The Slow Mo Guys: Ultrasonic Obliterator at 170,000fps (the mesmerising science watch)
Ten minutes of genuinely mesmerising slow-motion science. Calm, curious, and one of the better-regulated STEM watches in the library.
Gav and Dan point an ultrasonic cavitation device at things and film the result at 170,000 frames per second, and the outcome is genuinely mesmerising rather than chaotic. This is UK-made, high-quality science content with real curiosity behind it, and it measures unusually well for settling a wound-up child for something that isn't calm-labelled. A proper find for a curious kid.
At a glance
Will it actually calm them down?
Brilliant on Windy days (fizzy, wound-up)Scores measure how reliably this video moves a child toward a settled, regulated state. In the Piko app, kids tell us their weather and we do the matching automatically.
Which kids will love it?
Why it works
The Slow Mo Guys built their name on exactly this: patient, high-production slow-motion footage in service of real curiosity. Our analysis flags no visual triggers at all, and the only sensory note is high-pitched sound, fitting given the ultrasonic subject, which the video itself responsibly warns viewers about. The average shot runs a patient 6.5 seconds, this is observational, not rushed.
The appeal is wonder rather than adrenaline. Instructional level rates medium, so there's real content here, not just spectacle, and it measures a strong 85 out of 100 for settling a wound-up child, unusually high for content that isn't calm-labelled. Safety scores 95.
The one specific thing to know is exactly what the video itself flags: high-frequency ultrasonic sound, worth checking if your child is sensitive to that register. Beyond that, this is about as guilt-free a screen-time pick as they come.
When to reach for it
- The curious child's wind-down-adjacent watch. Slow and mesmerising, genuinely calming for a STEM-loving mind without being boring.
- A screen-time pick you don't need to feel guilty about. High-quality and genuinely educational, made by credible science communicators.
- After-school decompression for a science-mad kid. Steady pace and real content, nothing to overprocess after a loud day.
Sensory & SEN notes
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Questions parents ask
What age is this best for?
It holds up well right through to 10 to 11, the content and pacing suit an older, more patient viewer, though curious 8 to 9 year olds will enjoy it too.
Is it calming?
It measures as neutral rather than actively calming, but scores a strong 85 for settling a wound-up child, unusually good for content in this energising-leaning batch.
What's the high-frequency sound warning about?
The video itself flags that the ultrasonic device produces high-pitched sound, worth knowing if your child is sensitive to that register.
Any other content concerns?
None. Safety scores 95 and no visual triggers were flagged at all.
40+ checks per video, with a final pass from the review desk · Scored 17 July 2026 · We do not host videos; playback is via YouTube's official embed.