The Hill Where Gravity Reverses - Magnetic Hill Debunked

[@lakie2042]

Three hours each way is also the perfect amount of time I'd invest into messing with the kids minds in this closing week of holidays. Road trip!

[@JulianOShea]

That’s the spirit!

[@lakie2042]

@Count Vulgar Actually did it. 700km odd round trip but the 7yo is now questioning whether gravity is a thing so I'm claiming it.

[@lakie2042]

@Count Vulgar didn't stop at the Vortex. That's what World's End is named for yea?

[@patrickbaker7014]

@@JulianOShea Is that a pun?

[@peterbartley9155]

I love messing with the kids minds.

[@WhyForWhatNow]

Imagine being that first guy, I would've thought I was crazy

[@dielaughing73]

I've experienced it on a pushbike before, as he mentioned. We knew something was weird so we poured water on the ground and it went 'up'. Not much you can do but drop a gear and keep pedalling!

[@drafezard7315]

@@dielaughing73 *X-files music plays*

[@thejimmydanly]

Is this not just how every hill in Australia works?

[@matejnovosad9152]

This is the only normal hill in AUS

[@justinbuddy56]

Wait they have hills in Australia? I thought all the hills were craters

[@Dante_Sparda_DMC]

Hills in Australia are a thing?

[@alearvotti]

Is australia a thing?

[@renubala9968]

Is thing?

[@rogerkearns8094]

In the 1960s there was a stretch of the A406 in South Woodford, UK, that did this. On my bike my muscles knew which way the slope went, but my eyes would tell me differently - it seemed very peculiar. (That stretch of road has by now been long replaced by an M11 elevated slip road.)

[@cxpycxt13]

Yeah there’s one near Chigwell in the UK called hangmans hill. You can still go there, we went there when we visited London

[@norcaldeemichaels]

There’s two of these types of hills near my old home in Northern California, U.S.A., both are also illusions. The terrain at both sites is very similar to that in this video, rolling grassy hills with some trees.

[@DanielBerke]

Dunno if it's the same place, but I know of one such place in northern California where there's a canal along the road and it gives the coolest illusion of the water flowing uphill.

[@jwjustjwgd]

I've been to a similar place in Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

[@goodluck5642]

@@DanielBerke curious where if you see this!

[@philadelphus3570]

@@goodluck5642 I unfortunately don't remember a name or a location, I just remember it was maybe an hour's drive away from where I grew up. I only visited it once or twice, I think.

[@matty4z]

3:29 *its the old Window XP desktop background , but during a drought haha XD*

[@gorillaau]

If you put a spirit level across the top of the start bar, yout will find that it's tapered, when comparing the bottom of the start bar.

[@EPICGAMER-mx3ws]

lmao

[@abyssstrider2547]

Actually Bliss was taken in California.

[@matty4z]

@@abyssstrider2547 ...ok

[@abyssstrider2547]

@@matty4z Yeah, the default Windows XP background is called Bliss.

[@andrewturland7758]

There is also a spot in Victoria near Hanging Rock.

[@hoverhead047]

He travelled all the way to OBSA when he only needed to go the Mt Macedon in Vic.

[@50Hz]

@@hoverhead047 thats what i was thinking, but he does say he lived in SA in another video so maybe he was visiting family

[@trevormcdonald586]

@@hoverhead047 its an illusion D,A and the one in Victoria is no different, Victorians think they have everything

[@trevormcdonald586]

@@50Hz and you're wrong just as his comment is

[@50Hz]

@@trevormcdonald586 I didn’t say I was Victorian or that is wasn’t an illusion.

[@birchbarks550]

I was honestly proud that i knew that it was a optical illusion. A science kids show in germany covered the same thing (just on a hill somewhere in germany) and explained it the same way (I think the problm there was that it was hilly and foresty so reference was missing aswell). Keep up the good work :D

[@data_corrupted]

Gallileo?

