Spinners (they are also “twists” and “turntables”) can be seen in the hands of both very young and elderly people. Movie stars, bloggers, musicians and ordinary people are all obsessed with a newfangled hobby. And it doesn’t matter if you like spinners or not, the fact remains: they are one of the most popular objects of this generation.
Our list is listed 7 facts you probably didn't know about trend spinners.
7. "Mom" of all spinners
In the 90s of the 20th century, Katherine Hettinger (a chemical engineer by profession) went to Israel to visit her sister. She saw children in the street throwing stones at passers-by, buses and even police officers and thought about how to distract teenagers and at the same time help them spend their nervous energy to good use. However, in another interview, Catherine said that when creating the spinner, she thought about her daughter, who had myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disorder that results in muscle weakness. Returning home to the United States, Hettinger developed the first spinner that looked more like a miniature UFO.
6. Patent issue
Now distributors are struggling to satisfy the rush demand for “turntables”. However, Katherine Hettinger does not receive income from his invention. This is because in 2005 she did not pay an annual fee of $ 400 to renew the toy patent. And although the inventor did not become a multi-millionaire, she is still delighted with how popular her brainchild has become.
5. I spin, I want to relieve stress
The purpose of creating the original spinner, developed in 1993, is very different from how this device is used in our time. Initially, the spinner Katherine Hettinger was intended for children with various health problems: from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to autism and increased anxiety. Currently, the “pinwheel for hands” is more of a toy than a tool that helps children with mental disorders. However, spinners help many people reduce stress and focus on an important task.
4. Price
The cost of the most popular toy of 2017 is from hundreds to several thousand rubles. Such a huge variation in prices is due to the excessive abundance of models and their corresponding capabilities. The longer the spinner spins, the better. And for it to spin longer, it must be massive, heavy, and ordinary plastic cannot be dispensed with here. In addition, spinners are often decorated with rhinestones, LEDs and even precious and semiprecious stones, give them intricate shapes, and this also affects the price. But if you do not earn, demonstrating various tricks with spinners, on YouTube or Twitch, then do not spend a lot of money on this subject.
3. Celebrities with spinners
Nothing human is alien to the stars; spinneromania did not pass them by. In one of the videos on Instagram, Oleg Gazmanov holds a spinner in his hands. The son of American President Barron Trump also has such a toy. Famous for her curvaceous model and actress Kim Kardashian released a fidget spinner with her image on each of the three plastic petals. And, as if hinting at the fabulous profit from the sale of unusual spinners, Kardashian sells a spinning toy in the form of a dollar sign and with the inscription "Daddy" (it was created for Father's Day).
By the way, according to Google Trends, the “fidget spinner” request has become more popular worldwide than the requests “Donald Trump” and “Kim Kardashian” in aggregate.
2. Why are they spinning?
The work of spinners demonstrates the capabilities of modern ball bearings with minimal friction. The very "body" of the device is quite heavy, with a large moment of inertia. Together, these factors allow the toy to spin for a long time. Good spinners can spin for about 2 minutes.
Since most spinners have a central ball bearing, force must be applied to the blades of the device. However, if the ball bearing is not in the center of the spinner, then the gadget can begin to rotate only after the movement of the user's wrist.
Curious fact: Spinners spin on average 1 minute 16 seconds without stopping, but with sufficient force, they can spin much longer.
1. Spinner can be dangerous
We give the first place in the top 7 interesting facts about spinners to the danger associated with this seemingly harmless product. In June 2017, battery-powered spinners were detected in Michigan and Alabama. The media also appeared information about a boy from Australia who seriously injured his eye while showing tricks with spinners. Therefore, even with a small spinner, you should be careful not to give it to small children.