SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How Yo-Yos Work | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

Happy continuing holidays everybody. Chuck here to tea up our next episode on. our 12 days of Christmas toys playlist. And I am super excited because you're. about to listen to one of our older. episodes from this list about an older. toy. Uh it's all about yo-yos. It's how. yo-yos work. Hope you like it. >> Welcome to Stuff You Should Know from. how stuffuffs.com.

Hey and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh. Clark. There's Charles W. Chuck Bryant. That's me. >> Same as ever. Scratching the old back. >> Yeah. Just got a little itch there. You. ever use one of those little dealies? The little creepy hand, the little. monkey paw on the end of the stick. >> I have before. >> Yeah. >> Um I I I I don't like to do that. It. hurts. >> Oh, yeah. >> I guess you could call it. That's a. painful sensation. >> I I get up against the wall sometimes.

and do the uh. >> the beloo the bear. >> That I'll do sometimes too. >> Oh yeah. >> But it's weird like I I only have um. back hitches in about the same place and. that would be on my left shoulder blade. on the uh western side of it depending. on which direction I'm facing. >> Curiously, this is going to be the most. interesting part of the show. >> That is not true, Chuck. Man, so Chuck, >> yes, >> this is going to be a great one. >> Okay. I have a feeling this is going to. be one of those ones where it's like, "Wow, that turned out to be really good. It's physics heavy out the yin-yang.".

>> Yeah, everyone loves that. >> But the fact is, when we finish this, you're going to know how yo-yo works. This is probably the most truly titled. truest titled episode we've ever done. >> You think? >> Yep. >> I don't know. >> All right. Well, we'll find out. >> I think it should be called Physics. Through the Eye of a Yo-Yo. >> So, listen. Have you ever seen the movie. Harlem Nights? >> Uh, parts. >> Dude, that is Go back and watch it. again. Like, watch the whole thing.

>> Oh, you're crazy. It's one of the best. movies ever. >> Eddie Murphy, Red Fox, Richard Prior, >> great cast. >> And like everybody else in it, too. I. think Bernie Mack's in there. >> Awesome cast. Terrible script. >> I don't think the script was terrible. I. thought it was great. Um, but there's. one thing about that movie that bugged. me to know it. It's set in like the 20s, right? >> Yeah. And throughout the movie, Eddie. Murphy uses the word yo. Yo is obviously. a modern term and it just sticks out. like a sore thumb every time he does. It. drives me crazy. Like it drives me crazy.

that he did. It drives me crazy that the. director wasn't like you can't say yo. This is like 1920s New York. Yo wasn't. around. >> I don't know that they were going for. historical accuracy in that one. >> They were wearing spats. >> Yeah. Well, >> so um Jerry liked that one. So, uh, I. went back and did a little digging, Chuck, and it turns out that Yo was in. fact around in the 1920s, but Eddie. Murphy was still wrong for using it in. that capacity. >> Okay. >> Okay. So, um, Yo goes back at least to. like the 15th century as like a hunting.

cry, right? When somebody was like, somebody else might go, "Yo, >> and you go chase a fox.". >> Um, that was kind of the first wave of. yo. Um, as far back as 1859, we know that there were sailors that. were using it. >> Yo ho ho. >> Yo ho ho. Or also, um, it was a a a. response for roll call, like yo, like. somebody called your name, you would say.

yo. >> A key. >> It wasn't until after World War II, though, that the modern incarnation. comes. And it came out of the uh Italian. quarters of Philadelphia. >> Of course it did. So that's where they. think yo came from after World War II. Hence Eddie Murphy was wrong in using yo. especially frequently in the movie. Harlem Nights. So I did all that. research or I could have just looked. into Google Translate from English to.

uh Filipino. >> or vice versa. >> Okay. >> And find that it just means come. >> Yeah. But I don't think that's what it. means here, does it? >> It does now. >> Okay. So, the word yo-yo as it stands, right, means come, come or come back. >> Yeah, that makes sense. >> Did you know that? >> I did. >> You want to talk a little bit about the. history of yo-yos? Did you know before. reading this fantastic article that uh. yo-yos originated, as we understand them. now, originated in the Philippines in.

