Features Podcasts Family Video Comics Music Tech Science Books Film & TV Games ✚

Jill

Slinky on a treadmill

Cory Doctorow at 10:14 pm Wed, May 23, 2012

— FEATURED —

Book Review

The Man Who Laughs: grotesque Victor Hugo potboiler was the basis for The Joker

Feature

Eurovision 2013: An American in London

Book Review

The Twelve-Fingered Boy - mesmerizing YA horror novel

— FOLLOW US —

Boing Boing is on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to our RSS feed or daily email.

 

— POLICIES —

Except where indicated, Boing Boing is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution

 

— FONTS —

Tweet
Kindle

Abzde set a slinky upon an inclined treadmill and the brave spring proceeded to slink its way down that machine for 3 heart-pounding minutes and 20 unbeatable seconds. Watch as the slinky moves from side to side, nearly -- but not quite -- going over the edge time and again, tempting fate and laughing at danger with its brave non-hands planted upon its heroic non-hips. Oh, slinky.

Epic - Slinky on a Treadmill (via JWZ)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE:  happy mutants • slinky • video • youtube

More at Boing Boing

Eurovision 2013: An American in London

The technology that links taxonomy and Star Trek

  • robuluz

    I won’t leave you Mr. Frodo!

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/PipLagenta Pip_R_Lagenta

    Twice the speed:  Yakety Sax

    • digi_owl

      That would be much more bearable than the current soundtrack.

  • Hanglyman

    We don’t get to see it finally flop off the side, or reach the bottom? Is… is it still going??

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4NCFEUOHUP7LXAY4267CJWMGTI EmilyL

       According to the tethercat principle, yes. Until proven otherwise, that slinky is eternally falling down that treadmill.

  • CognitiveDissident

    I was meaning to put my Slinky through the paces, but he’s had a lot of ups and downs lately. Compared to this svelte Slinky, I’m afraid he’s a bit rusty at the exercise routines. But give him a little time, and he’ll spring right back into shape! (He’s got to get in shape to impress the curvaeous girl Slinkies!)
    His out-of-shape self recently went on a double blind date, it was horrible, they just kept going round and round fighting with the other three. Boy, was HE bent out of shape when he got home! But it pales in comparison with the fight he had with his first wife, that ended the marriage! He said let’s play Twister, it’ll be fun!

  • Cowicide

    Put 20 or 30 of them on there and play some Slayer.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co3KgHPFZeI&ob=av3e

  • ObeyMyBrain

     We know in our hearts that that slinky is forever walking down that incline. It..it brings a tear to my eye.

  • erissian

    Superior: 
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbp-EtVSBEs

    • digi_owl

      Ugh, Norwegian commercials have forever tainted my impression of that song.

      Still, watching that slinky strut is worth it.

    • oasisob1

      Better soundtrack, but it’s a video loop.

  • silkox

    A better soundtrack: Regina Spektor- Après Moi.

  • http://vincenzoravina.tumblr.com/ Vincenzo Ravina

    That video desperately needs an ending. I want that slinky to make it! It can get there.

  • bcsizemo

    You know someone is going to loop one of these and have 10 hours of slinky on a treadmill before long.

    • howaboutthisdangit

      I was thinking of an animated GIF.

  • Candy Critic

    OK physics friends, I have a question.  Why does the slinky change speeds?  Is it because of the imperfections on the treadmill, or is there other science involved.  I would have thought that the small imperfections on the treadmill wouldn’t make that big a difference, or at the very least just make the slinky fall into a pattern.

    • GyroMagician

       It’s all about morale. As the slinky remembers its slinky family, he puts on an extra spurt of energy to help get home. But he tires. He goes through dark times, when he thinks he can’t make it home. But then, he remembers Mrs. Slinky, that way she slinks at him, and he reaches out for those heroic last strides…

      (PhD, physics).

      • chgoliz

        Could you repost your reply so I can like that one too?

  • mykie242

    I see what you did there, boing boing…

  • Henry Pootel

    Haters gonna hate

  • http://imcravingpresidency.tumblr.com/ SedanChair

    nnnnOK, it’s time to start betting on these

  • Andrew Singleton

    Craig Armstrong’s Escape would also be a valid soundtrack option.

    What is on vidio however is also valid.

  • Eark_the_Bunny

    “This is your  drain on brugs!”

  • Jake0748

    That Slinky’s got spunk.  I hate spunk. 

    • Antinous / Moderator

      How old are you?

      • Jake0748

         Way old. I thought you knew that.

      • Dave X

         Duh, his age is right in his user name.

        • awjt

           Yours too, I presume?

  • Jonathan Roberts

    I liked the part where it went down the treadmill.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/TMZUAGBNOZNSFYL4CH5QX65W7U Fred

    Fake.  The movie is on a loop.  You could see the same parts of the belt again and again!

  • http://twitter.com/MartianEmpress Rezeya Montecore

    o/` Slinky on a treadmill, I know, I know it’s really serious… o/`

  • mati

    Now if only we could find a way to harness the energy from the slinky to power the treadmill.

  • http://www.spellingmistakescostlives.com darrrrrrn

    They’ve finally cracked the perpetual motion machine. Somebody call David Icke!

    • snagglepuss

       Yeah, except for that little detail about the electricity that’s running the treadmill.

      Other than that, IT’S A MIRACLE !!!

  • PathosBill

    That demolished *all* of my serious culture.

  • stumblore

    Damn. This beats the yule log by a mile.

  • awjt

    In 10,000 years, all the old stories will get totally confuzzled and mixed and it will be known as the Myth of Slinkyphus

    • Wreckrob8

      Totally tantalinking?

  • http://www.facebook.com/gregbunsmills Greg Buns Mills

    ‘Slinky on a Treadmill’ = worst morrissey song ever 

    • uglyredhonda

      I know, I know.  It’s serious.

  • chgoliz

    Go, little slinky, go!  You can do it!

  • Professor59

    This is what slinkies and treadmills and video cameras were made for.  The perfect storm of internets!

  • madllama

    ‎”Don’t know where you’re headed (or why), just that ya gots ta keep on slinkin’ or you’ll die…” – I feel your pain, brave little dude.

  • jbatterson

    Better:
    http://videosift.com/video/Amazon-Package-in-Perpetual-non-Motion?loadcomm=1

  • Mike

    A better movie than Battleship