Veritasium
July 13, 2026
Google's Blender Interview Question Explained
TL;DR
A famous Google interview question asks what you'd do if shrunk to nickel size and placed in a blender with 60 seconds before the blades spin, testing creative problem-solving rather than a single correct answer.
Key Takeaways
- 1The blender question is a behavioral interview designed to assess creative thinking and problem-solving under pressure
- 2Common answers like ducking, pushing buttons, or asking nicely miss the point of the question
- 3The best approach involves recognizing the physics of the situation and the relatively low RPM at the blade center
- 4Interview questions like this evaluate how candidates think through impossible scenarios, not literal survival strategies
Notable Quotes
“I would like to think I could duck down and miss the blades.”
“Honestly, the thing I would think about is trying to get to the very center of the blades. It's spinning around me, but the actual RPM is probably not that high if I'm standing in the middle.”
“But these answers don't cut it.”
Chapters
1. The Question Setup
A famous Google interview question presents a scenario where the candidate is shrunk to nickel size and placed in a blender with 60 seconds before the blades start spinning.
2. Common Wrong Answers
Candidates offer various responses including ducking under blades, pushing the button, asking nicely, accepting defeat, attempting quantum tunneling, using clothes as rope, and catching air drafts—all of which fail to address the real intent of the question.
3. The Better Approach
A more effective answer involves understanding the physics: positioning at the center of the blades where RPM is low, and potentially timing an attachment to the blade tips to swing around without harm.
Key People & Entities
- Tech company known for using unconventional interview questions
Glossary
- RPM
- Revolutions Per Minute; the number of complete rotations a spinning object makes in one minute
- Behavioral interview question
- An interview question designed to assess how a candidate thinks, problem-solves, and handles hypothetical or challenging scenarios