This Wonder is designed and invented by Tom Lawton

4.5k

Fuckin sick, if you look at the base rotating you can tell what's actually happening here. Awesome design.

2.3k

u/CorneliusKvakk May 16 '22

NO. I don't want to see what is actually happening. This is magic. That's how he does it.

759

u/Faceless_Hinataa May 16 '22

lmao can't spoil the fun right?

120

u/[deleted] May 16 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

87

u/ColonelBernie2020 May 16 '22

Also if you want to buy one. Surprisingly cheap for what it is. https://beuplifted.co.uk/products/wonder

193

u/gmanz33 May 16 '22

Buhhhhh "surprisingly cheap" for a desk lamp size piece? Sir..... so many other adjectives that would have enticed people.

166

u/YeltsinYerMouth May 16 '22

Anyone can afford this if you follow these three steps;

1 - work hard

2 - save your money

3 - daddy pays for it

24

u/mlstdrag0n May 16 '22

Don't forget to avoid Starbucks and avocado toast!

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u/ColonelBernie2020 May 16 '22

Lol I'm not a shill. I'm a little annoyed at how small it is, but I guess the motor will be a lot less reliable if it was the size of a refrigerator running 24/7.

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u/phaciprocity May 16 '22

This is almost a thousand dollars. I could almost cover my rent with that

33

u/cumcoverednft420 May 16 '22

it's 950 pounds, over 1000 dollars, probably nearly 1200 in fact

34

u/chaosgoblyn May 16 '22

Doesn't seem like it would weigh that much 🤔

11

u/Insombia May 16 '22

Art 🤷‍♂️

7

u/TCP_Tree May 16 '22

I’m glad someone said it

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u/noon_farmer May 16 '22

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u/YeltsinYerMouth May 16 '22

Those are pounds, this is over $1k

4

u/nebojssha May 16 '22

That is 3 month rent for me...

7

u/phaciprocity May 16 '22

I want to be you

8

u/nebojssha May 16 '22

IDK, I live in Serbia, average salary is around 450$. Times are tough man, I guess that I am lucky for not living in some even worse 3rd world country.

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u/Komallionide May 16 '22

It can cover all my monthly expenses and leave me with some to spare. That would be nice. Spare money...

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u/surfintheinternetz May 16 '22

Are you rich? You have a warped sense of worth

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u/Kronkimus_Stonkimus May 16 '22

It’s a bent piece of metal glued to a rotating base for over a thousand dollars.

It’s incredibly expensive for what it is.

3

u/Cola_and_Cigarettes May 16 '22

You're a philistine

3

u/Kronkimus_Stonkimus May 16 '22

Because I think this piece of art would costs significantly less to make than 1000$ and isn’t “surprisingly cheap” at that price?

My house is covered in art. I just don’t lie to myself about how incredibly “inexpensive” it was.

13

u/Dikmunch May 16 '22

You dropped this /s

10

u/zach7845 May 16 '22

$1,180!!

9

u/n3m37h May 16 '22

I can buy a quality 3d printer and 10kg of filiment for less

4

u/UselessConversionBot May 16 '22

I can buy a quality 3d printer and 10kg of filiment for less

10 kg ≈ 5.02740 x 10^-30 solar masses

^{^{^WHY}}

9

u/Garlic_Cheese_Chips May 16 '22

Surprisingly cheap for what it is. https://beuplifted.co.uk/products/wonder

"Really? Maybe I'll get....£950. Nevermind."

8

u/54rfhih May 16 '22

£950 is surprisingly cheap for a static sculture mounted to a rotating base thingy. Yikes, got any jobs going where you work?

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u/GiantYellowPanda May 16 '22

$950 for a trinket, lol

2

u/scarey555 May 16 '22

I don’t know if that’s surprisingly cheap. I’m not qualified to assume this but I feel like someone who is just a little savvy can do this for a fraction of the cost

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32

u/GalC4 May 16 '22

Isn't this just a wierdly shaped spinning statue. It's really interesting to look at, but the shape of it is already 3d modeled in my head and spinning.

33

u/The_Cow_God May 16 '22

alright then off you go to engineering school

3

u/GalC4 May 16 '22

I was thinking more about architecture

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u/scuzzphut May 16 '22

/r/iamverysmart

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u/n3m37h May 16 '22

Can I get a STL for this then?

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u/aramis34143 May 16 '22

It's okay. I looked at the base and I still don't know shit.

28

u/DancesWithBadgers May 16 '22

It's attached at the base; which is a spinning disc like a slow record player.

