(soft whistling)
(soft music)
- Oh, Mamrie.
I can't wait for us to get to America
and start making science videos together.
And I know that I'm just a humble YouTuber,
but I promise I'm gonna find
enough brand deals to support us.
- I don't think we're gonna have
to worry about that.
- Oh, wow. (laughs)
- Yeah, kind of belongs to someone else,
but I don't think he's gonna mind.
- I mean, that is huge, it's almost as big as a--
- Iceberg. - Oh, I don't know
if it's that big, but...
- No, iceberg!
(dramatic music)
- Oh, no.
Look out!
(metal crashing)
Okay.
I'm Jake and before
I was on the deck of a now sinking ship,
I had two loves in my life: science and movies,
so I decided to put myself in the classic film Titanic,
because it isn't so much the sinking that we have
to worry about, but rather what we're sinking into.
Water, so I want to explore that.
Specifically, buoyancy and how it works,
and also how it doesn't.
And find out if you could survive...
jumping into the ocean
from a ship of this height.
And the effects of hypothermia
and extremely cold water.
I can't feel my hands anymore.
Could you survive Titanic?
Well, we know that people did because of lifeboats
and rescue teams and also history,
and we also know that people died... really terribly.
But that's neither here nor there.
Could you survive the movie Titanic?
(dramatic music)
What a crazy 30 hours it's been. I met the love of my life,
a young upper-crust woman who somehow fell for me,
a simple YouTuber and I taught her science and she taught me...
how to love.
But all of that will be for nothing
if we can't find a way to survive this sinking ship.
Which, if history repeats itself,
should be underwater in about... oh, two hours
and thirty-five minutes.
- Hold on, I specifically booked a ticket on this ship
because they said it was unsinkable.
How's this happening?
- Well, it's because of buoyancy or in our case,
the lack of it.
Allow me to explain. - Okay.
Okay.
- We know that water is made up
of two elements: hydrogen and oxygen.
But what does that have to do with holding up
a massive 52 000-ton ship?
Well, the polar bond between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms
is what's responsible for water's density,
that is how closely packed together the molecules are.
And that density
is what leads to buoyancy.
To understand why this massive ship floats,
at least, for a little while longer,
we need to understand how buoyancy works.
Please, after you.
(inspiring orchestral music)
Buoyancy is the upward force exerted by water on an object.
In short, an object will float if it weighs less than the water
that it pushes out of the way or displaces.
If it doesn't,
it sinks.
Like this steal block.
So, the key to making an ocean-liner float
is to make sure that the weight of the displaced water
is greater than the ship.
This model ship contains the exact same amount of steel
as the block that we just saw.
But the difference is
that the ship is shaped in such a way that a lot of its volume
is taken up by air and with the steel spread out,
providing a larger surface area,
it can displace even more water.
And the runoff water we're collecting weighs as much
if not more than the ship.
Cool, but what about our current situation?
Well, the Titanic was said to be unsinkable,
because it had 16 separate watertight compartments
full of air.
And it was built so that even if leaks in as many as
four of those compartments caused them to fill with water,
the ship would still weigh less than the water it displaced
and it would stay afloat, which is great news.
Unfortunately, the iceberg we just encountered
tore through six.
So...
(bubbling)
According to history, we now have about...
(dramatic music)
...two hours until this steel beast weighs more
than the water it's displacing.
So, Mamrie, if we don't do something quick...
- Lifeboats! - Oh!
(chuckles)
(dramatic music)
- Everyone please, women and children first.
I mean, if you want, we can just...
- No, Jake, I would never go without you.
- Oh, I love you.
- Well, you could always try your luck
and jump off the ship into the ocean.
- Well...
That seems dangerous.
- But is it?
I mean, could you survive a jump from this height
into the water, or would you shatter
whatever bones made contact first?
(groans)
Mamrie, I'll be right back.
- Okay. - Again.
Ooh-yah!
- Always fall for the bad boys.
- People survive high-velocity encounters with water
all the time.
However, not everyone is so lucky, but why?
Well, it has to do with the way the body enters the water
and the speed at which the body enters the water.
Both of those things are directly related to density.
See, the atomic structure of water molecules
causes them to be attracted to nearby water molecules,
forming hydrogen bonds.
So, the resistance that you feel when you hit water
comes from the fact that the hydrogen bonds
have to break apart, and then you push the water molecules
apart from each other and out of your way.
You know, let me show you.
When jumping in water from a great height,
you want to go either hands first
or in my case, feet first.
Because your body is hitting with the least amount
of surface area, reducing resistance
and mitigating the amount of force needed
to break those hydrogen bonds,
that surface tension,
allowing the rest of your body
to enter with little resistance.
