What Really Happened at the Arecibo Telescope?

On the morning of December 1st, 2020, one of the most iconic astronomical instruments in the world collapsed. The Arecibo Telescope was not only one of the largest radio telescopes in the world, it was also a fascinating problem in structural engineering. Its loss was felt across the world. This video provides a quick lesson on radio telescopes, a summary of the failure, and some discussion about the engineering lessons learned in the wake of the event. I hope that eventually, they can replace the telescope with an instrument as futuristic and forward-looking as the Arecibo telescope was when first conceived. It was an ambitious and inspiring structure, and we sure will miss it.
Watch this video and the entire Practical Engineering catalog ad-free on Nebula: go.nebula.tv/practical-engine...
Practical Engineering is a KZbin channel about infrastructure and the human-made world around us. It is hosted, written, and produced by Grady Hillhouse. We have new videos posted regularly, so please subscribe for updates. If you enjoyed the video, hit that ‘like’ button, give us a comment, or watch another of our videos!
CONNECT WITH ME
____________________________________
Website: practical.engineering
Twitter: / hillhousegrady
Instagram: / practicalengineering
Reddit: / practicalengineering
Facebook: / practicalengineergrady​
Patreon: / practicalengineering
SPONSORSHIP INQUIRIES
____________________________________
Please email my agent at [e-mail]
DISCLAIMER
____________________________________
This is not engineering advice. Everything here is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Contact an engineer licensed to practice in your area if you need professional advice or services. All non-licensed clips used for fair use commentary, criticism, and educational purposes.
SPECIAL THANKS
____________________________________
Stock video and imagery provided by Getty Images, Shutterstock, Alamy, and Videoblocks.
Tonic and Energy by Elexive is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License
Source: • Elexive - Tonic and En...
Producer/Writer/Host: Grady Hillhouse
Assistant Producer: Wesley Crump
Script Editor: Ralph Crewe

[@PracticalEngineeringChannel]

🚧 When was the first time you heard of Arecibo? 👷 Check out my coverage of other engineering events: kzbin.info/aero/PLTZM4MrZKfW_kLNg2HZxzCBEF-2AuR_vP

[@elll300]

i first saw it from James bond as a kid, I always liked the idea of going to see it but what a shame.

[@danacoleman4007]

probably on an X-Files episode

[@gus473]

We learned about it from "The Weekly Reader" newsletter we got in elementary school! (So maybe the same year President Kennedy was assassinated?) Favorite view of El Radar 📡 (and New Mexico's Very Large Array) is in the movie "Contact!" ✌🏼😎

[@Borikwine]

I was born in Puerto Rico and I have been in the observatory many times, every science class from almost every school in PR made field trips year around to the site. It was sad to see the demise of the Arecibo observatory but years of poorly funded maintenance and tropical weather took a toll on a technological and architectural beauty like the Arecibo observatory. Thanks for the video, I am not an engineer but I truly enjoy your videos as they explain in layperson terms a lot of the “magic” of building and construction.

[@pj-tt6vi]

X-files season 2 premiere

[@shooplah4745]

BF4 Players be like: Ya bud, it’s called levolution and it’s a part of the map.

[@robinenbernhard]

Some guy with C4 and poor sniper in top

[@mccrystalkai1002]

You made my day, thank you

[@la_treta]

Good times

[@tollieman5750]

New bf5 looking great so far

[@arkangel6281]

I am just amazed how accurately the developers from Bf4 got this right with the levolution.

[@calvinjudy5994]

The engineers who established the safe zones, and recommended the structure be demolished so that they wouldn't risk lives on futile attempts to save it, should be honored. They very likely saved numerous lives with their assessment and education.

[@AyCe]

You only get recognition if you act after a catastrophe, preventative measures are usually ignored. People don't value what they can't immediately see.

[@ZNotFound]

@@BS-cz6tw Your name is accurate.

[@Llortnerof]

@@BS-cz6tw Failed at what? They got it exactly right. There was no practical way of retaining the structure. Preventing people from getting injured was the best anybody could have done at that point.

[@antiseth3964]

Yeah sometimes as engineers and scientists you just have to know when to quit. It’s clear that someone not only said it, but that they acted on it and created the safe zones while supervising close observation of the structure. Catching that failure of the cables close up on a drone is insanely lucky.

[@jeffstanley4593]

Not only that but they recommended destruction instead of bilking millions of dollars for an impossible repair. This is very rare these days.

[@lunawenko9324]

I first saw this telescope in Goldeneye, thinking it was just a made-up set to have some cool base for the villain. When I learned that it actually is a real place, I was instantly fascinated and interested in the structure

[@captricharddee3634]

For England James. Buy me a pint.

[@mavez6322]

@@captricharddee3634 No.... for me.

[@michaelrmurphy2734]

Guinness or Kilkenny?

[@lunawenko9324]

@@michaelrmurphy2734 Guinness

[@The_BIG_salad]

​@@michaelrmurphy2734 Blatz

[@marli01]

Puerto Rican here. I did multiple field trips to the "Radio telescopio de Arecibo" as we called it. One with my school and one with my family just for fun. It was norml to go admire it since it meant so much to us. Even today, if you mention it to a Puerto Rican from the island we think of it with sadness. When it fell it was all anyone could think about. We really did lose an icon.

[@bronks76]

What is going on now with it,will it be rebuilt?

[@marli01]

@@bronks76 So far there had been discussions about rebuilding but no actual plans are set. Only budget has been discussed to remove the debris. The station is still being used to study space but they don't have their main instrument.

[@bronks76]

@@marli01 What I have seen the damages are not too big,in that case shouldn't be difficult to repair,only good will.

[@a.c.4054]

@@bronks76 rebuild for what? It was obsolete and there are plenty of instruments that do a much better job than it did.

[@matthewhayes6806]

As a gringo mid western man myself I'll tell you that it hurt me as well. My girlfriend is native Puerto Rican and moved and i went to Carolina San Juan. I spent time with the family and then on our vacation west to the farthest of PR. I wish we visited. Holds a lot to me at least. At least a youngling. It's a beautiful place.

[@chickendrawsdogs3343]

The engineers saw it coming and took safety measures, that's extremely commendable.

