This is the world’s largest earthquake simulator, here’s how it works. For a free trial to Shopify go to https://www.shopify.com/veritasium.

If you’re looking for a molecular modeling kit, head to https://ve42.co/SnatomsV to try Snatoms – a kit I invented where the atoms snap together magnetically.

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A massive thank you to everyone at NIED for allowing access to their facility. Massive thanks to Okouchi-san for arranging this shoot.

A huge thank you to Dr. Yohsuke Kawamata for the tour of E-defense and for sharing his deep expertise.

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References:
Nakashima, M., et al. (2018). Experiences, accomplishments, lessons, and challenges of E‐defense. Tests using world's largest shaking table. Japan Architectural Review, 1(1), 4-17. - https://ve42.co/Nakashima
Suganuma, K. (2005). 3-D Full-Scale Earthquake Testing Facility (E-Defense). NISTEP Science & Technology Foresight Center. - https://ve42.co/Suganuma
Ohtani, K., et al. (2004). Construction of E-Defense (3-D full-scale earthquake testing facility). In Thirteenth World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (Vol. 189). - https://ve42.co/Ohtani
Horiuchi, T., et al. (2022). Contributions of E-Defense Shaking Table to Earthquake Engineering and its Future. Journal of Disaster Research, 17(6), 985-999. - https://ve42.co/Horiuchi
Nakamura, I., et al. (2008). E-Defense experiments on full-scale wooden houses. In Proceedings of the 14th World conference on earthquake engineering, Beijing, China (pp. 12-17). - https://ve42.co/Nakamura
Japan: The Next Big Quake. Financial Times. - https://ve42.co/BigQuake

Images & Video:
Kobe earthquake compilation - https://ve42.co/Kobe

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Special thanks to our Patreon supporters:
carrotcypher, Chris Harper, Max Paladino, Balkrishna Heroor, Adam Foreman, Orlando Bassotto, Tj Steyn, meg noah, KeyWestr, TTST, John H. Austin, Jr., john kiehl, Anton Ragin, Diffbot, Gnare, Dave Kircher, Burt Humburg, Blake Byers, Evgeny Skvortsov, Meekay, Bill Linder, Paul Peijzel, Josh Hibschman, Juan Benet, David Johnston, Ubiquity Ventures, Richard Sundvall, Lee Redden, Stephen Wilcox, Marinus Kuivenhoven, Michael Krugman, Sam Lutfi.

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Directed by Will Wood and Petr Lebedev
Written by Will Wood, Petr Lebedev and Derek Muller
Edited by Jack Saxon and Trenton Oliver
Animated by Fabio Albertelli, Ivy Tello, Leigh Williamson, David Szakaly
Filmed by Petr Lebedev, Lui Kimishima and Derek Muller
Produced by Will Wood, Petr Lebedev, Han Evans and Derek Muller
Thumbnail by Ren Hurley

Additional video/photos supplied by Getty Images and NIED (E-defense)
Music from Epidemic Sound