Filpbook Astronomy
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Flipbook Astronomy: often static images are insufficient to explain complex motion, and before there was YouTube, animations of astronomical concepts were hard to come by- except for this 1971 astronomy textbook! The author of this text included eight flipbook animations in the margins. Swipe to see three animations 1) what the Big Dipper will look like after 100,000 years “time lapse”, 2) the path of Jupiter in the sky over the course of one year, and 3) the motion of the Earth and Moon over a one month period as their center of mass orbits the Sun. An excellent textbook for its time: Dynamic Astronomy by Robert T Dixon, Prentice Hall. The psychophysics of flipbooks: when the image flash rate is above the flicker fusion frequency (approximately 16Hz) we perceive fluid motion- the basis for all movies and TV.
Convection Turbine Candle with Elephants
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Convection Turbine Candle: pachyderms on parade via this whimsical tea-light candle holder which is actually a simple turbine heat engine where rotational motion results from the convection of hot air from the candle flame. All moving parts are of thin stainless steel with some assembly required. Energy transfer: chemical bonds- to heat- to kinetic energy of the rising air- to rotational kinetic energy of the turbine and elephants.
Spirograph Animator
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Spirograph Animator: a turntable adds an ingenious embellishment to this classic math toy. When the centerpiece is put into rotation a strobe light turns on and the cyclic designs spring into a complex dance. Spirographs produce mathematical roulette curves called hypotrochoids, cyclical designs that repeat at varying integer multiples. When the strobe light frequency, and rotation frequency, match up with an integer multiple of one of the patterns, that roulette curve appears stationary while the other patterns stay in motion. Shown here is but one combination of many possible overlapping patterns that can be produced by the supplied set of gears and colored pens.
Precision Machined Haptic Fidget
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Precision Machined Haptic Fidget: four identical stainless steel components precision manufactured to 15µm tolerances via wire EDM (electrical discharge machined) and embedded with magnets to produce a stepped locking mechanism for a haptic sensory experience. The rainbow finish is due to a very thin layer of oxidized titanium produced by a process called physical vapor deposition (PVD) where a molecule thin coating is created under vacuum. So much interesting physics in the many production methods used to make this everyday carry fidget.
Thermomotor Curie Point Engine
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Thermomotor Carousel: this decorative and dynamic centerpiece is actually a Curie point heat engine! Two tea light candles continually chase two magnets around a magnetic ring in this truly unique design by @violet__revolution. When the portion of the magnetic ring over the flame heats up to a particular temperature (the Curie point) its magnetic field is temporarily lost until it cools, so the magnet near the candle is now pulled toward a cooler portion of the ring- which then heats up and the process continuously repeats creating the steady rotation. Swipe to see the full design (complete with a laser cut forest mantle) in operation. Many thanks to artist and inventor Darragh Hewat for this fantastic addition to my collection.
Crushmetric Holographic Foil Pen
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Crushmetric Holographic: the Switch Pen with diffractive rainbow foil- functional kinetic art based on materials science and tessellation origami techniques. The crushed state can be reversed over and over in this incredible design by artist/inventor Noah Deledda, also known for his similar sculptures created from aluminum cans.
Polage Miniature Ornament
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Polage Miniatures: art with polarized light using polarizing sheets and birefringent cellophane to create changing forms and colors. A polarizing filter is used to reveal the colorful designs- amazingly with two images hidden within these layers. Rotation of the polarizing filter also allows the artist to produce colorful metamorphosis in these images. These affordable sun catchers are made in limited quantities by @austinestudios, and look amazing through polarized sunglasses as well. Light as a transverse wave has an orientation, denoted as polarization, and a polarizing filter can be used to block certain orientations. The colors in polage come from how the molecular structure of plastics can rotate the polarization of any light that passes through- but only light corresponding to yellows and greens gets rotated in plastic, reds and blues not so much. Polage uses different layers of plastic to rotate the light, and then polarizing filters are added to allow only certain frequencies (colors) of light through.
Open-Closed Signage Device
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Open-Closed Contraption: gearing, counterbalances, levers, and clever fonts combine to create this transforming signage. Fun engineering and original design by Ikeda Yosuke.
Lenticular Postcard Prop: Back to the Future
This lenticular post card is one of many fun items included in this book:
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Lenticular McFlys Prop: A wonderful implementation of the classic animation effect that uses an array of thin cylindrical lenses over interlaced multiple images. This post card simulates the prop from the famous film, and comes with the 35th anniversary edition of “Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History” book which includes lots of other small items from the trilogy. Fun physics and a fascinating read about how this amazing movie series was made.
Nautilus Spiral Gears
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Nautilus Spiral Gears: an extreme example of non-circular gear sets. This set is based on the famous Fibonacci spiral and evokes the cross section of nautilus shell with internal chambers. If one gear of this set is turned at constant speed, the other will turn with an varying speed. A 3D print of Misha Tikh and the research of Balint et al.
ZipString String Projector
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ZipString: a loop of string projects upward pushed by two motorized wheels in the handheld base- yes, one can push a string! The result is a mix of projectile motion and viscous fluid flow in this piece of manipulable kinetic art. Explore interesting behavior of wave motion and conservation of momentum with different string loop sizes- a green loop of about 1 meter and an orange loop (swipe to view) of approximately 4 meters. An amazing new physics toy on the market complete with rechargeable bar and 3 string loops of different size.
Cafe Wall Illusion Trivet
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More on the second illusion: Skye Cafe Illusion
Café Wall Illusion Trivet: slide half the bars and to the right the lines look parallel and straight, slide them back to the left and the illusion of crookedness returns. Note that even after we verify the lines are parallel, our perception still misleads- a reminder that we need science to transcend the limits of our senses and cognition. A creative woodworked trivet for the kitchen table by Tony Potter. Swipe to view an award winning version of this illusion by Victoria Skye.
Compliant Mechanical Elephant
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Compliant Mechanical Elephant: a demonstration of engineering using flexible elements instead of pivot joints when creating linkages. In this whimsical and clever linkage design a sideways translation of the elephant creates only rotation at the tip of the pachyderm’s trunk. Note that the hole at the end of the trunk remains eerily stationary as the body translates horizontally back and forth. This demonstration model comes from the Compliant Mechanisms Research group at Brigham Young University. Thanks once again to Roger Key for producing this 3D print.
Vortices in a Kalliroscope
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Vortices in a Kalliroscope: rheoscopic fluid reveals the intricate and beautiful turbulence induced in an enclosed fluid by rotation of the container. The initial acceleration of the fluid during initial spin-up is shown here in 240fps slow motion. Invented and produced by artist and inventor Paul Matisse in the 1970s, suspended microscopic flat crystals of guanine reflect light and allow visualization of the fluid's motion. This rheoscopic fluid is special in that the guanine crystals are the same density as the tetrachloroethylene liquid so the crystals never settle to the bottom making the fluid reactive to showing the slightest movement.
Crushmetric Pen
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From Art of Play: BUY NOW: Switch Pen
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Crushmetric Switch Pen: functional kinetic art based on materials science and tessellation origami techniques. The crushed state can be reversed over and over in this incredible design by artist/inventor Noah Deledda, also known for his similar sculptures created from aluminum cans. New wonderful and affordable physics art that is also a practical ballpoint pen.