Mummy statue spins inside museum case, any ideas?

[BronyPony 575]

Does anyone have a valid explanation? It might spark some interest here. Maybe people could vote for the best explanation in this topic if they want? Poll is set up.

 

Edited June 24, 2013 by BronyPony

[Jadefire 2,797]

I've heard the theory that they're moving due to the vibrations coming from inside the room.

 

It's either that or Discord did it.

[hawkflame 3,310]

I'd go with either scientific explanation or not enough info.  The vibrations in the room idea seems pretty sound, especially if the statue is resting on a relatively slick surface.

[BronyPony 575]

I'd go with either scientific explanation or not enough info.  The vibrations in the room idea seems pretty sound, especially if the statue is resting on a relatively slick surface.

The problem with that theory is the statue would have moved in a specific direction(not just turn, but actually move) if there were vibrations. Still, theories are theories.

 

(Maybe the first two options should have been combined).

Edited June 24, 2013 by BronyPony

[Acoustic Cloud 2,202]

I agree with the vibrations or the other possibility... Stop motion.
This kind of stuff is easy as hell to fake.  And adding a clock like that... hell, aftereffects has something like that built in. 

This isn't anything other than explainable, sorry.

[BronyPony 575]

I agree with the vibrations or the other possibility... Stop motion.

This kind of stuff is easy as hell to fake.  And adding a clock like that... hell, aftereffects has something like that built in. 

 

This isn't anything other than explainable, sorry.

The museum states that problem is still unsolved. Most likely vibrations doesn't add up for the other factors. Besides, it simply is a test of people's abilities to determine truth from fallacy, I guess.

 

EDIT: Though the vibrations would explain why the statue only turns during the day.

EDIT: What is their to be sorry about? 

Edited June 24, 2013 by BronyPony

[Acoustic Cloud 2,202]

The museum states that problem is still unsolved. Most likely vibrations doesn't add up for the other factors. Besides, it simply is a test of people's abilities to determine truth from fallacy, I guess.

Businesses state such things all the time to attract more customers.  It's practically the same as charging extra to stay in a haunted hotel room.  

Tourists love a good mystery; thus, they are serving it to them.

 

EDIT: Sorry is just something to be said at poking a hole in something.

Edited June 24, 2013 by Rainbow Dashey

[BronyPony 575]

Businesses state such things all the time to attract more customers.  It's practically the same as charging extra to stay in a haunted hotel room.  

Tourists love a good mystery; thus, they are serving it to them.

"Assuming makes an ass out of you and me" as the good saying goes. I am not discrediting vibrations, but assuming the business model in this case without real evidence is speculations, though in this case evidence is not required for simple ideas.

 

I guess I am attempting to see what range of ideas can be strung up to explain an event.

 

EDIT: Made poll make more sense.

Edited June 24, 2013 by BronyPony

[Acoustic Cloud 2,202]

"Assuming makes an ass out of you and me" as the good saying goes. I am not discrediting vibrations, but assuming the business model in this case without real evidence is speculations, though in this case evidence is not required for simple ideas.

 

I guess I am attempting to see what range of ideas can be strung up to explain an event.

Actually, rethinking it on the vibrations.  Maybe the bottom was made in such a manner, that it has a really small area actually touching the glass. Thus, very easy to rotate at the smallest of vibrations.  And it certainly accounts for the only at business hours part.

 

I've had such things happen in my own room.  Things have been on my shelves for months, but randomly fall off without the slightest indication of contact.

EDIT: I'll just put, not enough information but keep my opinions

Edited June 24, 2013 by Rainbow Dashey

[BronyPony 575]

Actually, rethinking it on the vibrations.  Maybe the bottom was made in such a manner, that it has a really small area actually touching the glass. Thus, very easy to rotate at the smallest of vibrations.  And it certainly accounts for the only at business hours part.

 

I've had such things happen in my own room.  Things have been on my shelves for months, but randomly fall off without the slightest indication of contact.

EDIT: I'll just put, not enough information but keep my opinions

Though that idea would require the building to be on a slope. However, if this issue were caused by a slope in the glass it would have moved in that direction, which is clearly not the case.

[Acoustic Cloud 2,202]

Though that idea would require the building to be on a slope. However, if this issue were caused by a slope in the glass it would have moved in that direction, which is clearly not the case.

It would require no such thing.

Think of it like a chair at school with an uneven leg.  The weight easily tips you left and right, it would be the same as this. The weight easily shifted by the slightest vibrations, so the statue isn't just turning, it's actually rocking.

[Fhaolan 4,483]

Vibration. The statue only moves when there is movement in the room and/or when the halogen display lights built into the case are on. Those lights have a constant hum that even if you can't hear do cause the cases to vibrate slightly.