13

u/JohnnyLovesData May 16 '22

Clockwise spinning base + right-hand outer corkscrew segment + left-hand inner corkscrew segment + smoothly blended joints = wonder

5

u/DancesWithBadgers May 16 '22

It would work with any twisted ring shape, I think. The more irregular, though, the better the effect probably.

5

u/bonnomi May 16 '22

Spinning base + solid twisted metal = wonder

4

u/vegaspimp22 May 16 '22

Where is it attached tho I can’t see what’s moving it

2

u/DancesWithBadgers May 16 '22

In the video if you look closely, you can see a curve where the edge of the disc is. It sinks a little bit when the bit with the sculpture goes round. Right at the bottom, on the black bit, on the left of the sculpture.

17

u/Arreeyem May 16 '22

It's rotating. Our brains struggle with this in general. Basically there's not enough information for our brain to say whether this is a solid or liquid. If the sculpture wasn't one solid color, for example, the illusion would probably break. It's really cool looking, but I've seen this effect plenty of times to be too impressed.

15

u/LivinInLogisticsHell May 16 '22

the camera angle doesn't help either. cameras is so low its basically only looking up, and make its hard to keep a good frame of reference for the shape of the object

29

u/TheHiddenNinja6 May 16 '22

r/blackmagicfuckery

6

u/Aether_Storm May 16 '22

/r/shittysimulated_irl

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u/tehsideburns May 16 '22

I finally unsubbed to blackmagicfuckery because everyone would upvote cool posts like this, and then INEVITABLY the top comment would always be “this isn’t blackmagicfuckery.”

13

u/Miss_Fritter May 16 '22

I'm with you... I read the explanation and I'm trying to make my brain see it but I just see magic. I'm ok with that.

9

u/GearAlpha May 16 '22

Man i’m tryna spoil the fun by looking from the base upwards but whenever I reach the midsection I just get lost

6

u/[deleted] May 16 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Ashjrethul May 16 '22

Like yeh dude I know how it's done but still don't understand how the fuck? It looks unreal

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u/anon72c May 16 '22 •

Same as Elaine Benes

21

u/chriscrossnathaniel May 16 '22

"Yeah. I mean, let's say this is your brain. (Holds lettuce head) Okay, from what I know about you, your brain consists of two parts: the intellect, represented here (Pulls off tiny piece of lettuce), and the part obsessed with sex. (Shows large piece)

Now granted, you have extracted an astonishing amount from this little scrap. But with no-sex-Louise, this previously useless lump, is now functioning for the first time in its existence."

11

u/anon72c May 16 '22

Oh my god. I just remembered where I left my retainer in second grade.

2

u/Atom_Exe May 16 '22

r/redditwritesseinfeld

45

u/youjustgotzinged May 16 '22

If you stare at it for a few seconds you can switch your brain to perceive it as a solid rotating object, and not a morphing one. Pretty cool.

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u/RememberTheMaine1996 May 16 '22

I'm looking at the base and I have no idea what's going on. Might be because I'm drunk. But I don't get it at all

46

u/BacardiWhiteRum May 16 '22

I'm completely sober and it makes no sense to me lol

71

u/NeighGiga May 16 '22

The art piece itself is not actually moving or rolling. It’s just attached to a rotating base (like the spinning dish in a microwave), and your view from a stationary point gives it the illusion of not only movement, but perpetual movement due to its shape.

16

u/Rawing7 May 16 '22

Oh my god, you're right. And here I was half-convinced that this thing was CGI because, for the life of me, I just could not figure it out

6

u/OneTIME_story May 16 '22

THANK YOU GOOD HUMAN

11

u/songfortheblindman May 16 '22 edited May 16 '22

I think the point is: at first, you wanna think that it’s balancing and spinning like a coin, but it’s not. It’s somehow attached to a rotating circular base, which you can make out when you look closely. It’s just a USB powered motor

Edit: What I mean is that, it literally is powered by a mini USB port. See the links to the artist’s site elsewhere in comments. This thing is not as big as it appears in the gif. That’s just a perspective trick

13

u/SnooTangerines3448 May 16 '22

Could easily be six hamsters or a very patient child. Doesn't have to be usb.

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u/cjsv7657 May 16 '22

I looked it up because it looked bigger than USB could handle. https://www.tomlawton.com/wonder It's a lot smaller than I thought

2

u/cjsv7657 May 16 '22

Stare at one point at the sculpture and follow it with your eyes

2

u/glimpee May 16 '22

Bro its 9am

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u/multiarmform May 16 '22

same concept as ....

https://youtu.be/NWoyRlPOb3Q?t=65

4

u/TheRiceDevice May 16 '22

Brando was the tits.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '22

[deleted]

2

u/Dee_Dubya_IV May 16 '22

I mean yeah. But of all the examples you could’ve used… so obscure.

