Curios

[Atelier]

Probably one of the more niche threads, but has anybody else come across Crookes Radiometers?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crookes_radiometer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF4MDoIbgcs


Mine just arrived in a massive parcel and it turned out to be the size of a mug. Still, very interesting to look at. I love collecting interesting curios, physics/executive 'toys', like the Newton's cradle, storm glasses, etc.

What curios do you have laying about?

[Billbis]

Quite a classic, but I have one of those at home:

It's two parabolic mirrors creating a real image of an objet (hologram! ).
Check the video.

[Retro Wolf]

I wonder if the spinning motion could be used to generate electricity.

[Atelier]

In theory I imagine so, but the motor is so delicate that in practice you'd only convert negligible energy. It's housed in a partial vacuum which I think is why it's able to spin so fast in the first place.

That parabolic illusion looks incredible Billbis