Force
Forces and Motion
The devil’s suitcase
Stories from Physics
for 11-14
14-16
George Gamow relates a prank carried out by the French physicist, Jean Perrin. Perrin is reported to have packed a running aviation gyroscope into a suitcase, which he checked in at a Paris railway station. When a porter carrying the case tried to turn a corner, the suitcase refused to turn, twisting his wrist. The porter reportedly exclaimed: ‘The devil himself must be inside’ and ran off.
References
G. Gamov, Gravity, Mineola, NY, Dover Publications Inc., 2002, pp. 75-76
