Veritasium: What happens if you throw sand into a jet engine?

Veritasium breaks down how jet engines work, covering everything from the history of the first turbojet to the anatomy of modern turbines. You’ll see why they’re so gigantic, how Rolls-Royce uses nickel-based superalloys and single-crystal casting to keep turbine blades from melting, plus neat animations of metal grains in action.

The grand finale tackles the titular question—what really happens if you fling sand into a running engine? Along the way Derek Muller thanks a host of experts and teams, and even squeezes in plugs for KiwiCo’s science crates and Science Alert’s space-vacation sweepstakes.

Watch on YouTube