[@sirfer6969]

Yeah they saw it coming, but nobody did anything about it. Shame on the people that allowed this to happen. F'n losers.

[@aemrt5745]

@@sirfer6969 Did you watch the video? They could not repair it without an extreme risk to the crews involved. They did not think there was sufficient margin in the cable system after the initial cable failures and recommended a controlled demolition. The engineers absolutely made the right call. And these are not the people who caused the lack of funds that caused the issue. That was determined by administrative politics. Given what happened, if the construction work began it would have likely pushed the structure to failure with potentially fatal results. Armchair engineers would then say they should have anticipated the collapse and it was too dangerous to repair.

[@_Wai_Wai_]

they saw it coming probably because they knew NASA/NSF budget has been cut.

[@_Wai_Wai_]

@@aemrt5745 Well, if they didn't let the telescope deteriorate to this state, it might not have been too dangerous to repair. When you have USA spending $750 Billion a year for military expansion, and neglecting roads, and science research, this is what happens. Oh BTW, the James Webb telescope launch has been delayed to til December. Once it launches can they guarantee it will be without flaws? I remember the Hubble Telescope that was launched decades ago, they then found a major flaw in the main mirror and had to spend $$'s to fix the flaw. typical of American Aerospace.....

[@aemrt5745]

@@_Wai_Wai_ LOL. Typical American Aerospace invented the airplane, created commercial air travel, supersonic flight, devloped rocketry, landed men on the moon, sent probes to all the planets, created satellite communication, GPS, weather satellites, materials technology, faster computers, digital imaging, etc etc. So yeah, I am VERY proud of our Aerospace industry and very proud to have worked in it. Your standard of living would be lower without it. And pushing the frontier carries risk, as any engineering endeavor does. I am proud and happy to be in a nation that is bold and takes risk.

[@silverhammer8464]

It's really crazy how accurate the DICE team was at recreating it and even the damage after the receiver fell in game

[@ClassicalGamerYT.]

2 days late goddamn as soon as i saw this vid i thought bf4 rogue trabsmission

[@gamingpero11]

Bro BF4 was made in 2014

[@silverhammer8464]

@@gamingpero11 that's my point, almost like dice predicted it

[@gamingpero11]

@@silverhammer8464 ye

[@jackleadbetter2987]

thats the first thing i thought of when i seen this lmao

[@auntiejen5376]

I remember seeing news of the collapse. At the time, I thought it had just been allowed to deteriorate because it was obsolete. I'm both gratified and sad to know that was not the case.

[@jovetj]

Yeah, I thought I generally knew the whole story of its collapse, too.

[@Lyvey]

My grandfather was an engineer, he helped build and maintain the Arecibo Observatory. For many years he was in charge of changing out the line feeds to change frequencies. He worked many years on that thing. I should ask him how he feels about it collapsing.

[@artantme]

So what did he say? (Hope he is doing well!)

[@ridge6496]

I hope your grandpa never knew or found out what these "telescopes" are really actually used for.

[@langjr0]

@@ridge6496 which is for what?

[@kutter_ttl6786]

​@@langjr0 He doesn't know. Anything he would have said would have some made up conspiracy.

[@jayzee895]

Everything comes to an end. You, I, the earth, the universe will (eventually)... and even then the end of anything is always the beginning of something new...

[@crispay8304]

“What really happened?” Simple, a Recon player over the course of 10 minutes placed and demolished each of the supporting wires using his C4

[@jaekamacho1416]

"i understood that reference!" 👌🏼😁

[@aaronkough3810]

Glad i wasnt the only one who thought of BF4 here

[@guineapig1133]

Yep

[@tickytock2853]

I thought this was literally a battlefield real life documentary when I clicked on it

[@stickiedmin6508]

"C what?" Are you talking about Jeep Stuff?

[@SomeoneCommenting]

You have to admit that this was one of the luckiest drone inspections in history. They were right there, at the right moment, pointing the cameras in the precise point of failure. This is precious footage for investigations and to show how this kind of failure happens in real life.

[@HyperMario64]

While this is fortunate, they heard the cables breaking which is why they were remotely inspecting the terminations at the first place.

[@DevinEMILE]

That last cable really tried hard to hold it. Second one went as soon as it got more weight, that last one had some fight in it

[@halseytaylor9522]

Absolutely. This footage may become as common in university engineering programs as the film of the Tacoma Narrows bridge.

[@M1911jln]

The cables were making loud noises as they failed, which prompted the staff to launch the drone. So it wasn't just luck.

[@catc8927]

@@badpaw Wow, go take your conspiracy theories elsewhere.

[@effortlessproductions]

I respect that they decided to keep the crews’ safety in mind as the top priority, that’s very commendable

[@russell-di8js]

That report they made probably saved lives & definitely saved $$$s, & probably under all sorts of pressure themselves. A great piece of independent engineering work & well appreciated i hope!!

[@j.w.grayson6937]

In early 2000's I was involved in the SETI project, thus I was well aware of Arecibo. When we visited PR for a cruise arond 2015, we went in a few days early and took a tour of the facility. It was very impressive!

[@GammaCatch]

-"For England, James?" -"No, for Me."

[@Pronoodleeater126]

Based comment

[@deathdealer312]

Best comment

[@gamingcouplelife559]

Lol, yeah, that's the first thing I thought of too 🤣

[@SnabbKassa]

You nicked my joke lol

[@iamjakeystyley]

I had to scroll way too long for this comment 😎🤌

[@malvoliosf]

From Grady’s description of the situation, the question in my mind is not “why did it fall?” but “how on Earth did it stay up as long as it did?” Low safety margins, unique design, constant exposure to salt air and tropical sun, frequent hurricanes, and in at least one case, shoddy workmanship. It seems that receiver was staying up there mostly from force of habit.

[@NAUT758]

😂its almost like curiosity rover. Its kept getting saved by random events working years after it was expected. Edit: opportunity rover

[@ADAMJWAITE]

As I understand it from watching other videos on the subject, one thing Grady didn't touch on was that adding the additional scientific instruments to the suspended structure added significant weight and stresses to the original infrastructure that over time, may have contributed to the collapse.

[@malvoliosf]

@@ADAMJWAITE reminds me of the Asimov story “Shah Guido G.”

