| Feature | Description | |---------|-------------| | | Search box, buttons, and logos fall to bottom of screen. | | Collision detection | Objects bounce off each other and edges. | | Lava texture | Background or particles simulate molten rock. | | Heat haze / distortion | Optional blur or ripple effect. | | Draggable objects | User can pick up and throw elements. | | Reset button | Restores original page layout. |
they are often looking for Mr. Doob’s more creative 3D experiments. While there isn't a literal "lava" search engine, several projects capture that "floor is lava" energy: Google Under Lava: Google Gravity Lava Mr Doob
: In the original version (and modern recreations like elgooG ), you can still type into the fallen search box. When you press enter, the new search results "fall" from the top of the screen and join the pile of debris at the bottom. Variants & "Lava" Versions | Feature | Description | |---------|-------------| | |
The "lava" in the name refers to the colorful, flowing animations that are scattered throughout the page, giving it a psychedelic and hypnotic effect. The "Gravity" part is self-explanatory, as the entire page is affected by a downward pull, making it seem like the elements are being pulled down by an invisible force. | | Heat haze / distortion | Optional blur or ripple effect
In 2009, the creative team at Mr. Doob, a web development and design studio, joined forces with Google to create an interactive experiment that would push the boundaries of web design and user experience. The result was Google Gravity Lava, a captivating project that allowed users to manipulate a virtual lava-like substance within a Google search bar. The brainchild of the talented Mr. Doob, this experiment quickly gained popularity and became a viral sensation.
Google Gravity (and its lava remix) helped inspire a wave of “break the internet” experiments: Google Sphere, Google Space, Google Underwater. More importantly, it – showing that a single developer with three.js could turn the world’s most visited webpage into a lava lamp.
At its core, Google Gravity is a marvel of web technologies. It uses to apply real-world physics to the Document Object Model (DOM)—the structural representation of the webpage. This is achieved through a physics engine , often Box2D, which calculates gravity, momentum, and collision detection between objects. The engine treats the Google logo, the search bar, and the buttons as if they were physical bodies with mass, velocity, and friction. When you click and drag an element, the engine calculates its velocity based on your mouse movement; when you let go, gravity takes over, pulling it downward. When it hits another object or the edge of the window, the engine calculates the bounce and rotation, creating the satisfyingly chaotic collisions that make the experiment so addictive. The interactivity is immediate and intuitive, transforming the browser from a window for viewing content into a digital sandbox.