| XXXXX |
Magnetic Hill Ft Gaines, GA |
| XXXXX |
| Magnetic Hill Bedford, PA |
| XXXXX |
| Magnetic Hill Ladakh, India |
and have been replaced by a stone which is inscribed with an explanation:
"The ELECTRIC BRAE", known locally as 'CROY BRAE'. This runs the quarter mile
from the bend overlooking Croy railway viaduct in the west (286 feet Above Ordnance
Datum) to the wooded Craigencroy Glen (303 feet A.O.D.) to the east. Whilst there is
this slope of 1 in 86 upwards from the bend to the Glen, the configuration of the land
on either side of the road provides an optical illusion making it look as if the slope is
going the other way. Therefore, a stationary car on the road with the brakes off will
appear to move slowly uphill. The term 'Electric' dates from a time when it was
incorrectly thought to be a phenomenon caused by electric or magnetic attraction
within the Brae.
"The ELECTRIC BRAE", known locally as 'CROY BRAE'. This runs the quarter mile
from the bend overlooking Croy railway viaduct in the west (286 feet Above Ordnance
Datum) to the wooded Craigencroy Glen (303 feet A.O.D.) to the east. Whilst there is
this slope of 1 in 86 upwards from the bend to the Glen, the configuration of the land
on either side of the road provides an optical illusion making it look as if the slope is
going the other way. Therefore, a stationary car on the road with the brakes off will
appear to move slowly uphill. The term 'Electric' dates from a time when it was
incorrectly thought to be a phenomenon caused by electric or magnetic attraction
within the Brae.
the gator in a battle that created a small lake. The chief was buried on the north side.
Pioneer mail riders first discovered their horses laboring down hill, thus naming it
"Spook Hill." When the road was paved, cars coasted up hill. Is this the gator seeking
revenge, or the chief still trying to protect his land?"
Pioneer mail riders first discovered their horses laboring down hill, thus naming it
"Spook Hill." When the road was paved, cars coasted up hill. Is this the gator seeking
revenge, or the chief still trying to protect his land?"
illusion, although sites are often accompanied by claims that magnetic or even
supernatural forces are at work.
The most important factor contributing to the illusion is a completely or mostly
obstructed horizon; without a horizon, judging the slope of a surface is difficult as a
reliable reference is missing. Objects one would normally assume to be more-or-less
perpendicular to the ground (such as trees) may actually be leaning, offsetting the visual
reference. The illusion is similar to the well-known Ames room, in which balls can also
appear to roll against gravity.
supernatural forces are at work.
The most important factor contributing to the illusion is a completely or mostly
obstructed horizon; without a horizon, judging the slope of a surface is difficult as a
reliable reference is missing. Objects one would normally assume to be more-or-less
perpendicular to the ground (such as trees) may actually be leaning, offsetting the visual
reference. The illusion is similar to the well-known Ames room, in which balls can also
appear to roll against gravity.
| Photos of the Magnetic Hill. From the frontal view perspective, the white post in the middle of the 1st picture appears to be the lowest point in the road. When viewed in reverse from the white post, the lowest point is actually behind the car in the foreground of the 2nd picture. |
| XXX |
| I spun my wheels fruitlessly googling giant magnets and the like, until I looked closer at the photo and decided the flag seen partically at left abovet he big blue W must be a Canadian flg. Googoing (not images) "Canada maganet" gave me the Moncton theme partk, and the website that describes many other hills. Collier Smith |
 |  |  |  |
| If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book. |
 |  |  |  |
| ********** |
| If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books! Click here. |
| Quiz #362 Results |
Answers: 1. Magnet Hill, New Brunswick, Canada 2. The surroundings give the optical illusion that gravity points in the wrong direction, that is, water runs uphill and cars roll uphill. 3. There are many, including: Booger Swamp, GA, |
| Answers to Quiz #362 July 29, 2012 |
| 1. Where is this located? 2. What is unusual about the location? 3. Give one other location on earth with this same unusual feature. |
| Submitted by Marcelle Comeau. |
| Congratulations to Our Winners! Judy Pfaff Judy Bradley Kevin Beeson Robert Austin Margaret Paxton Elizabeth S. Olson Gary Sterne Carol Farrant Collier Smith Dennis Brann Arthur Hartwell Deborah Was Daniel Jolley Shirley Hamblin Talea Jurrens |
| Comments from Our Readers |
It's in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. It's a gravity hill, a kind of optical illusion
where vehicles seem to defy gravity by rolling uphill instead of down. There is a giant
magnet there to symbolize "Magnetic Hill". It's attracted Bruce Springsteen and the E
Street Band because their 2012 "Wrecking Ball" World Tour is coming there on August
26 at the Magnetic Hill Music Festival in Moncton, MB.
