"Self siphoning beads" make for a fun experiment. When one end of the chain is dropped out of a cup, the considerable heft of the falling beads will drag the others out as well. Okay, that's pretty standard, but there's more: the beads actually begin to to lift out of the cup rather than simply spill over the side.
This happens because the bead chain is moving quickly, both while falling to the ground and while traveling out of the cup. The sudden change in direction doesn't transition fast enough for the beads to just pour out — that would take infinite force. So instead, they sort of levitate before taking a dive downward.
You'll also notice different waves and shapes in the falling beads. Whenever the beads strike the side of the cup, it alters the loop a bit. Watch the video to see Steve Mould from Britain's Brightest mess around with 8,000 of these beads. Bonus: slow motion. VIDEO
Via YouTube
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