Who would have thought science could be such fun? And for a good purpose as well? A group of guys from Perth, Australia created a video of a competition that culminated in dropping a refrigerator to hit a target from a 45-meter (almost 148 feet) tower in a quasi-competition for their How Ridiculous YouTube channel. The fridge drop test is not included in Digital Trends refrigerator testing.
The team made a game of dropping appliances and household items from the tower. The point of the competition was to see which object, or the largest remaining part thereof, landed closest to a bowling ball used as a target. The bowling ball was placed within a fenced area on the ground.
The original plan for the recent appliance drop was to throw eight items from the tower platform first in order to build the excitement for the main event, the refrigerator. The preliminary items included a 55-inch television, a reclining chair, a microwave oven, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a toilet, a basin, and a bookshelf.
The TV and bookshelf didn’t make the drop because the wind was deemed too strong for the safety of people on the ground.
The filming took place with permission at The Leaning Tower of Gingin, located at the Gravity Discovery Centre in Gingin, Western Australia, about 60 miles north of Perth. The steel tower, which is anchored by 180 tons of concrete, is modeled after the Leaning Tower of Pisa. One significant difference is the tower in Pisa leans 5.5 degrees, while the Gingin edifice almost triples that with its 15-degree lean.
Visitors to the Leaning Tower of Gingin are invited to drop a pair of water balloons from the top to test Galileo’s question, “If you were to drop two weights from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and if they landed within 2 fingers’ width of each other, then would you still believe what the ancient philosophers said?”
It’s interesting to note that the Melon Drops YouTube video presented on the Gravity Discovery Centre website features an employee dropping a 26-pound watermelon instead of water balloons. It’s likely that the same spirit of dramatic demonstration factored in giving permission to the How Ridiculous video.
The ostensible purpose of We Dropped a Fridge Off a 45m Tower!! and the group’s other videos is to have fun performing outrageous stunts. Beyond the absurdity, the filmmakers encourage viewers to support Compassion Australia, a religious organization that sponsors children living in poverty.
Other recent How Ridiculous videos shot at the Leaning Tower of Gingin feature a giant dart and a giant tree stump and 20,000 jelly beans and a trampoline.
