hackertube.io

Why You Should Put YOUR MASK On First (My Brain Without Oxygen) - Smarter Every Day 157

SmarterEveryDay · demo · Watch on YouTube

Everyday physics & science demosAviation & aerospace engineeringNeuroscience & the brain

What it is

Destin Sandlin of Smarter Every Day undergoes hypoxia training and experiences his own impaired thinking as oxygen is withdrawn. The video shows how quickly and unnoticeably oxygen deprivation degrades judgment, illustrating why you put your own mask on first.

Why Hacker News recommends it

It is the go-to demonstration of how hypoxia silently disables decision making, cited in threads on altitude, flying, diving, CO2 and breathwork.

  • 5 people recommended it
  • 5 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2016, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “has a wonderful video demonstrating this effect [0]. I’d recommend watching the whole thing”

    Wonderful demonstration of hypoxia effects, worth watching in full.

    j_bum, 2025-04 · Strong recommendation · in “Decreased CO2 during breathwork: emergence of altered states of consciousness”

  2. “Here's an actual real life demonstration of why you should put your oxygen mask on first”

    Real demonstration of why to put your oxygen mask on first.

    JshWright, 2017-07 · Recommendation · in “Two days in an underwater cave running out of oxygen”

  3. “This Smarter Every Day video demonstrates how dumb you can get under (less mild) hypoxia”

    Shows how dumb you get under hypoxia.

    glandium, 2017-09 · Recommendation · in “How flying messes with the mind”

  4. “it's partly funny, partly scary to watch”

    Partly funny, partly scary hypoxia PSA.

    mikejb, 2019-01 · Recommendation · in “Why is cognitive function impaired at high altitude?”

  5. “SmarterEveryDay did a good video about hypoxia training that demonstrates the very rapid onset and severe effects of hypoxia”

    Shows rapid, severe onset of hypoxia at cruising altitude.

    sithadmin, 2022-01 · Recommendation · in “The strangely successful history of people mailing themselves in boxes (2015)”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: hypoxia, aviation safety, oxygen deprivation, cognition, smarter every day

Also recommended by the same people