Where Cars Roll UP Hills

Around the globe, peculiar 'mystery spots' challenge the laws of gravity, creating eerie illusions where vehicles defy the expected course—cars rolling uphill and cyclists laboring uphill descents. These enigmatic locations, dubbed gravity hills, like California's Confusion Hill and Canada's Magnetic Hill, have sparked tales of witchcraft and buried magnets, but the scientific reality will make you rethink every slope you encounter.

Gravity hills abound worldwide, from the US to the UK, Australia, Brazil, and Italy. The common thread is that when you release your car at the bottom of the slope, it mysteriously glides back upward. This phenomenon isn't driven by magic or hidden magnets; it's a complex optical illusion revealed through precise measurements.

Despite physically sloping downward, these hills trick our eyes, creating an uphill illusion. Materials physicist Brock Weiss explains that the embankment's clever slope deceives our brains into perceiving an ascent when, in fact, we're descending.


Psychologists attribute this visual deception to the obscured horizon in gravity hill areas. In Aryshire, Scotland, for instance, the landscape tilts, and the road follows suit, but at a slightly lesser angle, producing the opposite slope illusion.

Delving deeper, a 2003 study explored how the absence of a horizon influences perception. Researchers recreated gravity hills in tabletop models, manipulating perspectives to mirror real-life conditions. Without a visible horizon, volunteers' brains were easily tricked by elements like trees and signs, altering their perception of slope.

In the end, it underscores the power of perspective, revealing that even our robust minds can be swayed by the complexities of visual illusions.

Credits: Science Alert