Why do you get dizzy after spinning?
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After you watchWhy do you get dizzy after spinning?
The short answer
After a spin stops, inner-ear motion signals can briefly disagree with other information the brain uses for balance.
Try this next
- What happens to the model signals at the start and end? Replay, then scrub between just stopped and five model seconds.
Now you — bend it
- What if Would the model signals match if the ear signal settled instantly?Compare the first and final frames.
Can you prove it?Inner-ear signals can take time to settle after motion stops. — Compare the ear sensor and still-room view at the first and last snapshots.
Design your own test:Change only this variable and predict the result before running the model.
Explain it to a 6-year-old: Inner-ear signals can take time to settle after motion stops.
The whole story
How it works
Semicircular canals contain fluid and sensory structures that respond to changes in rotation. After sustained rotation stops, fluid and the cupula can briefly continue producing a rotation signal. The brain combines vestibular information with vision and signals from the body.
What people get wrong
The five-second drawing illustrates one possible mismatch; it does not predict an individual’s symptoms or recovery time. Dizziness can occur during motion too, and eye movements and brain processing also matter. Use the screen button rather than spinning yourself.
The catch
The five-second drawing illustrates one possible mismatch; it does not predict an individual’s symptoms or recovery time. Dizziness can occur during motion too, and eye movements and brain processing also matter. Use the screen button rather than spinning yourself.
Questions kids ask
What does this model show?
Predict whether model ear and eye signals match immediately after a stop. Run or step through five model seconds, then scrub or replay the same signal-decay model.
What does the model leave out?
The five-second drawing illustrates one possible mismatch; it does not predict an individual’s symptoms or recovery time. Dizziness can occur during motion too, and eye movements and brain processing also matter. Use the screen button rather than spinning yourself.
Talk about it
- Which signal settled over time in the drawing?
- What other information can the brain use for balance?
For grown-ups
Semicircular canals contain fluid and sensory structures that respond to changes in rotation. After sustained rotation stops, fluid and the cupula can briefly continue producing a rotation signal. The brain combines vestibular information with vision and signals from the body. The five-second drawing illustrates one possible mismatch; it does not predict an individual’s symptoms or recovery time. Dizziness can occur during motion too, and eye movements and brain processing also matter. Use the screen button rather than spinning yourself.
Keep going
What else makes you wonder?
- Which signal settled over time in the drawing?
- What other information can the brain use for balance?
