Since it happened to be a rare sunny winter day and one of the cats that resides at the primary testing facility was enjoying the sun, I wanted to see what he thought of my radiometer.

Initial observation:

Cats tend to bat at anything that moves as if it’s potential prey.  Radiometers when placed in sunlight move, as if by magic (disclaimer: not actually magic).

Question:

Will the cat react to the radiometer?  If so will he be able to put an end to the human sorcery?

Expectation:

Having co-habitated with the test cat for many years, I fully expect he will do his best to stop the magical spinning.

Equipment & Materials:

• Crookes radiometer
• House Cat
• The Sun

Procedure:

1. Wait for cat to settle into a nice sunny spot (this typically doesn’t take long).
2. Set the radiometer in the sunny spot next to the cat, such that the cat can see it.
3. Wait, and record any reactions.

Data:

Isaac vs the radiometer.

A longer video is also available.

Conclusion:

As expected the cat wanted nothing to do with this witchcraft and put an end to the spinning.

Future Questions:

While the cat tested is typically quite predictable, other cats may be less so.  Would all of the cats that reside at the primary testing facility react the same way?  Would all of them even notice?