Gadgets

Stressed-out scientists can now relax with the Sandpendel, a mashup Zen sand-garden/physics-experiment desktop toy. Designed by Jürg Näf, the Sandpendel is based on Léon Foucault’s famous 19th-century experiment that demonstrated the Earth’s rotation. Details, plus another pic, are below.

The pendulum of Näf’s creation swings in a little orbit and traces fine track patterns in the sand. As the earth spins, the orbit moves gradually, so the pattern gets slowly modified. Since, however, Foucault went to great lengths to abolish friction in the real device, we’re a bit sceptical. Still, it produces pretty patterns and is way more novel than an old Newton’s cradle, even if it costs a largeish €239, around $400. [7Gadgets]