 

The statue comes to rest in a specific alignment and does not continue to turn after that point is reached. Given the general shape of the statue, and it's very subtle 'lean' backwards, I'd say the center of mass on the statue is near the back of it. If the glass shelf has a very slightly tilt towards the front of the case and the statue has a tiny lump on the undersurface near the center of the base, but ahead of the center of mass, to act as a pivot, the statue will naturally rotate to move the center of mass 'down'. 

 

Easy fix. Put the statue on a piece of paper, just small enough to not be seen around the edge of the base. That should eliminate the issue.

[Smarts 1,622]

It wasn't a hoax. It wasn't aliens or any supernatural force. There is plenty of information to explain what happened though. It's elementary, really. The statue wanted to be a rebel and face the other direction. It prefers being different from the rest. 

 

Case closed

[Clockwork Chaos 219]

im glad to see other people here have sense. let's be honest, if there was any evidence for the supernatural, there would have been at least one documented piece of realistic evidence.

 

as it stands every claim has been hoax or fabrication.

 

though i will embrace any evidence pointing to the contrary

[SoarinBlue 202]

The two explanations I've heard are that it's caused by vibrations from people walking nearby (which makes sense given that it appears to stop rotating at night in the time lapse), and that the material of the statue has some kind of resonance with the glass that's causing it to move slightly.  Could be one, both, or neither.  I don't believe in the supernatural though so that's where I stand on it

[Jokuc 8,173]

Well since I do not believe in anything supernatural or similar, I think there must be some sort of other explanation behind this. Maybe it's just a trick, or it's what someone else here said, because of vibrations.

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

I think vibrations in the floor is the most likely explanation.  Notice how it only moves when there are lots of people moving past.  It's still in daytime when there are no people or or too few to show up in the time-lapse, and at night.  As for the fact that it turns in a single direction, Fhaolan provides a pretty good hypothesis.  Another possibility could be a "ratchet" effect, in which something about the bottom surface of the statue makes it easier for it to turn in one direction than another.  Under certain conditions, sonic vibrations can produce directional rotational motion:

 

 

Notice especially starting at about 2:26. 

[-Nobody- 519]

I think there is a very good scientific explanation for this odd occurrence. It was all a hoax. I think someone was moving the statue, and the video is edited.

 

But...

 

[SirTherodar 28]

The mummy statue has been in the museum for over 80 years, why would the vibrations from people walking or an uneven base cause it to start moving now?  

[Harmonic Revelations 8,835]

Vibration from people moving. It's actually obvious, since it only happens during the hours that the muesem is open, as in, when people are walking around.

[BronyPony 575]

Vibration from people moving. It's actually obvious, since it only happens during the hours that the muesem is open, as in, when people are walking around.

It slightly occurs during the night time about when the museum is going to close, where there are less to no people around. Though, it is a good explanation.

[Harmonic Revelations 8,835]

It slightly occurs during the night time about when the museum is going to close, where there are less to no people around. Though, it is a good explanation.

If it occurs to a lesser extent it could mean it's being caused by the lesser vibrations of passing traffic during the night, causing it to turn slightly.

[BronyPony 575]

I think vibrations in the floor is the most likely explanation.  Notice how it only moves when there are lots of people moving past.  It's still in daytime when there are no people or or too few to show up in the time-lapse, and at night.  As for the fact that it turns in a single direction, Fhaolan provides a pretty good hypothesis.  Another possibility could be a "ratchet" effect, in which something about the bottom surface of the statue makes it easier for it to turn in one direction than another.  Under certain conditions, sonic vibrations can produce directional rotational motion:

 

 

Notice especially starting at about 2:26. 

In order to confirm such observations, the same exact scene would have to be replicated using this idea. Until then, it is only speculation or hypothesis.

[Fhaolan 4,483]

The mummy statue has been in the museum for over 80 years, why would the vibrations from people walking or an uneven base cause it to start moving now?  

 

Easy. Just because the statue has been in the museum for that time doesn't mean it was in that specific display case for that time. In fact, most museums usually move the displays around on semi-regular basis to keep things 'fresh'. Especially 100% glass cases like that one, which need to be taken apart and cleaned once a year, according to a friend I know who's a curator at a local museum. All it would take would be shifting the case an inch in one direction over another to cause a minor slope change in the shelves.

[BronyPony 575]

If it occurs to a lesser extent it could mean it's being caused by the lesser vibrations of passing traffic during the night, causing it to turn slightly.

That would assume the glass casing is near the entrance of the museum, which I highly doubt it is. It would take a massive vibrational object or car of such momentum to do it that far, but if you could confirm the location of the glass casing it could prove your point.