Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to Mental Floss on YouTube! Today, we’re going to have some fun testing out internet life hacks to see which ones actually work. Let’s dive in!
First up, I heard that if you put your iPhone inside a toilet paper roll, it will turn into a speaker. I tried it, but unfortunately, it didn’t work. So, that’s a fail.
Next, I tried leaning my phone against sunglasses to see if it would make watching videos easier. Nope, that didn’t work either. Another fail.
If you’re enjoying a cold soda but don’t have a bottle opener, you can use your laptop charger. Surprisingly, this one worked! And for wine lovers over 21, the internet suggests using a hammer and a nail if you don’t have a corkscrew. I tried it, but it didn’t work.
It’s morning, so I’m sticking to my Diet Dr Pepper. I used a straw through the tab to keep it from bobbing up and down, and it worked perfectly!
Let’s try sealing a bag of Hot Doritos without a chip clip. I rolled it down and pinched it off, and it stayed closed. Pass! You can also turn the bag into a chip bowl by rolling it from the bottom. It actually worked!
I tested if a wooden spoon over boiling water stops it from boiling over. It didn’t work. And folding a fitted sheet? Still a mystery!
Cutting cherry tomatoes can be tricky, but putting them between two Tupperware lids didn’t help. However, chewing gum while chopping onions did prevent tears!
Using a straw to core a strawberry kind of worked, but it wasn’t pretty. For cutting cake or soft cheese, unscented dental floss worked surprisingly well!
Duct tape didn’t help open jars, but using a fork to dunk Oreos in milk worked great!
If you’re eating a whole container of ice cream, a knife might be easier than a scoop, but I still prefer scoops. Opening a Hershey’s kiss in one motion was a bit tricky, but I managed.
Using a solo cup to amplify laptop speakers was a fail. However, lighting a candle with a stick of spaghetti worked perfectly!
Separating an egg with a water bottle was a success! For a warm beer, wrapping it in wet paper towels and freezing it for 13 minutes made it ice cold.
Here’s a cool hack: you can open Chinese takeout boxes to turn them into plates. It worked! But heating pizza in the microwave with a glass of water didn’t keep the crust crispy.
Putting two pieces of bread in the toaster gave a crunchy outside and soft inside, and it tasted great! Opening microwave popcorn slightly to let kernels out wasn’t impressive.
Finally, I tried using Doritos as fire kindling. They burned slowly and steadily, so that’s a strong pass!
Thanks for watching! If you have any amazing questions, leave them in the comments. Remember, keep your Doritos safe, and as we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome!
Try creating your own sound amplification device using household items. Gather materials like a toilet paper roll, plastic cups, or a bowl. Test each one by playing music from your phone and placing it inside or near the item. Record which method works best and why you think it amplifies the sound.
Choose a common problem, like opening a bottle without an opener, and brainstorm alternative solutions using items around your house. Test your ideas and document which ones work. Share your findings with the class and discuss why some solutions were more effective than others.
Design a method to seal a snack bag without using a clip. Use materials like rubber bands, paper clips, or folding techniques. Test your method by shaking the bag to see if it stays closed. Present your solution to the class and explain the science behind why it works.
Conduct an experiment to find the best method to prevent tears while chopping onions. Try different techniques such as chewing gum, wearing goggles, or refrigerating the onion before chopping. Record your observations and determine which method is most effective.
Explore different ways to light a candle without a traditional lighter or match. Use items like spaghetti sticks, toothpicks, or other creative tools. Test each method and note which one is the easiest and safest to use. Share your results with the class.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to Mental Floss on YouTube! Today, I’m testing out some internet life hacks. First up, I heard that if I put my iPhone inside a toilet paper roll, it will turn into a speaker. Let’s see how that works. [Applause] Yeah, I’m going to rate that one a fail.
Next, I’m going to see if leaning my phone against sunglasses improves mobile video viewing. Nope, that’s a fail too.
While you’re watching the latest episode of Mental Floss, you might want to enjoy a nice cold soda, but if you don’t have a bottle opener, apparently you can use your laptop charger. Pass. And if you’re over 21 and prefer wine but don’t have a corkscrew, the internet suggests using a hammer and a nail. That didn’t work either.
