Spinning Tube Trick

To see what this looks like from under a glass table, see • Spinning Tube Trick An...

[@Reeseington]

“I’ll post the answer in a week” Me: gets recommended this video 9 years later

[@evanderyorrel3549]

Me too lol

[@joeyduren5077]

Lol same

[@hrishikeshmandaliya]

Same

[@shooper6730]

Same

[@davidvickers8425]

Damn.

[@No-pm4ss]

"You could google it". Google phrase: Why can you only see the x if you put an x and an o on opposite ends of a pvc tube when you spin it with your finger on the x side?

[@No-pm4ss]

Hahahahaha it actually worked xD

[@eldafint]

victor sodéus Lmao it did 😂

[@dbstudious1675]

Anki Örlogskapten thx

[@dotorquanticowordpress3879]

Too much input haha, I'm really surprised that it worked XD

[@andrew_owens7680]

Because the x becomes the center of spin and moves slower.

[@colbonthecob2530]

The anwser is black magic you evil wizard.

[@Donari]

+TheCombatClown but he is white

[@szabobali88]

+Donari no, you didn't just.... btw, do you want kool-aid with that?

[@julianebraga1852]

+TheCombatClown no black magic no

[@gruffintups4215]

+ColbOnTheCob he's black?!

[@marisol64647]

he's usin satans power

[@ivanadriazola1991]

In a week, cool, can't wait for it.

[@darkerthanblack653]

😂😂😂

[@TheBluePhoenix008]

I'm dying of suspense

[@PeachThePlum]

"aw you're hectic, Jarred" LOL

[@lewis5796]

was looking for this

[@ryanred3949]

@@lewis5796 SAME LMAO

[@stouset]

Clever. The solution is this: When he spins the tube, it’s both spinning *and* rotating. Both ends are spinning at the same rate, but the side he pressed down on is rotating in the *opposite* direction of the spin, causing the marking on it to remain in the same location in the frame long enough for the camera to picture it clearly. For the opposite side, it is rotating *with* the direction of spin. This moves the marking across the frame *much* more quickly, and as a result, during the period of time the camera is capturing a single frame, it captures less of the marking and more of the pipe’s base color. Seen from underneath, this is reversed: the side rotating away from the direction of spin while being viewed from the top rotates toward the direction of spin from a POV underneath. So it will be the opposite marking that’s visible underneath the glass table.

[@aydin5978]

Just saw this in my recommendations (for some reason), but the first thing I did when I saw the video was play it back at 0.25x using youtube. Lo and behold, it is very easy to see that one side is spinning faster then the other, though it takes a bit longer to see why.

[@diabl2master]

I thought something along those lines. (The flick he gives it is constructive on one end and destructive at the other, so the X whizzes by too fast)

[@tinderboxcreations]

This doesn't explain it I'm sorry. Frame rate could be used to manipulate an illusion if the speed of the tube is constant, but it isn't. It spins fast and the slows quickly. The people in the video are not watching it via a screen. They are looking at it with their own eyes, so, frame rate does not apply here.

[@infinityscrub74]

Very detailed and scientific explanation. This comment deserves much more likes.

[@michaeldavis5477]

@Zevlyzn ONE Spin is what politicians do to the news; rotation is what you do to your tires.

[@res00xua]

At age 71 and not as active working as when younger i have spent more time watching KZbin. Your channel is a favorite. So much so i sought out your long form works. My day starts with 35 minutes on my elliptical watching videos and i watched the solar powered car race show before bed. Thank you very much for enriching my life.

[@Senihmo]

I love the Australian accent coming out when talking to locals 😂

[@davidvickers8425]

Yeah i saw mitre10 and thought he lived in nz with the flax behind him on the lake/beach.

[@spaveevo]

a glass table is beyond the budget of veritasium.....lol

[@vibhutishah313]

Haha

[@u5amh_]

He is now rich

[@tanay128]

🤣🤣🤣

[@thomashenderson6995]

Not anymore

[@wiracendekia]

@@u5amh_ glass. lol

[@Etobio]

“Video response... now that’s a name I haven’t heard in years...”

