Uploaded December 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sign up for Morning Brew's free daily newsletter: bit.ly/mbwendover3
Watch Extremities at youtube.com/extremities
Buy a Wendover Productions t-shirt: standard.tv/collections/wendover-productions/products/wendover-productions-shirt
Subscribe to Half as Interesting (The other channel from Wendover Productions): youtube.com/halfasinteresting
Youtube: YouTube.com/WendoverProductions
Instagram: Instagram.com/sam.from.wendover
Twitter: Twitter.com/WendoverPro
Sponsorship Enquiries: wendover@standard.tv
Other emails: sam@wendover.productions
Reddit: Reddit.com/r/WendoverProductions
Writing by Tristan Purdy and Christine Benedetti
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation by Josh Sherrington
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
Select footage courtesy Getty and AP; Select imagery courtesy Geolayers; Select music courtesy Epidemic sound
Sign up for Morning Brew's free daily newsletter: bit.ly/mbwendover3
Watch Extremities at youtube.com/extremities
Buy a Wendover Productions t-shirt: standard.tv/collections/wendover-productions/products/wendover-productions-shirt
Subscribe to Half as Interesting (The other channel from Wendover Productions): youtube.com/halfasinteresting
Youtube: YouTube.com/WendoverProductions
Instagram: Instagram.com/sam.from.wendover
Twitter: Twitter.com/WendoverPro
Sponsorship Enquiries: wendover@standard.tv
Other emails: sam@wendover.productions
Reddit: Reddit.com/r/WendoverProductions
Writing by Tristan Purdy and Christine Benedetti
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation by Josh Sherrington
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
Select footage courtesy Getty and AP; Select imagery courtesy Geolayers; Select music courtesy Epidemic sound

![The Logistics of Covid-19 Testing
Sign up for a CuriosityStream subscription and also get a free Nebula subscription (the streaming platform built and run by creators) here: http://CuriosityStream.com/wendover
Listen to Extremities at http://ExtremitiesPodcast.com
Buy a Wendover Productions t-shirt: https://standard.tv/collections/wendover-productions/products/wendover-productions-shirt
Subscribe to Half as Interesting (The other channel from Wendover Productions): https://www.youtube.com/halfasinteresting
Youtube: http://www.YouTube.com/WendoverProductions
Instagram: http://Instagram.com/sam.from.wendover
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/WendoverPro
Sponsorship Enquiries: wendover@standard.tv
Other emails: sam@wendover.productions
Reddit: http://Reddit.com/r/WendoverProductions
Animation by Josh Sherrington
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
Select footage courtesy the AP Archive
References:
[1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MN908947.2; https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.3.2000045#html_fulltext
[2] https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/full-list-total-tests-for-covid-19?country=ECU~IND~IDN~ITA~SEN~ZAF~KOR~TUR~USA~NZL~ARG~BHR~BEL~BGR~COL~CUB~ETH~France%2C%20tests%20performed~GRC~ISL~ISR~JPN~KEN~LTU~MDV~MAR~NLD~NOR~PRY~POL~QAT~RWA~SRB~SVK~CHE~Thailand%2C%20people%20tested~GBR~URY~VNM~UKR~TGO~TWN~SVN~ESP~SGP~SAU~ROU~Poland%2C%20people%20tested~PER~PAK~MMR~MLT~LUX~KWT~Japan%2C%20tests%20performed~IRN~HKG~DEU~FJI~SLV~CZE~CRI~CAN~BOL~BGD~AUS~AUT~BLR~BRA~CHL~HRV~DNK~EST~FIN~GHA~HUN~India%2C%20people%20tested~IRL~Italy%2C%20people%20tested~KAZ~LVA~MEX~NPL~MYS~PAN~NGA~PHL~RUS~PRT~Singapore%2C%20samples%20tested~Sweden%2C%20people%20tested~THA~TUN~ARE~United%20States%2C%20tests%20performed%20(CDC)%20(incl.%20non-PCR)~ZWE
[3] https://newsroom.questdiagnostics.com/COVIDTestingUpdates
[4] https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/pharmaceuticals-and-medical-products/our-insights/covid-19-overcoming-supply-shortages-for-diagnostic-testing#
[5] https://www.nber.org/papers/w27457.pdf
[6] https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm
Musicbed SyncID:
MB01WFFTD2UXPFO The Logistics of Covid-19 Testing](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YgiMqePRp0Y/mqdefault.jpg)
![How Living at the South Pole Works
Buy your custom domain or email for 10% off at http://Hover.com/wendover
Listen to Extremities at http://ExtremitiesPodcast.com
Buy a Wendover Productions t-shirt: https://standard.tv/collections/wendover-productions/products/wendover-productions-shirt
Subscribe to Half as Interesting (The other channel from Wendover Productions): https://www.youtube.com/halfasinteresting
Youtube: http://www.YouTube.com/WendoverProductions
Instagram: http://Instagram.com/sam.from.wendover
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/WendoverPro
Sponsorship Enquiries: wendover@standard.tv
Other emails: sam@wendover.productions
Reddit: http://Reddit.com/r/WendoverProductions
Writing by Sam Denby
Research by Sam Denby and Tristan Purdy
