For decades, the question of how to keep a Slinky in perpetual motion has befuddled scientists and toy owners alike. Now, one man may have the answer to ensure the Slinky fun never stops.
Matthias Wandel is a Canadian woodworker who regularly uploads videos to YouTube of him creating innovative toys and devices like marble machines or a "Jenga Pistol" out of wood. Wandel recently tackled the challenge of creating a "Slinky escalator," a device that when operated correctly could keep the toy in motion without it coming a stop.
In the video, Wandel crafts the machine from scratch, making adjustments along the way to help keep the Slinky from toppling over. But when the device is finally completed, the results are magic, with Wandel's machine gracefully keeping the Slinky in motion for an extended period of time.
The video has already earned nearly 400,000 views since being uploaded last week. Wandel also uploaded a followup detailing a few issues he's encountered with the device while explaining why he built the machine and why he thinks his Slinky videos are so popular.
"It's these novel but useless contraptions that get people interested," Wandel wrote on his website. "If I build a dresser, that's very practical and useful, but it doesn't get the sort of attention that a Jenga pistol or marble machine will get."