If you ever wondered how Cobb, Leonardo diCaprio’s character in the Oscar-winning movie Inception, was able to make that top spin round and round until forever, then you might want to listen in on this little secret. To spin that top like he did, just give the Magnetic Powered Spinning Top a whirl.
It is, of course, physically impossible to spin a top endlessly with the use of an ordinary top. But with this top, you could have it spinning up to a week (or until the battery runs out, that is.)
Magnetic Powered Spinning Top
Science-wise, it’s actually pretty cool what’s going on with the Magnet Powered Spinning Top. See, you get a spinning top with a radially oriented magnetic field and an associated base that houses a conductive coil. When the top spins past the center of the base, its changing magnetic field induces a current in the coil which momentarily opens the switch to the battery resulting in powering up the electromagnet. The electromagnet then delivers enough torque to the spinning top to allow it to speed up and spin away from the center. And because the electromagnet isn’t always on, your Magnet Powered Spinning Top can spin for about a week – sometimes more!
Get your fill of science fun and movie magic with the Magnetic Powered Spinning Top, available from ThinkGeek for $9.99 and watch the video to see it in action.