It’s 9:00 in the morning, so I’ll stick to my standard morning Diet Dr Pepper, which I’ll drink with a straw inserted through the tab to prevent it from bobbing up and down. Pass.
Now, let’s try sealing a bag of Hot Doritos without a chip clip. I’ll roll it down and pinch it off. Pass. According to the internet, you can turn this bag into a chip bowl by rolling it from the bottom. Wow, it actually works!
Next, I’m trying a hack involving boiling water and a wooden spoon to prevent it from boiling over. That didn’t work. And while we’re at it, let’s see if we can fold a fitted sheet. Spoiler alert: it’s not true.
Cutting cherry tomatoes can be time-consuming, but if I stick them between two Tupperware lids, I can cut them all at once. Nope, that didn’t work either.
Now, I’m going to chop onions while chewing gum to see if it prevents crying. It actually worked!
Next, I’ll try to core a strawberry with a drinking straw. It kind of worked, but it doesn’t look very appetizing.
If you have trouble cutting cake or soft cheese, you can use unscented dental floss. That worked surprisingly well!
Now, let’s see if duct tape helps open jars. Disaster!
I heard you can spear an Oreo with a fork to make it easier to dunk in milk. That worked out well!
If you’re willing to eat an entire container of ice cream, it’s easier to use a knife than a scoop. I still prefer ice cream scoops, though.
The internet claims you can open a Hershey’s kiss in one motion. I had a bit of success with that.
Next, I’m testing whether a solo cup can amplify laptop speakers. Fail.
I also heard you can light a candle with a stick of spaghetti. Pass!
I tried separating an egg using a water bottle, and it worked!
Now, I have a warm beer. I’ll wrap it in wet paper towels and put it in the freezer for about 13 minutes.
Here’s a hack for Chinese takeout: you can open it up to turn it into a plate. That worked!
If you heat pizza in the microwave with a glass of water, it should keep the crust crispy. Nope, it’s soggy.
I’m testing if putting two pieces of bread in the same toaster gives you crunchy outside and soft inside. It looks good, but let’s see if it tastes good.
After waiting for my beer, it feels cold on the outside. Let’s see if it’s cold inside. Yes, it’s ice cold!
I read that if you open microwave popcorn just a bit, the kernels will come out automatically. Not overly impressed with that one.
Finally, let’s see if Doritos can be used as fire kindling. It’s a nice slow burn, so I’ll say strong pass!
Thanks for watching! If you have a mind-blowing question, please leave it in the comments. Remember, keep your Doritos in fireproof safes, and as we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome!
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This version removes any inappropriate language and maintains a family-friendly tone.
Hacks – Simple and clever solutions or techniques to solve everyday problems or improve efficiency. – Using science hacks, you can create a homemade water filter to clean dirty water.
Speaker – A device that converts electrical energy into sound, often used in experiments to demonstrate sound waves. – In our science project, we used a speaker to show how sound waves can move objects.
Video – A recording of moving visual images, often used to document experiments or scientific phenomena. – We watched a video on how volcanoes erupt to understand the process better.
Snacks – Small portions of food eaten between meals, which can be used in experiments to study nutrition and energy. – We analyzed different snacks to see which provided the most energy for our science fair project.
Kitchen – A room or area where food is prepared, often used for conducting simple science experiments with household items. – We turned our kitchen into a lab to test the chemical reactions of baking soda and vinegar.
Fruit – The edible part of a plant that contains seeds, often used in experiments to study plant biology and nutrition. – We used different types of fruit to explore how enzymes break down sugars.
Chocolate – A sweet treat made from cocoa beans, sometimes used in experiments to study melting points and heat transfer. – We melted chocolate to learn about the effects of temperature on solids.
Eggs – Oval-shaped objects laid by birds, often used in experiments to study biology and chemical reactions. – We used eggs to demonstrate osmosis by soaking them in different solutions.
Pizza – A dish made of a flatbread topped with various ingredients, used in experiments to study nutrition and food chemistry. – We calculated the nutritional content of a pizza slice to understand balanced diets.
Kindling – Small sticks or twigs used to start a fire, often used in experiments to study combustion and energy transfer. – We gathered kindling to demonstrate how different materials burn at various rates.
