Curious About Boomerangs

PODCAST 131: CURIOUS ABOUT BOOMERANGS
RELEASE DATE:  APRIL 4TH, 2021

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  

O:  WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE BACK FOR SEASON 6.

D:  THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT THAT WE HAVEN’T COVERED YET, SO WE AREN’T GOING ANYWHERE ANY TIME SOON.  BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE MAILBAG FOR THIS WEEK, WE WANT TO THANK OUR NEWEST PATRON.

O:  THANK YOU, ADAM D.

D:  A BIG THANKS TO ADAM FOR SUPPORTING THE PODCAST ON PATREON.  FOR HIS SUPPORT, HE KNOWS WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED BEFORE ANYONE ELSE, BUT EVEN BETTER THAN THAT, HE HAS ACCESS TO OUR PATREON EXCLUSIVE CURRENT EVENTS EPISODES THAT RELEASE ONCE A MONTH.  

O:  HAVE YOU EVER LISTENED TO GROWN UPS TALK ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS AND WONDERED WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT?

D:  I KNOW I DID WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.  WELL, OLIVIA AND I BREAK DOWN THE 5 CURRENT EVENTS STORIES THAT ALL KIDS SHOULD KNOW ONCE A MONTH.  THE EPISODES ARE REALLY FUN AND INTERESTING.  IF YOU WANT ACCESS TO THE CURRENT EVENTS EPISODES AND ALL OF THE OTHER PERKS OUR PATREON SUPPORTERS ENJOY, CLICK ON THE PATREON LINK IN THE SHOW NOTES.  IT’S TIME TO GET CURIOUS.

O:  MAILBAG!

D:  MAILBAG!

“HI OLIVIA AND JACOB, MY NAME IS JACK AND I AM REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT BOOMERANGS!  CAN YOU DO AN EPISODE ABOUT BOOMERANGS PLEASE?  I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THEY COME BACK!  I AM 7 YEARS OLD AND LIVE IN MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA.  I REALLY LIKE YOUR PODCAST!  I LISTEN TO IT EVERY WEEK ON THE WAY TO TAEKWONDO AND SWIM SCHOOL.  

THANK YOU,
FROM JACK”

O:  THANKS FOR THE E-MAIL, JACK.  WE ARE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT BOOMERANGS FOR YOU THIS WEEK.  BY THE WAY, I ALSO TAKE SWIMMING LESSONS.  SWIMMING IS SO MUCH FUN.  

D:  OLIVIA LOVES SWIMMING SO MUCH.  IT’S ONE OF HER FAVORITE THINGS TO DO.  THANKS SO MUCH FOR SUGGESTING WE GET CURIOUS ABOUT BOOMERANGS.  BOOMERANGS ARE SO MUCH FUN AND THEY ALSO HAPPEN TO BE VERY INTERESTING.  OLIVIA, WHAT’S THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK?

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHAT IS THE WORLD RECORD FOR THE LONGEST DISTANCE A BOOMERANG WAS THROWN?

D:  SO, THERE ARE 2 DIFFERENT MAJOR TYPES OF BOOMERANGS.

O:  THE FIRST ONE INVENTED WAS THE NON-RETURNING BOOMERANG.

D:  NON-RETURNING BOOMERANGS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AT LEAST 20,000 YEARS, WITH BOOMERANG ARTIFACTS FROM THAT LONG AGO FOUND IN POLAND.  

O:  NON-RETURNING BOOMERANGS HAVE THAT NAME, BECAUSE THEY DON’T RETURN TO THE THROWER.

D:  AND, THAT’S BECAUSE NON-RETURNING BOOMERANGS WERE USED FOR HUNTING, AND NOT FOR FUN, SO YOU WOULDN’T REALLY WANT THEM TO RETURN TO YOU.  ALTHOUGH OLD BOOMERANG ARTIFACTS WERE FOUND IN POLAND, IT’S AUSTRALIA THAT USUALLY GETS THE CREDIT FOR THE INVENTION, DESIGN, AND INNOVATION SURROUNDING THE BOOMERANG.  

O:  THE INSPIRATION FOR THE BOOMERANG PROBABLY CAME FROM HUNTERS THAT USED ROCKS AND STICKS.

D:  IF YOU’VE EVER THROWN A TREE BRANCH BEFORE, YOU MAY HAVE HAD AN OBSERVATION.  IT’S EASIER TO THROW A BENT BRANCH MORE ACCURATELY THAN A PERFECTLY STRAIGHT BRANCH.  

O:  WITH A BENT BRANCH, YOU CAN THROW FURTHER AND MORE ACCURATELY. 

