Totally WTF Video of the Day

Parja said:

I see no indication that those were ever referred to as "metric" systems.

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the term "metric" can be defined many different ways. Per Merriam-Webster - "a standard of measurement <no metric exists that can be applied directly to happiness — Scientific Monthly>"
Seeing as how the Japanese and Chinese systems are quite standard (at least in their own right), you could imply upon them being "metric systems of measurement".

Parja said:

Hell, the base of the word metric is metre.

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Wrong.
Per Merriam-Webster again, the etymology of the word metric is as follows:
Greek metrik&#275;, from feminine of metrikos in meter, by measure, from metron measure —
First Known Use: 1760

So it would be safe to infer that the ancient Greeks would have used the word in such a way as to mean "a measure". Indeed in Network and computer systems, the term metric is used to state a measurement, not a specific system of measurement.

sfsuphysics said:

Mind blown? Not really.

Neat to watch? Absolutely.

But that chain type he's using is partially rigid it's not completely flexible like a piece of string, there are an almost uncountable number of points that string can bend at any point, with that chain there are two per segment, two balls connected with a rigid rod. The explanation later in the video is fairly spot on, no magic going on here.

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Question from a completely non-physics-understanding person. Aren't the beads themselves playing a factor as well? For example, if you tried the same experiment but used simple sewing thread (no beads) instead of a string of beads, I can't see how it would behave the same way.