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Cambridge Engineering Student Sets Fidget Spinner Record With 30-Minute One-Finger Spin

A custom spinner using a tungsten rim over a hollow aluminum core boosted inertia for slower energy loss.

Overview

  • James Goh, 23, secured a Guinness World Records title by spinning a fidget spinner on one finger for 30 minutes 34.54 seconds.
  • The Queens' College Cambridge engineering student built his own "pulsar fidget spinner" and completed the record attempt in Hong Kong.
  • The design concentrates mass at the edge with a dense tungsten ring around a hollow aluminum core to raise the moment of inertia and keep the rotor turning longer.
  • He drew on coursework in aerodynamics, the science of friction known as tribology, differential equations, and 3D modeling to cut losses and tune performance.
  • The time tops the previous mark by nearly five minutes and lasts about 20 times longer than a typical shop-bought spinner.