[@kennethlacy7502]

yeah, watching this video is like jumping in a time machine

[@sunnykhandelwal5]

“A glass table is beyond the budget of veritasium” 😂 Derek whatever you’re doing to your videos is certainly working cos we’re getting these recommendations from years back & of course they’re awesome as always

[@konstantina2333]

I had kinda a proud moment when he said that because of how much he has grown

[@teteeheeted]

I uh, looked at this “Feb 22” and thought it was 2021 not realizing it was from 2012, then in my recommended a similar video from 12 years ago, really confused me

[@elsuperfish]

I was watching this in fullscreen without looking at the date beforehand, hearing the words "video response" threw me off so hard

[@mariohermoso100]

What is happening is that the tube is rotating on two axis at unce. On the side that you press down the rotations counter each other while on the opposite side the rotation complement each other resulting in a combined higher speed rotation. It is actually a very cool trick that also demonstrates relative speed. LOVE IT.

[@merryissac8265]

Me and my friend performed this experiment for our physics project. Our teacher found this real interesting and it was so much fun. Thank you so much for uploading such wonderful video.

[@Corazon_Dorado]

2012: næ 2013: wait just a little..... 2014: wait longer... 2015: *Just a little bit longer.......* 2016: not this year! 2017: maybe next year? 2018: *NOPE!* 2019: *lemme put this vid in this guy recommendations.*

[@sprite6189]

Literally what happened to me lol

[@puresaltt1967]

Yes

[@beeallen2743]

Same

[@tfexx]

Like, seriously...

[@nehemiahcuevas16]

Very unoriginal..

[@ielephant3316]

Why is this such a high-quality video for 2012?

[@sikos_2301]

Because then you could buy camera from 30-40MPX and lenses same as you have today, it was just more expensive ang bigger than today.

[@CrazyKidsKesha3]

If the energy conduit is in the same velocity of the motion of the side that you put it in, then the illusion of the cylinder with omit light for a millisecond of the space time vortex of electricity. Then the gravity of the cylinder with increase greatly because of the magnifying universe. Idk what I just said.

[@CrazyKidsKesha3]

***** I'm an intelligent sheep, but I had no idea what the comments on the video are trying to explain. :P (I *totally* wasn't trying to make fun of them.)

[@CrazyKidsKesha3]

***** Now, looking back at it, I did make a black hole...

[@adrianmango958]

But one thing the energy conduit is pbc pipe right. Doesn't that make it plastic. So how can it emit light. The rule goes energy can neither be created or destroyed, only changed (something like that). What is this about an illusion. Plus won't earth's gravity field overpower the cylinders gravity field before it gets strong enough to even implode

[@PridedWrath]

GeorgetheSheep you said the energy conduit is in the same velocity of the motion of the side that you put it in, then the illusion of the cylinder with omit light for a millisecond of the space time vortex of electricity. Then the gravity of the cylinder with increase greatly because of the magnifying universe.

[@CrazyKidsKesha3]

Prided Wrath Oh my gosh, thank you! I had no idea what I had said.

[@thewolfgamer0056]

Huh 9 years later on my recomemded nice

[@Vislav]

So what?

[@davidwaynemain]

Those kids have the exact energy for the show man!! A group of awesomeness!

[@jmbalingit]

You see the letter of the side you start the spin from (X in the video) because that letter is spinning axially in a direction counter to the radial spin of the tube each time the letter passes over the top - it is effectively slowed down enough to be visible. The same effect would occur with the letter on the other end of the tube (O), but on the bottom side of the spinning tube relative to the table. Thus in the case of the glass table you would see the opposite letter from underneath.

[@geni1intake]

In basic terms if rotary speed = a, and twisting speed = b, the side you dont put your finger on has speed = a + b ( travels faster ) the side you do push has speed = a - b ( travels slower relative to object ) therefor its easier to see

[@parasuraman1901]

This is the exact answer

[@ThirtyVirus]

I would expect that the reason you can only see one number is that the "hidden" number's side is spinning faster than the side you can see. The inner side spins faster than the outside, and your eye cannot detect the inner symbol fast enough.

