The Mysterious Places Where Gravity Doesn't Seem to Apply

Most of us had heard of the story of Sir Isaac Newton, when he was sitting under an apple tree and an apple fell on his head, leading him to come up with a universal law of gravitation. According to that law, any two bodies attract each other with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

But there are places on Earth where this law doesn't seem to apply. Let's take a look at some of the most mysterious places where gravity seems to behave in unexpected ways.

1. The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, California

The Mystery Spot is a gravitational anomaly located in the redwood forest just outside of Santa Cruz, California. The unexplained phenomenon occurs in a circular area that is 150 feet in diameter. Within the Mystery Spot, your perception of the laws of physics and gravity is questioned.

The Mystery Spot was discovered in 1939 by a group of surveyors who opened the area up to the public in 1940.

2. Spook Hill in Lake Wales, Florida

Gravity hills, where cars appear to defy the laws of gravity, exist all across the globe. Spook Hill is somewhat unique in that it's officially recognized by the town. There's a large sign on North Wales Drive explaining the legend of Spook Hill and how to experience the effect.

Legend has it that many years ago, an Indian village in Lake Wales was plagued by a massive gator. The chief, a great warrior, killed the gator in a battle that created a small lake. Pioneer male riders first discovered their horses laboring downhill, thus naming it Spook Hill. When the road was paved, cars actually coasted uphill, and locals believe this is caused by the spirits of the gator, the chief, or both.

3. St. Ignace Mystery Spot in Michigan

In the early 1950s, three surveyors named Clarence, Fred, and MacRay came from California to explore the Upper Peninsula. They stumbled across an area of land where their surveying equipment stopped working properly. As they continued their research of this land, they noticed a constant feeling of being lightheaded. Later realizing their queasiness and problems with surveying equipment only occurred in an area about 300 feet in diameter, they felt they had discovered a Mystery Spot. Within this boundary, a tall person seems smaller by comparison. You could sit on a chair with its back legs balanced on a beam and front legs suspended in the air.

4. House of Mystery at Gold Hill, Oregon

The House of Mystery, also known as the Oregon Vortex, is a gold assay office built in the area in 1904. It slid from its foundation in the early teens, coming to rest at an odd angle. The Oregon Vortex is famous for height changes, as the relative height of two people changes depending on where they stand. People have claimed that when bringing horses or other animals to the vortex, they would reverse and attempt to get away. The Oregon Vortex explains that not many animals live in this area due to this strange phenomenon. What's also creepy is that the Native Americans called the area the "forbidden ground," a place to be shunned.

5. Cosmos Mystery Area in Rapid City, South Dakota

The Cosmos of the Black Hills was discovered in 1952 by two college guys looking for a place to build a summer cabin. When they entered this area, they experienced a slight imbalance which increased considerably upon entering the old house. The guys were intrigued and camped on-site while they investigated this odd phenomenon, which later became the Cosmos Mystery Area. In this mystery area, besides the typical water rolling uphill, tennis balls when thrown will change their trajectory in midair.

Of course, the typical explanation for all these mystery spots is that they're all optical illusions. But some people choose to believe that something else is causing all these phenomena. For example, optical illusions can't cause surveying equipment to malfunction, or animals to be afraid of a certain area. And you know the biggest mystery spot of them all? The Bermuda Triangle, which to this day cannot be explained.

In conclusion, there may be more to mystery spots than just pure optical illusions. These places where gravity behaves in unexpected ways continue to intrigue and fascinate us.