[@falcoperegrinus3712]

Same it feels nice when you figure it out on your own before he says something

[@birchbarks550]

@@data_corrupted wissen mach Ah!

[@Rukalin]

@@data_corrupted Also thought it was Galileo, I'm pretty sure I saw it there

[@PifflePrattle]

I experienced the same phenomena walking levadas in Madeira. Seemed to happen where the levada was about to disappear around the bluff of the hillside. A strong sense the path was rising ahead when in fact it was evidently dropping as evidenced by the flow of the water. For those unfamiliar with them levadas are small canals transporting water from the mountains for irrigation.

[@lemontangs]

Great video. I remember visiting this place as a kid. Seen a similar illusion when I was in Donghe Taiwan, where a waterway appears to run uphill.

[@ellecee7974]

Im so glad I travelled 700kms to experience this phenomenon and than watched this video just 10km out from reaching magnetic hill.... ive completely shattered and ruined my trip 😰

[@JustinHunter-Gaarindor]

Just like with TV shows, never look up things on the internet if you don't want spoilers :P

[@ellecee7974]

@@JustinHunter-Gaarindor brother you are so right

[@FawadBilgrami]

Nah, watching something and experiencing it first is totally different. You did the right thing. I would visit it too if the restrictions here in Sydney ease off.

[@frankhooper7871]

The answer was exactly what my logical mind assumed prior to watching. There's a place near me where I always feel like it's a slight uphill, but my cycle _knows_ it's a slight downhill. Likewise, it's in an area where you don't have a visible horizon.

[@swagmankayearIQ]

cringe pfp

[@charbelnakad7668]

Stupid profile picture

[@Frognungun]

@@swagmankayearIQ how

[@Frognungun]

@@charbelnakad7668 how

[@swagmankayearIQ]

@@Frognungun 🏳️‍🌈❌

[@ggblister]

As an Australian I can confirm this is how every hill in Australia works

[@missv8girl]

There is also one near Mt Macedon, Victoria. Straws Lane. I took my Russian friend there and broke his brain ha ha! Also take props - water, basketball, yoga ball... ha ha

[@JulianOShea]

Nice - will have to check it out and compare. Glad you’re friend like it - it does ‘work’.

[@missv8girl]

@@JulianOShea that's my little "Undiscovered Victoria"! PS Great channel. Followed from Reddit.

[@fuchsiebabe]

@@JulianOShea One thing's for sure, it's much more accessible at less than an hour's drive from Melbourne. Worth the drive, especially for the scenery!

[@percyvile]

@@JulianOShea there's probably a few spots with interesting history around the Macedon ranges, could be worth a road trip when we're not in lockdown !

[@Pheluv]

I had a young cousin visit from New Zealand and took him there. When he told the family in NZ about it no one believed him. A few years later I took another cousin, she turned to me and said “ I owe Gene a huge apology, we really gave him a hard time about this” It’s a lot of fun!

[@arthurgordon6072]

There is a similar hill in Ayrshire, Scotland, called 'The Electric Brae'.

[@MirkoC407]

Yeah. I've been there with friends from Kilmarnock while on a visit. Strange feeling. And when I was still active with US cars a forum member from Romania showed his Pontiac Trans Am rolling "uphill" in the Carpathians.

[@krissiehaley2594]

I did the one in Scotland 2019

[@aussietaipan8700]

Hey Julian, I found your channel via IWrockers channel, America Reacts, an American who love Australia and he showed an commented on this. A big shout out to Ian Wroker. I found out about Magnetic Hill in 2014 and in 2015. I put an old rectangular fish tank on my roof on my Jeep GC and on a known good flat level road. The tank was half filled (10L)with water and marked the level points via the water line on the tank walls. In April 2015 I went to Magnetic Hill with fish tank in hand and 10L of water. I stopped at the Magnetic Hill signs, put the fish tank on the roof in the same position, filled with 10L water. The level was biased towards the rear of the tank (rear of the car) about 7 mm from the level marker which indicated a downhill run not and uphill run. I then turned the car in the opposite direction, the water level was biased to the front. Debunked by a fish tank.

