My brother, who sent me the link to the drawing, points out that gravity would take the water most of the way --- most of the path is simply flat or a small downward incline from the initial built-up platform. It's just lying on the floor. But then we're guessing something is pumped up the structure to the top. That initial platform is tall enough to hide a pump, and the vertical supports could easily hide tubing from our view. But, yes, all guesses. I'd love to hear what others think, or can uncover via Google or other internet tools. Looking at the drawing in conjunction with the commentors' suggestions to look at shadows has been useful for me, at least.
Barbara ________________________________________ From: [email protected] [[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2011 9:04 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re: [tips] Escher water wheel Catherine Wehlburg posted a link to a demonstration (if that's the word) of Escher's impossible water wheel drawing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v2xnl6LwJE (actually, the video plays better at gizmodo, here: http://www.gizmodo.jp/2011/02/post_8534.html ) It's really quite stunning. In the only TIPS reply I've seen to this fascinating video, Barbara Brown pointed us to a drawing which may provide a basis for understanding how it was done ( at http://imgur.com/EMUJL ). OK, I get a faint glimmer of what might be involved from Barbara's link, but no more than that. How the (supply your own expletive) does he get the water to appear to run uphill????? And it's a perpetual motion machine to boot! The commenters at YouTube are also clueless. Two suggest that a "ferroliquid" and magnetism are involved, which sounds dodgy to me. Only one gives a lengthy explanation which could possibly be true, except that I can't understand it. Is there no one on TIPS who knows what's going on? Please? Or do I have to start believing in a new inexhaustible form of energy? Stephen -------------------------------------------- Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Bishop's University Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada e-mail: sblack at ubishops.ca --------------------------------------------- --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=12981.aaf662be6cd123f4c54c4d90d24b1373&n=T&l=tips&o=8848 or send a blank email to leave-8848-12981.aaf662be6cd123f4c54c4d90d24b1...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=8849 or send a blank email to leave-8849-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
