Starting From The Top

Starting From The Top

The spinning top, a totem popularized in American culture through the screen write of film producer Christopher Nolan, is actually one of the oldest recognizable toys found on archeological sites. Spinning tops originated independently in cultures all around the world. Besides being used as toys, tops have also historically been used for gambling, and because of the mystically captivating nature of their angular momentum, they have been a popular prop of fortune tellers.

 

The rendition included in The Executive Fidget Set, is in form of a timeless elegant piece of art designed of solid stainless steel. Its dimension ratio is calculated with cunning precision in order to mitigate friction for a lengthy spin time. It is optimally spun on a glass tabletop, though any smooth surface will have it spinning longer than you expected.

 
spinning top
 

The flowing helix is a precision-manufactured rotating steel cylinder with a helical groove milled along its lateral and top surface. It is a creation of brilliant English designer Kristoph Krisjans, originally released on Kickstarter as ‘The Vortecon’. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mezmoglobe/vortecon-kinetic-desk-toy-with-mesmerizing-motion

 
rolling quad
 
 

The rolling quad is designed like a lot of natural minerals which look flat but still have the mathematical properties to roll over. A Canadian campaign brought it to market as ‘Flipo Flip’ in lightweight aluminum alloy. We honed this design instead using stainless steel to maximize inertia. https://flipoflip.com/

 

Kinetic energy is measured in units of joules named after British scientist James Prescott Joule. His hypotheses were poorly received and ridiculed by the scientific establishment as impractically ambitious. In 1843 he presented some of his findings to the British Association for the Advancement of Science at Cambridge- an eminent committee containing some of the greatest scientific minds of the day- only to be met with stone-cold silence. Twenty-nine years later he would be named president of the very association that had rejected him. Today he remains one of the most noted scientists in history of physics.

 
Infinity cube
 

The Infinity cube is composed of eight small, connected cubes which can be folded continually. It is made of premium anodized aluminum alloy, giving it a substantive yet lightweight metal feel. There is a satisfying slight mechanical click as the Infinity Cube is folded over. Was invented in different forms by three different inventors.

 

The idea originates from an old toy known as Jacob's Ladder; a string of tile-like blocks interlaced with ribbon. When the top lock is pivoted, the second appears to cascade down the rest. Similarly, the Infinity cube effect is a kinetic illusion where the small cubes appear to fold infinitely without any obstruction. Like Jacob's Ladder, its secret lies in the placement of its connectors that cohesively rotate in a looping pattern.

 
pendulum orbiter
 

The pendulum orbiter is a unique fidget spinner its made of solid stainless steel with two high precision ceramic bearings, and is a creation of our friend Nancy who invented this in Shenzhen after many iterations.

 

French physicist Leon Foucault (1819-1868) is best known for creating the Foucault pendulum, a device that finally proved that the earth rotates. Foucault didn’t show very much potential in his youth. From early childhood he seemed highly unacademic- his attention span ran short and his mind often wandered. A childhood friend would later recall, “Nothing about the boy portended that he would be illustrious someday. His health was delicate and his character was timid and unexpansive. The frailty of his constitution and the slow way he worked made it impossible for him to study in college.” His name is one of 72 scientists, mathematicians and engineers that would later be inscribed in the Eiffel tower.

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