M.C. Escher’s Waterfall makes no sense in the world of physics, but one man has seemingly made a model that visually tricks you into thinking that this self-supporting waterway could actually be real. While I don’t know how this is being done exactly, it’s pretty safe to say that there’s some sort of visual trick or computer special effects added in. Weigh in in the comments.
Related Posts
Red dot and blue circle optical illusion
AOL launches Alto for a completely new way to visualize email inboxes
The Infinite Hotel Paradox: Visualizing infinity
ILM shows how they made the special effects in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
3Destruct: an audio visual light show by Antivj
The Deleted City: visualizing GeoCities as a real city map
My guess would be a trick on visual perspective without CGI. I feel like I’ve seen something like this before, but I can’t put my finger on it. It’s either got a super-quiet water pump or some good insulation around it.
Its a combo of real and CGI. watch how the dudes shadows do and dont fall on it as he walks around. and the water wheel looks totally fake to me.
It’s not CGI, take a look at the height of the sidewalls, how the water flows (column of water is spread and flowing quickly at the bottom and narrow and slowing at the top until the water volume builds to overcome the force of gravity), and the width of the wooden channels themselves which get more narrow at the top to give the effect of visual effect, at the given angle, of equal proportion to the lower channels.
There are many many shadows because the room is actually very brightly lit to disguise shadows that might give the waterfall’s secrets away. If you look closely at the water on the floor closest to the camera you can see that the entire base of the waterfall is not in contact with the ground, which aids in the slope of the first wooden channel.
However it’s done that isn’t the same water going around and turning that wheel. If it was he would have perpetual motion and we know “Ye Canne change the laws of physics!”
@Barry Barcrest
What’s perpetual about it?
The water only has the chance to cycle through a few times at best before he shuts off the camera, the water splashing off the wheel is not all returning to the cycle of flow, and water evaporates.