What is a Goethe Ball Barometer and how does it work? Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832) was a German writer and politician whose work influenced the likes of Nietzsche, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms. Goethe was also keenly involved in studies of natural science and color theory. He developed and popularized his simple but effective “Weather Ball Barometer“ using principles developed by Torricelli. This device predicts barometric weather changes by observing the rise and fall of liquid within a sealed glass sphere. A low water level in the spout suggests “high pressure”, representing fair weather. A high water level in the spout suggests “low pressure” and forecasts poor weather conditions. While the storm glass will not indicate exact barometric pressure in numerical values, it is still regarded as an accurate monitor of air pressure changes. This item can be filled with any color liquid desired.