pretty amazing stuff!

[@robertl4522]

It reminds me of Minecraft redstone.

[@Maxjoker98]

@robertl4522 Yes! In fact, a redstone torch placed on a block behaves the same(NOT gate): You can power the block, and the torch will turn off, otherwise it will be on.

[@mrcure23]

I feel like Veritasium is growing from a channel into a network with all these weekly releases. As a science teacher, I am excited for all the future content coming our way in such a engaging and digestible format.

[@aydinsurdyke]

Imagine walking on a beach and you see this thing charging at you

[@forksarefree]

"Oh, this is how I die. Interesting. At least it's not a boring way to go."

[@geoffreyparker926]

I'm sure you could walk faster than that thing could charge! But you might be in danger of dying laughing! ❤🤠

[@kimzeeytv]

Run the opposite direction 😂

[@CasparvanderLinden]

Run sideways/perpendicular. Apparently they're not handling fast turning... yet

[@helloman3676]

“Can I pet that dog?” 😂😂😂

[@MindfullEase]

Mr. Theo Johnson, you have gained another follower one day I myself will make this Strandbeest

[@GBOAC]

Jansen

[@MindfullEase]

@@GBOAC thank you

[@yooper5638]

I used the Holy Numbers to model and animate the Strandbeest linkage in Blender about ten years back. It worked! The ground contact patch was perfect. I love these complex mechanisms - We could have digital computers without electricity if that was the only option available, but they'd be enormous and powered by steam.

[@dvd2970]

Its called a steam engine 🎉 so many prove arround us that ‘development is degeneration’

[@Yahula1edits]

and slow

[@MrTurbo_]

A steam computer, now that seems like a fun project

[@PhotonBeast]

We've actually (sort of) done that already. In the relatively recent past, there have been a few examples of water-based computers. The earliest version was in the Soviet Union which made one in 1936. And there are some air-based ones, though that seems to be less developed. But all are fluids of some sort.

[@kevinbeazy]

@@PhotonBeastthat’s been proven false

[@timbenton450]

We need people like this because they exist for the same reason an Einstein exists. They have a random configuration of heightened intellectual faculties + novel imaginations. Sometimes this produces Strandbeests and sometimes it produces the General Theory of Relativity.

[@Big5ocks]

I’m sure there were people 150 years ago that said ‘why do we need light bulbs? we have candles’. When he started talking about the nervous system he was building, I wonder if we will see this have an amazing future application…?

[@guniogun7524]

0:16 snot ?

[@DonariaRegia]

Myth confirmed!

[@jamesMwebber]

And boogers too!

[@basicallybangbang]

Savage's wonderful language flair that totally paints a visceral picture of what's being described! ❤

[@anthonyshiels9273]

Hot glue. 😊

[@nugboy420]

It’s not.

[@noahenevold9448]

Glad to see a dev that actually cares about his fans and continues to provide updates to the game

[@patrickdegenaar9495]

making that mechanical water sensing transistor blew my mind! Wow... just wow!!!!

[@TomsTimmervan]

Nice, he is is such a legend, used to always walk my dogs by his workshop on the hill and he would always provide them with water whilst talking about the projects.

[@timofey-sak]

21:22 What is this song??? I need it!!!

[@rumourplays]

Ai song I believe

[@kumakohai7499]

Hopefully some crazy person will turn it into an actual song, coz this is a banger already ​@@rumourplays

[@hititwithit]

​@@rumourplays Sounds like it

[@aestinoct]

It's AI. I loved the video up until that point.

[@rumourplays]

@@aestinoct it's inevitable so get over it.

[@philiptaylor7902]

I saw an exhibition of Strandbeests in Chicago several years ago. When one was activated and it walked across the hall towards the audience there was a collective intake of breath, an exclamation of pure wonder. Theo Jansen is a genius.

[@CanadianOptionsTrader]

I've never heard of this before! Very cool! This guy deserves an award for contributing to the beauty of our planet! ❤

[@stubbydinosaur4332]

i remember seeing these things in my engineering class and just remembered how cool these looked to me

[@Vociferous]

I imagine the dawning horror and confusion cracking through the radio chatter... Humans discover a Mars like planet, once the home of a long dead civilisation.. empty and barren save thier immortal strandbeests, resentfully using the wind to power an eternal march that will never end.... Echos of a long extinguished lilt, whimpering wheels sing thier song.

[@boi7316]

What's lilt?

[@iwikal]

@@boi7316from Merriam-Webster: lilt (noun) 1. a spirited and usually cheerful song or tune 2. a rhythmical swing, flow, or cadence 3. a springy buoyant movement You're welcome

[@boi7316]

@iwikal Thank you

[@ixinor]

@@iwikal I guess like blowing wind through a tunnel? And in this case PVC pipes?

[@iwikal]

@@ixinor I assumed it was the figurative music of that long dead civilization, the song of their people if you will. But mixing that metaphor with "extinguished", like a fire, is certainly an interesting choice. We may never know what was truly meant. Unless @Vociferous comes back to elaborate.