[@versnellingspook]

Wouldn't it break apart if the ends moved at different speeds

[@quassseabass2770]

versnellingspook No because it's spinning. He's talking about relative velocities

[@austinyouravish5330]

Is

[@ittooklongtomakethis]

versnellingspook the outside of a disk spins faster than the inside velocity would be circumference over time so v=2*pi*r/time; so the shorter radius = smaller speed

[@puresavage5133]

Read my comment I so agree with u!!!

[@thermitebanana]

Damn, I love these short videos.

[@Xtn1Insecticide]

there is also a heliocentric spin rotation effect from the flick which against the central spin direction makes one ends top or bottom side visible longer in time from angle of view and as the x and o are both top side, they are always out of phase to be visible together as they oppose phase from the central point so only one ends top or bottom is seen frozen at a time while the other is speed up, which is opposed also dependant which end the pipe is flicked from so unless the x is under or on top relative to the o, then you can’t see both or neither dependant on which side end is flicked relative to x and o top and bottom unless you had a faster frame rate brain :) edited for more clarity but the same

[@TheArfdog]

My (correct lol) answer: You will see the non-fingered symbol looking from the bottom. The reason you see only one symbol in general is because the symbol pushed by your finger is "anti-rolling". The other side is rolling along the table surface. So the symbol will be stationary on the anti-rolling side with every roll-axis rotation of the tube. If you imagine the table surface on top, the rolling and anti-rolling sides swap.

[@tracyhouser4100]

"Yeah, what is the deal?" Bam! Curiosity is contagious! And those who delight in the journey of discovery are bound to make friends :)

[@PeppermintMocha]

Basically the rotation of the entire pipe counteracts with the spinning of the pipe. When using the O side for the outside, it spins on the hole axis and the outer bit of the forced axis, which makes it always appear upwards, while the X appears on the bottom for the opposite reasons.

[@rodrigef]

As the tube spins along its axis, while twirling, the pressed side is moving at a slower relative speed than the opposite end in the observer's reference frame. The observer is able to make out the pressed end because of the slower velocity. The opposite end velocity is faster, and more difficult for the observer to make out.

[@hockeysupasta4]

its pretty simple. the outer end has a higher rotational velocity than the inner end. like swinging a golf club or a baseball bat. the end or the clubhead has more speed than the handle.

[@derrickblackburn2062]

+hockeysupasta4 exactly, and we just cant see the symbol thats moving too fast.

[@craigtothec]

+hockeysupasta4 Not really. The reason is because you are causing the tube to spin along its length. The X spins back towards your hand at the same time it is rotated away from your hand, causing it to be visible as it stays in one spot for a moment. On the other end the O's rotation is taking it in the same direction as the tube is spinning, so it moves too fast to see.

[@mickenoss]

Dude, you are saying the same thing as Hockeysupasta4 ...just with different words. The end you push on spins reletavely more slowly than the and you don't push on.

[@Lippa100]

Nah Craig is right, just watch the video where its revealed and youll see. The tube has the same width and weight along the whole tube so when you spin it the center of rotation is at the center and the ends are spinning just as fast. Its about which direction the ends are spinning lenght wise in relation to the spinning of the whole tube.

[@jonathanbuchter]

hockeysupasta4 but the tube doesnt spin like that

[@joshhankey8009]

I think its because the side you press is spinning slower than the opposite side and the one that is going faster is to fast for your eyes to process... its kind of hard to explain with words.

[@sambalaskas5082]

If it's spinnin on the mid point while also revolving around it's it's centerline then it would have one side rotating with the spin and one that's rotating against the spin. So one letter is rotating with the spin (which would make the letter move faster) and then the other side is rotating against the spin (which would negate the velocity making it easy to see)

[@ChandrasegaranNarasimhan]

Hi Derek Muller, I saw rhe video before and I am commenting on it now. Thanks for the video. you have done it again.

[@skrupy4490]

lmao i did this with a glue stick way back at elementary

[@Malkus1]

Exactly me:D

[@jakemartin9556]

You did comment on a video from 7 years ago, so minus that off your age n now the time between this video was made and the time you were doing this trick

[@Vote_By_Mail]

No you didn't. You just spun it. That's not what this is.

[@LoonieMoony]

Same

[@LoonieMoony]

@@Vote_By_Mail he’s not saying that. Please just don’t attack him for enjoying a memory jeesus.

