- Don't reinvent the wheel.
Don't tell me what to do.
In this video, I figure out why I took humanity so long
to invent the wheel,
and see if these two can do it in a day.
- [Melissa] Run me over.
- [Taha] This is a big problem for me.
- It worked.
- But first I wanna thank IBM for sponsoring
this portion of the video.
Now, when you think about the future of business
and technology, you might think of faster computers
and stacks of code,
but that alone isn't going to solve our big problems.
You see, we need to combine those things with creativity.
Now I'm not talking about creativity
in the traditional sense of artists and musicians.
No, I'm talking about developers, data scientists,
and visionaries who are creatively applying technology
and business to drive change.
IBM calls them new creators.
But what does that actually mean?
Well, take Alejandro Blaas,
the director of Plataforma Tierra at Cajamar
and the new creator.
He is harnessing precise weather forecast in AI
to help Spanish farmers identify optimal irrigation
and fertilization levels.
But what does that have to do with creativity?
Well, creativity is just being imaginative
and for Alejandro Blaas, it's imagining more
from the norm and not taking things for granted.
So he took an industry that is thousands of years old
and asked how can we improve it using the tools
we have today?
It is so easy to perceive this divide between science
and technology versus artistry and creativity.
But I think that the problems that we solve
in the world and in business, would be better off
if we realized that creativity
and technology work better together.
If you wanna see more examples of that,
check out IBM's YouTube channel or click the link
in the description to learn more about the new creators.
Thank you to IBM for sponsoring that portion of the video.
Now back to the wheel.
Now, I always thought that we weren't supposed
to reinvent it because it's so simple,
and we should spend our time on more complex things.
But no, it turns out the wheel was pretty hard to make.
Parts of humanity were already in the bronze age,
casting metal alloys, building sailboats,
tuning their harps, before we had the wheel.
Those things sound more complex
so why did the wheel take so long?
To figure it out, I wanted to rewind back to an age
of ignorance in naivety,
but that is really hard to do
because time travel doesn't exist and wheels are everywhere.
So I got the next best thing.
What do you guys know about wheels?
- I'm just trying to eat my food, man.
- Those are wheels.
What do you know about 'em?
We're making wheels.
- I'm afraid. I'm so...
- Okay, relax. Relax.
(Sabrina laughing)
- I should probably explain what's going on here.
I wanted to see what would happen if I took two people
with minimal preexisting knowledge and zero preparation,
and asked them to invent the wheel.
This is just a risky phase if you're friends with me.
They were only allowed to use tools that were available
at around 3,500 BCE, when the earliest records
of the wheel first emerged.
So basically these things.
Immediate problem though.
- Just one wheel.
We did it. Cheers.
- Wheels.
- They don't know what the wheel is.
Now I don't know if this is common knowledge or not,
but when people say "reinventing the wheel,"
they don't just mean this round thing.
I thought that was obvious.
But when people say reinventing the wheel,
they actually mean the wheel and axle.
You know, the thing that makes it possible
to fix a platform to rolling cylinders.
Let me play that again because I'm really proud of it.
That is what I want Taha and Melissa to reinvent,
using only rope, wood and some basic metal tools.
Can they do that?
Let's find out.
- Okay, so, my current plan is to take this box
and add wheels to it.
However, the attaching part is probably gonna be the hardest
because...
Okay, I didn't wanna say anything
because Melissa was still in the room,
but, this is what I'm actually gonna do.
- I'm outside,
'cause I don't want Taha to hear me.
- I'm gonna pull a rope across the middle of this,
and that'll act as my axle,
and then I'll tie it off on either side.
- I know we gotta make a vehicle,
I'm gonna make a raft with wheels.
Chariot on top,
wheels...
Didn't think that one through enough.
Okay, new plan.
- [Taha] I had one big wheel in the middle.
I think that this will be really unstable,
so potentially, I will need four wheels rather than two.
- Then we figure out a thing to attach
these wheels together.
I think it's time to go inside and decimate Taha.
- Oh, this is really easy.
I made a hole.
- I think it's important that it goes in the middle
but I don't have any tools to measure if it's in the middle.