[@ps.2]

@@ADAMJWAITE Yeah he did, 5:35

[@NAUT758]

@@ADAMJWAITE he did talk about it

[@kermitefrog64]

I have been to Arecibo twice. There were a number of objects including comets that were studied. It was very impressive.

[@TheCtrumbo]

I’ve been fascinated with the structure since Golden Eye. Sad to see go, awesome it was captured on film at the moment of failure.

[@snafubar447]

"These steel cables were installed 70 years ago, they are perfectly safe." As someone who worked in preventative maintenance for a decade, I don't trust anything that hasn't had a major inspection or overhaul after X amount of hours, let alone DECADES.

[@vg2b713]

The Brooklyn Bridge and other old cabled bridges are still standing.

[@LKN117]

@@vg2b713 The Brooklyn Bridge has had major structural repairs done in the last 5 years or so. Arecibo had not had anything of the sort in a far longer time frame. That's also not taking any of the environmental stresses taken by each structure or their intended uses into account. You are comparing apples to oranges.

[@vg2b713]

@@LKN117 Just saying that the dish cables were under-designed.

[@johndododoe1411]

@@LKN117 Consider the number of decades between construction and maintenance on the Brooklyn bridge, that's still a lot. But Arecibo replacement should be designed with a significant safety factor and a regime to completely lower the platform for inspection and maintenance more than once per year.

[@TigerOscar78]

Every man made structure needs maintenance, period!

[@dvoicer6785]

Man, props to the engineers who got those excellent shots of the telescope failing. I mean, it's sad and all, but at least the shots are really cool, because we get to see it failing it really great detail.

[@LillaVya]

I'm sure that footage will help them to know what happened!

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

The drone footage was a stroke of luck really, as they were evaluating the remaining cables.

[@aerodynamicist4]

I suspect the air turbulence from the presence of the drone was the final straw for those cables

[@owenkegg5608]

@@aerodynamicist4 This is satire, right? (Sorry, hard to tell)

[@GradeEhCanadian]

@@owenkegg5608 wow alot of slow people here today

[@yonason6047]

I was surprised and disappointed when it happened, but was unable to find info on why it had or if there were plans to rebuild. You’ve not only supplied that, but provided backstory as well. Interesting how satisfying a thorough analysis of an event like this can be. Even more satisfying to hear that lives were not wasted by taking unacceptable risks. Very nicely done video. Thanks.

[@graemeroberts2935]

Your commentary is so precise and scrupulously honest, Grady. Your values are in themselves a great inspiration and example to up and coming engineers. Thank you!

[@SeekerKnight]

As a child of the 50s, this facility was a scientific icon. A source of national pride. It was every bit as important as the space race in those respects. Such a shame to see it meet such a tragic end.

[@Oliviaheckel]

It even went beyond national pride for some. As a Mexican kid, I remembered feeling pride in humanity learning about it. Space science has been among the best ambassadors and goodwill creators for US interests around the world since the 50s.

[@jesusjesus534]

Well as a Puerto Rican. This facility filled me with pride. That my country Puerto Rico was home to this telescope.

[@SeekerKnight]

@@jesusjesus534 It was definitely a super installation at the time!

[@zzztriplezzz5264]

@@jesusjesus534 fellow Puerto Rican I know you are proud, but don’t call Puerto Rico a country. It isn’t!

[@yanne-pierre4624]

@@zzztriplezzz5264 and what is it

[@RyanRiopel]

In the late 2000s I was running SETI@Home, processing data from this telescope. I thought it was the coolest thing as a kid. Sad that this happened. Edit: I found in my e-mails that I joined 15 October 2006!

[@mrxmry3264]

yeah, i crunched numbers for SETI too. first it was a standalone project, then it switched over to BOINC. i stopped crunching numbers when i hit a million points.

[@NathanielHatley]

Me too.

[@1contrarian]

Same here. I eventually moved to Folding@Home.

[@mrxmry3264]

@@1contrarian i did some folding too, but when they found the covid vaccines, i stopped that too.

[@lnteIIigence]

I was experimenting with different condiments to mix with tuna instead of mayo. Ketchup is a maybe.

[@Hummingbirdaerial]

After a previous visit to the island, we finally had the opportunity to visit the observatory in February 2020. It was amazing and I was able to get drone footage of the structure. That might have been some of the last footage obtained before its collapse. Little did I know at the time that that would be the last time I would see it. Very glad I did.

[@csApollo11]

Ever since I watched the movie Contact when I was in middle school back in 2002, I wanted to visit here. 20 years later, now it's gone. I had 20 years, but I wasted. Sadness, would be an understatement. Now, I must go see the VLA.

[@mattmullett9521]

Well if I learned one thing, its that cable dehumidification systems exist.

[@nateb4630]

They're common in communications cables, both twisted-pair (outdoor telephone lines) and coax (radio broadcast towers). A dry-nitrogen supply, or an air-compressor-dehumidifier, will be regulated to a low pressure that's routed into the cable's interstitial space, to ensure that any cracks in the jacket result in air leaking out, rather than water leaking in. The cable pressurization gas almost always goes through a flow meter on the way, and flow readings are regularly taken as part of maintenance, to assess jacket condition.

[@danielmcnulty8736]

@@nateb4630 I had absolutely no idea. Every time I learn something like this, I come to the conclusion that there was more to know that I’m capable of knowing. And that there is more out there than I had any idea how complicated the world is. So damn cool.

[@jmr-marc]

humidity in the forest is present continiously

[@Danoliveira3]

Tom scott has a great video on it

[@Tracomaster]

Tom Scott has a video on that called "how to stop a colossal bridge from corroding"

[@mr.wiskers8163]

engineers: I wonder why our structure failed. Battlefield 4 players: ‘sweating profusely'

[@TrudeaisaWEFpuppet]

Yea pretty sure it was my bad. Crashed my jet into it

[@2handsome2die]

Turns out this jeep stuff works on cables, too.

[@MarcGyverIt]

I was thinking the same thing lol

[@qxTorii]

_whistling while holding my RPG_

[@alicorn3924]

Well on BF2042 there is a launch site that we might be able to blow up.

