Uploaded January 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In response to the recent viral clip of a moving stickman, which some people have insisted that it's a camera animation trick, here's a homemade video with cheesy music.
(i) Indeed, it is not magic and it can be explained by science. Also, it is repeatable, and I've demonstrated it in this video on my YouTube channel.
(ii) I believe this phenomenon occurs due to a difference in the strength of adhesive forces. Dry-erase marker ink is meant to adhere weakly to a surface - that's why you can remove it with a dry rub. Water, due to hydrogen bonding, is far more adhesive (with respect to specific surfaces). This allows water to displace the film of ink simply by a difference in adhesive strength.
(iii) I think it'd be quite cool if you could impart some sort of electrostatic properties to the ink film (a la toner printing in laser printers), which would then allow for remote control possibilities.
The original link/video can be found at: thesun.co.uk/living/2690997/watch-the-mind-blowing-moment-a-stick-man-is-brought-to-life-and-how-you-can-pull-off-the-trick-too
In response to the recent viral clip of a moving stickman, which some people have insisted that it's a camera animation trick, here's a homemade video with cheesy music.
(i) Indeed, it is not magic and it can be explained by science. Also, it is repeatable, and I've demonstrated it in this video on my YouTube channel.
(ii) I believe this phenomenon occurs due to a difference in the strength of adhesive forces. Dry-erase marker ink is meant to adhere weakly to a surface - that's why you can remove it with a dry rub. Water, due to hydrogen bonding, is far more adhesive (with respect to specific surfaces). This allows water to displace the film of ink simply by a difference in adhesive strength.
(iii) I think it'd be quite cool if you could impart some sort of electrostatic properties to the ink film (a la toner printing in laser printers), which would then allow for remote control possibilities.
The original link/video can be found at: thesun.co.uk/living/2690997/watch-the-mind-blowing-moment-a-stick-man-is-brought-to-life-and-how-you-can-pull-off-the-trick-too