[@JulianOShea]

That’s good science! Well done. Glad you found it. Thanks iWrocker!

[@headlessnotahorseman]

I like your cool little videos. It's nice to have some short ones pop up in my subscription feed.

[@JulianOShea]

Glad you like them! As long as they need to be to tell the story, and no longer.

[@scrumpeldwarf]

In Australia: "there's a big magnet that pulls you up the hill"! In America: "The souls of the children who died here will push your car up the hill"!

[@marmac83]

Hey, how about all those slaughtered Aborigines in Australia?

[@TheDerpyPie]

@@marmac83 rip bozos

[@nyanSynxPHOENIX]

This just is such a believable statement, lol. The US is obsessed with hauntings.

[@trollge3712]

@@TheDerpyPie ratio bozo

[@furkid100]

there is a spot like this in Bacchus Marsh i used to go there often we used to try different items like a skateboard or a can

[@cavramau]

I tested a plastic bottle of water there.

[@christopherjames7809]

This is great. I live in Adelaide and have never been to Magnetic Hill - I am totally going to go now! Loving your videos btw. Stumbled across your channel and am hooked on learning all these quirky and interesting facts.

[@sirBrouwer]

wait you live in the home town of the way to famous Sofa shop.

[@christopherjames7809]

@@sirBrouwer that is very cryptic lol

[@snazzy19]

There's also a lovely walk there, in Orroroo, with Aboriginal rock carvings!

[@scragar]

You should have used an old school compass to show there's no crazy strong magnetic field too, that way it rules out any doubt over it.

[@atdynax]

There is also a road like this in Italy.

[@lapomangoni6351]

Dove?

[@GeneralAeon]

@@lapomangoni6351 what

[@lapomangoni6351]

@@GeneralAeon it's "where" in italian

[@199NickYT]

I wish you had recorded the car in neutral going "up" the hill *but with the spirit level in shot.* I'm a bit shocked you didn't do this.

[@ColmGibney]

He had a bubble level with him, but instead used a phone app (susceptible to magnetic influence) to demonstrate. He only used the bubble level, badly, on a tripod to demonstrate hills in the background. A bit suspect?

[@russe19642]

There's one in Perth as well and I've always said it was an optical illusion. Still funny to do and take unsuspecting people

[@TransportofPerth]

The one in Perth is so dangerous as cars just speed around the bend and could easily hit a standstill car.

[@shackerslade3215]

i really wanna know what the reaction was of the guy who first discovered this. some 58 year old aussie tradie in the outback would have been priceless.

[@jxffxry]

There's a Magnetic Hill in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada too!

[@dzitezracing]

The railway line from Woodvale to Bendigo has the same effect. Looks like your going down hill when your actually going up.

[@drafezard7315]

That not the same effect, that's the opposite.

[@ValeriePallaoro]

@@drafezard7315 in that it's an optical illusion, it _is_ the same effect, whether it's up/down or down/up, none of it is about magnetism or physical forces

[@drafezard7315]

@@ValeriePallaoro Brah, down and up are opposites.

[@prodigalretrod]

@@drafezard7315 It is the same effect, up looks like down, and down looks like up, just depends which direction you're travelling.

[@ianpotter2128]

There is also a magnetic hill in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. This is an actual magnetic hill, the water runs down the hill and the cars go back up the hill. It's pretty cool.

[@Mercure250]

On Wikipedia, they say that the water does go "uphill". There is even a photo of it. That looks like a regular optical illusion to me.

[@JBofBrisbane]

No, man... it's an optical illusion too. They all are.

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

As a Tasmanian, that's a long way to drive to and from just for an optical illusion.

[@thepaedophileprofit3062]

In Brisbane, specifically, the suburb of Mt Cotton is what we used to call "Spook Hill".