[@c-bass9968]

We in Puerto Rico knew it was scheduled to be closed and possibly demolished so we were working on pushing through a rescue plan just before the earthquake hit that is speculated to have caused the wires to fail. Ever since 2020, Puerto Rico has been experiencing violent earthquakes which, although mostly confined to the south, did occur on multiple occasions in our north coast precisely above the municipality of Arecibo. I remember when the news came out that day, there were reports of an earthquake in the north. I just hope that for the sake of my island we can rebuild/reuse that space for scientific research.

[@LuisMorales-bp3sx]

My dad lived right in Arecibo... In a barrio called Esperanza. It was literally right by the coffee shop thats like 2 miles from the entrance of the observatory.. Had amazing times. Thanks for the great memories and thanks for this awesome video @practicalengineering. 💪🏾🇵🇷

[@Syamzaf]

Battlefield players: "Hey ive seen this one, ive seen this one its a classic!"

[@greenkoopa]

Yeah it's the last level from Goldeneye 😀

[@NerfDaPig]

I thought this instantly, but at least I know where the map came from now

[@radtap]

The dish map on bf4 is set in 2020 aswell lmfao

[@random71856]

Bit of rogue transmission

[@ShroudedWolf51]

@The Monster Under Your Bed "People aren't allowed to enjoy things I don't!"

[@LucyKosaki]

That one time where the only available footage wasn't recorded by a toaster : D

[@DxBlack]

Flying sky-toaster in HD :(

[@Carolina-Mary]

But if alien ships zapped the cables with their anti earth telescope ray guns it would most certainly have been recorded by a toaster.

[@noobplayer_23]

2 actually in full HD

[@ericv00]

*potato

[@davidt1d]

@@ericv00 *toaster

[@jamescox7007]

Once again you explain difficult engineering concepts so the many armchair engineers can understand what actually happaned. My hats off to you my friend. I have tried to explain some of my work to my wife but fail because of technical jargon. You have a unique gift and should become a collage / university professor.

[@seanriopel3132]

I spent 10 minutes watching the failure happen frame by frame (that's the < and > keys when your paused by the way). It is amazing watching a single strand go, then two more, then BAM. the whole cable. The tower sways from the release of lateral tension then the next cable begins to fail. Absolutely amazing. A tragedy no doubt but still stunning that a drone happened to be in the air at the exact moment of failure.

[@markchisholm2657]

In the offshore construction industry we test every year all wire ropes and discard every five years regardless of cost. Factor of safety is between 4 and 8x depending on use. It would be inconceivable to have wire ropes in use this long.

[@ctdieselnut]

This video is proof of why that's a good idea. What else is still being used in your life from 1963?

[@pinpetos]

@@ctdieselnut I have a toaster from around that era. Oh wait, the power cable has been replaced 😄

[@markchisholm2657]

@@ctdieselnut Thing is that it's known that all wire ropes fail. The speed of failure is dependent upon use but it's an absolute cast iron guarantee that at some point they fail and if they are not pressure greased and move then the lifespan is short.

[@Pyxis10]

@@ctdieselnut I have a few utensils from before that era. Then again, they're utensils. Kind of hard to break those.

[@Jehty21]

Now I wonder how often the ropes on bridges get replaced, if at all.

[@Alex-Lay]

I wish that closer to the collapse someone had mentioned that the towers were named for their position on a clock. I'd never heard the naming until now, so it always seemed odd to hear 'tower 4'

[@owensmith7530]

Yes, I remember thinking at the time "hang on a minute, there are only 3, what do you mean 'tower 4'?!"

[@a735Alexis]

i would of been so frustrated to hear " tower 4 failed" while being certain there were only 3. real gaslighting lmao

[@ErickC]

@@a735Alexis : THERE - ARE - THREE - TOWERS!

[@owensmith7530]

@@a735Alexis The three towers are numbered 4, 8 and 12 for their positions on a clock face.

[@a735Alexis]

@@owensmith7530 you are dense

[@frederickhalgedahl8725]

Hi Grady. Thanks so much for this clear and concise run down on the engineering behind Arecibo. I'm in my 70s and ever since I was a boy I've been inspired by this structure. I was saddened by its demise and in a very real way devastated by its collapse. Your clear-eyed appreciation for the facility and its important work over the years is greatly appreciated. I've driven by the VLA, and even that fleeting glimpse was impressive. And, of course, there are larger radio telescopes, such as the ALMA on the high plain of the Atacama Desert in Chile. But-China's larger facility aside-Arecibo's unique size and natural setting will always serve as an important statement about humankind's irrepressible curiosity. My thanks again for making this video. FH

[@kjamison5951]

Thanks, Grady! It would be fitting to rebuild this facility to modern standards with a different type of detector but I have read the site will be redesigned to be a leading edge STEM facility.

[@unformedeight]

Goldeneye people are very aware of this place "For england james?" "No, for me"

[@thewrathofforce1147]

Lol

[@L_e_o]

That's how I came to this video, wanting to visit the place from goldeneye. Unfortunately won't be possible now

[@Redstagwsmnp]

Bond, James Bond

[@Darkoriax17]

I was just about to ask “isn’t this the antenna cradle from Goldeneye? …that scene was about the most brutal I ever saw 007. Alec had screwed him over one too many times and he was like “screw the mission, I just want you dead.” Hence the line you mentioned. Alec was trying to taunt him and be like “finishing the mission like a good little lapdog?” “No, I just want you dead” The way his face went from a taunting smirk to a look of terror further illustrates that this was a very rare side of Bond, one who takes a personal vendetta over the mission. He realized his folly too late, and thus Janus was finished.

[@megabolt5898]

I was hoping I'd find at least 1 Goldeneye comment here~

[@xDeadMedic]

13:00 He mentions how the chipped paint indicates strand failure, and a great display of that is at 13:17 when the nearest cable absolutely shreds all of its paint in a matter of seconds as the cable unravels.

[@johnsmith1474]

Which itself is a sign of other underlying problems namely improper maintenance. As you have seen for instance on a car, the paint on properly prepped metal does not flake off in for instance an accident. A proper paint coating for this safety application would be paint that bonds completely to the substrate, ie a bonding rust preventative metal primer that could not possibly "flake off" with a proper waterproof top coat. This flaking material looks like water based latex paint which of course encourages rust. Typical PR low quality work and bad inspection processes.