But how does speed factor in?
Well, despite common misconception,
jumping into water from really high is not
like jumping onto concrete.
It's deceleration that hurts you
in a fall.
Concrete is significantly more dense than water
and its molecular bonds do not break easily,
so you decelerate much more quickly,
which is bad.
On the other hand, the hydrogen bonds of water
are always breaking and reforming,
which means that pushing them apart when you dive in
isn't too tough.
Now, while jumping from 10 metres feet first
still hurts a bit on impact, it won't be fatal,
assuming proper form.
But if you spread it across your body
with say, a belly flop...
Ow. That was from only
one metre high and it still really hurt.
If you did that from 10 metres,
you'd be severely injured.
Oh, and there's one more thing we have to consider.
As water gets colder, at around 4 degrees Celsius,
the molecules become a lot more stable,
meaning they become harder to break and more dangerous
for a high jump.
And that's what's happening to the water
surrounding our sinking ship,
so...
- I'm coming with you, Jake!
We will always be together.
(whistling)
- You know, those hydrogen bonds would not be forgiving
to our bodies. (sighs)
We might survive the fall. It is real cold in that water,
so probably should have another plan.
(ship horn blares)
(watch ticking)
Only about an hour and a half left till she sinks.
- Mamrie? Mamrie!
Mamrie!
- Oh, no.
Okay, you know how I told you that the necklace
isn't technically mine? Well, that's my fiancé.
Well, my ex-fiancé. Uh, but he does not look happy.
- Who?
Oh, you mean Austin Evans?
Hey, buddy! - What are you doing?
- That's my fiancée!
And my necklace?
- Ooh, he's got a gun, we should... Yep, yep.
You know, the movie taught me that we need to run
to the stern and ride this puppy down
just like an elevator. - Okay.
- And actually, that worked.
The Titanic's chief baker did just that:
rode it down, stepped off in the water and survived!
He said that he didn't even get his hair wet!
- Hey, you!
Give me back my fiancée and necklace!
Mamrie, I'm coming!
Ooh!
(dramatic music)
- Jake! Oh, this is where I drew you like one
of your French girls.
(romantic music)
- Draw me like one of my French girls.
Okay, we don't have time for a flashback, alright?
Water doesn't care about narrative or love.
Water's just gonna fill this thing until the weight
of the ship exceeds the weight of the water it's displacing.
Oh, and also... your dude's chasing us wih a gun.
- That is a good point.
- Okay. Let's just keep going.
(dramatic music)
(panting)
- I think... I think we lost your fiancé.
- Over here! Help!
- Oh, Mamrie! We got to help her.
- Okay.
- It's been... two hours since the ship hit the iceberg
so by now, the six compartments that were compromised
are 70 % full of water, which means we're losing
buoyant force fast.
- Please, hurry, it's getting cold.
- Yeah, hold on.
(groans)
(shivers)
- That third class woman is right.
The water is ridiculously cold. Why is that?
- Good question.
The air temperature is probably
pretty close to the water temperature by now.
So, why do our feet feel in the water
so much colder than the rest of our bodies?
What is it about cold water that is so much harder
to survive than cold air?
If you've ever been in a sauna, the 90 degrees Celsius air
feels hot, but bearable.
Some might even say enjoyable.
Now, stick your hand in 90 degrees Celsius water
and you're headed to the hospital.
Why? Well, it's related to conductivity,
that is the passing of energy from one medium to another.
When objects of differing temperatures come in contact,
it will eventually reach thermal equilibrium
through conductivity and since water
is denser than air, that equilibrium happens
much more quickly.
Because when you're in contact with water,
there are a lot more molecules close to you
that can transfer heat.
This leads to hypothermia if your core temperature
reaches 35 degrees Celsius.
Which is not great if you're stuck in the ocean
after surviving a sinking boat.
So, to show how and why this works,
I'm going to submerge myself in this pool,
which is at 4 degrees centigrade,
that's about 6 degrees warmer
than the waters the Titanic went down in,
and this is due to my safety,
but the process of heat transfer should be exactly the same.
But what are we expecting to see?
There is it is!
I swallowed a sensor that will allow us to
monitor my core temperature. I'll also continuously check
my cognitive ability...
- Name an object that is green.
- Sloths.
They can be green cause they grow algae,
the only mammal that do so.
...and motor skills, a severe heat loss
has a detrimental effect on both.
All this to say, do not try this at home,
do not try this at work, do not try this.
Okay, let's make me hypothermic.
Alright. Jump on in, eh?
(sighs)
(water splashing)
Oh, sweet Beethoven's ghost!
That is cold.
Using a thermal camera, we can see the extreme
differences in temperature, with the near-freezing water
represented in darker colour values.
