Stress Relieving Ellipsoid Spinning Top Physics Marvel and Optics Art by PhiTOP

The PhiTOP Physics Egg is a very interesting toy top the does a cool trick that seems intuitively odd. It seems natural for the "egg" to spin in a plane of the long axis of the "egg". That is, if it is just sitting still and you spin it in that position, it seems natural to expect it to keep spinning in that horizontal orientation. But, NO! If you can get it spinning in that horizontal orientation at a good speed, it will spontaneously tip itself up and spin very smoothly in the upright orientation! COOL!?! Of course it takes a fair amount of practice to get it to spin at a good speed without bumping onto the edge of the mirror base. I find it works best for me to use my thumb and middle finger on my right hand; like snapping my fingers. The instructions describe a different technique that might work better for you. Just keep trying. After a while you will probably get it to work. When you do, it is actually really cool. I bought another, larger convex glass disc, thinking the additional area would make it easier to get it spinning. That works, but the smaller mirror that comes with the PhiTOP has a small edge lip that keeps the PhiTOP on the mirror better, and gives me more successful spins. If you just can't make it work, I guess you can return it, OR, may I suggest that the PhiTOP might make a good gift for some friend or family member! I assure you that its does, in fact, work as described, but I can understand that it may be difficult for some people to do it.

It's a little difficult to master, but once you do it's rewarding. The convex mirror it comes with is small, so getting it to spin properly is tricky as you tend to hit the side of the ring which slows down the egg. With a little practice and patients, you'll finally get it right. When spun correctly, the egg will stand up on its end and spin like that for a minute or so. Lesser time for a spin not perfectly done. You can spin it on any flat surface, however. It is easier to get it upright, but it won't spin very long that way. I'll have to add that this kept my focus and attention for longer than I expected. I just couldn't stop looking at it. As it goes through it's revolutions and slows, it takes on many shapes and lighting effects. Truely mesmerizing. Very happy with it.

I purchased this as a gift and when it arrived, I was very surprised at how small it was. The recipient and rest of the family loved it and it was the hit of the evening. Everyone wanted to spin it. Very fun, cute gift, but small.

This thing is just wicked cool. It works ... you spin it firmly on its short axis and it hops up to spin on its long axis. Besides that, it is just a pretty little thing, well made and nice to hold and flip around among your fingers. If you like fidget spinners and such, you might also like this although it has no moving parts. I liked the aluminum one so much I also bought the heavier brass version (discontinued) from ebay. I love both.

Smaller than expected

I LOVE this thing, and not just because it almost perfectly resembles a UAP I may or may not have seen a few years back... I have to use both hands to make it work -- one-handed would be really tough to pull off, especially with the small mirror. You really need to get it to spin as quickly as possible, but keeping it in place without having it move around. Touch the egg on the end closest to you with your left thumb. Hold it in place my touching the end that is farther from you with your left forefinger (pointer). Have the egg held there like that, left thumb toward closest to you, right forefinger on the opposite side of the egg farthest away. (Reverse if left-handed, maybe?) Now really quickly pull to the left with your left hand and right with your right. The balanced motions will help keep the egg/ellipsoid stay in place, so maximum torque (is that the right physics word to use here?) is applied to getting the egg to spin _in place_. If you get it going fast enough, and keep it still enough... The magic happens! It really will stand up, and get really smooth in the spin, and go for quite a while. It's REALLY NEAT and SATISFYING AF! Don't give up! Don't return it! Have an attentions pan for more than 8 seconds! The internet is eating our minds! Restore sanity with the golden (mean) egg of destiny!

It’s a very interesting gadget. I think it should have been less expensive though.

The PhiTop is genuinely remarkable. It is beautiful just standing in its transparent cup on the mirror, but it is phenomenal when you finally get it to spin up to a standing position. Another striking thing about it is the mercury effect it creates as it slows down. Other reviewers have noted that the included mirror is too small, which is true. While it is possible to get the PhiTop to stand up on the mirror, I found it invaluable to practice first on a tempered glass coffee table top. That way I could get the hang of things without it constantly hitting the edges. Despite the limitation of the mirror, I am happy to give this 5 stars.