On Jul 2, 2013, at 3:50 AM, Mugsy Lunsford <[email protected]> wrote:

> http://www.wimp.com/thissorcery/
> 
> I'd love to see how that randomization works. 

Look closely at the top side of that wheel, there is an irregular placement of 
the pegs as well as a variation on the top of the pegs. It's also posible 
there's other irregular gearing inside the box to produce more changes in the 
large wheel's rotation, i don't know if the apparent jerkiness is merely an 
artifact of the construction or something else.

My guess is that there are three marbles, one in each cup, with a mechanism to 
pick up the marble. This isn't random, merely random appearing. Watch the rate 
at which the big wheel turns; we don't get to see a full cycle (and there may 
be epicycles, too)…if we did, we'd realize that there isn't any random-ness, 
any more than a long music box drum can play a long complex melody endlessly; 
it always repeats…eventually.

That is a hella clever little piece.

-- 
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs


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