[@Weedovnjak]

It's all about the center of rotation and when you press an O than the X side is going much faster so it's "invisible"...

[@skydude77]

been almost 20 years and i still think about this video from time to time

[@bpark10001]

Viewed from below, the opposite symbol will show, because the motion of the axial roll "goes the opposite way" on the bottom (but the spin about vertical axis does not change), cancelling momentarily the motion for the OTHER symbol only.

[@callumburke6967]

The tube rotated around the side you put your finger on, that side moves slower so you can see the picture.

[@WhitbyStuff]

Hmmmm. Because the chosen end spins slower than the unchosen end?

[@PyjamaLama]

It's a solid piece of tube it spins at the same rate its just like a tre flip on a skateboard. (Kind of)

[@WhitbyStuff]

Really? Surely the longer a piece of tube the further the outer bit would have to move in the same time. No?

[@PyjamaLama]

It just depends on the axis of rotation so what ever end you start the spin on spins around the axis slightly faster I guess

[@AlphaRS64]

Matt Whitby However, when your spinning not in a circle, but also in an axial rotation as well. The tube is spinning significantly faster compared to the outer edge only because the space and time the outer edge becomes more comprehensible. Sorry, I am horrible with articulating what I am trying to say.

[@HiImRawr]

Matt Whitby pretty much, the end you're pressing travels farther during each spin. Which gives you more time to see it.

[@hamidrezanateghi]

X and O sides have two movement. One of them is rotating angular and the other one is rotating.The side that you put your finger for rotating ( consider O ), is rotating in a way that these two movement is in opposite so destructive superposition will happen. So the final speed will be lower and its easy to see. But the other side is completely different.

[@jarmo_kiiski]

It's due to the tube rotating around the point you set it in motion on.

[@timleask9275]

"Oh you're hectic Jared"

[@royitaqi]

I'm guessing it's because the way you press it cause the direction of the two rotations to be opposite if seen from the top, and that makes the end which you pressed to display the letter "longer" (because of the opposite motion "cancels" each other out), hence easier to observe the letter than the other end.

[@AlDunbar]

I think it is because the direction of spin and of rotation tend to cancel each other out so that the symbol you press is not moving across your field of vision so quickly you don't see it. In the case of the other symbol, it's direction of spin and rotation add up so that it moves faster than your eye can see it.

[@DK_Son]

It's because you're in Australia and it's all fucked up down here.

[@ianbarber2937]

I discovered this in elementary school with my glue stick.

[@nomimalone7520]

Showing up in my feed 9 years after it was posted.

[@rovgor]

The Point the tube is spinning around is closer to the symbol you put your finger on, the symbol has therefore a lower velocity so your eye can only recognize this symbol. The outer symbol moves too fast. I also assume, that the tube is also spinning around the axis, that goes through the tube lengthway, that is why I think, that you can also see the exact same symbol (x) from below through the "table". (Distance between symbols and the point the tube spins around stays the same)

[@carltonyeung]

"so whats the deal?" "yeah, what is the deal?"

[@josephstalin364]

It’s because the end that you press down on has to travel a larger distance and circumference. This means it spins slower than the smaller one. Generally, faster moving objects are more blurry and harder to see.

[@mathieufredette3157]

I can't wait till part 2 comes out !!!

[@Jaroslav.]

So happy to watch it in 2015, where i can see all the answers to your questions :D

[@curupa66]

Why can't I see this video when I check your channel page?

[@chingster101]

To prevent accidental ruination

[@funkophone]

Why is Ben Affleck doing science videos on youtube?

[@Bassillixx]

It's his younger brother . . . Ben Asslick . . .

[@TeodorKubena]

Dudes not even close to looking like Ben affleck.

[@ArdyKyronGaming]

This really made us curious about the Tube! This Video is really nice it shows about its physics.

[@davidwaynemain]

I like how the word "trick" has been used since the beginning of civilization concerning straight up raw Physics

[@Ciniqs]

So, you just go to your local store, with a saw, and you just hack away at a piece of tube in the store?

[@varrjames186]

I've cut many things in a hardware store...a lot of them will even have a saw that you can borrow. Also he would've said to the owners of this Sydney store that their store would get international recognition if they let him do it.

