In the latest episode of crazy stuff people do for YouTube, user “All is Art” formed a basketball-sized sphere out of 42,000 matches—and then set it on fire. The resulting chain reaction offers mesmerizing images as flames sweep across the ball.
As explained in the description, the setup was originally an experiment to determine how many matches were required to create a perfect globe. Since matches are slightly wider on the top, they naturally form a ball when you glue them together. Dead set on revealing this trivial statistic, the determined YouTubers spent months diligently gluing together tiny pieces of wood. When they reached the end, there was only one thing left to do: Figure out what happens when you light the ball on fire.
The final shot shows the charred remains of the defeated sphere, an ominous reminder of what happens if humankind doesn’t get its act together.
