Its clock face looks like a stack of cubes that can be inverted in the mind’s eye – outward tips become inward corners, sides that faced up to the left now face down to the right.

The clock’s hands look like snakes crawling on this undulating surface. They change shape as they twist and turn to form to the nooks and edges of the cubes. The fast moving second hand wriggles over the uneven surface like a sidewinder negotiating stairs.

Actually, seen from the side, both the clock face and hands are flat and parallel. The cube design is printed on the face, and the hour, minute and second hands are segmented and motorized to produce the correct S curves, seen from the front, for each degree of rotation.

The illusion is complete, and strangely, no matter how one mentality shifts the cubic face, the curved snakes seem to cling realistically to it. One thing is certain – it always shows the correct time.
-- FarmerJohn, Oct 05 2004

illustration http://www.geocitie...e/escheresque.html?
[FarmerJohn, Oct 05 2004]

beautiful Escher snakes video http://www.etereaes...es_movie_index.htm#
[FarmerJohn, Oct 10 2004]

It hurts my mind, but tickles my fancy: +
-- vigilante, Oct 06 2004


Time neither flies nor crawls. It slithers.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 06 2004


<o>cross eyed</o>

I want one of these.
-- po, Oct 10 2004


[HorologistJohn]
-- wagster, Oct 10 2004


I want a clock like the one in the video.
-- DrCurry, Oct 10 2004


I am well impressed! Can I go in the queue behind Po, please?
-- Basepair, Mar 15 2005



random, halfbakery