[@BoomBrush]

I used to leave around there, why was it called spook hill? All the hills im guessing? Mt Cotton road is borderline death road Edit: Looked it up, apparently a section of road in Mt Cotton has a similar effect but a reddit post suggested the effect is diminished due to council paving over the road in the 90s

[@thepaedophileprofit3062]

@@BoomBrush The road was paved for a long time. Any development that has occured out there probably had more effected, it was surrounded by bush back when I was last there, late last century

[@scottyd2262]

@@thepaedophileprofit3062 I remember going there 30years ago . I was going to comment about it as well

[@RedSkyrkw]

Your quality of videos is on par if not better than channels like Tom Scott and yet you don't have the large backing that they do. This is dedication and it pays off while watching them. Awsome videos man, really impressive!

[@randomsam7648]

Love these vids!!! I subscribed!

[@KalvickQT]

good videos man, hello from New Zealand! Watching you all morning expecting like 400k views per video, was shocked when I realised how many in actuality

[@JulianOShea]

Thanks, mate!

[@mayenglish4572]

There is one in Woodend, Vic. Didn't do the car thing, but rolled the ball down the road and the ball rolled back up.

[@legitgopnik8431]

A great demo could be dropping a ball and showing it roll "uphill"

[@bigsquatch]

There's a similar thing in the US called the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot. People have tons of pictures of things appearing to roll up hill, people leaning way more than possible, etc. But when you actually go there, you see it's an illusion and everything else is at an angle.

[@frostbitedog5619]

We have one of these in PA. It’s not recognized in any way like there but it has the same effect

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

This is fantastic. Keep up the good work.

[@AnotherFunda]

There is also a place like this in my country, in Guatemala (we call it "mysterious path") where you can put a car, select neutral, and it will roll up instead of down

[@Yuallsomad]

Thank you so much for showing us all these tid bits of Aus!

[@The_Weirdstar]

One hour north of Melbourne, close to Mt Macedon and Hanging Rock is the town of Woodend where you’ll find another Gravity Hill in the world. Known as Anti-Gravity Hill, the optical illusion is found in Straws Lane.

[@polisagora2811]

There is another one near Rhonert Park, Ca. I suggest aiming a laser level from a distance then checking that with a spirit level to see if there is a difference. Then see where the strongest deviation is coming from.

[@thomasdelbert]

I have one steel car and one aluminium and plastic car, and I was getting ready to fly them both to Australia just to see them roll in opposite directions - until the reveal at the end.

[@Optopolis]

There is a hill like this north of Fort Collins, CO in the US. A stream goes under the road and looks like it runs up hill when it doesn't.

[@beatnikmary]

Oh we have a Magnetic Hill in New Brunswick, Canada, as well! I forget the details, but I think maybe that one is an optical illusion. I can't remember, haven't been there since I was little.

[@DodderingOldMan]

It's really interesting, even looking at it on a screen the illusion kind of works.

[@Alvin-eq5rc]

Your content are quality mate! I learned so much from your channel

[@whatshappenedhere1784]

Plumbers be like: Well if shit still runs downhill, there's only one way to test this

[@gorillaau]

Darn it. The shit sticks to the road, now what?

[@whatshappenedhere1784]

@@gorillaau Alternatively, go when its raining

[@notbelievingstillcontinuing]

Sometimes all it takes in a mad world is to a simple man to express pure science, love u and the way the world really works❤️

[@paulgrimmond6296]

I experienced one also on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines while doing work for the merchant navy academy. Legend has it that there were bulk ammunition and military hardware buried at the top of the hill after the war. It was a hot day and I had a bottle of water with me. Didn't take too long to work out what was happening!

[@alexandraami]

Whoa would love to experience that too here

[@aurorazoe6011]

There is a place in backcountry Pennsylvania, USA where this happens as well. They call it Gravity Hill.

[@louithefly]

Straws lane or something towards Kyneton has this effect too

[@braveheartbob3473]

okay u gotta explain the gear shift. I'm a Newfoundlander. The snowflake icon - is that some kinda traction control if it snowed or was slippery? What about the foot/pedal button in between park and reverse?

