Re: [Phys-l] [tap-l] amazing instruments

["Clements, Gregory" <clements@midlandu.edu>]

Clark Planetarium in downtown Salt Lake City has a working mechanism like
Bob L. described.  The bottom of the mechanism is on the 2nd floor and the
wire track, loops, sound devices, etc. extends up into the third floor.  An
electric motor is used to continuously lift the returning balls to the top.
There is an interactive component that allows visitors to affect the motion
of the balls that travel on the mechanism.  I have been to the planetarium
three times and there are always youngsters interacting and watching the
mechanism.  I usually have to wait to have a turn!

Greg Clements
Midland University
Fremont, Nebraska

On Fri, Mar 11, 2011 at 1:53 PM, LaMontagne, Bob <RLAMONT@providence.edu>wrote:

> Real - shmeal.....
>
> The wonder of that video was not its reality - it was the idea that some
> artist took an incredibly boring topic like projectile motion and turned it
> into something that made you feel good inside when you watched it. Instead
> of being creative, the knee-jerk physicists approach on this list was to
> dissect it and throw cold water on it for not being authentic. I found it
> fascinating that no one really questioned the animation of the projectile
> motion itself - so I assume the artist "got it right".
>
> Thankfully, a few on the list seemed to get it and remembered the attempts
> at many museums to build similar wonderful mechanisms. I remember one at the
> Boston Museum of Science that one could watch with fascination for long
> periods that had balls rolling down wire ramps, leaping in the air, and
> bouncing off various objects repeatedly and accurately. Whenever a physics
> teacher says something is impossible an artist appears to show how to do it.
>
> Bob at PC