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Watch GE destroy household items to demonstrate its extreme tests

Watch GE destroy household items to demonstrate its extreme tests

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To demonstrate the rigorous testing carried out inside its labs every day, GE has launched a new "Spring Break it" campaign that puts household items through the same torturous scenarios. The company has uploaded a number of videos that reveal how these items hold up under 100,000 pounds of pressure or when they're suddenly smashed by 5,000 pounds of force. GE says these tests and others — including one that simulates micro erosion — help the company build strong materials with unmatched endurance and strength.

That research is crucial since GE helps develop parts that eventually make their way into jet engines, wind turbines, and countless other applications. "When we know how materials melt, shatter and bend, we can make machines that don't," the company says. The videos serve as little more than advertisements; rubber ducks and crayons were never meant to endure this, after all. But they sure are fun to watch.