Nikola Tesla vs Thomas Edison. Epic Rap Battles of History Season 2' by ERB on YouTube
We take a look at some of the most-viewed and most-shared videos on the web. This week features a faked but widely shared prank, a lesson in internet speak as Gaeilge, a calculation of pi using pies, an epic rap battle that will send shocks through you, and the story after happily ever after.
More than 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, 500 years of video watched on Facebook every day, and more than 700 YouTube videos shared on Twitter each minute, ensuring there is always video trending on the web.
With so much video available for viewing, we take a look at some of the viral videos that have caught our eye this week.
How to speak Tumblr in Irish
As it’s St Patrick’s Day, we thought we’d start off this week’s viral video selection with something unmistakeably Irish. For Seachtain na Gaeilge, which wraps up today, Irish YouTube personality Clisare helpfully compiled a collection of the most common phrases used on Tumblr (and elsewhere on the internet) as Gaeilge. Now, some of Clisare’s translations and pronunciation might be a little off, but we’re still happy to give her an A for effort.
Uploaded: 10 March 2013
After Ever After – Disney parody
Ever wondered what happens to Disney princesses after happy ever after? As this a cappella parody tells it, Ariel drowned in a BP oil spill, Jasmine’s beau was taken by the CIA under suspicion of terrorism, Belle’s been charged with bestiality and Pocahontas was forced to fight a savage war for her land. Tragic tales, but told beautifully!
Uploaded: 12 March 2013
Nikola Tesla vs Thomas Edison: epic rap battle
The feud between inventors Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla has been played out in many forms, and many videos have been made telling their story and pitting one against the other. This week, we have them competing through rap – but whose electrifying rhymes are the most dazzling?
Uploaded: 11 March 2013
Caculating pi with real pies
This Thursday was American Pi Day 2013; that is, the date would have been written 3/14/2013 by those Stateside. YouTube channel numberphile has plenty of fun with the famous ratio and as well as telling the surprisingly true story of how amateur mathematician Edward Goodwin almost had pi legally changed to 3.2 in the US state of Indiana, they also attempted to calculate pi using pies this week. Seems pretty easy, once you don’t eat all the pies. And, best of all, this video’s duration is exactly 3:14. Nice!
Uploaded: 11 March 2013
Pepsi Max and Jeff Gordon’s test drive
This video of Nascar driver Jeff Gordon taking an unsuspecting car dealer for the test drive of his life has been spreading like wildfire since its upload on Tuesday, accumulating over 16m views in less than a week. Unfortunately, the whole thing is as fake as a €5 coin and has been picked apart by motoring experts, which you can read up on in The Washington Post. Apparently, Gordon didn’t even do the driving for the video, according to The Independent Tribune, which claims that it was actually retired Nascar driver Brad Noffsinger at the wheel. That said, I’m sure you savvy viewers knew all along it was a ruse to sell a soft drink, didn’t you?
Uploaded: 12 March 2013
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