This Ancient Weapon Is Faster Than You Think

This machine fires projectiles so fast that it shouldn’t even be possible. It’s actually based on a medieval weapon called a trebuchet, which was once used to smash through enemy castle walls. It worked by dropping a huge counterweight, swinging a long arm that launched massive projectiles at the enemy. It was insanely effective for its time—but people didn’t stop there. Fast forward to today, and people became obsessed with improving the design, building smaller versions at home and tweaking things like arm length, counterweight size, and release angles. Now, these machines are so optimized they can launch projectiles ridiculous distances—some even reaching supersonic speeds.