There is a gravity hill in Shullsburg, Lafayette Co., Wisconsin. It's also the home of
some very tasty cheese, www.roellicheese.com, just in case you get bored with rolling
the wrong way on hills.
Christine Walker
N.B. And it I get bored with the chees in Shullsburg, shall I got over and see what
they are serving at the other gravity hill in Booger Swamp, GA? - Q. Gen.
*****
[There are] many mystery spots around the world including Burkittsville, MD (home of
the Blair Witch) oooh...scary. Scary that I wasted money seeing that movie.
Kevin Beeson
N.B. Well that's one I passed up. - Q. Gen.
Be glad you passed it up. Handheld camera movies have thus far been very bad.
Kevin Beeson
*****
We have [a gravity hill] here in Cumming, GA called Booger Swamp.
Elizabeth S. Olson
*****
Very interesting. I had never heard of gravity hills before. I've noticed the
phenomenon riding my bike on certain trails, but didn't know it had a name.
Robert W. Austin
*****
The flag looked like it may be Canadian, so I googled that with magnetics and found the
city.
Gary Sterne
*****
There are many other "gravity Hills" in the world where cars seem to roll uphill. There
is even one here in Lake Wales, FL. Personally I find the Mystery Spots such as the
one in Santa Cruz, CA a lot more fascinating...hard to figure out why the illusions work
here.
Dennis Brann
*****
Interesting effect of an optical illusion. There are many such places in the world. There
are even four in my state of California.
Arthur Hartwell
*****
It was a Canadian flag! Gee I'm getting a wee bit better at t his! I tried (unsuccessful)
several combinations of words - u-shaped, village symbol, Canada, magnet, Red &
Blue,. None of those got me anywhere - so I went and looked at the questions and
used the combination of Canada + Unusual natural features + magnetic. This took me
to several tourism sites. The first was cruises.about.com and the writer was talking
about her experience at Magnetic Hill in Moncton.
Debbie Was
*****
It seemed obvious that those were magnets. Your third question made me think there
was only one other place on earth *my error) with this quality, whatever it was. I
worked on the premise it had something to do wtih the magnetic north and south poles
which, apparently, are moving targets. That trais on thought went nowhere. I went
back and looked at the picture. I picked two things in the picture and googled "covered
bridge magnet". Up popped the Magnetic Hill on the outskirts of Moncton, New
Brunswick, Canada.
When I was doing the search I watched a couple of videos. In each of them the folks
rolled backwards "up" the hill. No one seemed to have thought it would be safer to turn
the car around and roll forward. Isn't it easier to steer a car in a forward direction
rather than a backward direction?
Carol Gene Farrant
*****
Saw pictures on tripadvisor, searched for magnetic hill theme part
www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g154958-d183715-Reviews-Magnetic_Hill_Theme_Park-Moncton_New_Brunswick.html
www.magnetichill.com
This is interesting because there are mystery spots in several places that advertise water
flowing up hill, chairs that appear to sit on two legs, magnets won't work... The two i
have been to in Michigan are obvious optical illusions. I see there is one of three in
Santa Cruz, CA. Our kids took some foreign friends to one this summer. It was a
source of amusement to us all.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myetery_Spot
www.michigansotherside.com/Articles/GravityHills.htm
Judy Pfaff
*****
This one is in Canada eh? Never made it to Magnet Hill in New Brunswick, although I
remember hearing about it a very long time ago.
collectionscanada, the site for Library and Archives Canada has lots of info about it.
Judy Bradley
*****
Try driving with my wife. When a car pulls out ahead in front of me at a stoplight, she
thinks I am rolling backwards.
Nelsen Spickard
*****
http://travelvideo.tv/videos/newbrunswick/magnetichillvideo.html - I'm Canadian and
I've never heard of this place. I was surprised by this video that says this is the 3rd
most visited natural site in Canada!
One of my favorite childhood memories was visiting the Oregon Vortex, which is
another site like Magnetic Hill.
