Sure, we're about to see some poor guy having actual pain delivered right into his naked flesh - in excruciatingly slow motion, no less - but it's for science, so we don't have to feel too guilty about it. In the latest episode of The Slo Mo Guys, we see a taser being deployed at a human target at 28,000 frames per second, and it's not the stabby probes that have him reeling in agony - it's the electric shock that shuts down the communication between the muscles and the brain and renders anyone hit completely incapacitated.
First up, how does a taser actually work? Thanks to highly compressed nitrogen in the taser cartridge, when fired, two metal probes will zoom towards their target at a speed of 36 metres per second. This also releases colouful confetti - known as 'aphids' - each of which have the serial number of the particular taser so you know who's been doing the firing.
Once planted, the probes will deliver an electric charge of up to 50,000 volts, which causes the target to lose control of their muscles, making it impossible for them to pull the probes out. This shock is so effective, the target's nervous system will take some time to recover, as the brain and muscles work to recalibrate their communication systems. So if you happen to taser someone, you can be confident that they're not going to be running away any time soon.
Slowed down to a whopping 28,000 frames per second in the video above, and you can see the target's muscles contract across his entire shoulder area in response. Afterwards, he tells the Slow Mo Guys he can't actually feel the probes that are stuck into his back, it's more that his muscles have "locked up" and he can't exactly get up.
As a bonus, we also get to see - in slow motion of course - those probes finally being removed from the flesh. And by the way, those things are barbed, so they don't come out easy. Shout out to Dan the volunteer for taking one for the team.