A few years ago (actually, a bit more than that) I saw a desktop toy that was really cool - it was filled with the same type of liquids as one of these, except instead of a timer it was a two-foot-long rectangular prism, that was mounted on a pivot so that it could rock back and forth. Once you set it in motion, the denser liquid would act like water in an ocean, forming waves and crashing against the opposite side, then rebounding and doing the same thing on the opposite side. The movement of the liquid would keep the thing rocking for quite a while.
Anyone know where I can buy one of those these days?
I’ve also seen much larger displays of the same type in museums.
All of the devices like this I have seen have actually been motorised, otherwise the movement of the liquid would just damp out the rocking pretty quickly.
If you get one, be careful not to place in direct sunlight. I had one with a blue liquid on the bottom, and within a couple of years, the blue had turned completely clear, just like the top liquid. Not very interesting to watch anymore.