D:  YOU CAN SEE THIS FOR YOURSELF.  WITH ADULT SUPERVISION, YOU CAN TRY THROWING STRAIGHT AND CURVED BRANCHES AT A TARGET.  YOU WILL PROBABLY NOTICE THAT YOU CAN THROW MORE ACCURATELY WITH A CURVED BRANCH.    

SO, AFTER HAVING THIS OBSERVATION, PRIMITIVE HUNTERS PROBABLY LOOKED TO DESIGN AN EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE HUNTING TOOL THAT WAS CURVED TO ALLOW FOR GREATER DISTANCE AND ACCURACY.  

O:  THAT’S PROBABLY WHY THE FIRST NON-RETURNING BOOMERANGS WERE MADE.  

D:  BUT OUR BUDDY JACK WAS PROBABLY MORE CURIOUS ABOUT RETURNING BOOMERANGS, BECAUSE HE ASKED US HOW THEY ARE ABLE TO RETURN TO THE THROWER.

O:  PREPARE YOURSELF, BECAUSE MY DADDY IS ABOUT TO TEACH US SOME PHYSICS.

D:  AND THAT’S OKAY, BECAUSE PHYSICS IS FUN, AND IT’S NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE PHYSICS INVOLVED WHEN YOU THROW A BOOMERANG TO KNOW HOW IT’S ABLE TO RETURN TO YOU, BUT FIRST, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE DESIGN OF A RETURNING BOOMERANG.

O:  RETURNING BOOMERANGS ARE LIGHTWEIGHT, AND THEY ARE USUALLY MADE FROM WOOD OR PLASTIC.

D:  AND THEY HAVE A VERY UNIQUE SHAPE.  BOOMERANGS ARE MADE FROM WINGS, USUALLY TWO OF THEM, THAT ARE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER TO MAKE THE SHAPE OF A BANANA.

O:  RETURNING BOOMERANGS ARE USUALLY ONE TO TWO FEET LONG.

D:  THE NON-RETURNING BOOMERANGS USED FOR HUNTING WERE EVEN LONGER, AND THEY WERE HEAVIER, WHICH MADE THEM IDEAL FOR HUNTING.  

O:  RETURNING BOOMERANGS ARE GREAT FOR EXERCISE AND TRYING TO CATCH THE BOOMERANG AS IT RETURNS, BUT THEY WOULDN’T BE GREAT FOR HUNTING, BECAUSE THEY ARE HARDER TO THROW AT A TARGET.  

D:  THERE IS ONE OTHER THING THAT YOU WOULD NOTICE IF YOU WERE HOLDING A BOOMERANG THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ALLOWING IT TO FLY.  

O:  THE WINGS OF THE BOOMERANG ARE TILTED AND HAVE AN AIRFOIL DESIGN.

D:  THAT MEANS THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED TO BE A LOT LIKE AIRPLANE WINGS.  AN AIRFOIL DESIGN MEANS THAT ONE SIDE OF THE WING IS FLAT AND THE OTHER IS CURVED, JUST LIKE THE WING OF AN AIRPLANE.  AS A RESULT OF THIS DESIGN, A BOOMERANG IS ABLE TO GET THE FORCE OF LIFT, WHICH KEEPS IT OFF THE GROUND LONGER AND IT ALLOWS IT TO FLY.  

O:  THAT ALL MAKES SENSE, BUT HOW IN THE WORLD DOES IT COME BACK TO YOU AFTER YOU THROW IT?
D:  OKAY, THIS IS WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED.  BOOMERANGS ARE NOT THROWN THE SAME WAY THAT FRISBEES ARE.  IF YOU TRIED TO THROW A BOOMERANG HORIZONTALLY, IN THE WAY YOU WOULD THROW A FRISBEE, IT WOULDN’T RETURN TO YOU, AND IT WOULDN’T EVEN STAY UP FOR LONG BEFORE IT CRASHES TO THE GROUND.  

O:  BOOMERANGS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THROWN VERTICALLY SO THAT ONE WING STARTS OVER THE OTHER.  

D:  YOU WOULD BE THROWING IT VERTICALLY BY HOLDING IT BY ONE WING, WHILE THE OTHER WING IS POINTED UP TO THE SKY.  THE CENTER OF THE BOOMERANG SHOULD BE POINTED TOWARD YOU WHEN YOU THROW.  SO, IF YOU THROW A BOOMERANG CORRECTLY, IT IS FLYING FORWARD BECAUSE YOU THREW IT, AND IT’S ALSO SPINNING ROUND AND ROUND AT THE SAME TIME.  HERE’S WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING.  BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE WING ON TOP IS MOVING QUICKER IN THE AIR THAN THE WING ON THE BOTTOM.  THAT’S BECAUSE IT HAS THE FORCE FROM YOUR THROW ACTING ON IT, BUT IT ALSO HAS THE FORCE PUSHING IT FORWARD AS IT SPINS ROUND AND ROUND ACTING ON IT.  ANOTHER WAY OF THINKING OF IT IS THAT THE WING ON THE BOTTOM IS GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE WAY THE BOOMERANG WAS THROWN, MAKING IT TRAVEL SLOWER.  OF COURSE, THE WING ON TOP KEEPS CHANGING AS THE BOOMERANG CONTINUES TO SPIN ROUND AND ROUND, BUT BECAUSE ONE OF THE WINGS IS ALWAYS SPINNING FASTER THAN THE OTHER, THE BOOMERANG STARTS TO TILT TO ONE SIDE.  

