Fidget spinners (they are "spinners" and "spinners") can be seen in the hands of both very young and elderly people. Movie stars, bloggers, musicians and ordinary people are all obsessed with the newfangled hobby. 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 includes 7 facts you probably didn't know about trendy spinners.
7. "Mom" of all spinners
In the 90s of the 20th century, Catherine Hettinger (a chemical engineer by profession) went to Israel to visit her sister. She saw how children on the street threw stones at passers-by, buses and even police officers and wondered what could distract teenagers and at the same time help them use their nervous energy to good use. However, in another interview, Katherine said that when creating the spinner, she was thinking about her daughter, who had myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disorder that causes muscle weakness. Back home in the United States, Hettinger developed the first spinner that looked more like a miniature UFO.
6. Patent problem
Distributors are now struggling to meet the booming demand for turntables. However, Katherine Hettinger does not receive income from her invention. That's because in 2005 she didn't pay the $ 400 annual fee to renew the toy's patent. Although the inventor did not become a multi-millionaire, she is still in awe of how popular her creation has become.
5. I twist and twist, I want to relieve stress
The goal of the original spinner, developed in 1993, is in stark contrast to how this device is used today. Initially, the spinner Katherine Hettinger was intended for children with various health problems: from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to autism and increased anxiety. Nowadays, the “hand spinner” is more of a toy than a tool for helping children with mental disorders. However, spinners help many people to reduce stress and concentrate on an important task.
4. Price
The cost of the most popular toy in 2017 ranges from hundreds to several thousand rubles. Such a huge range of prices is due to the excessive abundance of models and their corresponding capabilities. The longer the spinner spins, the better. And in order for it to spin longer, it must be massive, heavy, and then ordinary plastic is no longer enough. In addition, spinners are often decorated with rhinestones, LEDs and even precious and semi-precious stones, give them intricate shapes, and this is also reflected in the price. But if you don't make money by showing off various spinner tricks on YouTube or Twitch, then don't spend a lot of money on this item.
3. Celebrities with spinners
Nothing human is alien to the stars; spinneromania has not spared them either. In one of the Instagram videos, Oleg Gazmanov holds a spinner in his hands. The son of American President Barron Trump also has such a toy. And the famous model and actress Kim Kardashian, famous for her curvaceous forms, has released a fidget spinner with her image on each of the three plastic petals. And, as if hinting at a fabulous profit from the sale unusual spinners, Kardashian sells a spinning toy shaped like a dollar sign and labeled "Daddy" (it was created for Father's Day).
By the way, according to Google Trends, the query "fidget spinner" has become more popular all over the world than the queries "Donald Trump" and "Kim Kardashian" combined.
2. Why are they spinning?
Fidget spinners demonstrate the capabilities of modern ball bearings with minimal friction. The very same "body" of the device is quite heavy, with a large moment of inertia. Together, these factors allow the toy to rotate for a long time. Good spinners able to rotate for about 2 minutes.
Since most spinners have a center 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 only start rotating after the user's wrist moves.
Curious fact: spinners spin on average 1 minute 16 seconds without stopping, but with sufficient force they can spin for much longer.
1. A 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 reported to have caught fire in Michigan and Alabama. The media also reported 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.