
Feynman sprinkler - amelius
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feynman_sprinkler
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knolan
It's a classic source/sink problem in fluid mechanics. You can't suck out a
candle.

Most everything in single phase, low Reynolds number flows is about the
interplay of inertia and viscosity. Viscosity acts to run out all motion while
inertia is essentially your kinetic energy. If you're going to suck flow back
through a nozzle it's not going to have much directionality.

Maybe you could exploit the Coanda effect.

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spodek
> _The question of how such a device would turn was the subject of an intense
> and remarkably long-lived debate._

Long-lived debate about an experiment easily performed seems the opposite of
the point of an observational science like physics.

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gjm11
I agree with pdpi's answer. But, also: given that when Feynman tried to do the
experiment the apparatus exploded and flooded the lab, perhaps it's not quite
so "easily performed" :-).

~~~
knolan
There's that old friction between physicists and engineers. Perhaps Feynman
wasn't good at building experimental rigs.

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jeshwanth
You must be reading [https://www.amazon.com/Surely-Feynman-Adventures-Curious-
Cha...](https://www.amazon.com/Surely-Feynman-Adventures-Curious-
Character/dp/0393316041)