O:  AFTER THE BOOMERANG TILTS, IT’S PROBABLY HARD FOR IT TO STAY UP IN THE AIR.

D:  SO, THAT’S WHAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT, BUT IT’S NOT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS, THANKS TO SOMETHING CALLED GYROSCOPIC PRECESSION.  WE LEARNED ABOUT GYROSCOPIC PRECESSION IN THE CURIOUS ABOUT BICYCLES EPISODE.

O:  IT’S WHAT ALLOWS BICYCLES TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT FALLING OVER, EVEN IF THERE ISN’T A RIDER ON TOP OF THE BICYCLE KEEPING IT BALANCED.  

D:  THAT’S RIGHT.  IN THE CASE OF THE BOOMERANG, GYROSCOPIC PRECESSION WORKS TO KEEP THE BOOMERANG STABLE BY TURNING IT RATHER THAN LETTING IT TILT TO THE GROUND.  IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE BOOMERANG IS THROWN HARD ENOUGH, OR GYROSCOPIC PRECESSION WON’T BE ABLE TO TURN THE BOOMERANG TO KEEP IT STABLE.  THE SAME THING APPLIED TO BICYCLES.  IN ORDER TO KEEP BICYCLES FROM FALLING OVER, THEY HAVE TO BE MOVING FAST ENOUGH, SO IF A BICYCLE IS MOVING FAST ENOUGH, EVEN IF IT DOESN’T HAVE A RIDER, IT WON’T FALL OVER.  

O:  BOOMERANGS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE FIRST MANMADE FLYING INVENTION.  

D:  THEY EXISTED LONG BEFORE THINGS LIKE AIRPLANES AND HELICOPTERS.  OKAY, LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  WHAT IS THE RECORD FOR THE LONGEST BOOMERANG THROW?

O:  THE RECORD DISTANCE WAS 1,402 FEET.  THAT’S UNBELIEVABLE.

D:  AND, NOT ONLY IS THAT DISTANCE GOOD ENOUGH TO BE THE LONGEST BOOMERANG THROW, BUT IT’S ACTUALLY THE LONGEST THROW OF ANY OBJECT BY A HUMAN ON RECORD.  THE BOOMERANG WAS THROWN BY MANUEL SCHUTZ OF SWITZERLAND IN 1999.  

O:  WAS HE ABLE TO CATCH THAT BOOMERANG WHEN IT CAME BACK?

D:  NO, HE WASN’T.  IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS RECORD, IT WASN’T NECESSARY FOR HIM TO CATCH IT, BUT IT WAS JUST NECESSARY FOR THE BOOMERANG TO RETURN TO A SMALL AREA AROUND WHERE THE THROWER THREW THE BOOMERANG FROM, SO IT DID RETURN.  

O:  IF ANY OF OUR LISTENERS THROW BOOMERANGS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL.

D:  LEARNING HOW TO THROW A BOOMERANG CORRECTLY TAKES SOME WORK, THE SAME WAY IT TAKES A BIT OF PRACTICE TO LEARN HOW TO THROW A FRISBEE.  THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT THROWING A FRISBEE INCORRECTLY PROBABLY WON’T HURT YOU.  IF YOU PLAN ON LEARNING HOW TO THROW A BOOMERANG, PLEASE DO IT WITH A GROWN UP AND USE A BOOMERANG THAT WON’T HURT YOU IF IT RETURNS TO YOU AND YOU CAN’T CATCH IT.
WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  131 - BOOMERANGS.

D:  GREAT JOB, OLIVIA AND GREAT JOB, JACK.  IF YOU WANT TO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT, SEND AN E-MAIL TO CURIOUSKIDPODCAST@GMAIL.COM.  IF YOU WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE ON CURIOUS KID PODCAST, YOU CAN ALWAYS LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL INSTEAD BY CALLING 856-425-2324.  NEXT WEEK, WE ARE GOING TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT A VERY DIFFERENT TOPIC, WHEN WE LEARN ABOUT POOP AND PEE FOR A LISTENER IN VIENNA, VIRGINIA.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.