Ladybug Revolution

Everyone likes things that spin; they make you a bit dizzy and, well, they spin. And how can we not? After all, we live on a planet that spins constantly. But have you ever wondered what exactly happens when we spin?

If, for example, you started spinning now, you would have the advantage of not having to read my sorry excuse for an introduction anymore. But then you wouldn’t be able to read what I have to write about Ladybug Revolution, which may be a cool app if you’re interested in physics.

Even though the title sounds worthy of a cheesy late 90s video game, Ladybug Revolution is actually supposed to help you learn a bit of physics – a topic that I’m not that familiar with. Basically, this is a Java-animated simulation, where you can place a ladybug on a merry-go-round of sorts. The ladybug actually remains very obedient during the process; in fact, it doesn’t move at all, and I’m not sure if it’s alive or not. It’s all a bit creepy, really.

After you successfully spin the plate (or whatever it is) and stare at it for a while (because you like spinning things, remember?), you may notice that there are arrows coming out of the bug. These represent the velocity and acceleration vectors. If you add the second bug on the spinner (yes, there’s a second bug, though it’s not very ladylike), you can compare their vectors and how their positions on the surface influence their accelerations.

If you try to change the angle while the merry-go-round spins, it is possible to stop all the momentum and throw the bugs off the surface. You will then hear them scream and complain in a chipmunk voice for about a second. Suddenly, you realize that the bugs were alive after all, which might creep you out even more, since they are still not moving.

If you go to the Rotation tab, you can still make the bugs spin, but you also get all these graphs which you probably won’t understand without the help of the physics teacher. In fact, you shouldn’t really try to run Ladybug Revolution without the assistance of a teacher, or whenever you’re not entirely sober.