Objects That Defy Gravity

Defiance seems to be a very human emotion.  All of us usually defy something at least once a day...more if you're a 6th grader...

Scientists and engineers have learned to take those feelings and create objects that seem to defy gravity.  I guess it's better to take out your aggression's on "objects" and not other people...

Look at these objects designed by engineers with the help from scientists that defy gravity:

1. Perpetual Motion See-Saw

This machine defies gravity because it's motion continues as long as the two golf balls are in place.  Could you explain what is happening here?

2. The Gömböc
Two engineers from Hungary, Peter Varkonyi and Dabor Domokos thought how the brain tries to correct our position.  If you stand on one leg you feel out of balance, so your brain goes to work to make sure you don't fall over, telling certain muscles to tighten or relax.  These two created an object, that doesn't have a brain, that will always correct itself to the right position.

3. Starlite

Maurice Ward developed a plastic that can be super heated and the plastic absorbs all the heat. It's non-toxic and is really a miracle substance.  Maurice was so afraid that someone would reverse engineer the substance and use it for evil that he never shared the recipe with anyone.  In 2011 he died and no one has been able to figure out what exactly this substance is and why it works so well.  

Want to see more?:  https://interestingengineering.com/9-objects-invented-to-defy-physics

I think the common theme behind defiance of laws is that we want to explore new ideas, create new ways of thinking and explore the environment we call Earth.