I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, but I just made both a paper cone
and pyramid, and they are inherently unstable when placed upside down in a
small aperture. (mine behaved the same as in the video, when placed in the
hole of a diet coke can, a hole drilled in wood, and a few other little
apertures I could find)
And no "push" effect could be felt over the hole in a ring magnet.
Some possible sources of error:
- the cone or pyramid is unstable when placed in a small hole, naturally
- one side has glue or tape making it heavier
- Some paper for laser printers/ink jet printers, etc., have very odd
coatings to effect the image printed on the paper - graphite, or even metals
could be contained - graphite is VERY diamagnetic.
- who knows what manner of crud is in the paper if it contains recycled
material?
Some suggestions to move further:
- Set up your cone/pyramid on a sensitive balance - balsa wood, pins, and
a counter weight, - all attached to a base.
- Make a pointer at the counterweight end of the balance arm, and have a
cardboard screen that shows the movement.
- balance the cone/pyramid, and be sure it is resting, and air currents
are not affecting it.
- Move your magnet stack under the cone point and see if the balance arm
moves.
- Try with several DIFFERENT kinds and weights of paper.
- if you still get a push, have the paper analyzed for the elements
contained therein (doesn't cost much)
- then see if others can duplicate your results
- then double and triple check all possible sources of error
- then have your parade
Sorry for being a grinch, I want to see positive results as much as others
for exciting new discoveries. But I wouldn't want to overlook an obvious
error, or some other important factor.
As Carl Sagan said "extraordinary claims require extraordinary proofs" (or
evidence).
Maybe I just did it all wrong. Anybody get the positive results?
DMBoss1021
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