Top 10 Places on Earth Where Gravity is Broken
#10: Electric Brae
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Scotland The Electric Brae is the nickname given to a quarter mile stretch of road in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Locals noticed that objects, including vehicles, seem to roll uphill instead of downhill. Back in the 1800s, this was attributed to the still-newly discovered phenomenon of electricity, or else magnets, hence its name. However, the real explanation is much less “attractive.” Because of the way the road curves, an object that looks to be rolling uphill is actually going downhill. That hasn’t stopped tourists, including U.S. General and former President Eisenhower, from marveling at the apparent trick of gravity.
#9: Spook Hill
USA While it may be around 50 miles from Disney World, this hill in Lake Wales, Florida is not so much magical as it is supposedly haunted! Spook Hill is another location where objects appear to roll upwards instead of downwards. In this case, its properties are attributed in local legends to a ghost. The story goes that a Native American chief fought an alligator to the death atop the hill. Although they’re unclear on the victor, one or both are said to pull things against gravity on Spook Hill. Unfortunately, it’s another case of optical illusion, although the story is pretty entertaining.
#8: Kyaiktiyo Pagoda
Myanmar On a rock atop Mt. Kyaiktiyo in Myanmar, there sits another massive boulder that has been painted gold with a Buddhist pagoda erected atop it. The boulder appears ready to fall off at any moment, and, despite numerous earthquakes in the area, it hasn’t. Oh, and did we mention it’s been in the same place for two thousand and five hundred years?! According to legend, the boulder is held up by one of the Buddha’s hairs. Superstition also holds that women would be able to move it, since the boulder is said to resemble a Buddhist monk’s head, and they’re forbidden contact with women due to their vows. Hence – women are not allowed to touch the boulder.
#7: Cosmos Mystery Area
USA First “discovered” in the early 1950s in Rapid City, South Dakota, the Cosmos Mystery Area features several cabins with odd properties within. People can appear to stand sideways on walls, or shrink and grow depending on where they stand or they can pour water that flows uphill. Like most of our entries, this mystery area is the result of clever uses of perspective, with the cabins constructed on a tilt. In this way, these phenomena trick our minds into believing one thing is happening, when it’s really something else entirely. It’s a fun experience, but not quite physics defying.
#6: St. Ignace Mystery Spot
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USA Another tourist trap, the St. Ignace Mystery Spot, located in the Michigan town of the same name, has many of the same features that similar mystery spots have. The oddly constructed cabins and buildings distort perceptions to do things like make tall people appear shorter, induce feelings of queasiness, or cause objects to move against the pull of gravity. Still, the St. Ignace Mystery Spot has a few things other mystery zones don’t. In addition to the optical illusions, there’s also a maze, mini-golf, and a zipline, for those who want to have fun without breaking their brains.
#5: Moncton Magnetic Hill
Canada Found in Moncton, New Brunswick in Canada, the Moncton Magnetic Hill is yet another gravity hill. We’ve already discussed several of these gravity hills already, so you know the drill by now – the hill looks like it’s an upslope, but it’s really a downslope and our brains misinterpret the visual information. But unlike some of the others, residents have monetized this particular experience. Visitors can experience the sensation of falling back “uphill” in their vehicles for a charge of around 6 Canadian dollars during peak season. And if that’s not enough to draw in tourists, the nearby zoo and water park surely will!
#4: Hoover Dam
USA The Hoover Dam is a marvel of engineering and a popular tourist destination in the U.S. With so many people visiting the structure, many eventually discovered something bizarre – water poured over the side didn’t go down! Instead, the water droplets floated upwards, in apparent defiance of gravity! As “dam” cool as it is to see the liquid’s flow reversed, it’s actually being pulled by the powerful updraft the dam creates. Even though the wind may not be noticeable, it’s still there and shoots the water that would normally fall to the earth back up towards the sky.
#3: Kinder Downfall
England While we could have spoken about a number of other unusual waterfalls, such as the inverted one in Chile, we decided to speak about the Kinder Downfall near Hayfield in Derbyshire, England. Measuring 98 feet tall, the Kinder Downfall does flow normally most of the time, but under some wind conditions, particularly powerful westward winds, the waterfall is pushed up instead of down, with spray that can be seen far and wide. The Kinder Downfall is also known for freezing over in winter, but thankfully the wind isn’t strong enough to send chunks of it back up during that season!
#2: Santa Cruz Mystery Spot
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USA There are a lot of Mystery Spots all over America, but one of the most famous resides in Santa Cruz, California. Similar to many others, the Mystery Spot consists of a cabin built on a slant, whose dimensions and construction give the impression that things move uphill and that people can lean impossibly far forward without falling over. Although the proprietors suggest that this is the result of a meteor falling on the spot or an electromagnetic field, the Mystery Spot is another example of the “gravity hill” phenomenon of tricking the mind’s eye. But while that may solve the mystery, it’s still worth experiencing for yourself. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Jeju Island, South Korea Mysterious Road Seems to Roll Objects Uphill, Though It’s an Illusion Magnetic Hill, India Are the Cars Rolling Uphill Pulled by Magnetic Forces? Nope, It’s Another Optical Trick! Mount Aragats, Armenia Lots of Gravitational Anomalies Abound in One Area of This Mountain
#1: The Hudson Bay Anomaly
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Canada While there are a number of notable facts about the Hudson Bay, such as its unusually high freezing point, its most pertinent to our list is the fact that its gravity doesn’t work like it should. No, really! Things weighed in the region weigh a tenth of an ounce less than they would elsewhere. That may not sound like much, but with an effect over such a wide area, it’s still significant. As it turns out, the gravitational deficiency is the result of an enormous ice sheet that was present over the area during the Earth’s most recent ice age. The vast amount of ice pushed down the rock beneath, lowering the mass and thus the gravity of the Hudson Bay. Wild, eh?