Shirley Hamblin
where vehicles seem to defy gravity by rolling uphill instead of down. There is a giant
magnet there to symbolize "Magnetic Hill". It's attracted Bruce Springsteen and the E
Street Band because their 2012 "Wrecking Ball" World Tour is coming there on August
26 at the Magnetic Hill Music Festival in Moncton, MB.
There is a gravity hill in Shullsburg, Lafayette Co., Wisconsin. It's also the home of
some very tasty cheese, www.roellicheese.com, just in case you get bored with rolling
the wrong way on hills.
Christine Walker
N.B. And it I get bored with the chees in Shullsburg, shall I got over and see what
they are serving at the other gravity hill in Booger Swamp, GA? - Q. Gen.
*****
[There are] many mystery spots around the world including Burkittsville, MD (home of
the Blair Witch) oooh...scary. Scary that I wasted money seeing that movie.
Kevin Beeson
N.B. Well that's one I passed up. - Q. Gen.
Be glad you passed it up. Handheld camera movies have thus far been very bad.
Kevin Beeson
*****
We have [a gravity hill] here in Cumming, GA called Booger Swamp.
Elizabeth S. Olson
*****
Very interesting. I had never heard of gravity hills before. I've noticed the
phenomenon riding my bike on certain trails, but didn't know it had a name.
Robert W. Austin
*****
The flag looked like it may be Canadian, so I googled that with magnetics and found the
city.
Gary Sterne
*****
There are many other "gravity Hills" in the world where cars seem to roll uphill. There
is even one here in Lake Wales, FL. Personally I find the Mystery Spots such as the
one in Santa Cruz, CA a lot more fascinating...hard to figure out why the illusions work
here.
Dennis Brann
*****
Interesting effect of an optical illusion. There are many such places in the world. There
are even four in my state of California.
Arthur Hartwell
*****
It was a Canadian flag! Gee I'm getting a wee bit better at t his! I tried (unsuccessful)
several combinations of words - u-shaped, village symbol, Canada, magnet, Red &
Blue,. None of those got me anywhere - so I went and looked at the questions and
used the combination of Canada + Unusual natural features + magnetic. This took me
to several tourism sites. The first was cruises.about.com and the writer was talking
about her experience at Magnetic Hill in Moncton.
Debbie Was
*****
It seemed obvious that those were magnets. Your third question made me think there
was only one other place on earth *my error) with this quality, whatever it was. I
worked on the premise it had something to do wtih the magnetic north and south poles
which, apparently, are moving targets. That trais on thought went nowhere. I went
back and looked at the picture. I picked two things in the picture and googled "covered
bridge magnet". Up popped the Magnetic Hill on the outskirts of Moncton, New
Brunswick, Canada.
When I was doing the search I watched a couple of videos. In each of them the folks
rolled backwards "up" the hill. No one seemed to have thought it would be safer to turn
the car around and roll forward. Isn't it easier to steer a car in a forward direction
rather than a backward direction?
Carol Gene Farrant
*****
Saw pictures on tripadvisor, searched for magnetic hill theme part
www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g154958-d183715-Reviews-Magnetic_Hill_Theme_Park-Moncton_New_Brunswick.html
www.magnetichill.com
This is interesting because there are mystery spots in several places that advertise water
flowing up hill, chairs that appear to sit on two legs, magnets won't work... The two i
have been to in Michigan are obvious optical illusions. I see there is one of three in
Santa Cruz, CA. Our kids took some foreign friends to one this summer. It was a
source of amusement to us all.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myetery_Spot
www.michigansotherside.com/Articles/GravityHills.htm
Judy Pfaff
*****
This one is in Canada eh? Never made it to Magnet Hill in New Brunswick, although I
remember hearing about it a very long time ago.
collectionscanada, the site for Library and Archives Canada has lots of info about it.
Judy Bradley
*****
Try driving with my wife. When a car pulls out ahead in front of me at a stoplight, she
thinks I am rolling backwards.
Nelsen Spickard
*****
http://travelvideo.tv/videos/newbrunswick/magnetichillvideo.html - I'm Canadian and
I've never heard of this place. I was surprised by this video that says this is the 3rd
most visited natural site in Canada!
One of my favorite childhood memories was visiting the Oregon Vortex, which is
another site like Magnetic Hill.
Shirley Hamblin
| How Collier Solved the Puzzle |
| ********** |
| The Magnetic Hill en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magnetic_Hill_(Canada) |
| View in Reverse |
| View from the Front |
The Magnetic Hill is an example of a
gravity hill, a type of optical illusion
created by rising and descending terrain.
