As the Earth’s climate changes, human ingenuity is more and more necessary to ensure that we have access to the resources that keep us alive. California, which has experienced severe water shortages and drought conditions in recent years, is struggling to keep as much water as possible. One way they do so is through shade balls, which float on the surface of a reservoir and diffuse sunlight to limit evaporation.

YouTube channel Veritasium took a boat ride along the surface of one of those reservoirs, and it’s a deeply surreal experience. Watching the prow cut through the matrix of thousands of jet-black balls looks like something out of a malfunctioning video game. He takes the time to really go in-depth with the boat captain about how well the system works and whether it’s worth it.

Water shortages are going to be one of the driving forces of mass migration in the next few decades, so kudos to California for proactively finding ways to insulate their reservoir. The jury’s still out on whether it’ll be enough without massive changes to the way the Western world lives, but even baby steps are helpful. Watch the video if you want to learn more.