How's this for the sheer excitement of scientific research?

[zeitghost]

The Pitch Drop Experiment | School of Mathematics and Physics

Now I expect you all to sit there & wait for the 9th drop to drop.

[PAH]

So exciting I daren't click the link in case I explode.

Reminded me of the news the other week where they were on about the latest discoveries in the search for Higgs Boson. There was a woman being interviewed who said the news was the most exciting thing that's ever happened to her as she's dedicated her life to researching this stuff.

After briefly musing that she must be good in bed (), I heard the interviewer ask her what it would mean for normal people. She just looked perplexed by the question. Poor thing probably doesn't get out of the lab much.

[xoggoth]

Bit off topic but sort of sciency. Saw something the other day that seemed completely wrong. Some simple things don't work as you expect.

Take a big piece of hardboard, hang it from a double length of rope in a windy place. What happens? I'd say it would just flap about or, if the rope was not quite central, it would just stay in one position with the smaller end into the wind like a sale. It doesn't, it rotates at an almost constant pace, first one way then the other and it never stops.

[TimberWolf]

Bit off topic but sort of sciency. Saw something the other day that seemed completely wrong. Some simple things don't work as you expect.

Take a big piece of hardboard, hang it from a double length of rope in a windy place. What happens? I'd say it would just flap about or, if the rope was not quite central, it would just stay in one position with the smaller end into the wind like a sale. It doesn't, it rotates at an almost constant pace, first one way then the other and it never stops.

Interesting observation. Rotating one way and then the other could be explained by an opposite torque produced in the winding rope, but not the reason for an initial sustained rotation in one direction.

Just tried it myself with a wall calendar hanging off some cord, but with the added complication of the lampshade swinging about too. I observed the same phenomenon. The 'winding-up' (initial) rotation was always in the same preferred direction however, in 5 not so carefully controlled trials. Initially there was a period of flapping about and general too'ing fro'ing, culminating in a feeble rotation in the opposite direction to that of the subsequent full steam 360 degree rotations, until such time that the cord built up sufficient torque for rotation to commence in the counter direction. Perhaps the 'board' isn't symmetrical about the centre of gravity in terms of surface area presented to the wind (my fan), or at least is less aerodynamic on one side of the CoG, and when it has begun rotating tends to keep going for some counter-intuitive reason.

Incidentally wind is defined as "air in motion" and "move by turning and twisting", "to turn, twist, wind"
Online Etymology Dictionary

Maybe the ancients noticed that the wind (moving air) "winds". Ditto for wind mill.

[PAH]

I think the lever principle explains it. The edge is being levered against the centre.

[Arturo Bassick]

I would suggest it is to do with drag on the different sides of the board (rough and smooth) causing a difference in air pressure similar to lift generated by a wing.

[RSoles]

artificial pitch glacier

I remember seeing this one when I was young.

So that makes it a very long running experiment.

Lord Kelvin's artificial pitch glacier