World's Largest Jello Pool- Can you swim in Jello?

Mark Rober

16 May 201910:28

Summary

TLDRThe video documents the ambitious project of creating the world's first Jello pool, a childhood dream turned engineering challenge. Overcoming the difficulties of boiling and refrigerating a large volume of Jello, the creator, with the help of his brother, conducted experiments to determine the ideal gelatin mixture temperature. They utilized custom propane burners and spigots, along with natural night-time cooling, to achieve the desired firmness. The result was a successful Jello pool party featuring belly flops and neighborhood kids, proving that with creativity and persistence, even the most unusual ideas can be realized.

Takeaways

🍮 The video documents the first-ever attempt at creating a real pool of Jello, which is a significant engineering challenge.
🔍 The creator's childhood curiosity about belly flopping in a Jello pool inspired the project.
🕒 It took over six months of planning and experimentation to find the right conditions for creating a Jello pool.
🌡️ The Jello mixture needed to reach a temperature higher than 160 degrees Fahrenheit to set properly.
🔥 A custom setup with 55-gallon drums, propane burners, and spigots was used to heat the Jello mixture.
❄️ Refrigeration was achieved by leveraging natural outdoor temperatures during a specific time of the year.
🏊‍♂️ The Jello pool was filled layer by layer, with each layer needing time to cool and firm up.
🌞 Direct sunlight was found to soften the Jello, affecting its solidity, highlighting the importance of temperature control.
🎉 The successful Jello pool was celebrated with a neighborhood party and various activities, including belly flops.
🤔 The project was driven by the spirit of proving the feasibility of an idea, rather than practicality or necessity.

Q & A

What makes creating a pool of Jello a difficult engineering challenge?
-Creating a pool of Jello is challenging because it requires boiling large amounts of water, mixing it with gelatin powder, and refrigerating it to get firm, which is difficult on a large scale like a pool.
Why haven't previous attempts to create a Jello pool been successful?
-Previous attempts either relied on bad CGI or failed experiments due to the complexities of heating and cooling the Jello properly, making it hard to achieve the desired firmness.
What steps did the creators take to make the Jello pool a reality?
-The creators dug a pool in the backyard, experimented with small-scale batches to determine the ideal gelatin-to-water ratio and temperature, used custom propane burners to heat the mixture, and relied on cold weather and a swamp cooler for refrigeration.
How did the creators ensure the Jello mixture would firm up in the pool?
-They determined through experiments that the mixture needed to be heated to over 160°F and then cooled using cold night air and a swamp cooler to efficiently remove the heat.
Why did the creators choose a specific time of year for their project?
-They chose a time in April when night temperatures were cool enough to act as a natural refrigerator but not so cold that the Jello would freeze, based on historical temperature data.
How did the creators plan the process of filling the Jello pool?
-They planned to fill the pool over seven days, adding about 10 barrels of Jello mixture each day to allow each layer to cool and firm up before adding more.
What tools and techniques did they use to cool the Jello pool efficiently?
-They used cold night air, convection cooling with a swamp cooler, and placed the barrels above the pool to use gravity for easy transfer of the Jello mixture.
What was the effect of sunlight on the Jello pool?
-Direct sunlight over time began to soften the lower layers of the Jello, making it less firm and solid as the day went on.
How did the creators and their neighbors interact with the finished Jello pool?
-The creators invited their nephews and neighbors' kids to belly flop into the Jello pool, leading to a surreal experience of moving through a thick, slimy, and slippery substance.
What improvements would the creators make if they were to attempt the Jello pool again?
-They would consider adding a heat exchanger pipe system to keep the Jello cool longer and possibly use some sugar to improve the Jello’s consistency.

Outlines

00:00

🍮 Engineering the World's First Jello Pool

The script introduces the ambitious project of creating the world's first actual pool of Jello, which is presented as a significant engineering challenge. The narrator explains the difficulties in scaling up the process of making Jello from a small dish to an entire pool, including the issues of boiling water, mixing the gelatin powder, and refrigeration. The team's six-month preparation, starting with small-scale experiments to determine the ideal firmness and temperature for the Jello, is detailed. They utilized six 55-gallon drums with custom propane burners and spigots to heat the mixture and relied on natural refrigeration by tracking outdoor temperatures to ensure the Jello set without freezing. The goal was to host a Jello pool party in late April, and the process involved filling the pool with layers of Jello, using a swamp cooler for additional cooling. Despite the challenges and the uncertainty of the outcome, the team was determined to achieve their goal.

