# How much longer before the next drop of pitch drops? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 6, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201 "2012-12-06T17:00:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/21 "2012-12-07T08:16:55Z")
The anticipation is killing me! ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/22 "2012-12-07T14:12:04Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > My girlfriend when I was at college was a friend of Prof Mainstones’s daughter. > > Yes, you may have my autograph. No touching though, please. Could you write it in pitch? OK, time to check the feed. I can hardly wait to see what developed last night. ETA: Nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/23 "2012-12-07T14:52:30Z")
In addition to the issue of having enough space for each drop to fall, I’m concerned that there’s not enough room in the beaker to hold all the pitch in the funnel. What would they do if it fills up? Just let it overflow? And I’ll go out on a limb and guess it won’t drop until sometime in mid-to-late February. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/24 "2012-12-07T14:59:19Z")
Would the experiment be ruined by lifting the bell jar, taking the beaker out, and replacing it with an empty one? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/25 "2012-12-07T16:27:58Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Would the experiment be ruined by lifting the bell jar, taking the beaker out, and replacing it with an empty one? I believe Mainstone suggested lifting the funnel but is hesitant to do so because he wans to keep the experiment as close to the original as possible. If they do lift it it would have to be right after the next drop falls. I wonder if they have a time lapse of the drop forming. Even at one frame a day (2 sec per month) it might be interesting to watch. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/26 "2012-12-07T16:39:38Z")
Well no wonder it is taking so long - this experiment is taking place in Australia and everyone knows that is down under, so the pitch is actually falling UP. The real question is, when it falls does it slightly rotate clockwise or counterclockwise? Imagine getting the job, 40 hours per week, to wipe up any spillage around the beaker when the drop falls. The only person on earth who would have an easier job would be Vanna White. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/27 "2012-12-08T03:24:17Z")
Haha they even have a live video! Watch paint dry? I’d rather watch pitch drop. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/28 "2012-12-19T20:02:12Z")
Holy Crap! I just realized that I haven’t checked in over a week to see if the drop has dropped aaaaaaaaaaaannnnnndddd … it hasn’t ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/29 "2012-12-19T21:30:26Z")
Thanks for the links–that is cool…in a boring sort of way. As an Architect I really like the sciencey aspect and that it almost becomes artistic because of the science itself. Pretty cools links — thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/30 "2012-12-20T00:36:50Z")
[A few years ago I nominated the experiment’s webcam](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=516432) as the most boring in existence. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/31 "2012-12-20T04:38:26Z")
I liked the film version of _Koyaanisqatsi_ but I don’t think it works as a live production. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/32 "2012-12-20T15:18:17Z")
I can’t find it but there is a video of a guy that spent 24 hours at the North Pole turning so that he stood still while the Earth rotated below him. That would be a boring live production too. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/33 "2013-04-21T15:07:43Z")
No it hasn’t dropped but they now have a timelapse video of the pitch over the last year. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/34 "2013-04-21T17:07:40Z")
This would make a great gift for prisoners. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/35 "2013-04-22T07:07:33Z")
I learned about this only last week, in Modernist Cuisine, in the chapter on viscosity. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/36 "2013-04-23T21:21:57Z")
Based on that video of movement in the last year, I think it’ll take at least until 2014 to drop. That year of movement is so small, I just don’t think that it’s likely to speed up enough to drop before then. I wouldn’t be surprised if it took until 2015, either. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/37 "2013-04-23T22:08:46Z")
It’s amazing to me that, according to the wiki article, no one has ever seen it drop. There was a problem with the webcam in 2000 and obviously they didn’t have one prior to that. We’re viewing history, people! ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/38 "2013-06-03T14:45:04Z")
Still no drop, but it’s hanging awfully low. Methinks when this one falls, they need to add a few inches to the holder of the funnel. ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/39 "2013-06-03T16:02:52Z")
Apparently, due to remodeling, they moved the experiment (and webcam) to a new building. I wonder how much this will affect the experiment (and whether such effect would even be measurable?) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201/40 "2013-06-03T16:44:37Z")
> [@Jman](#): > > Still no drop, but it’s hanging awfully low. Methinks when this one falls, they need to add a few inches to the holder of the funnel. That’s what SHE said! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-before-the-next-drop-of-pitch-drops/643201.md?page=3)