BUILDING A SUPERSONIC BASEBALL CANNON

You can rub your eyes as much as you like, you read the headline correctly. This is a supersonic baseball cannon.

One may ask why we need a supersonic baseball cannon in the world. After all, who on Earth would you pitch the ball to? Well, Destin from SmarterEveryDay has the answer. You see, he loves science and maths, and does incredible experiments like this in the hope that it'll stimulate the brain cells of others.

This is the guy who loves to experiment and explore the boundaries of physics in a way that the layman can understand. In this case, using his ultra-slow-motion video camera, he captures the sonic boom of a baseball. Even if you're not into 'science and stuff', that's still pretty incredible, and something that's never been done before.

So, what happens when you load up a cannon with nitrogen to 500+psi and unleash a baseball on an unsuspecting shield made of double-layer one-inch thick metal? Well, you get a destroyed baseball, mainly because it's going from over 1,050mph to zero in fractions of a second.

That slow-mo footage is incredible. Not just the exploding ball, but that it's doing Mach-1, it's insane. Oh, yes, and phrases like, "There will be a significant sonic boom... I'm a little tingly right now," and “What hath we wrought” will have you chuckling along too.

So, what are you waiting for? Smash the play button below to find learn about the maths and science that went into producing this supersonic baseball cannon, as well as the physics that are the result. It's so much fun!