Pitch Drop Experiment: Finally Captured on Camera!

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In summary: That would be the holy grail of science droppings. In summary, the world's slowest-moving drop has finally been caught on camera at Trinity College. The experiment, which has been monitored since last April, has been eagerly anticipated by physicists and viewers alike. The first drop has already fallen, but the anticipation for the second drop continues. The time-lapse video of the first drop has forever changed the lives of those who have watched it, with some even comparing it to the exhilaration of watching an apple drop in front of Newton.
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  • #2
Physicists at Trinity College recently began to monitor the experiment again. Last April they set up a webcam so that anyone could watch and try to be the first person ever to witness the drop fall live.

. . . .
I have to wonder.
 
  • #3
Damn, I looked away for a couple of seconds and missed it!
 
  • #4
Mainstone, who has spent most of his life waiting to see a drop fall with his own eyes, congratulated the Trinity College team. “I have been examining the video over and over again,” he says, ”and there were a number of things about it that were really quite tantalizing for a very long time pitch-drop observer like myself.”

Wasn't there some kind of ancient torture where the victim was subjected to having pitch eventually drip onto the bridge of his nose? The first drop was never all that bad. It was the waiting for second drop that usually got to the victim. I heard the survivors were never quite the same again.
 
  • #5
I heard the survivors were never quite the same again.
No wonder. If it takes 10 years for the second drop to fall! :cry:
 
  • #6
Do you not see the world within the world: what caused it to drop? No, not gravity, not viscosity, not time, and not that lil' bit of shaking they do when you're not watchin'. No, I mean the catastrophe that is the drip. That is the significance of the drip and its reach is unbounded.
 
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  • #7
I'm glad the time-lapse video was available, my life now is forever changed: I've watched "the most eagerly anticipated and exhilarating drips in science". What could top that?
 
  • #8
This is even worse than running 10,000 hour creep tests where for the low temperature and low load conditions you set up the machine, come back 14 months (i.e. 10,000 hours) later to see what happened, and the only "data" you recorded was when the lab cleaner accidentally thumped the test machine with a floor polisher once every 3 months.

We once had an enthusiastic "financial engineering" project manager who proposed using 10 test machines at once to do a 10,000 hour test in 1,000 hours. We told him if he could figure out a way to make a baby in 1 month using 9 women, we would try the same idea...
 
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  • #9
AlephZero said:
This is even worse than running 10,000 hour creep tests where for the low temperature and low load conditions you set up the machine, come back 14 months (i.e. 10,000 hours) later to see what happened, and the only "data" you recorded was when the lab cleaner accidentally thumped the test machine with a floor polisher once every 3 months.

We once had an enthusiastic "financial engineering" project manager who proposed using 10 test machines at once to do a 10,000 hour test in 1,000 hours. We told him if he could figure out a way to make a baby in 1 month using 9 women, we would try the same idea...

:rofl:
 
  • #10
AlephZero said:
We told him if he could figure out a way to make a baby in 1 month using 9 women, we would try the same idea...

I can't guarantee success, but I'm willing to volunteer myself as the male subject for that experiment. All in the name of Science. :biggrin:

Provided the women are all smokin' hot, of course.
 
  • #11
Monique said:
I'm glad the time-lapse video was available, my life now is forever changed: I've watched "the most eagerly anticipated and exhilarating drips in science". What could top that?

Watching Newton watch an apple drop.
 

What is the Pitch Drop Experiment?

The Pitch Drop Experiment is a long-term experiment that measures the flow of a highly viscous liquid, known as pitch, over time. It was first started in 1927 and is currently the longest-running laboratory experiment in the world.

Why is it called the "Pitch Drop" Experiment?

The experiment is called the Pitch Drop Experiment because it uses pitch, a black, tar-like substance, as the liquid being measured. The pitch is heated and allowed to flow through a funnel, and the time it takes for a drop of pitch to fall from the funnel is recorded.

What is the significance of capturing the Pitch Drop on camera?

For many years, the Pitch Drop Experiment has been observed by scientists and students, but the actual moment of the pitch drop has never been captured on camera - until now. This is significant because it allows scientists to accurately measure the time it takes for a pitch drop to occur and potentially gain new insights into the properties of this unique substance.

How long did it take to capture the Pitch Drop on camera?

The Pitch Drop was captured on camera after 8 years of continuous filming. The experiment started in 1927, and the first pitch drop was observed in 1938. However, it was not until 2014 that the first successful video recording of the pitch drop was made.

What can we learn from the Pitch Drop Experiment?

The Pitch Drop Experiment provides valuable insights into the properties of pitch and other highly viscous liquids. It also demonstrates the principles of fluid dynamics and allows scientists to better understand how substances like pitch behave under different conditions. Additionally, the experiment serves as a reminder of the importance of patience and long-term scientific research.

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