Re: [Phys-l] Invisible Chair

["Daryl L Taylor" <Daryl@DarylScience.com>]

Three giveaways to agree with Anthony's rigid support idea.

1. His right pant leg is entirely too long; covering the support rod that goes from floor to back.
2. His pants hang from every part. This indicates to me that the notion of "sitting" on something is out the window. If he were sitting on an "invisible" anything, his buttocks and thing backs would have been flattened.
3. The first scene of his back, around 1:18, clearly shows an almost perfectly flat back. Humans don't have flat backs. Looks similar to a policeman's bullet-proof vest. Also, in the following shot, as the camera scans around his left side from the back view, his butt simply is not shaped like a human's, at least not the ones I'm familiar with...

My guess, supported by several sites discussing this trick by hired illusionist, Ramana, is a support rod up the inside of his right leg. The rod then has a bit of a seat for him to rest most of his weight and a back support to lean on. The platform allows for all the hidden structural systems which could be as simple as a counterweight constructed under him so his center of mass is over the overall center of mass of a "V" shaped rod.

Chinese musicians did this in the 2010 Shanghai Expo explained here: (POOR translation...)
"...is because their left leg is installed a hidden device from foot to hip, which can be extension and bending, when the device bending it becomes a invisible chair.
1). The bending device is made of a titanium steel used in aeroplane, which is very light with a total weight of 1 kg;
2). Actresses have artificial arthrosis like hinges on their knee, so stretched more naturally.
3). There is a slot on the stage (the hole with diameter 2.5CM), when the high heels of the musicians went into the hole, their invisible "chair" device will be fixed through this hole (slot) , so their body and the "Chair " will have a balance pivot point."

> From http://tinyurl.com/66zyjmc (original URL has 99 characters...)

Just my guess. 

Daryl L Taylor, Fizzix & Astronomy Guy
Greenwich HS, CT

Friendly Neighborhood Curmudgeon (n. : \(ˌ)kər-ˈmə-jən\. 1. Miser 2. : a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man.) Take your pick.

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-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Anthony Lapinski
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 10:32 AM
To: phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Invisible Chair

I watched carefully. His body does not move much, and one leg is very
straight and always on the floor. So my guess is that one leg is fake or
there is a rigid support attached to the floor that extends through his
pants to hold his body up.


Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu> writes:
> Dear all,
>
> Does anyone know how the invisible chair work?
> http://adholes.com/postings/d677ecf739b83d4449748634146a9ed9
>
>
> Best regards,
> Alphonsus
>
> _______________________________________________
> Forum for Physics Educators
> Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l


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