A security camera, taking pictures each half a second, films a
cyclist going by. In the film, the cyclist appears to go forward
while the wheels appear to go backwards. Why?
At Holborn underground station there is a very long escalator. Two
people are in a hurry and so climb the escalator as it is moving
upwards, thus adding their speed to that of the moving steps. ...
How many steps are there on the escalator?
Brian swims at twice the speed that a river is flowing, downstream
from one moored boat to another and back again, taking 12 minutes
altogether. How long would it have taken him in still water?
Two trains set off at the same time from each end of a single
straight railway line. A very fast bee starts off in front of the
first train and flies continuously back and forth between the two
trains. How far does Sidney fly before he is squashed between the
two trains?
A paradox is a statement that seems to be both untrue and true at the same time. This article looks at a few examples and challenges you to investigate them for yourself.