The
Eric Laithwaite's 1974 Lecture
"The
Engineer Through the Looking Glass"
UPDATE: Sept. 29. 2008
A one hour Royal Institution’s 1974-75 Christmas Lecture
that has caused so much discussion. The 1 hour lecture is split into 19 parts
for easy downloading. Click on the picture to start the video.
1. This
part has the introduction to the lecture. There is a little dramatization in
this section. No demonstrations.
2. Demonstration
of a beautiful brass victorian gyroscope. Explains briefly how mass can be
measured. A demonstration of angle of friction. Importance of not defining
laws/rules that restrict understanding.
3. Demonstration
of 'resistance' in a coil of wire (and how the axis is important). A general
comment on how things can either work/not work when on a different axises.
4. Gyroscope
gimbal rings. Precession. Torque. Good demonstration of precession with Victorian
gyroscope. Shows that a gyroscope precession has little/no inertia. Nutation
5. The
toy gyroscope on a tower. Another demonstration of the tower/gyroscope on ice
to show there is so little inertia from a gyroscope.
6. Gyroscope
on a arm. No angular momentum.
7. Air
powered gyroscope (5000 rpm - 8 lb). Searching for centrifugal force.
Gyroscope hanging over the top of a table. Out of balance by 2 kg.
8. Gyroscope
on a arm with a second pivot point. Making a body lighter than it is.
9. 15-16
lb gyroscope hanging from a long piece of string.
10. Denis
lifts a 18 lb gyroscope with a 6lb shaft running at 2000rpm.
11. Small
gyro and a rubber mat. The energy contained within a gyroscope.
12. 18
lb gyroscope on a stand.
13. What's
wrong with the scientific world.
14. Ohms
law only applies to DC and not AC. Eric Suggests that Newton's laws of motion
are restricted to mass in straight lines.
15. Air
gyro. Proving there is no/little momentum.
16. Why
perpetual motion can and does not exist.
17. Gyro/Flywheel
in a Swiss Bus.
18. Low
level explanation of a gyroscope.
19. Summing
up. The future.
RELATED RESEARCH
- Engineer Through The Looking Glass - The Jabberwock, by Eric Laithwaite.