PhiTOP Stress Relieving Ellipsoid Spinning Top Physics Marvel and Optics Art

size and quality of material it is too much costly

In theory this would be a great 'fidget' toy, but the concave stand- which is necessary for it to function properly- is just too small.Its extremely difficult to get a good spin without hitting the sides, which of course kills the whole thing. Or for that matter, accidentally flinging it across the room (already have broken one porcleain jar, keep all breakables at least 5 feet away when spinning this!). If they would have just been less chintzy enough to make the stand about 1" wider in diameter it would have made all the difference in the world I think.

The PhiTOP Physics Egg is a very interesting toy top the does a cool trick that seems intuitively odd. It seems natural for the "egg" to spin in a plane of the long axis of the "egg". That is, if it is just sitting still and you spin it in that position, it seems natural to expect it to keep spinning in that horizontal orientation. But, NO! If you can get it spinning in that horizontal orientation at a good speed, it will spontaneously tip itself up and spin very smoothly in the upright orientation! COOL!?!Of course it takes a fair amount of practice to get it to spin at a good speed without bumping onto the edge of the mirror base. I find it works best for me to use my thumb and middle finger on my right hand; like snapping my fingers. The instructions describe a different technique that might work better for you. Just keep trying. After a while you will probably get it to work. When you do, it is actually really cool.I bought another, larger convex glass disc, thinking the additional area would make it easier to get it spinning. That works, but the smaller mirror that comes with the PhiTOP has a small edge lip that keeps the PhiTOP on the mirror better, and gives me more successful spins.If you just can't make it work, I guess you can return it, OR, may I suggest that the PhiTOP might make a good gift for some friend or family member! I assure you that its does, in fact, work as described, but I can understand that it may be difficult for some people to do it.

It's a little difficult to master, but once you do it's rewarding. The convex mirror it comes with is small, so getting it to spin properly is tricky as you tend to hit the side of the ring which slows down the egg. With a little practice and patients, you'll finally get it right. When spun correctly, the egg will stand up on its end and spin like that for a minute or so. Lesser time for a spin not perfectly done. You can spin it on any flat surface, however. It is easier to get it upright, but it won't spin very long that way. I'll have to add that this kept my focus and attention for longer than I expected. I just couldn't stop looking at it. As it goes through it's revolutions and slows, it takes on many shapes and lighting effects. Truely mesmerizing. Very happy with it.

This thing is just wicked cool. It works ... you spin it firmly on its short axis and it hops up to spin on its long axis. Besides that, it is just a pretty little thing, well made and nice to hold and flip around among your fingers. If you like fidget spinners and such, you might also like this although it has no moving parts. I liked the aluminum one so much I also bought the heavier brass version (discontinued) from ebay. I love both.

This thing is just cool. The only part of the product I didn’t like was the base you spin it on. It’s extremely cheap. You can spin the orb anywhere so it isn’t required. Aside from that, what fun!