How do I check in on the Pitch Drop Experiment?

February 7, 2013 3:13 PM

I'm interested in checking out the Pitch Drop Experiment. I've tried on a couple of computers and browsers and I can't see the web cam - which is supposed to be viewable on this page. Is it just me or my computer or is it disabled? Hurry, it could happen any moment now!

As discussed here. Did I miss it already?

posted by otherwordlyglow to computers & internet (24 answers total)

The stream appears to be here:

http://pitchdrop2.physics.uq.edu.au/stream.flv

I've been able to open that stream right now using the VLC application (open network and paste in the URL I pasted above.

Looks like it hasn't dropped yet.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 3:38 PM on February 7

The stream is in the HTML for the page but the player doesn't seem to be set up right. If you go to this player page and paste this:

http://pitchdrop2.physics.uq.edu.au/stream.flv

into the box there, then click "Generate HTML," you will get a playable video on the left.
posted by bcwinters at 3:42 PM on February 7 [2 favorites]

That player doesn't seem to work for me either. I just get a spinning grey blob.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 3:47 PM on February 7

You can get the VLC player from here:

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html
posted by bottlebrushtree at 3:59 PM on February 7

I have been semi-obsessed with this for a few weeks now, and kept the window open in my browser to check from time to time. The live cam was working for me up until this morning, when it suddenly disappeared. I can't get it now, either (though I haven't tried the VLC method yet).

Given the history of how many people have missed seeing the drop by thismuch, I suspect the cam has somehow misfunctioned just so once again THE WHOLE WORLD WILL MISS THE DROP (cue Twilight Zone music).
posted by Mchelly at 5:35 PM on February 7

Well I'm glad to know its not just me. I haven't been able to download the player yet so I may still miss it, too!
posted by otherwordlyglow at 7:24 PM on February 7

Finally! The FLV player works. The university page still doesn't work but I can see it!! I hasn't dropped yet! Now, I can never leave me computer.......
posted by otherwordlyglow at 9:30 AM on February 8

Well???

It's been a half-hour since you started watching it - don't leave us hanging like that!
posted by IAmBroom at 10:02 AM on February 8

Still there.

Yep.


And still now.










and now.......
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:47 AM on February 8 [1 favorite]

How's it looking now? Am stuck on an iPhone :D
posted by Iteki at 4:28 AM on February 9

Still hanging in there!
posted by otherwordlyglow at 7:40 PM on February 9 [2 favorites]

This baby ain't moving.
posted by Iteki at 2:38 AM on February 16

The suspense is killing me!

not really.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 1:23 PM on February 25

It looks to me like it just happened / is happening right now (!) - the drop is still connected, but lots more has fallen into the basin than I remember seeing a week ago. Or am I misremembering?
posted by Mchelly at 9:08 PM on March 4

Hmm, really hard to tell. It looks pretty much like it has when I have looked before, but it looks a tiny bit fractured near where the funnel is cut? It's a bloody awful video, I don't know why it's so terrible. It's definitely more angled than it was a few days ago. I am pretty concerned that the "tail" from the last drop seems to be touching it and most likely supporting it to some extent.
posted by Iteki at 9:28 PM on March 4

Aaagh! Someone just came and looked at it, and right into the cam. Was kinda weird as I am in a state of not very dressed. There looks to be people around, maybe you are right? Also, if it broke on the cross-line it could easily have "dropped" without being visible from our side due to the support-tail.
posted by Iteki at 9:48 PM on March 4

Ok, it was people queuing for class. I've never been watching it at this time of day!
posted by Iteki at 9:55 PM on March 4

I don't know, it doesn't look significantly different to me. I usually check in about once a day.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 9:24 AM on March 6

For some reason, this just popped in my head and I went to check in. Still appears to be live, and still appears to not have dropped.

I know y'all are on the edge of your seats, so I wanted to update.
posted by phunniemee at 10:13 AM on April 2 [1 favorite]

The drop looks like it has elongated in the last week or so but yeah, it's still there.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 9:13 AM on April 3

Yeah, I felt so embarrassed by how much I jumped the gun that I am now taking occasional screenshots to compare
posted by Mchelly at 12:55 PM on April 3 [1 favorite]

The website has just posted a time-lapse video of the last year and is calling the drop "imminent".

Not sure if "imminent" means a day or another month, though
posted by Mchelly at 11:31 AM on April 12

Apparently it means at least another week since it's still there! Cool video though.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 12:26 PM on April 18

I'm not seeing a significant difference on this to tell you the truth. I am still very concerned that the tail of the last drop is creating a support structure.
posted by Iteki at 7:01 AM on April 21