the 1920s? >> Uh, I didn't know that. I did know that. it was around for a long time before. that though in you know other forms. >> or well pretty much the same form. There. were like two forms of yo-yos in. history. >> Yeah. >> And one came out of the new one came out. of the Philippines. The other one Yeah. It was pretty old. >> Well, ancient Chinese or at least. ancient Greeks, >> right? >> More than 2500 years ago, >> but uh they think the Chinese had. something similar to that. >> Yeah. I'm starting to strongly suspect. that the Chinese are the origin of human.

civilization. You think? >> Yeah, they came up with beer. >> Yeah. >> Well, they came up with beer. >> There you have it. They win right there. >> Uh, and it is the oldest toy on the. planet except the doll. The dolly. >> I thought that was pretty interesting, too. >> Yeah. Yeah, >> of course. >> Although, I wonder if they're kind of. diminishing any kind of ancient rituals. or rights by saying like, "Look at this. cute doll." When really it's, you know, some sort of fetish. >> I don't know. You never know. So, it's. been around a long time. Uh they've.

designed it in different ways over the. years. Uh the original design was uh had. the the string tied tight to the uh the. little axis there. >> We'll call it the Greek design. >> The Greek design. >> No, we'll call it the Chinese design. >> or the European design. Well, not. design, but it was popular in Europe. >> Yeah. And uh that obviously if if you. ever used an old yo-yo like that or. redesigned yours to where it's tied. around the axle, it'll pop up, you know, as soon as you throw it down, it'll pop. back up.

>> Yeah. >> Because it's tied to the axle. Makes a. lot of sense. >> Exactly. Right. Um and you said it was. popular in Europe. There were other. words for it, other names for the yo-yo. before it was a yo-yo. >> That's right. >> There was uh the uh lemigrret, the. Bandalor. >> The Bandalor was British, I believe. >> The Quiz. Yeah. Yeah, I don't I didn't. get a country of origin for that. >> Uh, but it was very popular in Europe. There's a painting of I think Louis the. 18th. Is he the boy king? >> I don't know. >> Whichever Louis was the boy king of him. holding like a yo-yo.

>> Oh, yeah. >> Like a royal painting of him with a. yo-yo. >> or the uh what was the little hoop on in. a stick? >> I think that's what it was called. >> That was an awesome game. >> The hoop on a stick. >> Woohoo. Uh and then um. I don't think you can compare the yo-yo. to the hoop on a stick. >> No, I'm not comparing. I'm just saying I. just never got that toy. >> Oh, okay. Well, here's another one for. you. Napoleon was well known for. carrying and using a yo-yo apparently. for stress relief. >> Oh, yeah. >> Yeah. >> Didn't work too well.

>> He was a stressed out dude. >> Yeah. >> He needed the yo-yo. But, uh, as as you. said, that that's the the European. favored or Chinese design where like the. strings tied really tight to the axle. and it just basically goes up and down. Yeah. >> Right. So, the Filipino design uh led to. the modern yo-yos. as we understand it. now. And the huge distinction is that. the the string is just looped around the. axle kind of loosely. >> Yeah. >> Which has the added benefit of allowing. the uh yo-yo itself to spin once it.

reaches the end of the string. >> Yeah. >> Sleep. That's what the That's why people. yo-yo, I think. >> Yeah. >> It's all about the tricks. I mean, it's. sort of fun for a minute just to go up. and down, but it's really all about the. tricks, >> right? It's just a stress reliever if it. just goes up and down. Did you yo-yo. when you were a kid? >> Uh, yeah, here or there. But even as a. kid, like I could sense that like these. these new modern ones that we'll talk. about with like ball bearings and. clutches, they just seem like cheating. >> I agree. Let's not even talk about them. It's not even a real yo-yo.

>> So, Chuck, you want to talk about a a. little bit about physics? >> Well, let's finish the history first, shall we? >> Oh, okay. Well, I have plenty of that. >> Uh, it was uh originally in the. Philippines. They think it was a hunting. weapon for like 400 years. So, but not. like a little tiny yo-yo. They were. really big. And it was basically a big. spindle attached to a rope with like. spikes coming off of it. >> They were like the size of a yugo. >> Yeah. And I guess the the just the. benefit there is you could get it back. after you threw it at somebody.