- I've just noticed that on this multi tool,
there is measuring device
which I can use to measure the circumference
and diameter of my circle.
Stuff I learned in maths.
One, two, wait.
I don't understand.
One, two, three.
Stuff I learned in maths.
- Oh, you know what?
Now that I have this hole,
I can measure it and make sure it's in the same spot.
- So that is basically what I want to do.
I don't know why it took so long to discover wheels,
seems pretty straightforward to me.
- Wrong.
Now most of what I learned about the wheel
comes from this book,
"The Horse, the Wheel, and Language" by David W. Anthony.
And let me tell you, it was not straightforward.
As simple as the wheel might seem,
the difficulty was in the details.
Before the wheel, difficult to carry objects
were transported using things like waterways or sleds.
In order to replace those options,
the wheel needed to be more effective and easier to use.
This is where things get tricky
because creating an efficient, moving,
load bearing wheeled vehicle is deceptively difficult.
It seems there were two approaches to the problem,
fix the axle to the wheel and let them spin together
or fix the axle to a platform and allow the wheel
to spin freely.
Early examples of the spinning axle and wheel
come from the Alps.
The ends of the axle were square
and plugged into the wheels.
But the middle of the axle was cylindrical,
allowing it to revolve under the wagon.
This design was relatively easy to make
but it created a lot of drag, which lowered its efficiency.
And that is probably why the fixed axle
with free spinning wheel design was more common in history.
This design called for a lot of precision work.
From a perfectly round axle, to a wheel fit loose enough
to turn, but snug enough not to wobble.
Things like naves or hubs helped with the stability
but the technical accuracy needed to build it well
was likely a major speed bump towards
the invention of the wheel.
So you need to know that when it comes
to a well designed wheel, precision is key.
- We're gonna wing it.
But anyways.
- You said that you had a plan.
- I have a plan.
It's a...
A general idea.
(Melissa and Sabrina laughing)
- It's like you asked a toddler to draw a car.
- Wait a second.
I just realized something.
My current plan attaches these altogether.
If the wheel actually rolls
(Melissa laughing)
the whole thing will roll.
(Melissa and Sabrina laughing)
- Killer.
You're nailing it.
Good job, bud.
- I think I've done it.
This is connected to this.
So now I just need to do it again.
- How?
- But.
Couple of problems I've ran into.
I did not leave enough room.
- I can hear him.
He's got things connected.
- Hey buddy, how's it going?
- It's going great.
Got my wheel.
It's going...
- You also have a very impressive hole.
That's spinning.
- And it spins.
I was thinking I need another one here, but.
- I can use the pencil.
- It doesn't fit.
So that's a future issue.
- [Melissa] I think I've had a breakthrough.
- [Taha] What? You've had a breakthrough?
- I was not confident, but I have discovered something.
- [Taha] You discovered the wheel.
I've already made a wheel.
I've actually made an engine as well.
- [Melissa] Oh.
- Invented the combustion engine.
I can't tell if she's doing well or doing badly.
(saw scratching)
- That was much easier than sawing it.
I could have just snapped it.
It's a pencil
not a block of wood.
Yes.
(beep) yeah.
I can't say that.
It worked.
- Hmm. I need to add another wheel.
I dunno how.
You know what?
What I have made is a horse-drawn carriage.
- Maybe I need four of them.
I'm gonna make two more of these,
and I'm gonna try it with this one
and cut four.
- Sabrina.
- [Sabrina] What's up?
- I have a question.
Hear me out.
In the olden days, they would've had horses.
If I create something that I can pull it along with,
can I be the horse?
- This couldn't have gone better,
but it also couldn't have gone worse.
(Sabrina laughing)
It's like I've scripted this.
This is insane.
Okay. I swear I didn't script anything.
It's just that...
Well, first you need to know that the thing
that made the wheel go from a, "Haha neat invention,"
to a, "This is one of the most important things
in the world," is the fact that that people didn't need
to power it.
We could transfer the work to animals.
This also means that a major efficiency gain of the wheel
was reliant on the domestication of oxen or horses,
which could be another reason why it took so long.
But anyway, this new possibility came with some challenges.
