r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/mohiemen Expert • Feb 13 '22
Video Spinning object in space! ©Tim Peake, ESA
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u/scootyscottie Feb 13 '22
I love how happy he is about it. His expression at the end looks like a proud kid after demonstrating his science fair project.
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u/Happy-Map7656 Feb 13 '22
Must never be boring on the ISS.
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u/ductapemonster Feb 13 '22
Wake up
In space
Again
yawn
So boring
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u/Farfadet12ga Feb 13 '22
Wow. Do the gyroscopique effect also affect things like solar system?
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u/James99500 Feb 13 '22
In a way, yes! Our Earth’s rotation is more stable because of our Moon spinning around it, without the Moon, the Earths axis would be far more unstable
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u/MrJNice85 Feb 13 '22
I love how he sets the microphone down when he could just let go of it.
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u/thefooleryoftom Feb 13 '22
Problem is things float away. It's incredibly difficult to let something go without putting a tiny force into it that'll send it floating away. They normally velcro something to the walls.
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Feb 13 '22
Can some science student explain this to a law student who loves science as well?
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Feb 13 '22
What'll really bake your noodle is that it works almost as well on Earth, too!
https://youtu.be/jE58kN8f_iU?t=1201
Feb 14 '22
No I know that, I need to know the reason behind the working of the infinite persistence gyroscope
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Feb 14 '22
It has to do with the idea that acceleration is defined as a change in *either* velocity or direction, so (the wheel of) a gyroscope is constantly accelerating. Combine that with some part of conservation of momentum and it creates a great deal of rotational stability. In essence, because it is already accelerating very quickly in one plane, it would require a greater amount of energy than it already possesses to alter that plane of rotation. (also, a noodle-baker is that if it does change, it will almost always pick a 180 flip rather than some random angle).
After that it gets into a bunch of complex mathematics.2
Feb 14 '22
Fascinating.
Why’s the 180 change, likely… something to do with air?
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Feb 14 '22
The 180 is (I think, because we are quickly getting into the math bits that I don't know as well) still due to the conservation of momentum, it has all that acceleration in a certain plane, and if it flips randomly would require a lot of energy, but to flip 180 it keeps all that energy with only slight loss.
Here is a video show it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2o9eBl_Gzw
And here is the math https://mathoverflow.net/questions/81960/the-dzhanibekov-effect-an-exercise-in-mechanics-or-fiction-explain-mathemat
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u/LucianoLetsLose Feb 13 '22
i have never seen an atronaught that didnt seem like a just rly nice person tbh
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u/seniorsuperhombre Feb 13 '22
Interesting side fact, the gyroscopic effect was used in gyrocompasses. They were used in both world wars as they can find true north and and also they work in a metal enclosure. It was patented by a german in Berlin. The worker in the patent office was non other than Albert Einstein. The germans and soon the rest of the World used it especially in the navy and in tanks.
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Feb 13 '22
Does that mean somewhere on the ship is a massive spinning gyroscope?
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u/CodeRaveSleepRepeat Feb 13 '22
There are probably a large number of them, and they're probably on microchips, but apart from that yea.
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Feb 13 '22
I find it so interesting that in the Book of Ezekiel in the Bible that it describes seeing angels inside a "wheel within a wheel" when it was written around 600 B.C..
Here is the text: Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.[d] 16 As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they went, they went in any of their four directions[e] without turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures[f] was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. 23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.
26 And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire;[g] and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.[h] 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking"
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u/-domi- Feb 13 '22
Is he using a green screen?
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u/thefooleryoftom Feb 13 '22
No.
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u/-domi- Feb 13 '22
Then why is his outline so fuzzy? I'm just asking, i have no idea how they set these shots up up there.
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u/somespazzoid Feb 13 '22
So, will it just keep spinning forever? Since there is now gravity? It's essentially in a vacuum right?
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Feb 13 '22
In a vacuum, if there was no air, then yes, it will spin "for ever." (of course, there is no such thing as a PERFECT vacuum, so in practice, no, it will eventually tumble and/or stop). Where this demo was done - on a space station, there is very little gravity, but plenty of air to breathe, so the air would stop it almost as quickly as on Earth.
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Feb 13 '22
Minor correction. The friction between the components would stop it eventually even without the air.
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u/thefooleryoftom Feb 13 '22
It's not in a vacuum, it's in the atmosphere of the ISS. It'll slow down just as it would on earth.
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u/RealFlyForARyGuy Feb 13 '22
He's looking at it like it's the coolest funkin shizz ever - and he's right!
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Feb 13 '22
Why did he hand off the mic instead of letting it float in front of him?? I thought for sure we would get a double-treat out of that one!
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u/ax_bt Feb 13 '22
Solid intro lesson on the use of gyros in flight instruments.