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation by Josh Sherrington
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
Select footage courtesy the AP Archive
References:
[1] https://www.coolantarctica.com/Bases/modern_antarctic_bases3.php
[2] https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=125161
[3] https://www.usap.gov/technology/documents/SPSAT%2020201114.pdf?rnd=1340834247
[4] https://www.usap.gov/technology/1972/
[5] https://www.waste360.com/recycling/sanitation-bottom-world
[6] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/first-us-spring-flight-to-antarctica-aims-to-keep-out-virus/2020/09/13/538edef0-f625-11ea-85f7-5941188a98cd_story.html
[7] https://beta.nsf.gov/science-matters/life-ice-during-pandemic-keeping-science-antarctica-going-and-continent-covid-19
Musicbed SyncID:
MB016CDZARECXZR How Living at the South Pole Works](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZAEydOjNWyQ/mqdefault.jpg)

![Egypts Dam Problem: The Geopolitics of the Nile
The first 1000 people to use this link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: https://skl.sh/wendoverproductions11201
Listen to Extremities at http://ExtremitiesPodcast.com
Buy a Wendover Productions t-shirt: https://standard.tv/collections/wendover-productions/products/wendover-productions-shirt
Subscribe to Half as Interesting (The other channel from Wendover Productions): https://www.youtube.com/halfasinteresting
Youtube: http://www.YouTube.com/WendoverProductions
Instagram: http://Instagram.com/sam.from.wendover
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/WendoverPro
Sponsorship Enquiries: wendover@standard.tv
Other emails: sam@wendover.productions
Reddit: http://Reddit.com/r/WendoverProductions
Writing by Sam Denby
Research by Sam Denby and Tristan Purdy
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation by Josh Sherrington
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
Select footage courtesy the AP Archive
References:
[1] https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2011/04/20/a-dam-nuisance
[2] https://www.economist.com/node/21688360/print
[3] https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/07/02/egypt-ethiopia-and-sudan-must-learn-how-to-share-the-nile-river
[4] https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/90344/Sudan-urges-reaching-agreement-guaranteeing-safety-of-Roseires-Dam
[5] https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/07/02/the-bitter-dispute-over-africas-largest-dam
[6] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54531747
[7] https://www.ifpri.org/blog/whats-future-food-subsidies-egypt
[8] https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?locations=ET
[9] https://www.worldfinance.com/infrastructure-investment/ethiopias-remarkable-economic-ascent
[10] http://www.iwtc.info/2007_pdf/2-5.pdf
[11] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ethiopias-leader-hails-1st-filling-of-massive-disputed-dam/2020/07/22/b3bd4e1e-cc0f-11ea-99b0-8426e26d203b_story.html#comments-wrapper
[12] https://www.hidasse.gov.et/web/guest/about-the-dam
[13] https://egyptindependent.com/sudan-announces-sudden-decline-of-nile-waters-despite-ethiopias-denial-of-dam-filling/
[14] https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/09/28/renaissance-dam-ethiopia-egypt-negotiations/
[15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_hydroelectric_power_stations
[16] https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC?locations=ET
[17] https://web.archive.org/web/20170824011833/http://www.ethpress.gov.et/herald/index.php/technology/item/8498-purpose-driven-commitment-from-every-corner-to-realize-ethiopian-renaissance
[18] https://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/policy/the-grand-ethiopian-renaissance-dam-gets-set-to-open
[19] https://www.press.et/english/?p=20760#
[20] https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/africa/grand-reneissance-dam-ethiopia/index.html
Musicbed SyncID:
MB013HQAMU1QWXR Egypts Dam Problem: The Geopolitics of the Nile](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_BCY0SPOFpE/mqdefault.jpg)


![The Surprising Success of Gondola Transit Systems
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/wendover
Youtube: http://www.YouTube.com/WendoverProductions
Instagram: http://Instagram.com/sam.from.wendover
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/WendoverPro
Sponsorship Enquiries: wendover@standard.tv
Other emails: sam@wendover.productions
Reddit: http://Reddit.com/r/WendoverProductions
Writing by Sam Denby, Tristan Purdy, and Christine Benedetti
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation by Sara Stoltman, Derek Brown, and Kate Ermolenko
Sound by Manni Simon and Dony Bullen
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
References
[1] https://www.gondolaproject.com
[2] https://inclusiveinfra.gihub.org/case-studies/mi-teleferico-cable-car-bolivia/