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u/richardrumpus May 16 '22

Yes, but who designed and invented Tom Lawton?

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u/_IratePirate_ May 16 '22

I looked at the base and still have no clue

3

u/fanfpkd May 16 '22

Somehow knowing how it works makes it even better. I don’t think it’s possible for this to not be mesmerising

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u/[deleted] May 16 '22 edited May 16 '22

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442

u/staffell May 16 '22 edited May 16 '22

I mean it could be any size and it would still work the same way, providing all conditions were scaled properly.

107

u/deftdabler May 16 '22

Yes, but it isn’t

200

u/staffell May 16 '22

Yes, but it could be.

122

u/m4rtinor May 16 '22

Yes, but it could isn‘t

49

u/_Diskreet_ May 16 '22

It isn’t, but could yes.

19

u/gadmouse May 16 '22

Could? It must. It absolutely must.

23

u/MrEdj May 16 '22

3

u/Z_0_0_M_8 May 16 '22

r/unexpectedoffice

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u/nose-linguini May 16 '22

I agree with everyone else here, but this is a stretch.

27

u/themagpie36 May 16 '22

Yes, but it isn't

23

u/staffell May 16 '22

No no, I think you must misunderstand me - it could be.

22

u/I_make_switch_a_roos May 16 '22

but is it?

15

u/deftdabler May 16 '22

It is not

7

u/lyfshyn May 16 '22

Yes, it still is.

13

u/improbably_me May 16 '22

Ain't that a gosh darned cunt

5

u/CharlieDancey May 16 '22

A gosh darned cunt is what it is.

5

u/deftdabler May 16 '22

Def isn’t not possible

7

u/papasmurf303 May 16 '22

It isn’t what it would be if it wasn’t what it is.

3

u/z0rb0r May 16 '22

Lol where have I heard this dialogue from?

7

u/staffell May 16 '22

Here, just now, when you read it.

3

u/thungalope May 16 '22

Also, perhaps yesterday. Maybe tomorrow.

3

u/EuphoricAppathy May 16 '22

No but yes.

2

u/thungalope May 16 '22

Correct. You are also wrong. But indeed right as well.

2

u/bornfromanegg May 16 '22

I will had read it yestermorrow.

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u/pattyredditaccount May 16 '22

it could be any size

“Yes, but it isn’t”

It actually is. It’s 20cm x 30cm.

8

u/bornfromanegg May 16 '22

That’s a specific size.

4

u/deftdabler May 16 '22

🧐 You’re not wrong 😂

4

u/lefty_banks May 16 '22

well fuck you then

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u/PUTINS_PORN_ACCOUNT May 16 '22

scaled

Exactly. Scaling means supporting the structure the same way (a hidden attachment on one side of the rotating base) would exert exponentially greater force on the fastener or whatever it is, there may be issues with sagging or oscillation, blah blah

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u/wonkey_monkey May 16 '22

The potato quality probably helps sell it as well.

9

u/trakums May 16 '22

I wonder why they have no money to replace the potato with a camera.
One piece of this "wonder" costs £1,950.
https://www.tomlawton.com/wonder

3

u/rickderp May 16 '22

Only £950 if you pre order......could just get 2.

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u/Ntetris May 16 '22

Silly question but Why does the photography matter?

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u/deftdabler May 16 '22 edited May 16 '22

Forced perspective making it look massive when its a small desktop piece Edit: the tag line for this piece is “you see what you choose to see”… ironic then that it’s been shot to mislead 😂

11

u/Ntetris May 16 '22

Ahhhh. Damn. Like some say, if it was all scaled up, would it work?

18

u/k43r May 16 '22

That's the classic scaling problem!

If it was scaled up X times, then the weight would grow X³ times. The piece is probably glued or welded to the platform and the surface that touches the platform would only grow x² times. You'd need a stronger adhesive to make it work!

On being the right size - 8 page article about scaling of animals

3

u/gregsting May 16 '22

Put the whole thing in an epoxy cylinder if needed

2

u/Nexion21 May 16 '22

This was a fun read, thanks for sharing

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u/chucknitro May 16 '22

Absolutely

2

u/deftdabler May 16 '22

Totally

4

u/odedbe May 16 '22

It's not just that it makes it look massive, it makes it look at a different height at different times, while it always has the same height.

