{"id":13576,"date":"2025-01-02T14:32:21","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T14:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=13576"},"modified":"2025-01-02T14:32:22","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T14:32:22","slug":"how-nyu-mathematicians-unlocked-the-physics-of-hula-hooping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/how-nyu-mathematicians-unlocked-the-physics-of-hula-hooping\/","title":{"rendered":"How NYU Mathematicians Unlocked the Physics of Hula Hooping"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Groundbreaking research from New York University reveals the significant role body shape plays in hula hooping, offering new possibilities for engineering innovations, energy harvesting and robotics.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ever wondered what keeps a hula hoop spinning or why some people seem to master it effortlessly while others struggle? Mathematicians at New York University\u2019s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences have unveiled the physics and mathematics behind this popular activity, revealing that body shape is crucial to keeping the hoop in motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a study <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2411588121\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers Leif Ristroph and his team delved into these questions through experiments at NYU\u2019s Applied Mathematics Laboratory. They replicated hula hooping with scaled-down, 3D-printed models of various body shapes, using motors to simulate human gyrations and high-speed cameras to capture the dynamics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interestingly, the findings demonstrated that while basic hooping motions are relatively easy to generate, maintaining the hoop\u2019s elevation against gravity is much more challenging. The secret lies in having a body shape with the right slopes and curvatures. Specifically, a sloped \u201chip\u201d to push the hoop upward and a curved \u201cwaist\u201d to stabilize it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPeople come in many different body types \u2014 some who have these slope and curvature traits in their hips and waist and some who don\u2019t,\u201d Ristroph, an associate professor at New York University\u2019s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and the study&#8217;s senior author, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyu.edu\/about\/news-publications\/news\/2025\/january\/how-does-a-hula-hoop-master-gravity--mathematicians-prove-that-s.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>. \u201cOur results might explain why some people are natural hoopers and others seem to have to work extra hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-image aligncenter uagb-block-9bfd74f5 wp-block-uagb-image--layout-default wp-block-uagb-image--effect-static wp-block-uagb-image--align-center\"><figure class=\"wp-block-uagb-image__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NYU-hula-hoop.jpg ,https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NYU-hula-hoop.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NYU-hula-hoop.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 150px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/NYU-hula-hoop.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"uag-image-13590\" width=\"700\" height=\"693\" title=\"Hula Hoops Shape Chart\" loading=\"lazy\" role=\"img\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Caption: <\/em>Successful hula hooping requires a body type with the right slope and curvature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Credit:<\/em> NYU\u2019s Applied Mathematics Lab<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:7px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These insights are more than just academic; they have practical implications that extend far beyond playground fun. Ristroph highlighted potential applications in engineering, such as improving the efficiency of robotic positioners used in manufacturing and developing new ways to harvest energy from vibrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe were surprised that an activity as popular, fun, and healthy as hula hooping wasn\u2019t understood even at a basic physics level,\u201d Ristroph added. \u201cAs we made progress on the research, we realized that the math and physics involved are very subtle, and the knowledge gained could be useful in inspiring engineering innovations, harvesting energy from vibrations and improving in robotic positioners and movers used in industrial processing and manufacturing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This study underscores how exploring everyday phenomena can lead to groundbreaking insights with broad applications. The research, supported by the National Science Foundation, was co-authored by NYU doctoral student Olivia Pomerenk and undergraduate Xintong Zhu at the time of the study. Their collaborative efforts have unlocked new avenues for innovation, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of seemingly simple activities like hula hooping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever wondered what keeps a hula hoop spinning or why some people seem to master it effortlessly while others struggle? Mathematicians at New York University\u2019s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences have unveiled the physics and mathematics behind this popular activity, revealing that body shape is crucial to keeping the hoop in motion. In a study [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Ever wondered what keeps a hula hoop spinning or why some people seem to master it effortlessly while others struggle? Mathematicians at New York University\u2019s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences have unveiled the physics and mathematics behind this popular activity, revealing that body shape is crucial to keeping the hoop in motion. In a study&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13576"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13595,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13576\/revisions\/13595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}