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Author Topic: The "Space Top": a physical puzzle  (Read 1703 times)

ta0

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The "Space Top": a physical puzzle
« on: March 28, 2018, 11:16:16 PM »

I found by chance about this top who somebody claims defies the laws of physics. He even wrote a little e-book about his new spinning top theory.  ::)



You can read more and see other videos on a kickstarter page from 2015:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/419602554/space-top-a-new-cousin-of-spinning-top-not-a-gyros

I'm not sure what's the explanation. Perhaps when the top tilts with respect to the base, the pole on the upper side is "seen" by the same pole on the base and repelled, so it stays perpendicular to the base. Because, even if the magnet was much stronger than gravity, the weight should make it precess, at it doesn't happen.  :-\
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Jeremy McCreary

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Re: The "Space Top": a physical puzzle
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2018, 02:37:10 AM »

Something smells here, but I can't yet put my finger on it. For now, I'm putting my money on the laws of physics as we currently understand them.

But in fairness, I can't completely rule out the possibility that the nail inside the coil thingy is inducing a magnetic monpole inside a space-time singularity collapsing within the subspace tachyon field. That would definitely cause a top to behave just like that. >:D
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Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time ... and with spinning tops, we decorate both.
—after Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1960-1988

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Iacopo

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Re: The "Space Top": a physical puzzle
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2018, 04:13:21 AM »

I don't like the way the top is advertised, as defying the laws of phisics, because it doesn't at all.

The space top is attracted by both the magnet, (red arrow), and Earth, (orange arrow).
The resultant direction of attraction is the blue arrow, so the top aligns with it, following the normal rules we know.




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ta0

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Re: The "Space Top": a physical puzzle
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2018, 08:40:41 AM »

The space top is attracted by both the magnet, (red arrow), and Earth, (orange arrow).
The resultant direction of attraction is the blue arrow, so the top aligns with it, following the normal rules we know
That's clear when the base does not move. What surprises me is that it follows the base without leaning with respect to it. After all, it should try to stay aligned in one direction due to gyroscopic stability. And once it's at an angle, it should precess.
Yesterday, I tried with a quick mockup I made with a top and magnets and it was not stable. But I don't have a large donut magnet like the one he uses for the base. Also, my tip spun on a flat surface, while his goes into an inverted cone (there could be a torque there).
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Iacopo

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Re: The "Space Top": a physical puzzle
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2018, 04:42:02 PM »

What surprises me is that it follows the base without leaning with respect to it. After all, it should try to stay aligned in one direction due to gyroscopic stability. And once it's at an angle, it should precess.

Yes, I agree.  There is a bit of wobbling when he moves the top which I suppose is precession, but it never precess with a large angle.
I am not sure why.
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