You’ve probably already had your party, no doubt awash in Trump and Clinton masks along with the usual mix of zombies, superheroes and terrible, last-minute, pun-based costumes (Oh, you’re a cereal killer… Hilarious!).
Tonight, between swarms of trick-or-treaters hammering on your door for more high-fructose confections, why not pause Friday the 13th, The Thing (my favorite) or whatever your go-to Halloween flick is and check out these three examples of how engineers celebrate All Hallows’ Eve:
1) Pumpkin Carving with a 60,000-psi Waterjet
YouTube’s Waterjet Channel uploaded this video showing how to carve a pumpkin in under 30 seconds using nothing but an ordinary 60,000-psi waterjet. For a slightly spookier waterjet video, this one features the dissection of a preserved tarantula.
2) NASA Pumpkin Carving Contest
In just one minute, this video of the annual pumpkin carving contest at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) puts most home-brew Jack-o’-Lanterns to shame. You can see photos from the most recent contest here.
3) Pumpkin Casting
This video from the University of Michigan shows what happens when you bring together a pumpkin, molten aluminum and the mind of an engineer. Spoiler alert: the pumpkin doesn’t make it.