Gravity is one of the fundamental forces that make things possible in our universe. Without gravity, it would be difficult to imagine life as we see and experience on an everyday basis. It is generally assumed that gravity is the same at all locations in the world. But did you know that there are places that seem to defy the laws of gravity? This phenomenon exists at not one, but multiple locations across the globe. Before we answer why this happens, let’s first take a look at five places where gravity doesn’t seem to work.
Gravity Hill, Prosser, Washington – Located on Road Crosby North, there’s a small stretch of road that looks like an incline. However, if you place the car in neutral, it will magically start climbing the incline. This piece of road is located around 15 miles north of Prosser.
Spook Hill, Lake Wales, Florida – This is located around 50 miles south of Disney World. According to legend, this anti-gravity road is where a fierce battle took place between an Indian chief and an alligator. It is believed that their spirits have caused this anti-gravity phenomenon.
Uphill-Downhill Road of Ariccia, Albano Laziale, Italy – This has often been aired on Italian national TV and the road is a favorite spot for explorers. The road is located just outside Rome and is a great place to enjoy fresh air and natural beauty.
Rua do Amendoim (Peanut Street), Belo Horizonte, Brazil – According to locals, the street is haunted. Some also believe that there are large iron ore deposits under the ground, which causes vehicles to move uphill in neutral.
Magnetic Hill, Black Rock, Australia – This piece of road is located on Black Rock Road, close to Pekina and Peterborough townships in rural South Australia. The road can be identified by the sculpture of a giant magnet that is installed along the road.
What’s really happening at these places?
While many people may tag these places as supernatural or some alien phenomenon, the reality is that such anti-gravity effects are purely optical illusions. Due to the structure of the terrain adjacent to the road, a downhill road may appear to be an uphill one and vice-versa. It may look like a car is rolling uphill, but it is actually just rolling downwards, just as it should as per the laws of physics.
Gravity is the same at all places on earth. The only exception is the equator, where it’s slightly less than the poles. That is because the centrifugal forces at the equator are highest on earth. However, it makes only a slight difference on your weight. For example, if you weigh 100 pounds at North Pole, your weight will be 99.65 pounds at the equator. That’s due to centrifugal forces and not some supernatural phenomenon.