![]() Though the magical dance of the top is quite beautiful on a purely aesthetic level, human ingenuity soon recognized a greater potential for this ancient amusement and the top was enlisted for help with more practical purposes. In fact, a well balanced top that is spun perfectly upright would never slow down if it were not for the energy lost to friction against the spinning surface. ![]() They don't change direction or slow down without the application of an outside force. As Newton said, objects in motion, stay in motion. It would seem a fascination with small spinning totems is nearly ubiquitous across cultures and though they come in all shapes and sizes, every top defies gravity in the exact same way.Ī spinning top is held upright by angular momentum. Tops made from fruits, nuts and seeds have been discovered amongst indigenous tribes throughout the world. "Ajax caught up and struck Hektor above the rim of his shield close to his neck the blow made him spin round like a top and reel in all directions." ![]() In 8th century BC, the ancient poet Homer sung of tops in the Iliad. The wooden top below was carved circa 1300BC and later discovered in the tomb of King Tut! A clay top unearthed in Iraq was dated to 35th century BC-nearly six thousand years ago. Spintops are among the oldest toys ever discovered by archaeologists.
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