The equipment used to attach an animal team
to the wagon increase the weight and drag of the design.
One way to correct for that
was to use a strong but slim axle.
By reducing the surface contact with the wheel,
the cart would experience less drag.
However, if the axle was too slim, it could bow or snap.
An alternative was to remove a pair of wheels
and make a cart.
They experienced less drag and were easier to maneuver,
they just had a lower carrying capacity.
So, you see what I mean by this feels scripted, right?
Like, Melissa had slim but strong axles
so she could make a wagon, but Taha couldn't figure out how
to keep his vehicle structurally solid with multiple axles
so he made a cart.
I just think it's neat
that this happened entirely unintentionally.
But now let's see which one's better.
- I think I was supposed to have string, did Taha steal it?
Now, we do this.
The wheels on the tractor go round and round.
Am I right?
All right. I'm gonna need some string, I think.
He has it.
I'm gonna get it from him.
(Melissa laughing)
- I think I was just robbed.
- It's doing something.
Now I just have to figure out how to connect them together.
What I'm gonna do is tie them together with string.
(vibrant instrumental music)
- No.
Look what happens.
Oh.
♪ Sow them through the hole. ♪
(vibrant instrumental music)
- I made a snap.
Perfect.
- I think I have finished my wheeled vehicle.
I'm gonna go for a walk.
I think I've gotten to a bit of a weird space.
- I basically, am done.
I've got my little draw string, where the horse would go.
(wheel model rustling)
I've got my little guy.
Wait, I have one last thing to add.
- So,
I made something.
I have no idea how Taha is doing.
I hope he's doing okay.
- I've made my guy. He's over here.
His name's Terry.
- I went into this not very confident
and I don't think I had much of a plan at all.
I'm quite proud of my little monstrosity.
- She did say that we were allowed to push it along.
And I feel like what is pulling along if not
a genre of push?
- And by some stroke of luck, the pencils
were the magical lifesaver that we didn't know we needed.
That was actually so crazy.
When I saw those pencils
I felt an actual light bulb go off in my head,
and I thought that was the smartest,
smartest thing I've ever done.
- I like this variable for different sized horses.
Other than that, I had a vision and I set out to do it,
and then I got it done.
- Sometimes that's all you need, some stuff
and some constraints, and some people to...
- This is a competition.
Only one of you leaves this house alive.
- Make you make stuff against your will.
- So we'll see.
But Taha and Terry are the dream team,
and I'll die for him.
I will literally pass away.
- It's day two.
Time to see who is better.
Can you close your eyes?
- Okay. - No.
- [Sabrina] Please.
- [Taha] Okay.
- Ready? Open your eyes.
- Yours is bad.
- Oh, you got a little smiley face.
You made a little tractor wheelbarrow situation.
- Yeah. It's Terry.
- [Sabrina] I think Melissa doesn't know what a tractor is.
(Melissa laughing)
- Wow, how did you get the holes to be so big?
Did you just stab it with a pencil?
- Yes.
No, I'm kidding. I...
- Did you use tools?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- What was your thought process here?
- Well, in the olden days they had horse and carriage.
So this is the horse area.
- [Sabrina] Are you guys ready to start with challenge one?
- Me and Terry could never be readier.
- This is my tractor.
(Sabrina laughing)
- [Sabrina] What the.
The competition is made of three challenges based
on the societal significance of the wheel,
starting with, "Does it have wheels?"
We know it took so long to invent the wheel
because of how hard it is to attach a rolling object
to a platform while keeping everything stable and efficient.
So whoever attaches their wheels better wins the round.
Taha, you're going first.
You and Terry.
- Hello.
- [Sabrina] You just need to prove
that he could travel with moving wheels.
- Objection.
The friction on the surface is not regulation.
Wee.
Yeah.
(Melissa and Sabrina laughing)
Woo-hoo.
Yeah.
- I've grown very emotionally attached to Terry.
Okay. Let's see Melissa's.
- I don't have anything to pull it with,
I just have to push it.
You ready?
Wait, wait.
- [Taha] I can't believe yours works.
- I have an idea.
You could hold onto the back of mine.