It is located at the North-Western edge
(In the Magnetic Hill Area) of the city of
Moncton in the Canadian province of
New Brunswick.
The general area is at the base of a ridge
named “Lutes Mountain”, which rises
several hundred feet above the
surrounding Petitcodiac River valley.
History
In the 19th century, a cart path was built
from the city in the south onto the ridge.
The path was subsequently expanded
during the early 20th century and during
the age of the automobile, ca. 1931, it
was noticed that at one point near the
base of the ridge when driving south,
motorists were required to accelerate in
order to prevent rolling backward (i.e.,
what appears to be uphill).
The novelty became known as “Magnetic
Hill” and was more-or-less an amusing
local attraction for residents and visitors
to try.
gravity hill, a type of optical illusion
created by rising and descending terrain.
It is located at the North-Western edge
(In the Magnetic Hill Area) of the city of
Moncton in the Canadian province of
New Brunswick.
The general area is at the base of a ridge
named “Lutes Mountain”, which rises
several hundred feet above the
surrounding Petitcodiac River valley.
History
In the 19th century, a cart path was built
from the city in the south onto the ridge.
The path was subsequently expanded
during the early 20th century and during
the age of the automobile, ca. 1931, it
was noticed that at one point near the
base of the ridge when driving south,
motorists were required to accelerate in
order to prevent rolling backward (i.e.,
what appears to be uphill).
The novelty became known as “Magnetic
Hill” and was more-or-less an amusing
local attraction for residents and visitors
to try.
Eventually with the rise in tourism after the Second World War, along with local
highway construction which saw a “Mountain Road” bypass built further west from
Magnetic Hill, the roughly 1 kilometre segment of gravel road became one of Moncton’
s prime tourist attractions (along with the tidal bore on the Petitcodiac River).
To experience Magnetic Hill today, drivers must pay a fee to drive their cars to the end
of the road (which has been preserved). When a car is placed in neutral, it will begin to
roll backwards, apparently uphill. Observers will also note that water in the adjacent
drainage ditches also seemingly runs “uphill.”
Magnetic Hill is mentioned in the Stompin' Tom Connors song "C-A-N-A-D-A", also
covered by Raffi on his Bananaphone album.
highway construction which saw a “Mountain Road” bypass built further west from
Magnetic Hill, the roughly 1 kilometre segment of gravel road became one of Moncton’
s prime tourist attractions (along with the tidal bore on the Petitcodiac River).
To experience Magnetic Hill today, drivers must pay a fee to drive their cars to the end
of the road (which has been preserved). When a car is placed in neutral, it will begin to
roll backwards, apparently uphill. Observers will also note that water in the adjacent
drainage ditches also seemingly runs “uphill.”
Magnetic Hill is mentioned in the Stompin' Tom Connors song "C-A-N-A-D-A", also
covered by Raffi on his Bananaphone album.
| Well Known Gravity Hills and Magnetic Hills from around the World en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magnetic_Hill_(Canada) |
| ********** |
pioneer who conducted a nearby coaching house which served travellers on the
Burra-Blinman track.
In 1844, the first Europeans to settle, John and James Chambers, took up the Pekina
Run which covered 320 square miles. They did not receive a millimetre of rain during
the 17 months that they lived there. As a result of this drought, they sold the Pekina
Run for £30. Read more...
Burra-Blinman track.
In 1844, the first Europeans to settle, John and James Chambers, took up the Pekina
Run which covered 320 square miles. They did not receive a millimetre of rain during
the 17 months that they lived there. As a result of this drought, they sold the Pekina
Run for £30. Read more...
| Video of The Magnetic Hill and Theme Park www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oALZIr8k0TI#! |
A gravity or magnetic hill is a
place where a slight downhill
slope appears to be an uphill
slope due to the layout of the
surrounding land, creating the
optical illusion that water flows
uphill or a car left out of gear will
roll uphill, among others. Many
of these sites have no specific
name and are instead often
simply referred to as 'Gravity
Hill' or 'Magnetic Hill'.
There are hundreds of gravity hill
locations around the world. The
slope of gravity hills is an optical
place where a slight downhill
slope appears to be an uphill
slope due to the layout of the
surrounding land, creating the
optical illusion that water flows
uphill or a car left out of gear will
roll uphill, among others. Many
of these sites have no specific
name and are instead often
simply referred to as 'Gravity
Hill' or 'Magnetic Hill'.