[@marashanapalli]

When your finger is on “O” the “X” is towards centre and is moving much faster, hence you can’t see the “ X” and vice versa.

[@carneeki]

"So I think the best way would be to go down to your local hardware shop." That moment you recognise the hardware shop as your local hardware shop.

[@jamiehurricane]

The side you put your finger on is spinning less, it's the pivot, it stays relatively still while the opposite end is orbiting the pivot which disperses the light too much to observe

[@morning5tarr]

A lady tried this in 14th century. Last words she heard were : *Burn the Witch.*

[@merism5752]

I waited 11 years now, I was 16, now I’m 27 😢

[@Stylefront]

Look atchya, you look like a backstreet boy here 🤣. Baby boy grew up to have NDT on his show! I love this channel, and the thing it and you have evolved to. Great content as always.

[@jonesmatthew7511]

X, it probably has something to do with frames per second of what our eyes can perceive and the frequency of the slower spinning side of the tube, which is the one you put your finger on and the other side (non-finger side) is probably spinning at a faster frequency than your eye cans see as it is on the outside perimeter of the circle complex that it is spinning in.

[@rakesh010668]

Now i know why it is called you "tube"

[@rakesh010668]

😂😂😂

[@thedogeinator4234]

...

[@NathanThrower]

This "click the answer" is annoying. I watch on Chromecast and can't queue the whole thing up. I skip a lot of these videos for that reason. Ever wonder why others doing do this?

[@rblibit]

The side you apply the pressure on to start the spin stays closest to stationary relative to your viewpoint - in other words, it is inside of the spin, or the rcenter of the wheel it forms.

[@franciscoosuna259]

Because the end that you press (let us say O) is spinning against the table. The motion of O is restricted by the plane of the table. While X is not restricted and the eye can not keep it in focus and is blurred. ( question for you: If an X were placed at the middle of the tube; would you see an X or a dot?)

[@draysoncook9537]

Hey when it was spinning I saw the x and the o with no slo mo

[@alexxx4745]

Me 2

[@romanfox5368]

Well, you're a liar who's just trying to feel special, because the camera doesn't even pick it up.

[@draysoncook9537]

+Roman Fox you don't have good eyes

[@romanfox5368]

Drayson Cook really? Nobody else can seem to see it and it doesn't show up when played in slow motion.

[@flowersoneverest9401]

Drayson Cook it doesn't even show up because the way he spins it it's impossible to see it. Stop trying to get attention

[@ThistleBeaksBirdCams]

0:43 We didn't see only X's I saw a O? :/

[@GodsMistake]

No ya didn't.

[@ThistleBeaksBirdCams]

I did.

[@ThistleBeaksBirdCams]

I saw it half way through! Just because You didn't doesn't mean nobody else did?

[@ThistleBeaksBirdCams]

Okay. But I did..

[@clintonraubenheimer5879]

luke stu Have not tried the experiment, and I also do not know the answer to how it works yet. There is also a misconception that the eye can only see so many frames per second, or the brain can only process so many frames. I doubt this is the case here... I believe it may have to do with the center of rotation somehow and whichever marking is closest to the center of rotation will be seen more times than the marking to the outer rotation. over and above the rotation the tube is also spinning on an axis so there are in fact two directions in which the tube is spinning (don't know how else to describe this) And therefor the brain will process the marking closest to the center of rotation as this marking will be seen more times while the tube is in motion and probably ignore (subconciously) the outer marking. I think the eyes and brain probably do see the outer marking and if you blinked repeatedly I imagine at some point you will see the outer marking. This is interesting and will look into it later today.

[@satishbkgowda]

It is because the velocity in the opposite direction is more than the side where you made it to spin. So it is obvious that it is less visible than the part from where you made it to spin.

[@gilbert4004]

I love how he acts surprised at the end when he is still looking at it from the top like he has been the whole time XD

[@bedriddenly5408]

"i dont want to tell you the answer straight away" bye then

[@NM-wd7kx]

+Bedriddenly no interest in suspense

[@bedriddenly5408]

nope

[@NM-wd7kx]

to each their own :)

[@hihi-vu6mn]

Who did this in school with glue stick? I did

[@hihi-vu6mn]

Hellow

[@hihi-vu6mn]

Ok I guess im the only one

[@hihi-vu6mn]

😢😢😢😢

[@RobRoss]

Since KZbin embedded video links no longer work, can you add the references to other videos in your descriptions, especially for the older videos like this? Please? :) Thank you for your great videos!

