1Two ways your body senses turning
Your ears feel it, your eyes see it
You don't have just one "am I turning?" sensor — you have two, and they usually agree. Watch each one work:
A loop of liquid in your ear
Deep in each ear is a tiny ring full of liquid. When your head turns, the liquid swishes and bends a little hair-broom — that's how your ear feels a turn.
Your eyes watch the room
Your eyes report turning too — by watching the room slide past. When the room sits still, your eyes say "we're not turning."
2Your turn — be the spinner
Look inside the ear-ring as you turn
This is a bird's-eye view of the liquid loop in your ear. Change the turning speed and inspect the liquid and sensor. The sensor bends when liquid moves relative to the loop. The separate experiment will test a complete stop.
3The real test: hit the brakes
Spin… then STOP. What happens next?
Use the drawing’s spin button; you do not need to spin yourself. This model compares an ear signal after a stop with a steady view of the room.
Guess before you find out
After the model head stops, will the ear and eye signals match immediately?