[@ODPTV1]

There's also one of these a few hours outside of Melbourne, old childhood memory.

[@jenipeachy]

We have a few in Australia. I’ve been to the one near hanging rock a few times … called Anti gravity hill … it’s a optical illusion as there is no true horizon 😊 so it appears to be going up hill . It’s still magical for the kids and the young at heart … 😂❤😂

[@DanielHaug]

Everyone knows that everywhere in Australia, gravity goes up because Australia is upside down.

[@ChillaxeMake]

We have something similar here in Ireland called the magic hill, near the cooley mountains.

[@foresthillwolf7998]

I could tell what was happening, but what proved it was the way the cameraman was leaning at 2:15

[@theironrhino110]

There’s also one near Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

[@MrJuxton99]

there is one in Victoria too, I can't recall exactly but its somewhere behind mount Macedon

[@Hectorheroic]

Great video. Didn't know this place existed. Gotta check it out! Are you related to John Safran?

[@bh-zj4yt]

Cool…there’s a gravity hill in San Diego too…Spring Valley area..my friend Ray took me there watched a beer can roll UP the hill

[@Incountry]

A long way to go to convince your misses that you’re leaving her....

[@vlogdemon]

So I’m curious about the sign alleging steel vs aluminium cars will go different directions. Is that a flat out lie? If not, how is that so?

[@JulianOShea]

Yeah, it’s not true. It looks a little odd on this as it’s on an official sign - but if you Google the Magnetic Hill sign - there was previously a hand-painted one which was more in the spirit of - ‘have some fun with this’ and they kept that same piece of text on the new more formal one (which does explain the phenomena - the old one didn’t).

[@simon_patterson]

It's some good old fashioned Australian humour. Unfortunately this kind of humour is being lost, as Australians have increasingly started taking themselves far too seriously.

[@tavianhamer-wilson373]

there's a similar thing near erin ontario, but there's no road signs or anything, just a quirk that locals know about

[@tommo3476]

There is one of these near Hanging Rock too

[@karenmcneill2602]

Great ending! Extremely interesting stuff. My brain would have been fooled for sure.

[@skoodledoo]

There's also one just round the corner from Hanging Rock in Victoria on Straws Lane. Would've been a quicker journey for you ;)

[@Sonora0Redwing]

That is a trippy optical illusion

[@jspellie3103]

There is a spot around Prince Henry Drive in Toowoomba.

[@rorybessell8280]

Experienced a similar thing in Scotland on the "electric brae," slightly steeper than this example but I swear I can also remember being able to see the coast from it which makes me wonder how the optical illusion works. This was almost 10 years ago, however, so I could be wrong with that

[@matthewlillywhite8014]

There’s also a hill just like this near Hanging Rock in Mount Macedon

[@haqeeqee]

But Why do the plastic and aluminium cars roll the other way?

[@sagargurung6200]

KZbin algorithm doing you good. 17k to 33k sub. Let's go!!!

[@ProspectingLife]

That’s maybe why Captain Cook gave Magnetic Island in QLD it’s name, the ocean wasn’t level? 😂👍🏼

[@TheNakedWombat]

This is awesome. I had not heard of this before.

[@wenthialovely8143]

I lived up that way many years ago and took a few people there at least half a dozen times in different vehicles. Each enjoyed the experience with wonder. I was always under the belief it was an optical illusion. Last week I was up there with a friend in her new car and nothing happened. Her car didn't move. She was disappointed. Also we watched another woman drive up for the experience and her car didn't move either. Can someone please explain?

[@icantsee0]

I sat here thinking "what is he on about is looks like it's slightly downhill" and then when the words optical illusion rolled off his tongue it hit me

[@fuckoffyoubitchnigga]

it definitely looks downhill, I can't see the illusion at all :(

[@icantsee0]

@@fuckoffyoubitchnigga try to do the thing where you blur your vision. People say that helps (didn't help for me tho)

[@RealAwooMachine]

We have something similar in Slovakia too. Tho I never been there yet.

