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From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: Electric Brae
Message-ID: <1187@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 13-Feb-86 11:20:32 EST
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.1187
Posted: Thu Feb 13 11:20:32 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 16-Feb-86 03:53:57 EST
References: <736@brl-smoke.ARPA> <486@mmm.UUCP>
Reply-To: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady)
Distribution: net
Organization: Duke U Comp Ctr
Lines: 45
Summary: Don't say "gullible" too carelessly

In article <486@mmm.UUCP> mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (MKR) writes:
[apropos a Scottish hill where things seem to roll upwards]
>It's an optical illusion. There is a similar place in Florida (I think).
>You can also watch water and bowling balls run "uphill" in all sorts of
>"magical spots", usually connected to tourist spots that attract gullible
>people.

The subject was bandied about in net.physics many months ago with many
examples cited.  It is indeed a common illusion, and one often generated
artificially.  I might note that it is nontrivial to show that a given
instance *is* an illusion, however.  Plumb bobs and spirit levels (it
could be argued) merely reflect the local gravity vector; if gravity is
distorted, so will they be.  Only a reference to distant objects or
(preferably) astronomical sightings would suffice to prove that
"vertical" structures are indeed not parallel to a radius of the Earth.

I think it's ill-advised (even if accurate) to characterise people who
fall for such stunts as "gullible."  It's enough of an (*ahem*) uphill
battle trying to promote rationality without alienating people by
accusing them of being dumb.  One of my longstanding gripes about The
Skeptical Inquirer is that it too often goes overboard in the ad hominem
department characterizing people who disagree as being "ridiculous" or
"silly."  That's not likely to persuade them to come over to the
sensible point of view.

One more instance of a mystery hill:  A hitchhiker was thumbing at the
base of a hill in the middle of the night.  Exhausted, he was nearly
asleep on his feet.  Suddenly he realized a car had pulled to a stop
beside him.  Wearily he climbed into the back seat and muttered his
gratitude.  The car moved slowly off.  After a moment the hitchhiker
became aware of the strangely slow speed of the car and its almost total
silence.  He looked up to ask the driver why he was proceeding so
slowly.  To his terror and dismay, the driver's seat was empty!  In
utter fright he jumped from the vehicle just as it crested the hill and
started to run away.  A sound attracted his attention and he looked back
to see another man start to get in the car.  "Look out!" he cried in
warning.  "There is something terribly wrong with that machine!!"

"Damn right!" said the other guy.  "I've been pushing it for over a
mile!"
-- 
D Gary Grady
Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC  27706
(919) 684-3695
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