- [Sabrina] You two do know this is a competition, right?
- [Taha] Yeah.
- [Melissa] Woo.
- [Taha] Yeah.
- [Sabrina] Oh my God, that's adorable.
- Yeah, but who wins?
Is it Terry, the sweet little Terry boy,
or tractor? - The duck truck.
- See, here's the thing, Melissa deserves it.
Okay, Melissa got it. Let's go.
- [Taha] Okay.
Boo.
- Onto challenge two.
- Rigged. Rigged.
Rigged. It's rigged. - [Sabrina] Okay.
- Write in the comments, "Rigged."
- Stop it. Get away from me.
All right. Challenge two.
Does it transport?
Wheels made shelter, water and food portable in a way
that was impossible prior.
This allowed shepherds to grow
and disperse their pastures across the Eurasian Steppe,
likely spreading wheel technology in the process.
So whoever safely transports an egg
to the finish line faster wins the round.
(uptempo hip hop music)
You guys ready to race?
- This is not gonna go very well.
- [Sabrina] Yo, Terry looks mad ready, bro.
- Yeah. He's revving his engine.
- In three, two, one, go.
(uptempo instrumental music)
(Melissa screaming)
- [Taha] Yeah.
- [Melissa] My wheel's falling off.
- [Taha] Yeah.
Yeah.
Woo-hoo.
- [Melissa] I think that I need a minute.
- You know me and Terry always knew this was gonna happen.
We've been training for a really long time.
Our regiment was extremely precise and yeah
we just showed up on the day and gave it
all we had. - You failed me.
- I think we'll do even better next season.
We've got some good sponsors lined up
and the funding's there.
I think Terry's got it.
- Run me over.
- Time for the final round.
Strength.
The carrying capacity of wheeled vehicles
was a game changer.
Beforehand, heavy loads could only be moved
through waterways and by large coordinated groups.
The wheel made it possible to carry such loads across land
more efficiently.
And since things are tied,
whoever carries more weight wins the game.
- So I just put these on?
- [Sabrina] Yeah.
- [Taha] And whichever one breaks first is the loser?
- [Sabrina] Correct.
- 102 grams. What a strong boy.
- [Melissa] I don't know if you're gonna be able
to fit more than two on there.
- We will use a different method.
- What are you doing?
What are you doing?
Terry had a little bit of sag.
- [Taha] I have the suspension.
- [Sabrina] Terry's holding strong.
Okay. I wanna find more things to put on Terry.
Would you like a bunch of apple sauce?
- This seems ill-advised.
- [Sabrina] Terry's butt is about to touch the ground.
Oh.
- [Taha] Nah.
- [Sabrina] The moment Terry's tushy touches the ground,
it's over.
- 1.8 kilograms.
Can Terry do two kilograms?
- Ooh.
- 2.06 kilograms.
- Damn.
- Is nothing touching the floor yet?
I'm suspicious of this.
- [Taha] What?
- I guess he's always touching the floor at the front.
- Try lift him up.
- Okay.
- So all the weight is on the wheels now.
(Melissa gasping)
- Tried to sabotage my vehicle.
I'm not confident in mine.
- I'm not confident in my system.
- All right.
On the scale.
I hope these wheels don't fall off again.
- I believe.
- All right.
- One
- I got 112.
- 112.
228.
- Oh yeah.
- 340.
- This is the worst auction I've ever attended.
- How am I gonna put more of them?
- 866.
I think you just put the whole bowl.
Alrighty, let's go.
- [Sabrina] I will say, at this point Terry
was sagging a little.
This thing looks like it could just keep going.
- How dare you?
Say that to Terry's face.
(Taha gasping)
Can carry Terry as well.
I admit defeat.
Congratulations.
- Thank you. Thank you.
You have very soft hands by the way.
- So, that is why it took humanity so long
to invent the wheel.
But also, how even with advanced knowledge and tools
we can run into the same pitfalls,
and even arrive at the same conclusions
as people thousands of years ago,
which just goes to show that the saying might be true.
Maybe we shouldn't reinvent the wheel,
but what we should do is comment, like, subscribe.
But either way, have a lovely day.