Coriolis Effect | National Geographic

with a simple game of catch I think I’ve
found a way to show an effect that will
have you doubting your very own eyes now
they don’t know it yet but our budding
ballplayers sitting on our specially
rigged merry-go-round are about to
demonstrate a rather astonishing optical
illusion here’s the game right you’re
gonna throw the ball straight through
what’s your name Victor right but this
time I’m gonna complicate things
slightly I’m gonna rotate to the
merry-go-round counterclockwise so you
throw it whilst it’s moving what’s gonna
happen I don’t know why but I feel like
if we’re going fast enough yeah like I
might actually be the one catching the
ball okay so you’re gonna throw it and
you’re gonna catch it all right right
what’s gonna happen do I was gonna veer
off to the left so the ball is gonna
swerve off to the left yep and you might
catch it possible you okay good right so
what’s gonna happen I think it’s just
gonna come straight to me and I’m gonna
catch it like champion that I am
show me the catch okay go here but okay
so everyone know I got one more it’s
been surfing that arrogant just quietly
pocketing it I’m really adding it now so
what’s gonna have to the ball I’m gettin
it great so we’ve got one saying I go
off to you one saying comes to you
Spencer and you think it goes straight
ahead but you think you’ll be the one
catching it yeah now remember the ball
will be thrown straight across the
spinning merry-go-round but where will
it end up will it be caught by the
thrower will it be caught by the person
opposite will it be caught by the person
to the throwers left or by the person to
the throwers right right you’re outside
throw the ball
so the answer was D it was caught by the
person on the throwers right our camera
angles seem to show the ball bend in the
air so is that a camera effect or are we
seeing what they saw hang on this good
this couldn’t get much more simple the
idea was just to throw the ball straight
to Victor to show us his amazing
catching skills right yeah I did it just
curved just curved right all right so
let me get this straight so you through
somehow you threw the ball it left your
hands and then what and then it just got
sucked over to him in the air yeah
perfect what are you sir yeah curved
right in right so we all agreeing here
the ball curve in midair yes and you
didn’t put you didn’t cheat this tool no
I didn’t okay and you know why it did
that
no no idea it’s called the Coriolis
effect and it’s very simple it’s objects
in motion appearing to beat an optical
illusion appearing to be deflected off
their intended course so what’s actually
happening here is you are throwing this
ball you can only throw a ball in a
straight line can I clear that up
straight away yes even though it appears
in your eyes to be bending so you throw
the ball straight it still going
straight but the table is moving below
you and all of a sudden look who’s in
front of that straight moving ball and
it looks like it’s bent off to the right
because you’re still looking to the guy
you’re intending to throw to and that
ladies gentleman is a call illness
effect