[@phitzwellthundercock3894]

I was fortunate enough to have visited this incredible telescope. It’s really hard to comprehend just how massive it really was by watching vids on it. It was one of those moments when you see it from the observatory platform that amazes what humanity can build, breathtaking. Such a shame they let go out like this. 😢

[@michaelmello42]

What an outstanding video with loads of engineering detail! I plan to show portions of it in my Statics & Mechanics of Materials course, for example, the discussion of the catenary equation starting at 8:50.

[@thecatofnineswords]

Built in the early 1960s, survived until 2020, that's almost 60 years of service. For a structure built without computer modelling, that's a good life. I commend the engineers who built it. I commend the science it brought to us. The learning! and lastly, commendations to the engineers who decreed it to unsafe to repair, for it was. Vale, Arecibo. You did well.

[@StonyRC]

The Cat of Nine Swords - VERY well phrased. The structure was an outstanding success.

[@Abrdoks]

Union Suspension Bridge (1820) is still functioning, but hey, I salute the heroes who were too scared to get near a telescope to repair it.

[@SeveralBirbs]

@@Abrdoks would you rather they risk their life?

[@Sasasala386]

@@Abrdoks Dumbest comment of the week. You think this is a movie kid?

[@Abrdoks]

@@Sasasala386 Yes, a movie called "A Bug's Life".

[@miguelsoto1840]

I'm from Puerto Rico and have lived here since l was born, l went on a school trip to the radio telescope and it was the most amazing experience ever, thank you for making this video in honor of this masterpiece of engineering. It was very sad and depressive when it collapsed🥺💔.

[@John-jc3ty]

you broke it omg

[@robsonwilianwinchester9726]

My condolences to continental American's and Americans from Isla of Puerto Rico.

[@fallendown8828]

RIP big mirror thing

[@jamesnewcomer4939]

The saddest part is that the U.S. is no longer the kind of country to REBUILD such a valuable asset!

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@Miguel Soto >>> FWIW: I used to be in the US Coast Guard. I deployed to USCG Air Station Borinquen a few times, and actually flew over the dish a couple of times while there. I -- and others with me -- wanted to visit Arecibo, but we never had enough spare time to do it. I retired from the USCG in 2003, but I STILL would have loved to return to P.R. to visit the site. Too late now...😞

[@archangel1221]

The fact that it could emit (work as a radar) was amazing. It was crucial in mapping asteroids and other near earth orbit items.

[@cartersmith6628]

Even though the loss of the structure was great it’s good to hear that the safety concerns of the people that would be working on it took priority

[@jonathanbr7_]

The video of the collapse was heartbreaking..

[@stabileseitenlage]

Just imagine maintaining this Telescope for decades and then when everything is going south, while looking for a way to get it back on track, you are watching it fail in real time through a drone, from just meters away. I bet he felt his stomach drop, as soon as he saw the additional cable snap.

[@michaelmccarthy4615]

Its sad, but they all knew it was failing... its life span was approaching

[@MikeHarris1984]

It was so hard to watch knowing that there is a TON of data and knowledge (yet to be discovered) crashing down with it for so many years to come.

[@calholli]

It was built in the 60's... It was time for it to go.

[@ninadsbhatt100]

It was amazing luck, though

[@Piracanto]

Having lived in Puerto Rico, and having been to this observatory several times with my infant daughter when I was there, I really felt sad when I leaned this happened. Truly a sad tragedy.

[@toordog1753]

Nothing happened, it was done intentionally. I dont understand where this guy gets his information, my office literally set up screens and watched the count down to cable burn...

[@Piracanto]

@@toordog1753 He says he got the information from the forensic report.... Where could we find reliable information?

[@owensmith7530]

@@toordog1753 There was no cable burn, they were still trying to work out how to safely demolish it when it collapsed by itself.

[@borghorsa1902]

Puerto Rico should invest into their own science and don't rely on other countries. That's the only way a proud culture can be born

[@owensmith7530]

@@borghorsa1902 Puerta Rico is too small to fund something world beating like Arecibo. It's like suggesting the UK fund it's own manned lunar landing, it's way beyond what can be afforded.

[@lezleefeetsgoddess]

This was a fascinating and fantastic video. Luv your videos and thanks for making them. Such a shame to lose this great telescope.

[@henrywit6147]

Awesome video. Extremely informative. I do hope plans are made to rebuild at some point, with modern technologies obviously.

[@WyvernApalis]

Engineers: you'll need to demolish it Arceibo: YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!

[@mememan7515]

XD

[@buzzynut]

"Hold my beer..."

[@pedrofellipe8028]

You can't fire me, I quit!

[@abe_linc02]

Onjijio m.oo n

[@desertsolopsism]

😂😂

[@raemckay]

Images of Arecibo Observatory were included on the Voyager probe “Golden Records”. Carl Sagan mused that the records would long outlive us and our civilization, and seeing the structure crumble really brought that home for me.

[@Glen.Danielsen]

Brother Hillhouse, thank you for a thorough, incisive, and fascinating narrative! Worth the time start to finish!

[@brianpesci]

Very informative, seeing the graphs that showed the kips of load/stress brought back bad memories of my statics and strength of materials class.

[@Valgrind850]

Can’t believe the news barely covered this, if at all

[@MylesMartinez]

Well, the coof and the election were kinda taking up America's collective attention bandwidth.

[@matthewmillar3804]

No kidding. I had no idea it collapsed.

[@bapt_andthebasses]

Dude there's a high killing virus going on!!!

[@QuantumRads]

@@bapt_andthebasses Lol you watch too much of the news. It has like a 98% recovery rate.

[@bapt_andthebasses]

@@QuantumRads i was being ironic 😂

[@theshevanel]

It took long enough, but James Bond finally destroyed the Goldeneye.

[@greenyawgmoth]

I AM INVINCIBLE!

[@emperorfaiz]

For England, James?

[@lamar5429]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@Gogettor]

Should rename it to Cradle.