[@_xxpegasusxx_7204]

since the radius on the pressed side (x/o) is greater because it goes on the outside, the angular speed is grater and thus it makes seeing the sign in the center more difficult (the opposite of the pressed sign)

[@MegaTrollerOfTruth]

What a total waste of my time watching this...thumbs down

[@c0c0nutbeans]

U mean

[@TheNashEquil]

Angular momentum keeps the tube in that position since it is chasing the torque you placed on it from that direction.

[@thesurfer4114]

The velocity of the of the pressed surface ( X ) is lower when it turns up as the the other surface ( O ). This is, because of the tube spinning around two axis. The pressed surface spins when it comes up in the other direction of the tube spin and when it comes down with the spin of the tube or movement direction of that end. With the Not pressed side it is the other way around... when it goes down it is spinning against the Tube and direction and when it goes up it moves with the tube end movement direction. It’s hard to explain but really easy to imagine

[@fabianeliseorodrigo5574]

Me gustaría que el contenido enfocara de vez en cuando, los esfuerzos de cambiar el sistema consumista que no es sustentable (adornos de navidad, halloween, etc etc), las alternativas de producción eléctrica, las producciones agrícolas y ganaderas que producen impacto ambiental muy negativo, por sus emisiones de carbono, desalinizadores de agua y fuentes de potabilización o extracción de agua del subsuelo de manera económica, en fin, todo aquello que garantice nuestra existencia por las próximas centurias. Este canal es espectacular, saludos desde San Juan, Argentina

[@jarno_landi]

Essentially, the X spin is opposed to the tubes spin and so moves relatively slower than the O end. The X end is therefore in our field of view for longer than the O end and so we see this rather than the O end.

[@srinivaschandankumar]

Because the frequency of rotation of the tube tube is such that after completing a rotation it comes back to the same position (just with a small change ∆x) with the same face upside. That small change in the position ∆x is the reason why the x seems to rotate around the edge of the circle.

[@Brandon10101011]

the snap forms the center force end up being applied to the outside and while the outside can turn the corner through slipping the center it has more leverage to do so causing the center point "the snap" to slip and bounce effectively hopping a few degrees each bounces while the outside edge rides. much like drifting lol u still have grip while drifting one tire is just slipping more

[@nicholasjensen8016]

My guess is b/c the rotation of the pipe on the plane and on its axis is opposite relative to the side you press down on. This makes the x or o be nearly stationary when it faces up, all while the opposite end is always moving fast and a blur.

[@righte1791]

because the tube doesn't only spin on the "y" axis but also on it's own local "x" or "z" axis. on one end it rotates in the direction of travel while on the other end it rotates opposite to the direction of travel. This causes the side which you start the spinning towards to move slower when it's on the upside of the tube making it more comprehensible

[@jacobshort6528]

This is nothing new to me, as I learned how to do this spinning trick in Second Grade back in the early 1980s. My classmates and I (boys only, the girls did other stuff), spun the Double-A batteries from our Stomper toys on the floor. At home, I started doing these reverse spins with film canisters and empty soup cans. I still love it when I can get something to spin in an X shape to an hourglass shape, flattens out, then stands back up again. Amazing!

[@Marjannuel]

Fps, the mark you pressed on rotates slower than the opposite because it's the pivot, and your eyes can't see that fast or every time it rotates it's on bottom

[@kinodogoowotho]

I love how you wanted to do this function before it worked on mobile. I vote update for phone sake tho, preferably post haste mate

[@smallstudiodesign]

It’s never as satisfying to Google it as it is to have it demonstrated on KZbin

[@AKaktusA]

Because the tube is spinning not only like a spinning top (flat on the table) but also around a second axis, only the X is visible as the two rotations interfere destructively on the X's side and costructively on the O's side. Think of it in slow motion. The X "spinns" up on one side, moves opposite the other rotation (the way a spinning top would rotate) and disappears again, to face the table. As it spinns "backwards" and rotates "forwards" it almost doesn't move. On the O's end though, it spinns forwards and still rotates forwards. So it moves twice as fast.