>> Right. The string was almost just. useless, though. You could just throw it. and run after it. >> Oh, really? Okay. It was actually heavy. rope and they used it for uh hunting, too, >> right? Well, at some point down the line. >> war. >> Well, yeah. You would think anything. used in hunting, you know, does double. duty in war. >> Exactly. >> Anything you're trying to kill. >> Yeah. >> Um the the at some point though, they. became smaller and became toys. >> and uh in the 20s uh a Filipino im.

immigrant to the US named Pedro Flores. um started a company, the first modern. yo-yo company in the United States and. did pretty well for himself. Uh, and. then in 1929 he sold out to a man named. Duncan, right? Donald Duncan. >> Yes. Donald Duncan. And uh, >> or Duncan or Duncan properly. >> And uh, you know, Flores is in Santa. Barbara and like you said, was selling. these things like hotcakes enough that. Duncan said, "Hey, let me buy that.". >> Uh, I'm going to keep the name Yo-Yo cuz. it's catchy.

>> Yeah. >> I'm going to trademark it and now I own. it. And uh through the years he had. competitors that made similar devices. with different names and they were like, "Dude, everyone's calling this thing a. yo-yo, right? We want to be able to call. it a yo-yo, too." And he said, "No, no, I own it.". >> Then the federal courts in 1965 says, "You know what? That's generic enough. now where you don't own it any longer, >> right? >> They're all yo-yos.". >> Well, what those legal challenges to. their trademark, the name yo-yo, um was. one of the things that bled the company.

dry. It eventually went bankrupt. Duncan, the Duncan company went. bankrupt. >> Yeah. The same year they ruled. >> Yeah. >> against them. >> They were like, "Well, that's it for. us." But they also had other money. troubles. They It was They were actually. victims of their own success, the Duncan. Company was. So, they moved um in the. 40s to Luck, Wisconsin, which very. quickly became known as the yo-yo. capital of the world. And at their peak, they were making um 3,600 yo-yos an. hour. >> Wow. >> Mostly out of wood at first, maple. They're using a million board feet of.

maple wood every year. Yeah, >> that's a lot. >> And they actually, in addition to their. legal challenges, like the the money. going to fight their legal battles, um. they were paying tons of money in. overtime, too, advertising. Um and as a. matter of fact, I think in 1962, Chuck, >> they managed to sell 45 million yo-yos. And in that same year, there were only. 40 million kids in the US. Wow, >> that's pretty astounding.

>> A chicken in every pot and a yo-yo in. every. >> Exactly. >> other hand at least. >> Yeah, sure. >> Unless I guess some kids were yo-yoing. with both hands up. >> They're rich kids. >> Yeah. >> Um but like I said, they they the. company ended up going bankrupt anyway. But yo-yo enthusiasts still look very. fondly on the Duncan name. And um I. think June 6th. Yes. June 6th is. National Yo-Yo Day, which happens to be. the same day as Donald Duncan's. birthday.

>> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Well, and the Duncan name lives on. Obviously, you still see Duncan yo-yos. They, uh, they sold out. They didn't. just shut down. >> Well, they went bankrupt and sold out, right? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, uh, who was it? The Flam Flam. Plastics Company. >> Yeah. >> They said, "We'll keep the name Duncan. because it's synonymous with yo-yos.". >> Yeah. It's not generic yet. No. No.

>> There's a little yo-yo history for you. >> Yeah. >> I got a little more I'm going to say to. the end I think you'll like. >> Okay. I'm going to tease you with it. >> Now, let's talk about physics. >> Well, I think this is very interesting. Good. So, there's a two. Okay. You mentioned. with the string tied to the classic.

Chinese design yo-yo, >> you have one kind of um energy going on, right? >> Yes. >> And that is uh linear momentum. The. ability of it to go up and down or I. should say down and up. Right. >> That's right. With the Filipino design, the modern design, it has two kinds of. potential energy. It has that same. linear momentum to go up and down, but. it also has angular momentum. And. angular momentum is um its ability to. spin on an axle. >> Yeah.

>> Okay. So, you got two things going on. And like you said, when the uh yo-yo. hits the end of the line of its linear. momentum, it can still it's built up. since it's wound around the spool. Yeah. It's built up a lot of angular momentum, so it can just sit there and spin or. sleep as you called it. >> Yeah, it actually increases as it goes. down, which is the key to keeping it. spinning, >> right? >> It gets faster as it falls. >> There's another pretty cool trait to a. yo-yo. Who knew they were so complex? I. didn't. >> Did you? >> I did not.