[@Kiwiherm]

Finally a comment that encompassed what I though when I saw this video

[@MartinAston00]

LOVE THIS CHANNEL ! ..most I know find it weird, but I absolutely love these deep dives👍

[@brahm-ahamasmi]

Brady is a magician. He can write epics on scientific topics. His non-hyperbolic genuine jargon keeps his storytelling interesting. So much to learn from him for all Science teachers

[@michaelhawthorne8696]

That drone couldn't have been in a better place. This footage reveals so much of a catastrophic event you could ever want.....The support towers move so much too.

[@Musikur]

It's actually a shame that they turn in around, we miss the gantry falling, and because of the turn also miss the tower collapsing

[@dandanthedandan7558]

@@Musikur I'd want to see the center of the telescope more than the tower falling

[@mimiwey9014]

As a Puerto Rican, I went to the Arecibo Telescope on a High School trip, it broke my heart when it collapsed :(

[@hectormelendez7196]

Well, I've visited many times and every single one of them was getting worse. It was a matter of time and human hand to bring it down.

[@colspiracy8326]

Aw that's so sad. What was the name of your high school? 😉

[@royeb63]

As a non-Puerto Rican I never got the chance to visit it, but it still broke my heart when it collapsed. I hope they build a new and better one at the site.

[@vettemuziekjes]

and what did you learn on this schooltrip ?

[@colspiracy8326]

@@vettemuziekjes she learnt that it was in the film 'Contact'.

[@jimbaker4931]

Great engineering based presentation. I’m looking forward to more practical Engineering!

[@CapoEL21]

Fascinating... It's a failure of humanity how this was allowed to happen. Thankfully, no one lost their lives. The engineers examining this phenomenon are amazing

[@JanTuts]

Wait, what? The dish was made of aluminium plates on steel cables, suspended over the valley?! For some reason, I always though it was concrete, built directly on the valley floor!

[@sergeysmirnov1062]

Me as well, yeah, was stunned when I found out back then.

[@derrickhappytree]

Yeah seriously when Alec Trevelyan landed on it in Goldeneye it was solid

[@frollard]

derek has it - definitely Goldeneye screwed up that belief :)

[@psansoucy]

The dish was originally a series of suspended cables, far above the ground below - 100 feet or more. The plates were added to the cables years after I was there in 1968.

[@RNCHFND]

@@psansoucy Like a net?

[@HermanHiebert]

Sounds like a success story. They saw it coming, and nobody got hurt.

[@JainZar1]

This. It is a stark contrast to the overblown media coverage we got when the telescope collapsed.

[@daebak7370]

We are fighting against purveyors of massive lies misinformation and manipulation of the highest order. Freemasons control every sector of society. New world order led by obama and pope francis is coming. Jesus christ is coming back for the rapture. Get ready. Dont believe the coming ufo alien abduction narrative

[@JainZar1]

@@daebak7370 Also Ferrero is a front company for the Grey Ones, why else would they produce "Tic Tac's", way before humanity became aware of the UAPs?

[@uzijn]

@@daebak7370 What's the UFO alien abduction narrative?

[@inparis5724]

@@daebak7370 go nuts brother, I work for the CIA and im watching you right now. Wave!

[@user-js4zx1lr2u]

I never knew that the dish wasn't made from concrete. The way it was actually build is amazing.

[@typryor2227]

It’s not every day you get to see such a catastrophic failure from such a large structure.

[@WellCookedPotatoes]

Laughs in BF4

[@starstencahl8985]

@@WellCookedPotatoes In real life

[@ilovefunnyamv2nd]

@@WellCookedPotatoes yeah you're laughing, but like starsten said, real life. This is a structure so large its difficult to contemplate, a 3 football fields wide diameter dish. This is nothing like building something with TnT in minecraft

[@WooferCooker]

Laughs in Florida condo

[@Stripdancer100]

Ty Pryor Look for "Stadium roof collapse kills worker in Russia", it's a tragically epic scene

[@SonakaG]

"The Jewel of Puerto Rico" Oh how it hurts my heart to see it break. Thank god no one got hurt in the collapse. As a Puerto Rican who grew up on the Island and visited the place during a middle school field trip, I never thought this would ever happen, from up close it just looks so perfectly designed and sturdy, a testament to the Puerto Rican spirit. man... my heart goes out to all the researchers there, may god bless them, and hopefully we can recreate her, but stronger and better equipped for our harsh weather.

[@G30RG303]

Puerto Rican here as well. And i basically feel a you do as someone who went there in elementary or middle school.. it is heart breaking to see such a beautiful structure fall. I'm hoping to be alive if they do something with that place.

[@austinevplab7167]

I alway knew *of it* but now I know *_about it_* What incredible videos of the collapse! Thank you for a great job.

[@hasnoname4815]

Thank you for covering this; I lived close to the telescope and got to visit before it went down.

[@needamuffin]

That drone footage is amazing and terrifying. The energy involved in the snap is clear and its destructive potential for anything in its way must've been unheard of. It's fascinating, and I imagine extremely helpful, to have such clear footage of such a catastrophic failure.

[@arader17]

I thought it was really interesting how when the cable snaps it sheds all of the paint in an instant.

[@rapidrabbit7175]

This is where Rice Crispys got their sound effects.

[@stephenhurd1489]

Almost like they needed evidence.... Hmm

[@aemrt5745]

Steel cable are extremely dangerous and demand respect. Even small load applications (such as car winches) can be lethal if the cable snaps. Regular inspections are a must and always anticipate where it may move if it fails and stay clear of that area. There is tremendous potential energy under load.

[@derchozenvun83]

Divine intervention.

[@andvil01]

Todays words are: redundancy and safety factor. Don't you ever forget them.

[@HambertHM]

You cannot rely only on safety factor and redundancy when both of those characteristics can be affected over time due to corrosion and other incidents. They are very dynamic over time, difficult to predict and modelate, and that is the problem here.

[@BeingMe23]

@@HambertHM If they rebuild it. They need to use galvanized cable and do yearly inspections.

[@mrl22222]

also consider design life. I doubt the military specified a design life of over 50 years, Design life plays heavily into material and assembly decisions all along hte line. Although "maintenance" can extend the life of just about anything, it won't last forever. concrete and steel designed for 50 years may last to 60, but probebly not 70...

