# How does this trick (stunt?) work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2020, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-trick-stunt-work/915539 "2020-07-17T01:35:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2020, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-trick-stunt-work/915539/1 "2020-07-17T01:35:21Z")
This video is kinda hypnotic, takes your mind off COVID etc for awhile. At 17:04, these things that look like colored tongue depressors go flying. Where’s the energy coming from? Did they store some tension in them, like when you shuffle a deck of cards? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bUl295oyeIc/maxresdefault.jpg "30 Minutes of DOMINOES FALLING! - Most Satisfying ASMR Compilation") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUl295oyeIc) ---
**Author:** ![Enjoy\_Slurm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enjoy_slurm/32/3937_2.png) [@Enjoy\_Slurm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enjoy_Slurm)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2020, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-trick-stunt-work/915539/2 "2020-07-17T01:45:45Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > Did they store some tension in them Yes. See how they are laced together? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2020, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-trick-stunt-work/915539/3 "2020-07-17T01:45:50Z")
I’ve seen that before. The sticks are all interwoven under tension with just one piece held down. You can see a large block is used to keep it in place. Once that piece is free to snap loose it continues in a chain reaction. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2020, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-trick-stunt-work/915539/4 "2020-07-17T01:50:40Z")
Thanks for the replies. It’s very cool IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Kzbre5m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kzbre5m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kzbre5m)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2020, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-trick-stunt-work/915539/5 "2020-07-17T12:45:53Z")
A quick search (I was curious too) found Scientific American’s [Flying Stick Chain Reaction](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/flying-stick-chain-reaction/), which phrase found more STEM activities: [Steve Spangler](https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/popsicle-stick-chain-reaction/) (also a good source of other fun activities), and [Science Buddies](https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/popsicle-stick-chain-reaction), which warns that this is not an appropriate science fair project! ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2020, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-trick-stunt-work/915539/6 "2020-07-17T13:52:38Z")
Did you ever make an exploding ninja star out of popsicle sticks as a kid? Same principle. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-trick-stunt-work/915539/7 "2020-07-17T14:03:50Z")
We also made spring like things with a paper clip. They would be under tension and if you’d drop them from 2 feet up they’d hit the floor and spring up about 8 feet. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-trick-stunt-work/915539/8 "2020-07-17T14:09:27Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Did you ever make an exploding ninja star out of popsicle sticks as a kid? Same principle. Nope. Never heard of them. > [@Hampshire](#): > > We also made spring like things with a paper clip. They would be under tension and if you’d drop them from 2 feet up they’d hit the floor and spring up about 8 feet. Interesting. I guess I had a dull childhood. I’m surprised they can store that much energy. For anybody who’s interested, this shows the “cobra weave” at about 1:20 in. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CGUvMJ6cbXA/hqdefault.jpg "AMAZING Chain Reactions!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGUvMJ6cbXA)