Of course, your body doesn't give up without a fight
and as the heat transfers from your body to the water,
your body burns excess fat to try and keep itself
at the right temperature and avoid freezing to death,
which is good.
(shivers) There's the shivers.
At four minutes, I had the first test of motor skills
and cognitive ability.
Come on.
Come on!
Okay, okay.
(shivers)
I don't think I'm gonna beat my record.
Hey! Yeah, thank you.
How many seconds?
- Twenty-eight. - Twenty-eight?
That's not too bad!
- Now, what were you doing at 10AM this morning?
(shivers)
I was filming here.
(indistinct)
- Where were you on Thanksgiving?
(shivers) - I was in...
Los Angeles, eating...
- Get out just a moment, tell me what
the water temperature is.
Here, your finger...
(shivers)
Two degrees Celsius.
- Oh.
(shivering chuckle)
I was told it would be 4 degrees.
And then, something really strange happened.
I disassociated from my body and no longer felt present
or in control.
Can't feel my hands anymore.
They just feel like cold objects,
but don't seem to have any visual shape in my head
if I'm not looking at them.
Can't feel my toes either. I have legs.
(indistinct)
I have legs!
Oh, but I can't really feel them.
I even thought I would be warmer if I took off all my clothes.
That's known as paradoxical undressing,
a major and common mistake experienced by those
going through hypothermia.
At this point, the chair was the only thing keeping me
from drowning.
- Twenty minutes!
(shivering)
(laughs)
- It's really... I don't...
I would be sunk.
I would be at the bottom of the ocean
and it would be great, cause it'd be better than this.
I... I...
I can't even grab the thing.
Oh my goodness.
(shivers)
Focus. No!
Oh, yeah!
(laughs)
(indistinct)
...putting all my efforts into this,
I forgot to try and put my legs down.
(shivers)
Oh, three! (laughs)
(dramatic music)
Oh, what does it say?
- That's it. His core temperature's no longer stable.
Pull him out. - Come on Jake,
let's roll.
(indistinct)
(Jake): The thermal camera shows that my exterior reached
thermal equilibrium with the water.
But thankfully, I got out before my core temp dropped
to 35 degrees Celsius.
So, I avoided becoming fully hypothermic.
Barely.
Silver lining, I was fed Mexican food
while cocooned in a sleeping bag,
waiting for my body temperature to rise.
So, that was nice.
Oh, that was horrible.
I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
You save that woman? - Jake...
The ship is sinking and you were gone for 25 minutes!
- Oh.
Oh!
Oh, no.
- Come on, we gotta go!
(screaming)
Okay, we made it to the stern,
now where do we go to ride it down?
(laughs) - Whoa, relax.
- What? - Oh, we got...
(watch ticking) ...oh, about 10 minutes
until the ship breaks in half and then, the stern
will sink.
- What? - Oh, wait,
did I not mention the whole... "ship breaking in half" part?
- Uh, no!
But if we do have 10 minutes, then...
(romantic music)
Maybe I could get my flashback?
Comprised entirely of famous scenes from this movie?
- For you,
anything.
(♪)
(chuckles)
(laughing)
(sighs)
a good love story.
I will give you both my blessing.
Hopefully, you live a long and happy life together,
that doesn't get abruptly cut short when
one of you, most likely Jake,
drowns and falls to the bottom of the ocean.
Well, bye.
That was like, really specific. - Hmm-hm.
- My baby!
- Did he just steal your baby?
(thunderous crashing)
(screaming)
Okay, this is when we ride the ship down.
- Jake, tell me we're gonna be okay.
- I wish I could, but that's for the water to decide.
(metal screeching)
(screaming)
(indistinct screaming)
(dramatic music)
Hey, you think there's enough room for...
both of us on the door?
- Sorry, I don't think so.
- Oh, okay. Well...
So, my only hope at escaping death is relying on
the buoyant force keeping that door afloat.
And while there's been a lot of debate whether there was
space on the door for two people,
and there is, what's more important is whether
we could stay afloat on the door.
The doors on the Titanic were very heavy.
So, if I climbed on it with Mamrie,
we and the door would sink to the bottom... of the ocean.
(groans)
So... (sighs)
Taking turns is
probably out of the question.
- I wish I could, but... - Okay.
Promise...
Never let go.
(whistle blows)
(screams) - Hey!
There's somebody here on this door!
- And as always...
One person, ripe for saving!
(soft music)
This season on CYSTM.
(roar)
(dramatic music)
(yells)
Oh, no!
Come get some!
(♪)
Let's make me hypothermic.
Tear this body apart.
Oh...
(both): The need for speed!
(♪)
I don't think you're gonna survive this one.
Subtitling: difuze