05:18

🎉 The Jello Pool Party Experience

This paragraph describes the experience of the Jello pool party. The narrator shares the sensation of being in the Jello pool, comparing it to swimming in snot but in a good way. They mention the discovery that direct sunlight could soften the lower layers of the Jello. The use of pool toys and the idea of hiding them under the Jello are also discussed. The narrator suggests potential improvements for future attempts, such as installing a heat exchanger pipe system and using sugar to maintain the Jello's solidity. The paragraph concludes with a philosophical question about the motivation behind such projects, comparing it to climbing Mount Everest or going to the moon, emphasizing the spirit of proving what is possible. The narrator then allows their nephews and neighborhood children to enjoy the Jello pool, culminating in a Jell-O pool slip and slide, despite the Jello being broken down by that point.

10:22

🔚 The Aftermath of the Jello Pool Adventure

The final paragraph is a brief closure with the sound of an object thud, suggesting the end of the Jello pool adventure without additional narrative details.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Jello

Jello is a brand of gelatin dessert made from gelatin and flavoring. In the context of the video, it's used to create an unconventional and challenging engineering project: a pool filled with Jello. The video explores the process of making a large quantity of Jello to fill a pool, which involves boiling water, mixing in gelatin powder, and refrigerating it to achieve the desired firmness.

💡Engineering Challenge

An engineering challenge refers to a complex problem that requires innovative solutions and the application of scientific principles. In the video, creating a Jello pool is presented as an engineering challenge due to the difficulty of boiling, mixing, and refrigerating a large volume of Jello to achieve the right consistency for a pool.

💡Backyard Scientist

The term 'Backyard Scientist' typically refers to an individual who conducts scientific experiments or explorations in a non-professional, often domestic setting. In the video, Kevin from the Backyard Scientist is mentioned as a collaborator who initially considered creating a Jello pool, highlighting the amateur yet innovative nature of the project.

💡Orbeez

Orbeez are small, water-absorbing beads that expand when soaked in water. The video script mentions a previous project involving a 25 million Orbeez pool, indicating a history of large-scale, experimental backyard projects that involve unique materials and present their own set of challenges.

💡Gelatin Powder

Gelatin powder is a key ingredient in making Jello, derived from collagen and used as a gelling agent. The video discusses the need to determine the correct amount of gelatin powder to achieve the desired firmness for the Jello pool, which is crucial for the success of the project.

💡Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with heat and temperature and their relation to energy and work. In the video, thermodynamics is relevant to understanding how to heat and cool the Jello mixture effectively, ensuring it sets at the right temperature without freezing.

💡Propane Burner

A propane burner is a device that uses propane as a fuel source to generate heat. In the context of the video, a custom propane burner is used to heat the large volumes of water and gelatin mixture necessary for creating the Jello pool.

💡Convection Cooling

Convection cooling is a heat transfer process where heat is transferred within a fluid (liquid or gas) through the movement of the fluid itself. The video describes using a swamp cooler to create convection cooling over the Jello pool, which helps to dissipate heat and solidify the Jello more efficiently.

💡Food Coloring

Food coloring is used to add color to food and beverages. In the video, food coloring is mentioned as part of the Jello mixture to create a visually appealing pool. It's an example of how the creators aimed for a realistic Jello pool experience, despite not using sugar to make it edible.

💡Belly Flop

A belly flop is a dive or jump into water where a person lands flat on their stomach. The video's main goal is to answer the question of what it would be like to belly flop in a pool of Jello, which is a central theme and the ultimate test of the project's success.

💡Heat Exchanger

A heat exchanger is a device used to transfer heat between two fluids. The video suggests that for future projects, a heat exchanger system could be installed beneath the pool's surface to maintain the Jello's firmness, similar to how indoor ice skating rinks are frozen.

Highlights

Creation of the world's first actual pool of Jello, a significant engineering challenge.

The process involved boiling water, mixing in gelatin powder, and refrigerating it, which is difficult to scale up to a pool size.

A six-month planning period and two months of small-scale experiments were conducted to determine the ideal firmness and temperature for the Jello.

Discovery that the Jello mixture needed to reach over 160 degrees Fahrenheit to set properly.

Innovation of using six 55-gallon drums with custom propane burners and spigots to heat the Jello mixture.

Utilization of the natural cold night air and a swamp cooler for refrigeration and convection cooling of the Jello.

The Jello pool was filled with water, gelatin powder, and food coloring without sugar to avoid waste.

A week-long effort was required to fill the pool with Jello, layer by layer, to allow for cooling.

Direct sunlight was found to soften the lower layers of the Jello, affecting its solidity.

The experience of belly flopping into the Jello pool was described as surreal and slimy, yet cool.

Pool toys were hidden underneath the Jello for a fun surprise.

The texture of the Jello was compared to swimming in snot, but in a good way.

Suggestions for future improvements included a heat exchanger pipe system and the addition of sugar.

The project was driven by curiosity and the desire to prove the concept, rather than practicality.

A neighborhood barbecue and Jell-O pool slip and slide were organized to celebrate the successful Jello pool.

Despite the Jello breaking down due to activities and sunlight, the fun continued with a slip and slide.

The project's success was measured by the joy and adventure it brought to the participants, especially the children.