PressTube, an only-on-the-Internet project in which different objects are crushed under a hydraulic press in videos posted to a YouTube channel, recently took on the Prince Rupert's drop, the super-hard crystal that gets its strength from the compressive stress generated by dipping hot glass in cold water. In a video entitled "Hydraulic Press: Prince Rupert Drop: Remake: Safe Tails," the legendary glass drops are set between blocks of wood, lead, and steel, and then subject to intense hydraulic pressure. The Results? Two out of three ain't bad.
Rather than break, the Prince Rupert's drop ends up embedded into the materials of wood and lead, proving that this glass structure is harder. The breakage finally happens after an impressive few seconds under intense pressure against a steel block, at which point the drop bursts into bits without the tail being snapped. The video is a remake with larger Prince Rupert's drop, and is easier to see. The original video is also available for viewing. Watching the pressure mount on the tiny glass drops, you can't help but root for the glass in these oddly mesmerizing videos.