The
rolling ring
The rolling
ring which did not roll. It consists of a stand, A, two idler pulleys,
C, between which a hollow cylindrical ring, suspended in the manner
shown, is expected to revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow.
The only difficulty about it is that it will not work, though it looked
plausible enough to the inventor.
(Subsection 934, from
p.374)
From: Gardner D. Hiscox, M.E., Mechanical Appliances and Novelties of Construction (1927), Norman W. Henley Publ. Co.
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion. (1987) -- Carl Sagan
