Did you ever wonder about that teacher's magical drawer that contained all the awesome toys confiscated throughout the year? Like that scene in "A Christmas Story" when the teacher opens her desk drawer to put in the kids' wax teeth, and when the camera pans to the inside, there seems to be a bottomless treasure trove.

Back when I was in school, I imagine my teachers' drawers were full of slap bracelets and pogs, followed by yo-yos when they made a quick resurgence in the '90s.

In this episode, I'll be talking about the current fad of confiscated classroom toys, the contested origin of them, the supposed benefits of them and a little bit of physics.

I'm your host, Emily Prokop, and this is The Story Behind Fidget Spinners.

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Sources:

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2017/05/the-fidget-spinner-craze-is-already-over.html

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/kids/woman-who-invented-the-fidget-spinner-isnt-getting-anything/news-story/05eb69bbd4c8598582d68ffd202e356a

https://www.fatherly.com/play/activities/theres-real-science-behind-fidget-spinners/?utm_source=curiosity&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=syndication

https://nypost.com/2017/05/05/woman-who-invented-fidget-spinners-isnt-getting-squat/amp/

https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-05-11/how-the-fidget-spinner-origin-story-spun-out-of-control

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/05/06/style/fidget-spinners.html?

http://time.com/money/4762207/fidget-spinner-inventor-catherine-hettinger/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2017/05/19/heres-the-science-behind-the-fidget-spinner-craze/amp/

http://www.livescience.com/58916-fidget-spinner-faq.html

http://www.livescience.com/58963-how-fidget-spinners-work-physics.html

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5946797/watch-how-jim-henson-made-david-bowie-spin-crystal-balls-on-the-set-of-labyrinth

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/638415231/classic-fidget-spinner-spinning-de-stressor-finger