>> Okay, so um they also have gyroscopic. stability, Chuck. >> They do. Okay. So, if you if you have a. yo-yo that's sleeping and you push down. on top of it, like it goes down and then. back up, >> right? >> That's because of its gyroscopic. stability. That point that you push down. on the yo-yo. >> is transferred from the front and spun. around to the back. So, that's evened. out. So, the yo-yo will just keep. spinning as long as it's spinning fast. enough. Gyroscopic stability. >> Yes. That means uh a spinning object uh.

object will resist change to its axis of. rotation. And if you ever thrown a. football, it's the same thing. >> Yeah. >> Or if you've ever thrown a football. poorly, what do they call that? >> A wobbler, a turkey, >> wounded duck, >> brick. >> That's why a wounded duck doesn't go. very far because it doesn't have that. tight spin. >> Yeah. >> So, it falls off its axis and won't. travel as far. >> Exactly. >> Same as a frisbee. >> And then the whole team's mad at you. >> Basically, anything that spins. >> Yeah. >> Frisbes, footballs, there's there's got. to be a baseball. Uh we could liken it.

to a baseball somehow. Let's say a. curveball, knuckle ball, slider. >> Definitely not a knuckle ball. It. doesn't spin at all. >> Really? >> Or is it like a shot put? >> No, the knuckle ball you The whole key. is It doesn't move. It travels like this. and that's why it moves all around. >> Crazy. >> Isn't that nutty? >> Yeah. >> Um, so you've got your you've got your yo-yo. sleeping. You're you're totally aware of. its gyroscopic stability. Um, and you. understand that its angular momentum is.

just awesome. It's far out, right? >> It's far out. >> But you want to wake it up. And that's. when you bring it out of its sleep and. rewind it back up the spool, right? >> Little tug on the old finger. >> Yeah. And the reason why is because the. loop, right, there's less friction with. the loop around the axle. >> Yeah. >> When you tug it, you increase that. friction and you allow it to rewind. It. just grabs a hold of its buddy and says, "Let's go back up to the palm.". >> Yep. It's pretty cool. >> Yeah. >> I like yo-yo physics a lot.

>> So, we basically just talked about the. two hardest parts, right? Sleeping and. waking. >> Yeah. And like I said, sleeping is the. key to do any kind of trick, like. walking the dog. >> Yeah. >> Which uh I was pretty good. I used to. could do a few yo-yo tricks. >> Really? >> Yeah. I could walk the dog and I could. do uh I could do the deal where you you. make a triangle. >> and then tick tock through the triangle. >> Something like a cradle or probably the. cats in the cradle.

>> Let's call it a cat's cradle. And then I. could I could uh do the around the. world. >> Wow. >> Around the world trick. >> Yeah. I couldn't do any of those. >> I'm gonna This inspired me to get a new. yo-yo. By the way, >> I like the vintage Duncan ones, specifically the yellow ones with the. butterfly. Like the gold the gold. butterfly. >> the inverted ones. >> No, just the butterfly on the. >> because they had those that were that. looked like a butterfly that were. >> I know what you're talking about. >> inverted. And I think that actually. plays a part in the uh.

uh increasing the moment of inertia. section. Yeah, >> I think that's why they flipped it out. to put more weight on the outside. >> Yeah. Okay. You want to talk about that? >> Why not? So, do you remember when we uh. did the um Murphy's Law podcast? >> How could I forget? >> Remember one of the books that he wrote. was for your moments of inertia? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I didn't realize it was a. terrible, terrible engineering pun until. I read this article. >> Yeah. >> Kind of made me hate John Paul Stap a. little bit. >> No, we love that guy. >> So, Chuck, a moment of inertia is.

basically a way of describing a spinning. object's resistance to changes in that. rotation. basically um being slowed. down. >> Yeah. >> Right. Um and what what smarter people. than us have figured out is that if you. increase the mass. >> Mhm. >> and distribute it slightly further away. from the axis, you're going to increase. its moment of inertia, >> right? >> And that increases the amount of time. it's just sleeping, right?

>> Yeah. And like I said, I don't know. this, but I just remember when I was a. kid, they had those inverted yo-yos. And. I I bet you anything that's why they did. that. It's got to be. >> because they were wider at the outside. and then curved in which had to be less. mass. >> Yeah. >> It was less stuff, less wood. >> Right. >> So, I'm going to go on record as saying. that's why they did that. >> But I think you want more mass further. away. >> Yeah. >> To increase its moment of inertia. Right. >> Yeah. So, it was there was more mass on. the outside, further away from the axis. >> Right. Yeah.

