Debunking the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot

Feb 19, 2001
20,154
20
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Text

I just went there today for the first time since I was in 6th grade.

So basically what it is is supposedly some gravitational anomaly. Obviously, for those of us who have studied magnetism, diamagnets like ourself aren't really affected unless you're telling me they have tens of teslas of magnetic field surrounding the place in which case most of our electronic devices would probably blow up or whatever, and we would probably be exposed to major radiation.

How many people have been there? I just want an explanation of how certain parts work.

I can explain how the standing at impossible angles works. Basically the house is tilted, so obviously you have to stand angled relative to the earth, and so in the tilted house, it seems like you're leaning in a weird manner on a stair inside or whatever.

As for the ball rolling upward:

http://video.aol.com/video-det...mystery-spot/488569875

You can see that the ball doesn't fall straight down, and it falls at a non right angle relative to the platform it rolls on. That angle it falls down at is perpendicular to the ground, so obviously that means the platform is angled even though it appears to be slanted upwards. Optical illusion because the house itself is tilted, so your perspective is wrong.

Ok, I can explain those, but what about the level ground they have you stand on and when you switch sides the other guy seems taller? They place that leveler and ball to show that it doesn't roll but I do not really understand. I didn't have enough time to explore myself, but the last exhibit where there's a good 4 - 6 inch difference, they showed it to be level, but when I put my water bottle down, it rolled.

So is their leveler rigged or what? So how do they make people seem so much taller and then suddenly shorter? I guess part of it is perspective with the background, but then they make people stand shoulder by shoulder and then the height seems to change? Is this because the platform they stand on is actually tilted? But then how do you explain the use of the leveler? Rigged leveler? Or is it level but our eyes adjust to the tilted background? But in that case I can't explain how they have someone stand on my right and then switch to the left and our shoulders line up differently. The logical explanation is the tilt which my water bottle proved, but then can someone tell me how you rig a leveler? Haha.
 

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
13
81
It's all in visual perceptions versus reality. Just like those hills where your car will "roll upwards."
 

AccruedExpenditure

Diamond Member
May 12, 2001
6,960
7
81
Originally posted by: DLeRium
Text

I just went there today for the first time since I was in 6th grade.

So basically what it is is supposedly some gravitational anomaly. Obviously, for those of us who have studied magnetism, diamagnets like ourself aren't really affected unless you're telling me they have tens of teslas of magnetic field surrounding the place in which case most of our electronic devices would probably blow up or whatever, and we would probably be exposed to major radiation.

How many people have been there? I just want an explanation of how certain parts work.

I can explain how the standing at impossible angles works. Basically the house is tilted, so obviously you have to stand angled relative to the earth, and so in the tilted house, it seems like you're leaning in a weird manner on a stair inside or whatever.

As for the ball rolling upward:

http://video.aol.com/video-det...mystery-spot/488569875

You can see that the ball doesn't fall straight down, and it falls at a non right angle relative to the platform it rolls on. That angle it falls down at is perpendicular to the ground, so obviously that means the platform is angled even though it appears to be slanted upwards. Optical illusion because the house itself is tilted, so your perspective is wrong.

Ok, I can explain those, but what about the level ground they have you stand on and when you switch sides the other guy seems taller? They place that leveler and ball to show that it doesn't roll but I do not really understand. I didn't have enough time to explore myself, but the last exhibit where there's a good 4 - 6 inch difference, they showed it to be level, but when I put my water bottle down, it rolled.

So is their leveler rigged or what? So how do they make people seem so much taller and then suddenly shorter? I guess part of it is perspective with the background, but then they make people stand shoulder by shoulder and then the height seems to change? Is this because the platform they stand on is actually tilted? But then how do you explain the use of the leveler? Rigged leveler? Or is it level but our eyes adjust to the tilted background? But in that case I can't explain how they have someone stand on my right and then switch to the left and our shoulders line up differently. The logical explanation is the tilt which my water bottle proved, but then can someone tell me how you rig a leveler? Haha.

:confused:
Regards,
-AE
 

RadiclDreamer

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2004
8,622
40
91
We have a place like that in WV, all smoke and mirrors. BTW, its called the mystery hole here
 

LongCoolMother

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2001
5,675
0
0
I loved the mystery spot. It's all about perspective. The human mind+eye can be unbelievably misleading. I visited a very similar place in Taiwan where "water flows upwards." Believe me, its VERY convincing (but designed by people).

Also, the effect of the moon when its near the horizon. The moon appears to cover a much much larger region of the sky when its close to the horizon than when its overhead. In fact, they are the exact same angular size if you measure. Weirdest thing. Visually, you'd never guess.
 

axelfox

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
6,719
1
0
Originally posted by: iamwiz82
It's all in visual perceptions versus reality. Just like those hills where your car will "roll upwards."

I was watching TV show in this spot. There are no windows in the building they show the ball rolling back up b/c they don't want you to use any external reference point (e.g. tree).

Great marketing though.
 
Feb 19, 2001
20,154
20
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Ok I understand how the stuff works in the building and relative to the building, but I guess the part I can't solve is when you're outside and they stand you on a platform and one side is taller than the other. My only explanation is that all these platforms have a slight angle and then they are all calibrated to this angle and so the lever can be rigged to be say 5 degrees off. Given the tilted perspective of the house nearby, people don't notice a 5 degree deviation on a platform when the house itself is say 20 - 25 degrees off. After all this explains why my water bottle rolled on a supposedly level platform.
 

rockyct

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2001
6,656
32
91
I thought it was more of a Santa Cruz pride thing. I didn't think anyone actually believed that gravity doesn't apply in that certain spot.
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
I was playing with my wife's "mystery spot" this morning.
 

Kenazo

Lifer
Sep 15, 2000
10,429
1
81
Originally posted by: Iron Woode
So, people are still falling for this stuff?

<shakes head>

Just because it's logically explainable, doesn't mean it can't still be enjoyed.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
No tourist destination is complete without a 'mystery' spot. Last time I was in the Upper Peninsula of MI, I stopped a more than one.
 

Dirigible

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2006
5,960
30
91
You are a bad man, trying to ruin the magic of my childhood, OP.

No debunking is allowed. NO DEBUNKING!!!! :|
 

Lithium381

Lifer
May 12, 2001
12,452
2
0
i've lived in california my whole life....always seen bumper stickers and such for that, i always assumed it was a surf place, as mentioned a few posts up i fail at representing the 408