This is a story about Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer, and his friend Anthony who designed and built the world's most powerful T-shirt cannon for a college football game. The journey starts with Mark's friend asking him to create a powerful T-shirt cannon for a college bowl game named after him. Mark initially tries to use a real cannon but realizes it's too powerful. He then collaborates with Anthony, who is a budding mechanical engineer and a fan of Mark's YouTube channel.
They conduct various tests, including shooting watermelons, to determine the cannon's power. Anthony suggests modifications like a bigger tank, a longer barrel, and an improved connecting tube. With these changes, they achieve a remarkable shot that travels over two football fields. However, due to safety concerns, they are limited to using a smaller barrel and reduced power for the actual game.
On game day, Mark surprises Anthony by revealing the powerful T-shirt cannon they've built. During halftime, they fire it, and the T-shirt soars through the roof of the stadium, leaving the crowd in awe. Despite some nervous moments, the project is a success, and Mark and Anthony celebrate their achievement.
Sure, here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. A T-shirt cannon was built.
2. The T-shirt cannon was initially designed to shoot a T-shirt for a college football bowl game.
3. The first attempt with the T-shirt cannon used black powder, but it was too powerful.
4. A watermelon was used as a test projectile.
5. Anthony, a mechanical engineer, was consulted for help.
6. Anthony suggested modifications, including a larger tank, a longer barrel, and a larger connecting tube.
7. The modified T-shirt cannon was tested successfully, shooting a distance of two and a half football fields.
8. Lawyers restricted the cannon's power for safety reasons.
9. The cannon was successfully fired during halftime at a stadium in front of 50,000 people.
10. The T-shirt cannon's projectile went through the stadium roof.
These facts summarize the key events and details from the text without including opinions.