This video was posted at New Scientist, which offers a prize to the first person who can correctly explain how the illusion is created.
Courtesy of neuroscientist Al Seckel, the video is free of editing effects or computer-generated imagery. "There is one train; it is as long as you see," he says. The illusion, presented in his newly published digital book that delves into the science of the world's best illusions, continues to fool Nobel laureates and other great minds when presented at conferences.So far there are over 100 comments at the New Scientist post.
It was exactly as I expected, but it was neat to read other people's explanations. Here is a picture that shows how it is done.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kalmbachstore.com/cttpdf035.html
Thank you for the link, Dave. That's very interesting to me because I think the Lionel train I had as a child was not capable of climbing a grade. Perhaps the track or the wheels are modified in some fashion now.
Delete'Stan, the track on the uphill gradient may well have been filed or sanded to roughen it up a little and maybe give it more grip, but it could be much simpler than that: at the same time as the front of the train is coming up out of its subterranean spiral, the back half of it is being helped by gravity on the downhill part of the spiral. This might help force the front few carriages of the train up that slippery slope until they are out on level ground again, after which they have the normal traction and can pull the rest of the train up the slope. Not wishing to out-nerd myself with the analysis, but if there was a very slight slope downwards on the curve that starts when the train comes out of the tunnel, that traction might be just that little bit more effective and the train is going to have more traction anyway from the left hand side of the curve itself, isn't it?
DeleteIt think your explanation is correct. It certainly makes sense.
Delete@Minnesotastan: I'd have to guess it was: "This downloadable packet also has Peter H. Riddle’s update of the original 1950s display"
ReplyDelete(Having spent 6-7 hours at Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg a couple of years ago, it was almost obvious to me. If you have ANY interest in model trains and are in Hamburg, you should absolutely go to MW...)
ReplyDeleteI don't see the issue. Obviously a spiral type setup into the lower parts of the table.
ReplyDeletePretty obvious, but still nicely done.
DeleteAnd does anyone really believe his claim of being able to fool Nobel laureates? I call that BS. You don't get to meet Nobel laureates on conferences on a regular basis and even if you do, attending these conferences costs a lot of money, so showing off becomes quite costly very soon.
You can see the train tilt down as it enters the tunnel.
ReplyDeleteTardis tunnel. Tundis?
ReplyDeleteMy brain is too big for such simple try hard ruses.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty infuriating to have 80+ % of the comments saying the exact same thing over and over again. Even if they were right.
ReplyDelete