They may not be scientifically rigorous, but these experiments offer everyday evidence that you can’t get from the “white coats.”
You may have noticed a trend on The Escapist to feature more science-related news. We love science because lasers, robots, and black holes are, simply put, awesome. Sometimes, we like comedy, too, so when you add a dash of almost-science to an hilarious experiment, we can’t help but take notice. Enter Toshiba’s Portege Field Tests. Does it adhere to the scientific method? Not exactly. Does it put an adorable puppy’s drool against a piece of high-tech electronic equipment? It sure does.
It’s not just about canine saliva, though. The tennis ball hinge test below is pure scientific mayhem. Watching this would make any laboratory researcher cringe. Hurling tennis balls at a perfectly good laptop might not seem like the best idea, but it really does bring home the point that it’s a sturdy piece of hardware. Not only does the hinge survive repeated openings and, more importantly, closings via a high-velocity fuzzy green ball, but the screen itself is still on at the end of the video. As important as the durability of the hinge is, the screen surviving this sort of beating is just as impressive.
Now, you might ask what exactly the benefit is of doing these tests. The fact is, laboratory experiments are highly controlled. The referenced 50mL test will use precisely 50mL of H2O with exactly the purity they want for the test. You know what you don’t get to control to three decimals of precision? A dog’s drool. Especially when it’s been laced with bacon. These field tests are some of the most impractical ways to perform practical tests, and, frankly, they’re hilarious. Kudos, guys, for finally bringing Mythbusters and Jackass into harmonious union.
This article was made possible with the sponsorship of Toshiba.
