When I was in grammar school, yo-yo’s were extremely popular. Wooden ones of the previous generation had been replaced by psychedelic plastic models in all the colors of the rainbow.We even took them to school, and when the teacher was not watching, we would spin our favorite yo-yo right at our desk, careful to not hit the floor. At recess, competition in what you could do with your yo-yo was a badge of fame.
I recently read an interesting article about a class at MIT called the “Yo-yo” class. In the class on manufacturing, the students are to design a yo-yo, then make 50 copies. Hard to imagine getting credit in a course that makes something as simple as a yo-yo, but it does have features that teach fundamental principles that will be with the students for the rest of their career. I highly recommend watching the short video that accompanies the article. As Professor John Hart, one of the instructors in the class said in closing the article, “If you have the experience of actually manufacturing something yourself, you can be more effective and innovative in designing the products of the future.” – Dr. Tom
