Close friend of mine gave me this animation. It’s quite obvious the author was heavily influenced by M.C. Escher, more specifically by his Ascending Staircase Castle and Waterfall Illusion. We all know in real world, this could never work. The same way forever-dream of scientists, Perpetuum Mobile can’t exist due to existing rules of physics. However, at least we can dream of it, and make visualizations with little help of the computers. You should read an article about this topic on Wikipedia, it’s quite interesting. When I was a kid I had constant ideas to build one of my own, something to do with balloons filled with helium and a water tap. Never tried it though… You can see another example done by Escher here. If the ball isn’t moving, wait for the .gif to load, or simply open the picture in new window, or simply click it.
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HAHA!! FIRST COMMENT LOSERS!!
nice animated one, though i think i saw a black/white one by Escher… anyways, great site!
(i think i just might have the first comment…)
All of you trying to be the first comment ARE LOOSERS!
Ascending?! The dang thing is De-scending!
Yes I agree it is descending not ascending. oops! Yeah grow up first comment.
i don’t get it…can someone explain what the heck is the point???
hey 3rd comment, i agree but dude, LOOSER;/ WTF are you trying to spell? it is spelled like LOSER. i agree with what you say but du!! 1st comment, stick it! you did not even send a comment! dudes who ever thinks that first comment is LOL FAH, tell me! and the illusion is freakin awesome!!
YEAAAAAAAAAA U R JUST JEALOUS BECAUSE U DIDN’T GET THE FIRST COMMENT.
I agree that it’s descending, but I don’t see that the moving object is a ball. It looks more like a little octopus to me. :) Anyway, a very cool spin on Escher’s illusion. I love Esher’s work.
Anonymous (first, third, and eighth comments) just shut up. No one cares, and you’re only making yourself sound like an idiot. Vurdlak, if I were you, I’d be a little ashamed to have comments like those on an otherwise amazing site.
I love this site. You didnt leave a comment retard.
Ya that is kinda getting annoying with the whole “first comment” thing are ya’ll in the first grade sireously!
Cool animation though
AWSOME WEBSITE ( i told my friend about it and she agree’s)
yeh i also think its descending, but still REALLY KL ILLUSION! but i agree with Rachel – the ‘ball’ doesnt look like a ‘ball’ at all it looks more like a mini jellyfish to me.
btw: ‘First Comment Sucks’ – u werent 3rd at all U WERE 7th!! IDIOT!!
Very Dizzy, but cool.
I always enjoy the impossible objects and scenarios. If you looks really closely it does look like a ball – a transparent ball so you can see the steps, making it look like an octopus or jellyfish.
That’s the kind of thing i think everyone want’s to see here…
Great!
Loosers….its an ascending ball…thats the illusion. Its decending on 3 steps…and then ascending on the last one!
woah… i’ve been staring at this for the las hour… i should go get a life… btw QUIT WITH THE FIRST COMMENT CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this one is even better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhfhgbmZe9s
An illusion bade by computer..pretty awesome to see but it kinda loses the illusion status as computers can be made to show anything
i still cant c that its a ball!!! lol
That thing looks more like a jelly-fish to me.
yh i agree Anonymous – definitely a jellyfish! lol
kl illusion as i said agen.
arrghh im hungry. soz random!
I agree with comment 21, it looks like a running jelly-fish! Oh and will you all shut about the 1st comment!
It’s a Jelly-fish not a ball!!
yep, tis a jelly-fish!!
I like it but i never understood how this one particularly works, can someone help me here?
i know how it works. it’s quite simple actually. :]
the staircase in general IS descending.. but each stair individually is slightly angled upward, making it so that as you go “down the stairs”, you end up pretty much staying on the same level all in all.
if you look hard enough, you can see the ascending angle in each of the stairs, and that even the sets of bricks around the stairs are angled. :]:]
btw. if yall have a myspace, add me.
http://www.myspace.com/summer_love_014
these impossible staircases are starting to annoy me. they’re everywhere!
The picture looks like it’s both decending and accending at the same time. At the far right corner, it looks like its going up, but then it looked like it was going down. At first I thought it was going down
all i can say is great illusion but big hairy wanger for the first comment guy, HAHA LAST COMMENT LOSERS!!
I thought maybe that if the ground was on an angle or something, (like the mystery spot) it would go down while appearing to go up, maybe it could work, but I suppose it would have to be on the top of a hill or something with the correct angles. I don’t know. Just shooting in the dark.
Also, if –erica is correct, I don’t think it would work, for then, as she said, the ball would be on the same level as itself and soon (after a push), not move at all. That’s what balls do on the floor, which is level.
Again, I’m just guessing. I’m also proud to not mention the dummies who are ranting about being first-oops, too late!