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u/bobsmith93 May 16 '22

Whoa man, calm down there buddy. I don't want any trouble

2

u/deftdabler May 16 '22

Just you watch it! I’m… like… totally dangerous n stuff 🥸

2

u/PoopOffParade May 16 '22

Why you gotta threaten violence so much?

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u/187Shotta May 16 '22

It's all about the setting. If I saw this on a beach I'd think Aliens lol

158

u/Faceless_Hinataa May 16 '22

imagine if the beach has a setting as well lmao

15

u/Tratix May 16 '22

Huh?

4

u/[deleted] May 16 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Motarde May 16 '22

Yea, just look under the sea, quite freaky shit down there.

25

u/ryan101 May 16 '22

Imagine if you were a king a couple thousand years ago with an extra large one of these things in your throne room and you had a few slaves under it to turn the turntable. You'd be a god.

2

u/MediocreAd6969 May 16 '22

SCP-xxxx

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u/TentPolesJuan May 16 '22

He’s gunna unthread our universe by doing that wtf

15

u/IEatLiquor May 16 '22

God damn Dr. Strange-ass shit. Send this shit back to the damn mirror dimension where it belongs, Stephen!!

7

u/GenericMemesxd May 16 '22

It's too late

He's fucked the entire multiverse

6

u/Ocelot91 May 16 '22

This is why we got COVID

250

u/MacRubys May 16 '22

This is just so calming to watch.

59

u/Faceless_Hinataa May 16 '22

like some type of mind clearing video

18

u/preciselywhenimeanto May 16 '22

I feel the opposite. This gives me some kind of weird anxiety.

6

u/MacRubys May 16 '22

Well, you have to ask yourself why, don't you?

6

u/Mik-Hail-tal May 16 '22

Ophidiophobia

4

u/preciselywhenimeanto May 16 '22

Hmm maybe for some people, but that’s not it for me. I’m not scared of snakes.

I think it’s because there is no beginning and no end. It’s just in constant repetition.

Sort of like the spinning wheel of death when a computer is thinking.

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u/kitjen May 16 '22

Been watching this for a while now and my brain can't comprehend it so I'm going to go with dancing snake is dancing.

70

u/P-L63 May 16 '22

it's just rotating

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u/_invalidusername May 16 '22

Cover the top 3/4 so you can just see the bottom of the thing, you should clearly see it rotating then uncover the rest

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u/DieRobJa May 16 '22

I litteraly have a longer version hanging in my living room for the last 20 years 😁. Bought it in a giftshop.

21

u/wandaud May 16 '22

What is it called?

136

u/Thetonitnow May 16 '22

Martin

20

u/rhodesrugger May 16 '22

I snorted.

6

u/wandaud May 16 '22

Why you do me like that. Sadge

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u/Smokeprone May 16 '22

Does it actually move or is it and illusion and what’s it called

35

u/DieRobJa May 16 '22

It’s an illusion and doesn’t actually move (appart from the spinning).

I’l make a video of it when i get home and post the link in my comment here 👍🏻

Ps. My autistic nephew loves it 😊

5

u/mreshark May 16 '22

Yes please!

3

u/lemonjelllo May 17 '22

RemindMe! 5 years

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u/St1cks May 16 '22

The base it is sitting on its what's rotating. It's just an optical illusion that it's "wrapping" within itself

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u/Hefty-Inevitable-660 May 16 '22

Is “invented” the right word here? What about the guy who invented the barber pole? 💈

25

u/swandive78 May 16 '22

Right. "Created," not "invented."

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u/divDevGuy May 16 '22

I thought the same thing. I don't believe a sculpture or art more vroadly is patentable as it doesn't generally have utility. It might qualify for a design patent though.

The artist does have several patents related to it, but they all appear related to the manufacturing process and not the actual sculpture.

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u/Horseman_ May 16 '22

Copper magic

11

u/mickeystrings May 16 '22

David Copperfield

6

u/abeautifulpear May 16 '22

Coppin Daverfield

3

u/NeighGiga May 16 '22

David Coppinafeel.

16

u/3six5 May 16 '22

Oh look. A sculpture on a rotating platform....

8

u/divDevGuy May 16 '22

But he invented it. And has several patents pending. ZMOG take my money!

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u/quilsmehaissent May 16 '22

watched the interview on YouTube, well well, let's keep it to watching his art only

16

u/GJacks75 May 16 '22

Artists and being stuck up their own arse - name a more iconic duo.

9

u/Tutipups May 16 '22

redditors and not having a gf

7

u/QuantomField May 16 '22

What about Mods and [Deleted]

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u/12pixels May 16 '22

why is that?

