Everything is better with rockets, even fidget spinners

This enlarged, custom-made aluminum spinner reaches speeds of 5,294 RPM.

Fidget spinners are some of the most popular, and perplexing, toys on the shelves today. Marketed as a treatment for ADHD and beloved by kids across the country, these simplistic spinners do little more than, well, spin. Sounds a little boring, right? If you want to make these children’s toys more exciting, all you need to do is add a few rockets. That’s what YouTuber The Backyard Scientist did, and his enlarged, custom-made aluminum spinner reached speeds of 5,294 RPM with the help of three E-sized rockets. It should go without saying, but don’t try this at home.

About the Author

Alexis Gajewski

Alexis Gajewski

Senior Content Strategist

Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.

During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry. 

Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.

She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.

Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.

Connect with Alexis on LinkedIn

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