The Slinky was originally designed and sold in the 1940s. The inventor had accidentally knocked a spring off the shelf, and watched it ‘walk’ down a series of books, to a tabletop, and then to the floor where it neatly coiled itself. The creator, Richard James, had gone home to his wife Betty and said “I think if I got the right property of steel and the right tension, I could make it walk. “ It took the better part of a year, but he had done it. Making 400 Slinky units with a five hundred dollar loan, James and his wife had founded a company to make, and sell, this unique toy to the masses. With a dollar for a price tag, they were interesting, but not really a hit. Until the fateful day, that they were granted permission to set up an inclined plane in the toy section of Gimbles Department Store. Within ninety minutes, they had sold all 400 of the units, with more being requested. Only a year later, the Slinky was introduced at the American Toy Fair, the largest gathering of businesses that produce, and market, toys to various stores. Since then, the Slinky has been marketed around the world, with both plastic and metal finding placement around the world in various forms. During the Vietnam War, United States troops used them as mobile radio antennas, as have amateur radio operators ever since. NASA uses them in experiments on Space Shuttles, and teachers use them to simulate the properties of oscillation in waves.
I had one in the 1950s as a toy - fascinating to watch it walk down a flight of steps at school. Fast Forward 20 years - and I had a few in my physics lab for a demo of tranverse and longitudinal ( compression) waves
Are you fully recovered Sarah? If so, get yourself out on the decking building some steps like those ones that look up and down at the same time but I can’t remember what it’s called?
Haha I could build it an obstacle course from the top of the pergola downwards! Not quite up to much wood sawing yet, but I reckon I could make a few ramps out of spare deck board, maybe some steps down off the barbecue, round the flower pots, onto the patio, finishing off on the lawn
If you have steps that look up and down, surely you have simply stopped in the middle of your staircase!!!
shush or I will report you to the “all old escorts should be restored group” I’ve forgotten what it’s called and can’t even find it via google. It’s that picture where you can’t tell which are the highest step in a square of steps.
