I just witnessed a half full Pepsi can move 8" across my desk on its own

Okay so I'm in Fargo for training all this week and this morning I was sitting at my desk in the training classroom and and saw my can of Pepsi that was half full slide 8" across my perfectly flat and level desk. I am still in disbelief and am dumbfounded over what I saw.

I had been in class about an hour and being bored out of my mind I reached for my phone to check up on the news and check out ATS to pass some time. Just as I had picked my phone up of the desk I saw and heard at the same time the can sliding to the left of my desk. There was no way I had bumped it because I had reached to the left side of my desk with my righ hand and the can was on the right side of the desk. When the can started moving I was pulling my right arm back to me from the left so if I had bumped it it would have fallen off the right side of the desk.

I checked to see if there was an A/C vent to my right but since I was sitting on the right side of the room about 3' from the wall in the front row the A/C vent was behind me to my left so it would have blown it to the right,@ if it were even possible for the A/C airflow to even move a half full soda can from 10' away.

There was no way someone could have done anything to move the can because there was no one to my right or in the desk just behind me. The closest person was 2 desks away.

As I've already stated I am dumbfounded for an explanation as to what made the can move. However I know it did move because I watched it move and saw the trail from the condensation across my desk. I have ruled out any physical explanations I could find as to why the can moved so now I am asking the ATS community for your thoughts on this.

Ive never really been a big believer in paranormal activity but I have to say that after what I witnessed about 30 minutes ago I'm not sure anymore, I'm still kind of freaked out about seeing this happen.

reply to post by Nucleardiver


Though I lack the scientific knowledge to explain it correctly, this has happened to me before. Not with a can, just a glass half full on a smooth surface. It has something to do with the texture of the surface along with the moisture of the bottom of the can/glass. Freaked me out the first time, but I was able to recreate it. Might've also seen it on Mythbusters...not sure.

I believe this is a well know phenomena that can happen when moisture/condensation forms under the can or glass. On a slick surface it can make it slide briefly.

science, not spirits

Maybe a string from your sleeve got caught on it? I don't know what else to say except; you may get a visit from a demon in the near future.







While in bed.

Also, the curve at the bottom of the can allows for air to be trapped there, letting only a rim of the can to touch the table. It becomes like a skate on ice. I guess pressure in the trapped air change and pushes the can on a side or another.

Originally posted by NowanKenubi
Also, the curve at the bottom of the can allows for air to be trapped there, letting only a rim of the can to touch the table. It becomes like a skate on ice. I guess pressure in the trapped air change and pushes the can on a side or another.

Is this known to happen or are you just hypothesizing? It sounds like it would be repeatable given you know the correct conditions and circumstances. Has it ever been documented?

reply to post by humphreysjim


Yup, that's exactly what it is, think loosely of hydroplaning in a car. The moisture creates a thin layer of water under the glass, and this allows the glass to be slightly levitated and moveable even with a slight breeze.

the crazy part is that the moisture tends to stay under the glass, not smear all over the surface of the table

reply to post by goochball


First of all, I have seen cans move on tables. There has to be conditions for it to work.

I will see if I can find something about it. Be back soon.

Originally posted by Gwampo

Damn, that's pretty good...very little resistance. Kind of like an air hockey puck eh?

Though I still don't see that happening with a half full can. Not saying it's impossible...

reply to post by Nucleardiver


In Fargo training for what? Military?

I've had this happen to me before as well.

I remember when I was a kid I was playing the board game of Zaxxon and one of my ships moved across the board by itself.
I guess its kinda like the scientific explanation for the Ouija board planchette moving while no one is touching it. (same as the others said about the moisture)
Anyways, that was the first and last time I played that game.

Originally posted by humphreysjim
I believe this is a well know phenomena that can happen when moisture/condensation forms under the can or glass. On a slick surface it can make it slide briefly.

Probably also has something to do with the air trapped under the concave bottom increasing pressure as the condensation evaporates in there? The air pops the can off the table just enough to become a hovercraft.

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


Not doubting what you are saying but when you hydroplane in a car you are already in motion. The can was sitting still and I hadn't touched it in probably 15 mins. The velocity of an object remains constant unless the object is acted upon by an external force, so if an object is stationary it will remain so until acted upon by a force.

I can understand and agree about the condensation and hydrolift but why would that make it move 8" across the desk? It didn't move slow like the glass of milk in the above video, it was fast as if someone had pushed it. It moved the full 8" within just a second and a half.

Originally posted by Human_Alien
reply to post by Nucleardiver

 

In Fargo training for what? Military?

No, I've been out for over 6 years now. MSHA safety training for the drilling rigs. I wish it were for military training, at least then I got to blow # up, now I'm learning how to not blow # up!

Originally posted by Nucleardiver
reply to post by phishyblankwaters

 

Not doubting what you are saying but when you hydroplane in a car you are already in motion. The can was sitting still and I hadn't touched it in probably 15 mins. The velocity of an object remains constant unless the object is acted upon by an external force, so if an object is stationary it will remain so until acted upon by a force.

I can understand and agree about the condensation and hydrolift but why would that make it move 8" across the desk? It didn't move slow like the glass of milk in the above video, it was fast as if someone had pushed it. It moved the full 8" within just a second and a half.

Most likely all that was posted so far joined with the movement you made. No surface is completely flat and level and when you moved your arm to reach for your phone, it caused an imbalance and that started all the rest of the tiny little details that resulted in the movement. ... the basic force was gravity, it just had to be overcome by the movement of your arm causing the slight movement of the desk, and the very slight movement of the condensation, then surface tension, adhesion and viscosity did the rest.

Maybe it was the ghost of Michael Jackson?

Someone had to say it....

reply to post by Nucleardiver


You saw the trail of condensation on the desk.....There's your answer. The can and the desk were wet. I see this "Phenomena" all the time. Nothing paranormal about it at all.
How old are you that you've never witnessed this before. I saw a very large bowl ( 10 in high 14 across) full of salad slide across a wet countertop. Granted its weird to see but its nothing that simple physics cant explain.

www.madsci.org...

reply to post by goochball


Really?? You've never seen this ? Yes its repeatable. It happens all the time. I must be a lot older than you guys or just pay more attention to stuff.