As the chain pours out of the jar, link by link, it rises several inches. It appears to be working against gravity. Why?
In this video, James Gorman of the New York Times explains. Chains consist of connected rods. once they've fallen, the links straighten. The force of the straightened chains pushes back against the falling chain, causing it to fountain up.
-via Nag on the Lake
It's not just that. The rising chain has momentum, which carries it upwards after it's passed the lip of the mug.
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