There are hundreds of gravity hill
locations around the world. The
slope of gravity hills is an optical
| Orroroo, South Australia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orroroo,_South_Australia |
Orroroo is a town in the Flinders Ranges
region of South Australia. Prior to
European settlement, Orroroo was the
home of the Ngadjuri Aboriginal people
whose domain was the area to the east of
the Flinders Rangers. The name Orroroo
is believed to have Aboriginal origins, but
the true meaning of the word is uncertain.
The name was first used by an early
region of South Australia. Prior to
European settlement, Orroroo was the
home of the Ngadjuri Aboriginal people
whose domain was the area to the east of
the Flinders Rangers. The name Orroroo
is believed to have Aboriginal origins, but
the true meaning of the word is uncertain.
The name was first used by an early
| ********** |
| Magnetic Hill, Orroroo, South Australia |
| ********** |
BACKGROUND: Visit Gravity Hill in New
Paris, Pa., and you will see cars that appear
to roll uphill, while water flows the wrong
way. Don't worry -- gravity hasn't really
gone haywire. It's simply an optical illusion,
one that can be found in hundreds of similar
areas around the world.
HOW IT WORKS: The human eye and
brain can be easily fooled into thinking the
laws of physics are being defied -- but it's
Paris, Pa., and you will see cars that appear
to roll uphill, while water flows the wrong
way. Don't worry -- gravity hasn't really
gone haywire. It's simply an optical illusion,
one that can be found in hundreds of similar
areas around the world.
HOW IT WORKS: The human eye and
brain can be easily fooled into thinking the
laws of physics are being defied -- but it's
| Spook Hill, Lake Wales, FL www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2058 |
Spook Hill is somewhat unique in that it's
officially recognized by the town, and
prominently marked for your uphill-rolling
entertainment. There's a large sign on
North Wales Drive explaining "The
Legend" and how to experience the effect.
"Many years ago an Indian village on Lake
Wales was plagued by raids of a huge
gator. The Chief, a great warrior, killed
officially recognized by the town, and
prominently marked for your uphill-rolling
entertainment. There's a large sign on
North Wales Drive explaining "The
Legend" and how to experience the effect.
"Many years ago an Indian village on Lake
Wales was plagued by raids of a huge
gator. The Chief, a great warrior, killed
| ********** |
| Cote Magnetique, Chartierville, Quebec en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartierville,_Quebec |
Chartierville is a small municipality of
about 300 people in Le
Haut-Saint-François Regional County
Municipality, in the Estrie region of
Quebec, Canada.
Chartierville is located on Route 257
South. Prior to its founding in 1870 by
colonists from Saint-Hyacinthe,
gold-seekers flocked to the area. This
about 300 people in Le
Haut-Saint-François Regional County
Municipality, in the Estrie region of
Quebec, Canada.
Chartierville is located on Route 257
South. Prior to its founding in 1870 by
colonists from Saint-Hyacinthe,
gold-seekers flocked to the area. This
gold-seekers flocked to the area. This patch of land, 139 km square and 505 metres in
altitude, is one of the highest regions in Quebec.
altitude, is one of the highest regions in Quebec.
| ********** |
| ********** |
| ********** |
| Electric Brae, Ayrshire, Scotland en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Brae |
The Electric Brae is a gravity hill in
Ayrshire, Scotland where cars appear to
be drawn uphill by some mysterious
attraction. The Lowland Scots word brae
means a hill-slope or brow (with which it
is cognate), and the "electric" name was
given when electricity was a new
technology associated with strange forces.
Metal road signs which used to mark the
place have tended to be taken by visitors,
Ayrshire, Scotland where cars appear to
be drawn uphill by some mysterious
attraction. The Lowland Scots word brae
means a hill-slope or brow (with which it
is cognate), and the "electric" name was
given when electricity was a new
technology associated with strange forces.
