For easy synchronization. Both videos on the same page.
http://www.smartereveryday.com/toiletswirl

*quality

Boosting this quality contribution up in the Hot Listing - declared quality by Zawash.

The coriolis effect is stronger the closer you get to the poles - "demonstrations" on the equator showing different swirl directions on two different buckets 50m north and 50m south of the equatorial line is just humbug.

I'd prefer this be replicated more times and by different people before I'm going to take it as gospel. Sealing the top to avoid air currents, and having the pool empty straight down (no bend under the outflow) would help too.

I'd like to see the results of a kiddie pool centered directly on the equator with exactly half on either side. I assume if they tried the experiment that way several times the water would be expected to drain in a random direction.

Am I right?

A) The synchronized videos is a new one on me and I love it

B) They REALLY bitch slapped Hank Green.

yeah, this is awesome

That's exactly what I was thinking. Hi Hank....SMACKDOWN!

Dude. It's a real phenomenon. It's physics. Try to find examples of cyclones or hurricanes that don't follow this rule.

It's a real phenomenon for vortices measuring hundreds of miles in diameter, yes. At that size, the coriolis effect (the difference in rotational speed of the northern and southern extremes) is a huge factor.

For a vortex measuring a few inches in diameter, not so much. It takes rather extreme measures to make the coriolis effect the largest factor.