>> So, that allows things to sleep a lot. longer. And um that was a I guess you. could say one of the breakthroughs in. yo-yo design. I think in the '60s they. started adding mass to the outside and. um extending the axle a little bit. Bam. The yo-yo's been improved. Think about. this, right? 2500, maybe even longer. than that years ago. Yeah. >> Somebody invented the yo-yo. Does not. change until the Philippines in the. early 20th century. >> Well, I thought it said it did change.

We just don't know. said there were. changes in design over the years. No, >> not that I took. I took it like there. was one way and then there was the. Filipino way and that was it. >> We got a correction to make then. >> and then the 20th century hits and then. there's all these great improvements on. these designs. >> Indeed. >> One of the improvements, Chuck, was. adding ball bearings, right? >> Yeah. >> See, you and I don't think these are. improvements or at least I don't. >> Okay, that's absolutely true. That's a.

good caveat. I I think that the. Filipinos perfected the yo-yo. >> Let's just call them modifications. >> Okay. >> For sorry kids who don't know how to. yo-yo. >> Rich kids. >> Yeah. That makes it easier, I think. >> Yeah. >> Isn't that the whole point of both of. these things? >> Yeah. I guess. >> it makes it easier to sleep and. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I I guess they're like, well, if you're just enjoying sleeping. and waking your yo-yo, then why make it. tough? >> If you want to have fun with your toy, >> right? I can't believe they made it easier for.

kids to have fun. How dare they? >> So, the ball bearing design, I think, is. kind of clever. Um, basically the this. modification takes the axle and splits. it in two. >> Yeah. >> Into two races, which are basically. little courses for ball bearings to spin. around. Right. >> Now, does that split the axle? These are. just around the axle. >> So, one is connected to the axle, >> right? >> That's the inner race. Mhm. >> One is connected to the string. That's. the outer race. And then in between the. two are ball bearings,

>> right? >> Okay. >> They're not connected in any way. >> Um except maybe via the contact with the. ball bearings. >> Right. >> So when you when you release your yo-yo. toward the ground and it's linear and. angular momentum really build up. >> when it hits the inner race can tilt a. little bit and um connect with the outer. race via the ball bearings. So they're. they're spinning. >> Right. >> Right. And then as they straighten out, the um they they're they're not.

connected anymore. So that the string no. longer has any effect on whether the. yo-yo spins or not because it's just the. inner race connected to the axle that's. spinning. So your yo-yo can sleep far. far longer. >> Yeah. The outer race spins the inner. race which spins the axle. >> Right. It's like a transfer of angular. momentum. Exactly. And then the strings. just like you just let me know when. you're done and we'll wind back up. >> Well, it'll give a little tug will do. the same thing with that style. Right. >> Right. >> Okay. >> Or you can just completely take yourself.

out of the equation altogether except. for a snap of the wrist. The initial. release is all you need to do with. what's called the yo-yo with the brain. >> These are really fake yo-yos. >> Yeah. >> I want to get one though. It's kind of. cool. >> Like you could be in a vegetative state. and do this yo-yo. >> Yeah. This was in the ' 90s. a company. called Yome Omega released these and uh. they called it the yo-yo with a brain. when in fact they should have called it. the yo-yo with a clutch. And uh the deal. here is you've got these two clutch arms.

uh weighted ball on one side and it's. not attached on the other side and. they're spring-loaded. The uh spindle is. not attached to the axle, but the clutch. arms are attached to the spindle. So, when you throw this thing down, it's. going to spin slower at first and the. and the clutch is engaged. As it gets. faster all of a sudden, it's enough. inertia to pop the clutch essentially. against the edges and it releases the. spindle,

which makes the whole thing spin faster. >> on the axis, >> right? The centrifugal force um pushes. down the weight which pushes down the. arm onto the spring which releases the. two which allows it to spin. >> And it only spins for a certain amount. of time. It's not like the kind that you. tug back up. It'll spin till it slows. down and then the clutch locks back down. and boom, it shoots back up. >> Right back up. >> I want to I want to I wish we had one of. those. I want to see what it's like. >> So, basically the big the two. modifications are based on separating.

