Many adults still love building LEGO sets because it gives them a sense of calm and a modicum of control in this crazy world. The hours spent assembling the bricks give a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. And some people love to watch them smash apart when flung at the wall. This video will satisfy all types. YouTube channel Brick Science built a working crash test simulator including a runway, reinforced wall, crash test dummy, and moving cart. Seven intricate LEGO car builds later and we have the results of how each one fared. Even though they’re not built to withstand car accidents, some of the LEGO sets actually did pretty well.
With a timer going in the background, it takes nearly eight hours to build the working crash test simulator. It uses over 4,000 bricks, including Technic pieces, pulleys, and a rope tied to 15 pounds of weights. And then it’s on to building the cars, with each of the seven sets including at least a few hundred pieces.
While certainly not anatomically correct for either humans or LEGO minifigures, the crash test dummy named Ooblot is in turn impaled, ejected, cut in half, or merely bumps it head. Worst of the bunch is the Fiat 500, which sheers into a convertible on impact. That’s a bug, not a feature. The Volkswagen campervan manages to take out the wall and only lose its bumper. The LEGO Aston Martin and Porsche 911 also hold up pretty well, with the latter getting a 10 out of five star ranking.
The Brick Science YouTube channel has lots of other amazing LEGO builds. Some of the coolest involve robotics, like the creation of a working toothbrush and coffee machine.
Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.
