My cigarette pack defied the laws of gravity last night. Pics

I couldn't find the appropriate forum for this but who knows, maybe it is...

Last night the strangest thing happened. I bought a pack of smokes (20 pack) and had maybe 2 or 3 so it was pretty much full. I took out a smoke and put the pack down on its side on the table. To my surprise and shock, it wasn't flush but balanced on the very corner aprox 1/4 inch from the glass. I put it down with the same force as dropping it would cause. Not lightly at all. The damn thing was just sitting there defying all possible laws of physics. There is no way, and I mean it, that this pack could just balance itself like that without any support underneath!

I pulled out my iphone and began filming it while my friend took the below pictures. I was pretty sure there must have been something under the pack so I continued filming and proceeded to lift the pack off the table. Nothing was there! Bone dry and void of anything that could have caused this! A real head scratcher. Impossible!

I spent the good part of the afternoon trying to retrieve the quicktime video from my phone and transfer to my pc. Even got myself a youtube account so I could upload it but I can't seem to get the video. It copies, but only as an image. Would really like to get the video up on here.

Well take a look at this would ya? I'll be damned!!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b9bd779ca72d.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/845d8023a7bd.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3ca01263d8d8.jpg[/atsimg]

Looks to me like the pack does not have square edges. My brand has rounded edges on the box, and I can get it to do this quit often.

well i cant say it didnt happen, as ive seen a can of beer shuffle across a table once.

but a 2 year old could recreate that pic quite easily.
i beleive you though

reply to post by captaintyinknots


I've been smoking for 25 years and I have never seen this. Plus, we tried to duplicate it with fail repeatedly.

For all i know you could have a weight inside the box to keep it on its side, since none of the photos show the content of the packet.

Or it could be something to do with the rounded edges of the packet?

And if the lid is slightly open, it could balance.

Wow since when do they put pictures of black lungs on the pack. What a downer.

cool post anyways.

I love belmonts, thats my brand of cancer sticks as well. As for the box, I'm sure you wouldn't go out of your way to have that happen so I'm gonna chuck this in the "fluke" section.

Originally posted by neonitus

well i cant say it didnt happen, as ive seen a can of beer shuffle across a table once.

but a 2 year old could recreate that pic quite easily.
i beleive you though

I think you may be undermining how difficult it would be to recreate this in the manor that it occurred.

reply to post by mr-lizard


you're really going to have to take my word for it. The lid btw, is the side facing the camera.

reply to post by mr-lizard


I bet his Cigarette Lighter is in there on the side touching the Table Top.............LOL

reply to post by FlySolo


im not trying to be rude but it would be very easy to recreate your pics. ive no reason to disbeleive , im just saying its basically a pic of a pack of ciggys.

Originally posted by FlySolo

Originally posted by neonitus

well i cant say it didnt happen, as ive seen a can of beer shuffle across a table once.

but a 2 year old could recreate that pic quite easily.
i beleive you though

I think you may be undermining how difficult it would be to recreate this in the manor that it occurred.

edit on 23-4-2011 by FlySolo because: (no reason given)

I dont. Ive seen it many times before. Its a trip when you first see it, but its not defying anything. The box edges arent square. Balancing the box on the flat surface area of the corner is not that tough.

As for the poster who mentioned the beer can shuffling, that is an effect caused by air being trapped in the concave bottom of the can, creating and air pocket.

reply to post by FlySolo


FlySolo thank you for sharing the neat pics. I get a smile from things like this, like when you drop a nickel and it lands standing straight up on the table. The probability of this happening is much lower than the coin landing 'heads or tails' flush on the table, thus the happy.

reply to post by captaintyinknots


As i sit here I am trying to balance it. no can do friend. And I'm being careful. I wasn't last night, I practically slammed them down. Its a fluke and the odds in doing so are astronomical.

reply to post by FlySolo


You ever taken a soda can and balanced it on the bottom rim to make it stand at a angle? it's the same effect.
go ahead and give it a try, just make sure the can is half empty.

Originally posted by FlySolo
reply to post by captaintyinknots

 

As i sit here I am trying to balance it. no can do friend. And I'm being careful. I wasn't last night, I practically slammed them down. Its a fluke and the odds in doing so are astronomical.

edit on 23-4-2011 by FlySolo because: (no reason given)

Funny, I just tried it and did it on the second attempt.

Also, at second look at your picture, the box is bowed. You say you slammed it down, and your pictures are consistent with that. The box bending would only make it that much easier to balance, as it would flatten out the surface area of the box corner even more.

The odds are not that great (but you are right, it is a fluke, and not something defying gravity). But it can happen. And does happen. And will happen. Especially with this type of box.

reply to post by grindhouzer


Riiiiight. And if I'm just seeing things, then so are you.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/63513132fbf1.jpg[/atsimg]

Without being able to examine the pack, the table, and under the table
it is rather difficult to eliminate variables and determine what is happening in this picture.

I can think of serveral ways to fake such a picture though.

hanging from a thread
glue
magnets
weight in the bottom corner of the pack
or just plain old proper balance

David Grouchy

reply to post by FlySolo

I think you may be undermining how difficult it would be to recreate this in the manor that it occurred.

Took me less than a minute to recreate the same effect. So it could just be a hoax then... wouldn't you say?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/96393089b8c4.jpg[/atsimg]

Especially since the picture wasn't taken from all angles...