the string from the axle. >> Yeah. by by creating two different kinds. of I guess axles or spindles or whatever. which are really just sort of taking the. Philippine uh Filipino design a step. further cuz although it made contact. with the axle it wasn't quote connected. to the axle. Yeah. Or I guess it was, but it wasn't tight, >> right? And a guy named Michael Caffrey. is the one who um came up with the yo-yo. with the brain. And Yomega started. selling them in 1990, but he came up. with it in 1980, two years after a man.

named Tom Cune created the No Jive 3in-1. yo-yo that you could take apart and. replace the axle and do all sorts of. modifications with. >> Oh, really? >> Big big time for uh changes in yo-yo. design. >> So, did he rip this dude off? Is that. what you're saying? >> No. >> Oh, okay. No, I'm just saying like the. two these two big steps in um yo-yo. design. >> The way you said two years after was. sinister. >> Well, you're a very suspicious person. >> I am when it comes to yo-yo design.

Chuck, that's pretty much the physics of. yo-yos. Did you know that? We just. explained how yo-yos work. >> You know, I I looked online at videos.

and stuff to make it a little easier. because this is a very uh visual thing. and they they do have videos, but what I. found out is that a lot of teachers, >> physics teachers use yo-yos to describe. these whatever four to six properties. that we described. >> I have to tell you, I understand angular. momentum far better now. >> I understand and although it went. through the yo-yos, through the. football, I understand the uh moment of. inertia. >> Okay. >> Or wait, was that moment of inertia?

>> No, that's angular momentum. >> Angular momentum. >> spinning on an axis. >> Yeah. Yeah. Oh, you were talking about. the gyroscopic stability. Yeah, that's. what it was. Yeah. See, I get confused. >> I do too, Chuck. It's physics, man. Don't feel bad. >> Um, you want to know a couple more. pieces of yo-yo trivia? >> Yeah, let's hear it. >> In 1968, when Abby Hoffman of the. Chicago 7. >> Yeah. >> uh was um indicted. uh or no, charged with contempt of. Congress when he um started doing the. walk the dog uh in during a House on.

American Activities Committee. Oh, really? >> session that was investigating him. >> So, he was like, "I'm just so over this. I'm going to yo-yo.". >> Well, apparently the way I read it is. that he was trying to entertain, lighten. everything up. He's like, "Here, watch. me yo-yo." And he was walking the dog. and the uh. >> who act said, "No, not fun.". >> So, that's how yo-yos are connected to. McCarthyism. >> Take an SYSK quiz and that comes up. >> Plus, yo-yos were huge back then. >> Totally. >> That was like the heyday. I think this.

the 60s. >> Yeah. Um, Nixon. Have you seen Nixon try. to yo-yo? >> No. >> Man, if you don't like Nixon, this will. just make you hate him even more. The. night that they opened the Grand Old. Opry in I think sometime in 1974. >> Uhhuh. >> Um, what's the main guy? Like the whole. cast of Heihaw's behind Nixon and then. the M Roy Ak. >> Yeah. >> He presents Nixon with a yo-yo and like. has to put it on Nixon's finger and. Nixon looks like what's going on, you. know? And um and then he tries to do it. once and it just kind of like flops down.

and makes like a sad trombone noise. Wow. And he just has this sullen like. look on his face like I don't like. yo-yos. >> He looks kind of like you did at the. beginning of this episode. >> Yeah, me and Nick Tricky Dick. Who knew? >> Um and then they took a yo-yo in space, Chuck. >> Yeah, I saw that and it. still worked. >> It did work. They found that like. letting it drop did nothing because they. were testing it in microgravity. But if. you throw it. >> um it will it will go slowly. You can do.

you can do it slowly but it will still. spin. >> Um and it moves kind of um. >> just kind of gracefully along the uh. string like in just midair horizontally. >> and um but it'll never sleep. >> Well, thank God NASA did that. >> Yeah. Back in 1985. >> Those are all the videos you see though. They do much more than that. That was. back when NASA was like, "We have so. much money. We don't know what to do. with it." Let's launch something and. let's say the Toys and Space Project, right?

>> And they did. >> Now, this was just for yo-yos. That was. the only thing they did on that flight. >> Well, no, the Toys and Space Project. encomp encompassed 60 shuttle missions, one for each toy that they tested out. >> Wow. >> Jax was one of the best one. >> I bet the bolo paddle. >> Yeah. So, that's uh that's yo-yos. Frankly, I'm pretty happy with this one. >> I thought you were gonna lead in with. something on yoyo ma for some reason. >> No, man. Try to look up yo-yos in the. news and not get yo-yo ma. >> Jeez, >> can't do it.