[@lachlanhudson7404]

@@mrl22222 funny you give that 50 year mark saying that with proper maintenance, keeping it til 60 is quite likely... most of the US's original infrastructure during the highway boom was designed for that 50 year mark and here we are approaching that 70 years xD

[@D00000T]

@@HambertHM today’s additional phrase is: responsible maintenance

[@sonjasleeper1511]

Always interesting stuff, helps me learn more about how things work

[@robschlotterbeck2566]

The people in PR don’t work, as they told me when I was a manager there “this is paradise, no one is in a hurry!” Nothing about the maintenance shocks me. I was building cellular phone sites there and was shocked at how bad the existing towers were.

[@robertc49]

I ran across that telescope so many times in my youth. Golden Eye. N64.

[@littlefishbigpond5769]

“For England James”

[@lorriecarrel9962]

Good memories,that was a fun time in my life

[@spoiledmilk2587]

Bf4

[@pabloata4708]

"Just Cause 2" =)

[@charliepearce8767]

Robert c, "Ran across it ?" Physically ran ?

[@smokie3248]

As someone who regularly pours sockets for my job, I really appreciate the attention to details in this video. I want to share this with my crew, this is a great teaching tool to the importance of following procedures every single time. Great work!

[@liesdamnlies3372]

Hope you did. Screw-up or get lazy on critical infrastructure and people die.

[@JWRay-xh9wl]

Yeah,brother don't I know it,you don't follow procedures that keep you alive,well....

[@honda0303031]

You don’t pour nuthin

[@smokie3248]

There’s always one! So, what do you do for a living?

[@honda0303031]

@@smokie3248 just a joke buddy. I actually do rigging. Been rigging for over 18 years. Poured many spelter sockets building mast raising lines. Biggest we were able to do was 2-1/4”.

[@itsmehere1]

Has any of the investigations about the collapse ended yet? in the video he mentions it may take years for them to finish and its been 2 and in a few moths 3 years since it happened so I am wondering if they have finished yet.

[@michaelhirschbuhl1823]

These videos are always so well researched and presented!!!

[@christheother9088]

A guy tried to get me to climb a 30 foot light duty ladder ( I was heavier than the recommended maximum weight ) - he cited the "safety factor" should allow me to safely use it. I refused.

[@soaringvulture]

I wouldn't climb a 30-foot ladder under any conditions, safety factor or not.

[@christheother9088]

@@soaringvulture I ended up buying a heavy duty one that weighed alot - but once you got it set up it was like a staircase.

[@brad885]

@@soaringvulture I do it every day. With the proper tie offs it's quite safe.

[@Markle2k]

@@brad885 Not with me on it. My legs start shaking about 15 feet up if I'm not on a platform. My fear of heights is more a fear of losing control and falling. Standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon, or an observation floor in a tall building, or even in a light aircraft thousands of feet over the ground, no problem. Also, since I got a concussion after I got hit by a car, I get vertigo easily.

[@johnsmith1474]

Sounds like your heart attack risk exceeds your ladder risk.

[@monkeyvittles]

In engineering, failures are often just as important as successes. It's reassuring to see that this is being investigated so thoroughly. Hopefully we learn a lot about what happened, and apply that in the future.

[@michaelramos2121]

Corruption and bad maintenance is what happened.

[@mattlogue1300]

Mike, it was so unexpected I have a feeling it could of been sabotage.

[@ianchandley]

We are only as good as our last failure……. No matter how many risks we identify or know about, there will always be something that has never been imagined.

[@ivonneriveraalswager4865]

And Who will pay...Cornell Uni. or Puerto Rico?

[@ivonneriveraalswager4865]

@@michaelramos2121 Agreed Bad maintance! nothing last 4 ever.

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

I'm curious as to what the projected lifespan of the installation was when it was first created? Imagine the failure must sadly have a economic impact on Puerto Rico too - glad to hear sections of the facility are still usable, hopefully that's helping to mitigate that somewhat.

[@archangelliii2536]

Not really. I grew up there and wasn't a main source of income as far as jobs go.

[@glitchy_weasel]

Arecibo has definitely an icon of Puerto Rico, despite not being so popular in later years. Fantastic video!

[@omahanprabla3058]

As a Puerto Rican who could see the telescope from my backyard, thank you so much for making this video. I'm pretty sad how this installation went down. The time and passion you put into your videos is incredible, I feel like I'm in class learning something new.

[@dethrophes7283]

Given it was built 70 years ago for an immediate military need and lasted for 70 years... I'd say the margin of safety was fine. If anything the issue was one of up keep and maintenance.

[@danfr]

Agreed, the "trying for years to divert funds" was probably the beginning of Arecibo's end. You can't maintain something if the funds you need to maintain it are being scraped away. I don't really blame them for trying to divert funds though. The real blame probably lies in how criminally underfunded scientific organizations are. They're one of the first things to get cuts despite often providing a lot of value for what funds you do put in.

[@x--.]

@@danfr I like your point -- it also shows why it's so important for engineers, designers, administrators and whoever else is getting paid to look after our equipment to *be honest* about the state of things. I can't help but feeling that _someone_ knew how little margin there was and should have warned what would happen.

[@jackt6595]

Yeah the main cables should have been replaced at some point. Or at least one of them taken off the examine how they were holding up.

[@CIubDuck]

This is much like NASAs probes and satellites, they over-engineer them and tell us they won't last for long. They give us a "disappointing" estimated lifetime of like 15 years, but 40 years later they are still perfectly functional and operational. I love that the engineers gives a low lifetime guarantee, just so that they can surprise us later how much longer they actually lasted because of their amazing engineering.

[@dekonfrost7]

We have better ways now, of doing what it did.

[@albertschepis]

Very interesting. I did not know the structure collapsed until seeing this video today. I do like how "Practical Engineering" presents things.

[@vitamc1213]

Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) died here. It's a shame you can no longer use it for communicating with an EMP satellite 😪

[@AtotehZ]

15:13 This has saved many structures. A notable one was a skyscraper in New York where they miscalculated the forces high winds would have on it from a specific angle. If I remember correctly it was caught by a student who got in contact with the designer of the building to let him know. If the building had failed, many thousands could've died.

[@L1m3r]

Good talk about exactly that "incident" -> "The building built on stilts - Nickolas Means" kzbin.info/www/bejne/hH27qqZvq8yKn7s The crisis management even played through the domino effect of that building tipping neighboring skyscrapers and so on ...

