Have you seen some of the other videos on that channel? It seems to be the ‘fake perpetual motion’ channel
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Got it.
On the back edge of the horizontal plank, the operator has attached 2 metal rods (one on the left and one on the right side) that can swing down. Since the plank is placed slightly over the edge of the table, they can connect past the back of the table to a rocking mechanism that is hidden under the table.
See how careful the opertaor holds and then places the plank after the cut (0:24 - 0:28). Watch the synchronized motion of his 2 ringfingers to rotate the rods down (0:27). The gentle rocking that follows (while he grabs the balls) is what happens when the 2 rods connect to the mechanism. Strange how that entire thing balances, rocks, twitches and then settles in an equilibrium… (0:29 - 0:33).
Final proof: once the contraption tilts, you can clearly see the reflection of the rods under the plank on the lifted side (about 5cm from either end). These reflections are absent before he put the plank down. Compare 0:24 with 0:35 & 0:39. These reflections were also not present before the cut: compare 0:10 with 0:35.
Anybody with a basic knowledge of statics could tell you this is a hoax.
What they want to make it look like is that they are going to take the vertical load from one side of the structure and with help of the diagonal supports put that load down on the other side of the see-saw, presumably to make the see-saw tip to the side opposite of the ball location - which if it worked would make the balls endlessly roll back and forth.
What is wrong about this is the diagonal struts will not transfer the vertical load component without introducing a moment (rotational force). The offset of the vertical load will cause a moment (twisting force) at the point where the diagonal strut connects to the see-saw, which will actually lift the opposite side as if the strut had come straight down. That moment force is borne by the see-saw which resists bending in response, and actually pivots around its balance point just as it would have if the force went straight down to the opposite side.
Said simply this structure is no different than one where the weight of the ball run came straight down on the see-saw, in terms of whether or not the balls would roll by themselves. They would not. The only difference is the diagonals introduce moment which is taken up by the bending of the various members.
So without seeing the strings, or the guy under the table reaching up to tip it back and forth, the statics of it are impossible. Fun puzzle tho.
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This is a really interesting sentence…
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I interpreted those as holes for the screws that attach the upper frame to the seesaw.
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Hah, I like how that one is screwed up when it switches back to “normal speed”, as one ball (and its shadow) slowly dissolves away while another one magically appears in a different spot.
Interesting explanation from the channel’s associated website:
IMPORTANT!
My Perpetual Motion Machines models are of motorized versions that were built to illustrate how they were supposed to work in the minds of Inventors. Never mind what educational level we are at, we all miss something that goes beyond the usual scientific explanations. Fundamental Science, Physics Laws and boring Laws of Thermodynamics bring the ‘flight’ of Inventors’ ideas to land. Growing Technology … We live in an age of consumption. But many of us are still dreaming and believe that the era of creativity has not gone. My PMM models are built for them. I’d like to inspire these people by demonstrating Unworkable Perpetual Motion Machines that were designed centuries ago.
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Yep. Hitting those black stops absorbs energy due to friction. Not to mention the friction of just the balls rolling.
Hmmm… what I love the most about that one is how the force of the magnet is clearly stronger the the force of gravity while the ball is on the ramp, but the moment the ball is at the hole, even though it is closest to the magnet and should be feeling the maximum force from it, all of a sudden gravity is stronger.
This is the Wile E. Coyote of perpetual motion machines,
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I feel like that’s fair enough. I like the concept of re-creating perpetual motion machines and faking them to work the way the inventors envisioned them. Honestly, I feel like you could build an entire museum exhibit around the idea.
You’d think he’d put some clue in the videos, though.
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The ‘real perpetual motion channel’ is run by Steorn
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There is something out of sight that you can see under both sides, he Youtube comments note the same.
While the editing is smooth-ish there is still jump between the show off section and the perpetual movement section of the video. Also a static shot makes it easy to hide the moving parts that make it work.
Neat. In that one, things get strangely shaky during the zoom-in from 1:22 - 1:33.
I’ve tried organizing a thermodynamics club, but it always falls apart into heated arguments.
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Just that episode, and one other episode a few seasons later playing the same awesome character.
Upside down pendulum. Also the video guy stops it after a few cycles because there are some laws everyone is bound to follow.
Honestly it only rocks 30 times. 15 if you count back and forth as one rock. Not really remarkable for a pendulum.
His dick! He’s doing it with his dick!
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I’ve got it. Let’s see him do it with his pants zipped.
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If a magic drinking bird can go on all day despite frictional losses, it’s not unreasonable for the momentum of a heavy golf ball to drive a well balanced apparatus for a half a minute without noticeable slowdown. Occam’s razor.
Somebody ask Penn Jillette.