[@grimmcreeper192]

Such humble beginnings man. I love seeing this.

[@GaudioWind]

My answer is that the label we see is the one exposed for the longest time lapse at each cycle. If you just roll the tube over its horizontal axis on the table, you can't identify any of the labels because it shows up for a too short time interval at each exposition. That means we need to slow down the linear speed of the the “x” or “o” as it passes through its exposition point. And that happens if the two spins, over the horizontal and vertical axes, subtract linear speed from each other. Well, if this happens when the x label is at the top, it means that their speeds will add up when this same label is at the bottom. But the opposite will occur with the O, on the other tip of the tube. If we look at the trajectory of a point on the surface of a wheel as it rolls over the ground, we can get it clearer.

[@peterhansmann3289]

you only ever can see the side that rotates counter active to the rotation of the pipe because its slightly slower. so you would see the x if you press on it from above and the o from below

[@rale317]

The side that is rolling in the direction of the spin is moving faster and blurring that letter. He presses down on the letter he wants to see and causes it to roll backwards but his finger press also launches it into a top spin. The opposite side of the tube is rolling with the direction of the top spin so it's moving faster and harder to see.

[@yestheoryindia]

because the chosen end is closer to the axis of rotation and axis of rotation tends to be relatively stable as compared to the distal end...

[@unknownxol3660]

i don't know physics i think you can see the same thing, i think the reason why is because it has something to do with gravity and how it makes a line in the middle of a 360 object(or 3d whatever), making the top and bottom (marked by gravity) the start and the end of a 180, if there is a 180 then that means there is also a line that cuts between 360 to make that 180(gravity in this case is the cause of that line. So if O is about to take the first curve up, that means the speed must change, a speed change means blurry images for the eyes, blurry images plus the fact that our brain captured the O image right before a force was applied, it entitles us to recognize the blurry image as the X our brain captured be4, and if it goes faster then I'm not sure. The same thing when it hits the top. OR is it just that the force is transferring to the middle of the tube and the O remains on top all the time?(or x whatever u pressed) then the answer might be neither.

[@oso_lacion]

I haven't watched the answer (idk if @Veritasium can confirm this). But I think the answer is that the tube is rotating and spinning at the same speed. We can see the pressed symbol because the rotation and spin speed of that side is being cancelled, whild the other one is being doubled, that's why you can't see it

[@austinballard3818]

Pretty sure the end you have your finger on is the end on the outer perimeter of the circle.. making the circumference of the circle it travels bigger.. giving your eye an easier time deciphering the letter

[@englishjake]

If you spin a double A battery this way (you have to put alot of force into it.) The battery spins in a double helical way its so cool.

[@josep43767]

2012: click the annotations! 2018: oh yeah, that useful thing youtube removed for no reason

[@frizbanate]

This is what I think. It spins around it's center of mass, but it's also twisting. Say you launch with your finger on X. The twist then is counter clockwise looking from X to the center of the tube. The rotation of the tube is counter clockwise looking from the top. If you take the instant when both X and O are facing straight up, you can see what the speed is at both points by combining the two rotations. Say X is facing up on the east side of the tube. Then the tangent of the clockwise twist motion is south. The tangent of the spin is north. To get its speed, you add those speed vectors, and since they are opposite, the speed of the X at that moment is lessened. Looking at the O in the west, the tangent of the twist is also south. The tangent of the spin is to the south as well. So the total speed is higher at that end. So it seems like the speed of the O in this case is so fast it looks like a blur, while the speed of the X is reduced enough for you to clearly see it. I suspect different lengths and diameters of tube would produce different rates of twist and spin, and you could adjust these two variables to get various different results. I think the spin and the twist have to be proportional in some way for this effect to appear. Spin too fast while holding twist speed steady and it won't slow enough to be visible. Twist too fast without spinning it faster and you have the same problem. It seems like in general for a counter clockwise spin, a twist will give a slower speed on the side that is rotating counter clockwise looking into the tube. If you look at it from underneath, you reverse the direction of the spin from counter clockwise to clockwise, but the twist is not changed, so I expect that the side spinning clockwise looking inward will be the one that you can see.