>> Stupid chili. >> I searched a yo-yo. minus ma minus n minus gaba to finally. get some stuff on. >> Oh, yo gaba. Sure. >> Y. >> Oh, what was the other one? Yo, Mama. >> Uh, Neo. >> Yo, MTV Raps. That came up too. >> Did it? >> Yeah. I stopped searching before I. minused MTV2. You know, >> I didn't know you could minus. >> I was in a Yeah. And it'll it'll root. out all the search all this all the. results that have that in it.

>> So, you just put the minus sign. >> Minus and then the next letter. No. space. >> Had no idea. >> And you can do a bunch of different. ones. No commas, no nothing. Just like. minus gaba, minus yo, minus ma, minus n. >> You literally just improved my uh life. >> Well, good. or or my research it. >> for like the eighth time today. >> Yeah. >> All right. Well, that's it. >> All right. >> Yo-yos. I was in a jewelry store once. and Neo came in. Seemed nice. >> Who's Neo? >> He's this rapper. He's from Atlanta.

>> Oh, I thought you were talking about the. Matrix. >> No, that's his real name's Ken Re. >> That's Neo. This is Neo. >> Oh, yeah. I've heard of him. >> Yeah, him. Well, if you want to learn. more about yo-yos, including some really. top-notch illustrations, this is one of. those ones that you will see why we have. staff illustrators here at housework.com. in color. No, that's all. Um, you want. to type in yo-yo at the in the handy. search bar at houseuffworks.com. That'll. bring up that really cool article. Um,

and I said handy search bar. So, now. it's time for Chuck to shine with. another edition of listener mail. Uh Josh, this is uh uh one of our oldest. and not by age, but one of our most. loyal fans, Anna Spies. >> She has a band and they put together uh. well, let me just read it. This is. coming out shortly after Christmas and. she said it was still great to read. this. Uh hi guys and Jerry. Uh since. we're firmly in the festive, greedy.

little grip of the holiday season, I was. wondering if you could give a shout out. to a project I'm involved in, or my band. is at least. It's a charity album to. raise funds for the continued fallout. from the Japanese earthquake and nuclear. disaster. In the light of everything. that's happened since, I know it's been. put on the back burner of most people's. uh charitable contributions, which is. why we were thrilled and honored to do. our part to re raise awareness when the. label releasing this compilation. approached us to contribute a track. So, you know, she's right. You you hear.

about these tragedies that happen and. then 6 months later you kind of forget. about it. >> It's the curse of the new cycle. Exactly. But luckily, there's a lot of. people that uh my friend Dave is one of. them that's still working like on the. tsunami from five or six years ago. >> Oh, that's great. >> So, continued help is always needed. Uh. there's a CD is going to be out in mid. December. Uh so, by this by the time. this comes out, it'll already be out. Uh. you can stream the entire album, which. is 37 tracks by 37 artists on the.

website morehopforjapan.com. and her band uh New Century Classics. wrote and recorded a brand new song just. for this compilation and she's quite. proud of it and I haven't had a chance. to listen to it yet, but I'm gonna and. she says there's a lot of far better. known artist on there. Uh and anyone who. likes instrumental music, post rock, ambient, and basically pretty melodic. guitar based tune should dig it. So. check it out. That's Anna's uh Anna's. band, New Century Classics.

>> Cool. >> Morehop forjapan.com. >> Very cool. Thanks a lot, Anna. appreciate that. Thanks for letting us. know. Thanks for doing what you do. >> And thanks for listening for like years. She's been around forever. >> Yeah. Yeah. I guess if you're working on. something that you feel like everybody's. forgotten and shouldn't have, let us. know and we'll try to help you re-ra. awareness, too. Yeah. Yeah. Send us a. tweet to sysk podcast or you can shoot. us a Facebook something uh. facebook.com/stuffishyou. should know. And as always, you can get.

really personal and send us an email, a. real live email to. stuffodcast@ousstuffworks.com. For more on this and thousands of other. topics, visit housestuffworks.com. To. learn more about the podcast, click on. the podcast icon in the upper right. corner of our homepage. The How Stuff. Works iPhone app has arrived. Download. it today on iTunes.