Metal road signs which used to mark the
place have tended to be taken by visitors,
| ********** |
| Rua de Amendoim, Belo Horizonte en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belo_Horizonte |
Belo Horizonte is the capital and largest
city in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais,
located in the southeastern region of the
country. It is the third largest metropolitan
area in the country. The region was first
settled in the early 18th century, but the
city as it is known today was planned and
constructed in the 1890s, in order to
replace Ouro Preto as the capital of Minas
Gerais. The city features a mixture of
city in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais,
located in the southeastern region of the
country. It is the third largest metropolitan
area in the country. The region was first
settled in the early 18th century, but the
city as it is known today was planned and
constructed in the 1890s, in order to
replace Ouro Preto as the capital of Minas
Gerais. The city features a mixture of
contemporary and classical buildings, and is home to several modern Brazilian
architectural icons, most notably the Pampulha Complex. In planning the city, Aarão
Reis and Francisco Bicalho sought inspiration in the urban planning of Washington,
D.C.[2] The city has employed notable programs in urban revitalization and food
security, for which it has been awarded international accolades.
The city is built on several hills and is completely surrounded by mountains.[3] There
are several large parks in the immediate surroundings of Belo Horizonte. The "Parque
das Mangabeiras", located six kilometres south-east from the city centre in the hills of
the Serra do Curral, affords a view over the city. The "Mata do Jambeiro" nature
reserve extends over 912 hectares (2,250 acres), with vegetation typical of the Atlantic
forest. More than one hundred species of bird inhabit the reserve, as well as ten
different species of mammals.
architectural icons, most notably the Pampulha Complex. In planning the city, Aarão
Reis and Francisco Bicalho sought inspiration in the urban planning of Washington,
D.C.[2] The city has employed notable programs in urban revitalization and food
security, for which it has been awarded international accolades.
The city is built on several hills and is completely surrounded by mountains.[3] There
are several large parks in the immediate surroundings of Belo Horizonte. The "Parque
das Mangabeiras", located six kilometres south-east from the city centre in the hills of
the Serra do Curral, affords a view over the city. The "Mata do Jambeiro" nature
reserve extends over 912 hectares (2,250 acres), with vegetation typical of the Atlantic
forest. More than one hundred species of bird inhabit the reserve, as well as ten
different species of mammals.
| ********** |
| The stone at the Electric Brae |
| How Gravity Hills Work www.aip.org/dbis/APS/stories/15183.html |
all distortions in perspective and odd angles. What such "mystery sites" all have in
common is a completely or mostly obstructed horizon, which makes it difficult for
human beings to judge the slope of a surface. They lack a reliable reference point, and
this can override the body's sense of balance, especially if the slope is shallow. In the
case of Gravity Hill, the layout of the surrounding landscape produces the illusion of a
very slight downhill slope, when in fact it is a slight uphill slope. So a car left out of
gear will appear to be rolling uphill.
WHAT IS GRAVITY? In the 17th century, Isaac Newton came up with the law of
universal gravitation, but he couldn't explain the underlying mechanism behind gravity.
In 1917, Albert Einstein proposed his theory of general relativity. This attributes the
force of gravity to the unseen warping of the fabric of spacetime, caused by the
presence of mass (or energy). The earth always travels in a straight line. The presence
of the sun curves space and thus the earth appears to be moving in an elliptical orbit.
Imagine a rubber sheet stretched out tightly. If a bowling ball is placed in the center, the
ball's mass will cause a depression in the sheet. If you then place an apple on the edge
of the sheet, it will roll down the slope towards the center. The depression can't be seen
by someone looking straight down at the sheet from above, so it appears that the apple
was pulled by an invisible force.
common is a completely or mostly obstructed horizon, which makes it difficult for
human beings to judge the slope of a surface. They lack a reliable reference point, and
this can override the body's sense of balance, especially if the slope is shallow. In the
case of Gravity Hill, the layout of the surrounding landscape produces the illusion of a
very slight downhill slope, when in fact it is a slight uphill slope. So a car left out of
gear will appear to be rolling uphill.
WHAT IS GRAVITY? In the 17th century, Isaac Newton came up with the law of
universal gravitation, but he couldn't explain the underlying mechanism behind gravity.
In 1917, Albert Einstein proposed his theory of general relativity. This attributes the
force of gravity to the unseen warping of the fabric of spacetime, caused by the
presence of mass (or energy). The earth always travels in a straight line. The presence
of the sun curves space and thus the earth appears to be moving in an elliptical orbit.
Imagine a rubber sheet stretched out tightly. If a bowling ball is placed in the center, the
ball's mass will cause a depression in the sheet. If you then place an apple on the edge
of the sheet, it will roll down the slope towards the center. The depression can't be seen
by someone looking straight down at the sheet from above, so it appears that the apple
was pulled by an invisible force.
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