I dun think torsion is exactly correct. I think twist is the word that best describes it.
Just by way of example see this paper on how twists affects strength of ropes. https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00346/45696/45354.pdf
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Probably just momentum in the community. I normally call it âtwistâ when Iâm describing it to new players though.
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I hear ya, brutha.
Ever since I joined these forums last year Iâve espoused the notion that while a yoyo is a toy, it is not just a toy. At least not for everyone who gets into the hobby. Certainly not for those who spend thousands of hours becoming elite players, or for those who make a living from it. And definitely not for those who have had experiences like yours.
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I think either twist or torsion can be appropriate. Twist is how much a string is twisted, as in a number of turns (actually turns per length of string). Torsion is a measure of how much force (actually torque) results from this twisting. So if you are talking about building up âtensionâ by overhand throwing or doing loops or something, twist is probably the better term, since each maneuver creates a certain amount of twist. If you are talking about the effects of this twist, such as the string behaving badly, torsion is probably the better term. Different strings and materials can have different amounts of torsion, given the same amount of twist.
Of course this is just how physicists and others use the words, and tension has an everyday meaning too. No one would complain about saying there is âtension in the room,â just because it canât be measured in newtons.
(I think torsion in a yo-yo may be the first use of the word tension I learned as a kid, so I still use it that way.)
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Itâs like the countless other words people hear but donât actually know the meaning of and so use incorrectly. Like, how people use the word synchronicity when they mean synchronization.
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No, the problem isnât with labeling yoyos as a toy, itâs the stigma behind the perceived frivolity of a toy. My brother gained inspiration as a kid while playing with Legos to grow up and become an architect. Would you call Legos âa toyâ after seeing some of the insane creations people make with them? Toys at heart drive creativity and inspiration. Heck, you can make millions if you are good at playing sports, and whether itâs a basketball, a baseball, or a soccer ball, in the end itâs still a toy. Even after your anecdote I wouldnât label a yoyo as some therapeutic device, but it can be, just like most toys can bring out the best in people if utilized in the right way. We just need to get rid of the stigma that only kids can benefit from toys. The 50s still resonate in the general public after all this time I guess.
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Indeed.
I feel sorry for people who have lost all appreciation for the joys and benefits of toys (and games) as theyâve grown older.
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I teach a class called Games & Virtue that talks about games and what they teach us. We read Homo Ludens by Huizinga, a philosopher in the 1930s. His main point is that play is essential for culture. He goes into how play is the foundation for ritual, law, war, etc. He says play is not just useful, such as being therapeutic or good for health, but is an end in and of itself. We donât just play to be healthy, we get healthy so we can play.
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I think we as a society have taken 1 Corinthians 13:11 a little too deeply into our collective hearts.
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Going to nit pick, because this whole exercise is nit picking about use of âtensionâ. Torsion should be torque over length too (much like how you defined twist to be turns over lengths), or force over area. If we are talking about a specific string, we can drop the over length by simply understanding the length to refer to the entire length of string.
I am slightly iffy about simply using âtorsionâ to refer to the âeffect of the twistâ. Technically, it is only right when the string is straight and static, so the torsion to keep the string twisted happens to equal the internal forces of the string trying to untwist. The problem is when you are not in that special case, the stringâs internal forces to untwist isnt just torsion, it have other components like tension (you tighten the twists the string gets shorter, you untwist it, it gets longer). Torsion by itself doesnât make a string wants to double over itself and twist, it just makes a tube want to keep spinning. Nevertheless torsion is the overwhelming majority of the forces, which was why i said it wasnât âexactlyâ correct.
Another problem is, take the force diagram of a static sleeping yoyo with straight string with some twist built in, and just say find the torsion, most people would think you are referring to the external torque to keep the string twisted. I would probably refer to the internal force to resist the external torsion as âinternal torqueâ or something.
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I wanna just make clear that I personally donât think yos are just simple toys. Or something only kids play with.
Not at all. I guess on a technical level they are just toysâŚbut the amount of time, effort, bruises and dedication it takes to become moderately skilled with them elevate it way past just a simple toy.
I love that thereâs so many people of all ages that spend a good chuck of their time and energy on this hobby.
That being saidâŚI do feel a little ashamed/embarrassed by it when it comes to people like my aunt who DOES think of them as just a simple childâs toy. I just donât like the idea of her thinking Iâm super immature or something (which lets be honest hereâŚI AM super immature! But she doesnât need to know that!! haha).
Anyone relate to this?
I wasnât reacting to this. But instead this:
Yeah, Iâve gotten that before. My simple response is âWhat are your hobbies?â Then you find out the same person passes their time training dogs to run around obstacle courses or doing that fancy horse dancing stuff or collecting stamps or golfing or fishing. Whatever. None of those appeal to me and therefore seem like an utter waste of time, but it isnât to them. If the person has any self awareness at all, trying to explain their own hobbies tends to make them understand your hobby is no different. Thatâs why I react strongly to the sentiment, its being judgmental in the most hypocritical sense. I canât judge the value of other peopleâs hobbies and I refuse to accept anybodyâs judgement on mine.
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Come to think of itâŚI donât even think my aunt judges me in any negative way over it in the first placeâŚso Iâm not even sure why I care.
If anything she thinks itâs cool and fun.
I think a lot of times I think people think of me harshlyâŚwhen really itâs all in my mind.
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Thanks for clearing up some things I glossed over, particularly the effect of âactual tension.â I do agree that torque is probably the most relevant factor, rather than torsion. It best (though as you point out, not perfectly) quantifies the cause of string doubling over. It seems worthwhile that both twist and torque are relevant, and that different strings react to twist differently.
edit: quoted wrong thing
Nope I would call it Lego.
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One definition of toy is: âsomething that provides amusementâ. So yeahâŚa yoyo is a toy
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Then so is this forum⌠
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Well, it depends on what you mean with âtoyâ. Technically speaking it is a toy since it is usually made to be used and have fun with it. Is it just a toy?Nah, I donât think so
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I have felt the same way about yo-yo cost. I often sense no correlation between price and enjoyment. My cheap MYY Node plays as well as anything I own.
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I would say itâs a toy, but I would not say itâs âjust a toy.â That implies that itâs somehow less than something else that isnât. Toys are wonderful objects that can do what they do (play) well (or poorly). You might describe a tool as âjust a toyâ if it doesnât do its other function well, but yoyos donât have another function, other than play. So I think of them as toys, but magnificent functional toys.
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