My mind is blown

[ThePresence]

http://youtu.be/0v2xnl6LwJE

Considering the view count, this is probably a repost.

I found an explanation which is even more confusing.
http://www.geekosystem.com/escher-waterfall-machine-solution/

 

[TridenT]

It's called an illusion...

 

[ThePresence]

It's called an illusion...

Obviously. The challenge is figuring out what is being done.

 

[Smoblikat]

Thats lalmost as cool as a real perpetual motion device.

 

[MontyAC]

Now, who's going to mop the floor?

 

[sunzt]

there's a pump behind the top level connecting the water from the bottom. It's being hidden.

 

[Krazy4Real]

Pretty cool. He did a good job.

 

[ThePresence]

there's a pump behind the top level connecting the water from the bottom. It's being hidden.

Don't think so. Apparently it's a famous illusion on paper, this guy actually built it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall_(M._C._Escher)
http://www.opticalillusion.net/optical-illusions/eschers-waterfall-explained/

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Don't think so. Apparently it's a famous illusion on paper, this guy actually built it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall_(M._C._Escher)
http://www.opticalillusion.net/optical-illusions/eschers-waterfall-explained/

The principals on how to mimic a three dimensional scene on a two dimensional surface, and how to violate them, have existed for a long time.

That said, he had to have faked the water falling down on the water wheel because the "top" of the structure is actually several feet behind the guy pouring water.

 

[ThePresence]

He explains it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpcIIa2hKRo
http://youtu.be/4VgbkCl452Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=QmelWTTmW6Q

 

[wirednuts]

how well would this work with the e-cat generator?

 

[SphinxnihpS]

He explains it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpcIIa2hKRo
http://youtu.be/4VgbkCl452Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=QmelWTTmW6Q

Though he did not build it as I anticipated, he did fake the water pouring, which was done editing several portions of video together using techniques similar to those used in making cinemagraphs, where only a portion of a moving scene is used and the rest masked off. You can see the moving water is on a loop (several loops actually).

 

[SphinxnihpS]

how well would this work with the e-cat generator?

It would triple the flow of water. That reminds me, I have to go feed the troll.

 

[alkemyst]

Obviously. The challenge is figuring out what is being done.

Your second link shows what is being done?!?!

 

[disappoint]

He pours the water from the side and edits it to run the waterfall in a loop. Neat concept to "realize" Escher's famous waterfall. My first guess was CGI but I see from his explanation vids that's not it.

If I had to do it I would use CGI with camera tracking. Then it would look like it worked from any angle. Still tough to make it look very real though, but it can be done.

Some amateur camera tracking examples using free open source Blender3d:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfgriG6Wqrw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=4mJ1wcn2N-M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FzcEI6Y6ns

And a bit more realistic: (still freeware Blender3d)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVPcT0dJmoY&feature=related