[3] https://economia.lse.ac.uk/articles/439/files/666abbc30e958.pdf
[4] https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1366633/1/Davila_2013_UrbanMobility%2526Poverty.pdf The Surprising Success of Gondola Transit Systems](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/a5126u88E7E/mqdefault.jpg)
![Why Electric Planes are Inevitably Coming
Sign up for the CuriosityStream/Nebula bundle deal at its lowest ever price of $0.98 a month during the Fathers Day Sale: http://CuriosityStream.com/Wendover
Watch the companion video to this on Nebula: https://nebula.app/videos/wendover-productions-the-companies-that-are-making-electric-aircraft-a-reality
Buy your custom domain or email for 10% off at http://Hover.com/wendover
Listen to Extremities at http://ExtremitiesPodcast.com
Buy a Wendover Productions t-shirt: https://standard.tv/collections/wendover-productions/products/wendover-productions-shirt
Subscribe to Half as Interesting (The other channel from Wendover Productions): https://www.youtube.com/halfasinteresting
Youtube: http://www.YouTube.com/WendoverProductions
Instagram: http://Instagram.com/sam.from.wendover
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/WendoverPro
Sponsorship Enquiries: wendover@standard.tv
Other emails: sam@wendover.productions
Reddit: http://Reddit.com/r/WendoverProductions
Writing by Sam Denby
Research by Sam Denby and Tristan Purdy
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation by Josh Sherrington
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
Select footage courtesy the AP Archive
References
[1] https://www.airport-technology.com/features/france-bans-short-haul-flight-industry-reacts/
[2] https://www.airnav.com/fuel/local.html; https://www.iata.org/en/publications/economics/fuel-monitor/
[3] https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOT-OST-1997-2784-0200
[4] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eviation-announces-first-commercial-customer-cape-air-for-its-all-electric-airplane-alice-300870249.html Why Electric Planes are Inevitably Coming](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aH4b3sAs-l8/mqdefault.jpg)
![Why the US Military Costs so Much
Sign up for Nebula for 40% off: https://nebula.tv/wendover
Watch the Nebula-exclusive episode about the Logistics of Arms Manufacturing: https://nebula.tv/videos/wendover-the-logistics-of-arms-manufacturing
Youtube: http://www.YouTube.com/WendoverProductions
Instagram: http://Instagram.com/sam.from.wendover
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/WendoverPro
Sponsorship Enquiries: wendover@standard.tv
Other emails: sam@wendover.productions
Reddit: http://Reddit.com/r/WendoverProductions
Writing by Sam Denby and Tristan Purdy
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation led by Max Moser
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
References
[1] https://people.defensenews.com/top-100/
[2] https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/eo/documents/annual-reports/lockheed-martin-annual-report-2021.pdf
[3] https://www.usaspending.gov/agency
[4] https://sgp.fas.org/crs/natsec/R45403.pdf
[5] https://www.rebootingthearsenal.com/ Why the US Military Costs so Much](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aQXD-Wr6h64/mqdefault.jpg)
![How ICEs Surveillance System Works
Get Exclusive NordVPN deal + 4 months extra
here → https://nordvpn.com/wendover
It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!
Sponsorship Enquiries: wendover@standard.tv
Other emails: sam@wendover.productions
Reddit: http://Reddit.com/r/WendoverProductions
Writing by Sam Denby
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation by Sara Stoltman, Gabriel Ferreras, Austin Glass, and Kate Ermolenkko
Sound by Manni Simon and Dony Bullen
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
References
[1] https://www.cogs.us/DocumentCenter/View/10579/Flock-Safety_successful-uses
[2] https://local12.com/news/nation-world/police-chief-gets-caught-using-license-plate-cameras-to-track-his-ex-girlfriend-228-times-arrests-charges-probation-flock-safety-follow-stalk-new-boyfriend-broke-up-out-of-town-misuse; https://www.kcrg.com/video/2024/06/24/video-north-charleston-police-officer-demoted-using-cameras-track-wife/; https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article299881644.html; https://fox11online.com/news/crime/menasha-officer-pleads-not-guilty-to-misconduct-charge-over-ex-girlfriend-tracking-cristian-morales-license-plate-recognition-flock-restraining-order-domestic-abuse-case?utm
[3] https://prri.org/spotlight/most-americans-distrust-u-s-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-ice-and-believe-federal-funding-increases-have-gone-too-far/?utm
[4] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26209262-mobile-fortify-pta/?ref=404media.co&q=opportunity&mode=document#document/p4 How ICEs Surveillance System Works](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aRUhgrqnpGY/mqdefault.jpg)