Comments for "The amazing road that makes cars roll uphill (for real!)" Video at VideoSift.com

By BenyBen

BenyBen (http://www.videosift.com/member/BenyBen) — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:24:35 -0700

One of my science teachers in high school told us about this thing. I thought he was saying anything. Is this for real?

I wonder if it would do the same thing for bicycles.

By BillOreilly

BillOreilly (http://www.videosift.com/member/BillOreilly) — Sat, 10 May 2008 09:00:25 -0700

that's a sweet ride

By swampgirl

swampgirl (http://swampgirl.videosift.com) — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:35:07 -0700

The 'slope' must be an optical illusion then? The road next to it adding to the effect more. When he rolls, he's actually going downhill then.

By swampgirl

swampgirl (http://swampgirl.videosift.com) — Mon, 12 May 2008 07:12:51 -0700

....next day

OK Where are all the brainy fellas that usually hover over these kind of sifts? I did not offer an answer so much as asked a question

By siftbot

siftbot (http://www.videosift.com/member/siftbot) — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:53:06 -0700

Moving this video to arvana's personal queue. It failed to receive enough votes to get sifted up to the front page within 3 days.

By arvana

arvana (http://arvana.videosift.com) — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:27:15 -0700

*beg

By siftbot

siftbot (http://www.videosift.com/member/siftbot) — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:27:15 -0700

Sending this video to Beggar's Canyon to plea for a little attention - beg requested by original submitter arvana.

By heathen

heathen (http://www.videosift.com/member/heathen) — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:44:09 -0700

>> ^swampgirl:
....next day

OK Where are all the brainy fellas that usually hover over these kind of sifts? I did not offer an answer so much as asked a question

Okay, I'm not trying to claim to be brainy by replying now, but I'll certainly put my hand up to being cynical.

I agree the most likely scenario is, as you suggested, two downhill slopes with the lower one being steeper - causing an optical illusion.
I've watched it a couple of times trying to confirm this by looking at the angle the trees are growing at, but the camera guy has done a good job.

Throwing some other (less likely) options onto the table, just for chuckles:

It could be a driving instructor's car, with two sets of pedals, the set on the right-hand side of the car not filmed. However as the engine clearly appears to be stopped at one point I don't think this is the case.

There is also a chance they are simply using deception and the footage has been played backwards despite the disclaimers of no tampering.

It is possible to make a ball roll up a small incline, using only gravity, by making the track slightly narrower at one end - but I can't see this being the case here, as the car is not a sphere.

By Lurch

Lurch (http://www.videosift.com/member/Lurch) — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:57:25 -0700

A quick Google check popped up with this:

http://www.weburbia.com/physics/roll-uphill.html
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~frizzell/gravhills.html

Apparently there are plenty of other places with the same illusion. Interesting stuff.

By UnseenUltra

UnseenUltra (http://www.videosift.com/member/UnseenUltra) — Wed, 14 May 2008 02:42:24 -0700

There's a hill by where I live in Boise, Idaho that has the same affect/effect. It's pretty eerie. Damn, I should have taken a leveler with me...

By dannym3141

dannym3141 (http://www.videosift.com/member/dannym3141) — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:34:45 -0700

100% optical illusion, it happens all over the place.

Pause at 2:19 to see the angle of the trees showing you which way the road is slanting.. and remember batman and robin can be filmed climbing up a building by simple turning the camera 90 degrees and having them climb along the floor.

By deathcow

deathcow (http://www.videosift.com/member/deathcow) — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:35:01 -0700

There's a hill in Anchorage, AK that has the same effect. Either the force of gravity is being modified in these places, or its an illusion of perspective. I'm casting my vote on the latter.

By antonye

antonye (http://www.videosift.com/member/antonye) — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:57:14 -0700

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

By Majortomyorke

Majortomyorke (http://majortomyorke.videosift.com) — Wed, 14 May 2008 06:16:05 -0700

No, it's certainly not a logical explanation like an optical illusion with two roads angled at a downward slope. It's undoubtedly the FSM exerting His Noodly Appendage. That road must be a sacred place. We should flock to it and sing his praises.

By budzos

budzos (http://www.videosift.com/member/budzos) — Wed, 14 May 2008 07:49:51 -0700

There is one of these in my hometown of Burlington Ontario... the illusion is completely convincing. I have to confess to using it more than once as a quirky and interesting thing to do as part of a date.

By honkeytonk73

honkeytonk73 (http://www.videosift.com/member/honkeytonk73) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:35:52 -0700

Its Jesus!

By rottenseed

rottenseed (http://rottenseed.videosift.com) — Wed, 21 May 2008 08:40:10 -0700

it's all optical illusion that deals with relative perspectives of your surroundings being misleading of actual orientation. The more interesting part of gravity hills are the cool folklore that go along with...