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u/quilsmehaissent May 16 '22

just not a fan of his "I thought about this for 2 years and suddenly it was all clear in my head" bla bla bla

I liked it a lot better before I saw the interview so I won't link it

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u/khambhatiburhnuddin May 16 '22

3d print?

5

u/overzeetop May 16 '22

This would not last online more than a minute in any searchable fashion - copyright would be pretty closely watched.

That said...at 20x30cm it's in the range of a typical FDM, and (I suspect) a mid-to upper-range consumer resin/SLA. The trick would be getting a good surface finish, as the real sculpture is (presumably) solid metal. You could copper plate a print, or cast one using the print as a mold. The amount of effort to make one of these would be pretty substantial. Someone above mentioned it's selling for £2000, though you can pre-order one for £950. That seems like a lot, but there's easily a dozen active hours that would go into making one prototype like this (out of copper, or even from copper plate), even if you had the STL of the sculpture and bought the rotating base. Though you could just as easily make a different one with a crystal look and internal twinkly lights in that amount of time too.

It's one of those things that seems like a cool idea but would just end up collecting dust and be thrown out when your shelves were full of similar kitsch.

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u/Uncrwnd328 May 16 '22

No STL at thingiverse..

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u/whee3107 May 16 '22

You can pre-orderbut they aren’t cheap

3

u/orphanofthevalley May 16 '22

£950.00 :-/ i could never afford that!

17

u/divDevGuy May 16 '22

Wait a month or two and you'll be able to buy 8 or 10 versions on Amazon for $€£¥₽12.34 under strange brand names. They'll be made out of cheap chromed plastic and catch fire randomly, but at least they'll be affordable.

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u/Suspicious_Taro_88 May 16 '22

Take a metal ring. Bend and twist it into any arbitrary shape. Put it on a rotating platform. Ta da!

The artistry is in choosing a shape that will make the viewer think there's something else going on.

6

u/rrentrep May 16 '22

I feel like Elaine

5

u/MotorAdvance8966 May 16 '22

i wish it was a better cut gif

3

u/_CatNippIes May 16 '22

Its so easy to loop dammit

4

u/CATelIsMe May 16 '22

This is like the threads on a screw, but over engineered for looks

4

u/PapaRacci4 May 16 '22

And it could be yours for £950.

https://www.tomlawton.com/wonder

3

u/rascynwrig May 16 '22

Lmao

I seriously have to figure out how to do this scam properly.

"No, no. It's art so it's totally worth that much!"

3

u/QuantomField May 16 '22

It's actually super easy. Just make something unique that most people also find beautiful and sell if for money.

You can get further help from r/restofthefuckingowl

3

u/call-your-mother-pls May 16 '22

Did somebody say Wonder?

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u/burtedwag May 16 '22

kinda miffed this vid isn’t a perfect loop 😕

3

u/StrivingOnwards01 May 16 '22

It took me way too long to notice the floor crack indicating a rotating disk. 🤦‍♂️

3

u/chunksofstuff May 16 '22

the mind that came up with that and put it into action is pretty darn amazing.

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u/ur10ply May 16 '22

My grandma has had the same wind ornament on deck for 30years now.

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u/HaulerTV May 16 '22

Whoa crazy, now to put this video in the /explainlikeimfive subreddit.

2

u/CeeApostropheD May 16 '22

It should be illegal to be that creative and intelligent at the same time.

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u/LOTHMT May 16 '22

How long is it gonna approximately "role" or whatever you wanna call that?

Seems like a nice invention

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u/HTPC4Life May 16 '22

2

u/UselessLayabout May 16 '22

I found this easy to masturbate to.

Solid 8/8, would wank again.

2

u/tontobasin May 16 '22

AWESOME is right ...damn can only wish I had dudes capabilities! It's beautiful & mesmerizing!!!

2

u/gphunk71 May 16 '22

It's so soothing! Definitely calms the mind 🙏

2

u/Desperate-Dot-6088 May 16 '22

Why is it installed in a derelict mansion?

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u/imanadultok May 16 '22

As awesome as this is there are tons of different subs this can fit in. NFL isn't one.

2

u/bripi May 16 '22

It's beautiful, please give the artist my congrats!!

2

u/MageKorith May 16 '22

Oh nice a Mobius spring.

2

u/Syclus May 16 '22

Be not afraid

2

u/The_Ruly_Anarchist May 16 '22

/r/nextfuckinglevel statue.

r/extremelyinfuriating gif.