[@NijahPlays]

We had these places in Arizona

[@andrew1977au]

There is one of these at mount Macedon in Victoria

[@pixelpolisher]

There’s one of these sites in Hesket VIC near Hanging Rock. Have tried it years ago, it really looks and feels like it’s going up hill. I wonder if it’s the same illusion trick.

[@user-kc1tf7zm3b]

Screw the hill optical illusion, as this was a given anyway. I’m here for _The Fast and the Furious_ Opel Astra AH action! In estate body style, which is seldom seen in Australia. The Astra AH has an expensive timing belt kit service schedule, which is required every 90k. So those looking to buy a used car ought to avoid cars with timing belts, to avoid these future costs from the outset. A VW Golf would be an excellent alternative to the Astra.

[@PlumSack79]

Let's all just start typing random meth addled nonsense without coherent thought or any idea how to finish. Idiot.

[@user-kc1tf7zm3b]

@@PlumSack79 You really are a bore with no sense of humour. You must have a troubled childhood. Stop taking yourself so bloody seriously.

[@icresp4263]

This also happens near hanging Rock in Victoria! There's a road we used to go to and do this all the time.

[@jakesaddo]

Straws Lane

[@phantomwolf3300]

Somebody get that man a life time supply of sun block and flannel

[@NithinJune]

this is the same with the mystery spot in california

[@christopherkendrick1582]

ok who leaves their keys flaccid like that come on 1:48

[@SquaresToOvals]

Most people already know that Australia is upside down but thank you for the video

[@boris2342]

we have a magnetic hill in Moncton, NB Canada too

[@babubhai-wx7yj]

The logic behind water appearing to flow uphill on a gravity hill involves the following key factors: 1. **Visual Perception**: Our brains rely on visual cues to determine the orientation of objects and the slope of the ground. On a gravity hill, the surrounding landscape, including trees, buildings, and the horizon, is tilted in such a way that it creates a misleading visual reference frame. 2. **Tilted Reference Frame**: The road or terrain on a gravity hill is actually sloped slightly downhill, but the nearby landscape makes it look like it’s sloped uphill. Without a clear view of the horizon or other reliable reference points, our brain misinterprets the actual slope. 3. **Optical Illusion**: This misleading visual context causes an optical illusion where objects, including water, seem to defy gravity by moving uphill. In reality, they are moving downhill, but our perception is tricked by the visual surroundings. To summarize, a gravity hill creates an optical illusion due to a tilted reference frame and misleading visual cues, making it appear as if water is flowing uphill when it is actually flowing downhill.

[@borisdelzenne-b1278]

I love your videos. It looks normal to me.The optical illusion isn't working in me. It goes down in the direction your car is going down. Am I the only one that can see the hills ahead of the car going up?

[@pippasanderson9153]

Yeah. It just seemed like the car was rolling backwards down the hill

[@PhillipBicknell]

What's just surprised me is the length of the list of 'gravity hills' on Wikipedia!

[@Nibbist21]

Imagine being that one guy with the flat tire trying to jack his car That guy: AYO WTF

[@2911oscar]

there is a hill in great britain that’s the same, i think tom scott made a video about it

[@DD-wd7ku]

I remember being shown one in the Castlemaine area. Freaks you out the first time.

[@adiznuts645]

So you can run faster uphill?

[@ladislavseps4801]

The funny thing is IF it was gravity anomaly your spirit levels would not proof anything, because they use gravity to work. I would really like to see 3D scan of these places and hills around (everything you can see) and replicate it in virtual reality.

[@Mcneds]

There is one of those in my home town in Vernon, bc

[@thepochade5992]

There's the same kind of 'magnetic hill' in western Sydney. This illusion also works at night.

[@jahnperez5060]

Probably also during Xmas and Easter. Not public holidays though, the illusion has the day off for the queen's birthday.