[@austinreeves5221]

yeah i watched that video.

[@Aikisbest]

Ive been watching a bunch of vids on air travel accidents lately, and this makes me think of all the accidents that they determined might have been avoided if the less experienced/ranked person in the cockpit actually felt like they could speak up about concerns they might have, or to actually take action when their superior is seemingly doing a mistake. I can only imagine how many times someone like this student have been (and still will be) given a big "FU" in response to bringing up issues like this.

[@goochfitness26]

@@Aikisbest I been watching them videos too that's how i got here🤣

[@wizardgmb]

The deficiency was not in design calculations but rather a change from welded steel joints to bolted ones that wasn't recalculted. The student was strongly rebuffed by the designer during a phone conversation but just to be thorough the designer went back over his calculations & the "as built" drawings. To his horror he discovered the student was correct; the building was susceptible to corner forces (most rectangular buildings are more susceptible to face forces) from major storms such as hurricanes. After contemplating suicide, he contacted Citigroup executives & devised plans to remedy the problem by having swarms of welders descend upon the building after occupants departed at night & installing a backup electric generator for a balance pendulum. Citicorp was so thankful for his honesty they covered $6M of the $8M retrofit not covered by the designer's insurance. The problem was kept under wraps for 20 years & the student didn't find out what she set in motion until 5 years later.

[@lucasalvarez8524]

The only thing *more* incredible than the ingenuity and scale of the Arecibo Telescope, is that this video didn't once reference Golden Eye. Well done, sir.

[@leopineda6198]

Nor Contact!

[@zackh5413]

1v1 cradle slappers only

[@derrickhappytree]

@@zackh5413 🤚💢 😆

[@jesuslovesyou-mattsmith1502]

@@zackh5413 took me a minute but great comment!

[@tateranus4365]

Or battlefield.

[@amenhotepavoskin1307]

The Arecibo Telescope played a big role in Robert Zemeckis' 1997 movie Contact starring Jodie Foster. Brilliant movie, entertaining and educating, provoking and profound, with excellent plot and beautiful actors. RIP El Radar, you will be remembered fondly.

[@rejvaik00]

And in Golden Eye too

[@Y34RZERO]

After Fort Clayton Panama was closed, my family moved to Puerto Rico. My dad took me when I was young. It was amazing. 007 Goldeneye vibes(I was really into the 007 Goldeneye game on N64 at the time).

[@straightfaceguy7966]

57 years is a good innings for that telescope, you need to remember when it was "rushed" to track incoming nukes longevity wasnt on the cards.

[@Musikur]

Probably the reason for the low structural margins as described

[@spugintrntl]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@huntergman8338]

Like any other government project.

[@BloodPshyco73]

I find it a little impressive it lasted for 57 years considering

[@krystal_vector5412]

My mother grew up on the island and we were heartbroken when it collapsed, it was built before she was born so all she’s ever known was that telescope always being there. I was lucky enough to go and see the dish many years ago when we were visiting the island. There isn’t a single picture that fully captures how massive it was. A true marvel of engineering, an invaluable scientific tool, and a cultural icon. You will be missed.

[@hectorperezphotographer]

Great video. Had the chance to visit the site a couple of times before its demise.

[@michaelcoursey8614]

Thanks for clarifying this situation.🤔

[@diimelojay]

I’ve visited the observatory many times, as a Puerto Rican I’m glad that you cover this topic. It didn’t make much news but it surely was a great loss for the island and science community alike! Thank you! 🇵🇷

[@Gallinaciega_PR]

ay cand understan wat you say put am living in Puerto Rico bro

[@Gallinaciega_PR]

like

[@Musikur]

Gee, feels like I saw the news everywhere, but maybe thats the circles I hang in

[@tonyy2961]

@@justinchinoz2951 I guess we are too proud of being Puerto Ricans🇵🇷😁

[@chatteyj]

What it didn't make much news in Peurto rico? like what else is there to report there lol

[@DavidHHermanson]

The techniques of inspection, pioneered for cable stay bridges, clearly were not applied early enough [if at all] to Arecibo. The most telling statement of real responsibility for this disaster: "The NSF had been trying for years to divert Arecibo funds to newer projects."

[@loganiushere]

We need more science funding So that we don't have to pick between newer projects and older ones

[@DavidHHermanson]

​@@loganiushere Yes! We also need to be doing a better job teaching science and math, starting with the primary level.In spite of the latest wave of "MAST" curricula, far too often poorly trained teachers, bad or compromised curricula, and textbooks that emphasise "facts" (usually out of date or censored at the time of publication) instead of methods and the joy of discovery, give us high school graduates who confuse the factual with the capital "t" Truth of religions and politicians. This leaves our children unprepared for the existential threats they will face. Science has given humanity methods to improve food supplies, sanitation and healthcare in ways unimaginable to earlier generations. Its commercial misuse now endangers us all, but the answer is not to wait for mass extinction, but better science, more generously funded and conducted by more people, all in a manner prioritizing the securing of life instead of profits.

[@MrAntiKnowledge]

I think they were lucky the 2nd cable failed and raised concerns before any repairs started. It was unexpected, meaning their first model actually said the structure was safe to work on.

[@chrisrussell7758]

I was lucky enough to know a man that was an engineer of sorts on this project, he was awesome

[@henrywhite2984]

That drone footage should be part of horror movie night at every engineering school on the planet.

[@staberdearth3130]

I’m glad to hear that the recommendations of the engineers were heeded. Unlike, the warnings issued to NASA by the Morton Thiokol engineer who advised that, due to too low ambient launch temperatures the Challenge shuttle not be launched in 1986. He was ignored which more than tragically cost astronaut lives.

[@TheBrassn]

But then again if we listened to every voice predicting a failure we would have achieved only a fraction of where we are today.

[@K-IA]

@@TheBrassn yep. It's easy to say this after the fact. People can say anything about anything, if it happens, they say I said that. If it didn't, they'll just shrug it off.

[@archlich4489]

I saw this place featured on an episode of "3-2-1 Contact" when I was a kid. Sad to see it come to this.

[@randyralls9658]

Amazingly someone was pointing a drone camera at the right place at the perfect time. 😮 just amazing