Burnham
Woods walker
No kidding.
The Official Random Video Thread!
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gf beranek
Old Schooler
Glory or bust.
Maximalist
Treehouser
Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
Nutball
TreeHouser
It's impossible. There's most likely some sort of mechanism hidden in the wood funnel: either an electromagnetic accelerator, or a tiny rubber wheel spun by a motor.
Maximalist
Treehouser
You can buy and check how it works)
Marc-Antoine
TreeHouser
Yes, too much speed just under the plate to be moved by gravity. It literally shoots down the ball.
pigwot
M's, Juniper's, Lowen’s, and Inge’s Grandpa
I wonder if there is a large rare earth magnet set in the base under the most vertical portion of the rails ahead of where the rails meet the wood, which draws the ball bearing down more quickly, while the rails move it laterally out of the range of the magnet so it doesn’t get ‘stuck’ to the magnet, and as it falls the magnet-induced acceleration creates the speed necessary for the ball bearing to make the ‘leap of faith’ back into the bowl. The rails would have to move the ball bearing away from the magnet enough to ensure the same attraction that causes the acceleration doesn’t also retard or ‘slow’ the speed as it leaves the magnetic field.
Might have to set one up and try it!
Might have to set one up and try it!
Nutball
TreeHouser
You's need more than one permanent magnet to make an accelerator via magnetic gradient that might work, but that would likely require too much space to fit in the wood funnel. Just one constant magnetic field would act like gravity: and increase in speed toward the magnet is even countered by a decrease in speed as it moves away from the magnet. There are a few very convincing perpetual motion machines out there, but they don't work. I do wonder if a perpetual motion machine could be made out of a permanent magnet accelerator.
The closest thing to a true perpetual motion machine is a car that has the wheels geared to a giant propeller that pushes it along faster than the wheels turn, so the increase in wheel speed increases the propeller speed causing energy to seem like it appears from nowhere. The catch is that it isn't a closed system, because it acts on the air, which would all eventually be blown in the opposite direction by the propeller, except the friction of the ground eventually stops the air again relative to the ground, which the car's wheels use to turn the propeller. As far as we are concerned, there would be no end to that car's driving, but eventually the energy would be lost if the sun doesn't blow up first.
The closest thing to a true perpetual motion machine is a car that has the wheels geared to a giant propeller that pushes it along faster than the wheels turn, so the increase in wheel speed increases the propeller speed causing energy to seem like it appears from nowhere. The catch is that it isn't a closed system, because it acts on the air, which would all eventually be blown in the opposite direction by the propeller, except the friction of the ground eventually stops the air again relative to the ground, which the car's wheels use to turn the propeller. As far as we are concerned, there would be no end to that car's driving, but eventually the energy would be lost if the sun doesn't blow up first.
Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
I always understood this to be the best example of a perpetual motion machine: the Beverly Clock It has never stopped running since 1864 except for routine maintenance. It doesn't need to be wound at all.
en.wikipedia.org
Beverly Clock - Wikipedia
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gf beranek
Old Schooler
That's pretty clever.
Marc-Antoine
TreeHouser
Very clever, but completely unrelated to a perpetual motion machine. The clock/watch makers are incredible talented mechanics and they found a vast diversity of means to supply the needed energy to their systems. But it's just that, a mean to supply the energy. This one is unusual and magic-like for the unaware people. Still, the clock needs energy to run and the surrounding environment brings it by thawing/cooling cycles. Put it in a constant room temperature and the clock stops.
The key point to define a perpetual motion machine is working continuously with no supply of external energy beside what it's put in the system at the start. Though simple, that's pretty restrictive and nobody yet has found a way to by-pass the laws of physic.
The key point to define a perpetual motion machine is working continuously with no supply of external energy beside what it's put in the system at the start. Though simple, that's pretty restrictive and nobody yet has found a way to by-pass the laws of physic.
Mellow
BCMA
Entropy FTW
Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
Mick!
TreeHouser
Those wing suits are incredible, like being an eagle.
Mellow
BCMA
That's awesome! Such a fun way to die!
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Yeah, not on my bucket list. I really dont enjoy the feeling of free fall. ....
As a former hang glider in the Swiss Alps, I can understand why they are doing that.
You don't get the sense of speed unless you are close to the ground.
Go 60 MPH a mile up and it just feels like you are hanging there.
Not that I would do any of that stuff today.
You don't get the sense of speed unless you are close to the ground.
Go 60 MPH a mile up and it just feels like you are hanging there.
Not that I would do any of that stuff today.
Mellow
BCMA
Nutball
TreeHouser
The supercomputers we build is child's play compared to what goes on in a cell and how cells interact in an animal.
Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
That video was very polarizing, but also very fascinating. The narrator completely dismisses evolution based largely upon philosophy and religious beliefs, plus some science. Evolution hasn't always been linear and the arguments for evolution are much greater than claims that "with enough time, anything is possible." The vast majority of evolutionary processes occurred in the geological blink of an eye.; they actually took no time at all relatively speaking. We know very little about early life on this planet. So little that I don't think it's fair to dismiss either argument, whether it be God or evolution. In fact, isn't it possible that God created life AND evolution? The two don't actually have to compete like the narrator would lead you to believe. I personally still lean towards evolution but, as an agnostic, that hardly means I won't continue to open my heart and mind to a higher power. Let's not forget that evolution has always been a theory and that we teach our children exactly what theories are in the schools he claims are indoctrinating them to accept evolution as science fact. Even children understand that evolution isn't a 100% concrete fact or truth or reality...it's just the US school system's best guess as to what transpired and what best explains biological improvements among various organisms over time. Your school isn't teaching your child to not work towards coming up with a better explanation if they are so inclined.
That was my take on it and I watched the entire video. I wasn't expecting that twist at the end. Just starting a discussion, @Mellow. I still learned a lot about cells and their history and function.
Maximalist
Treehouser
gf beranek
Old Schooler
I've watched a flying squirrel do the same thing. Even a gray squirrel once.
With each one it got me to thinking that the squirrel was smart enough to choose the jump rather than take the hit. Instinct maybe.
With each one it got me to thinking that the squirrel was smart enough to choose the jump rather than take the hit. Instinct maybe.
Knotorious
That Guy With The Face
Squirrels are INCREDIBLY intelligent and they are adept problem solvers. Here's a fun video if you have twenty minutes and want to be amused and impressed.
Nutball
TreeHouser
I think even non flying squirrels have a terminal velocity such that they can just jump from any height and likely survive. Probably a lower survival rate than flying squirrels. Their light weight and small size means that their deformation upon impact will be relatively minimal.
