What happens if you throw sand into a jet engine?

This video unpacks everything from basic jet-engine airflow and the why-so-big question to the secret sauce inside Rolls-Royce’s precision casting facility. You’ll learn about edge dislocations, nickel-based superalloys (hello, gamma prime!), crystal structures, and how single-crystal turbine blades are made—so that even a mouthful of sand won’t make them melt. Stick around for the grand finale: tossing sand into a real jet engine to see all that metallurgy in action.

Along the way, enjoy plugs for KiwiCo crates (50% off with code VERITASIUM), a Science Alert NASA sweepstakes, and a tabletop game Kickstarter. Big thanks go out to experts at Rolls-Royce, Cambridge, Ruhr University Bochum, and the whole Veritasium crew—plus a detailed reference list and killer animations to feed your inner nerd.

Watch on YouTube