Silke Jasso
We’ve all experienced the uncomfortable sensation of feeling dizzy — feeling like the room is spinning even when we’re standing still.
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Have you ever wondered why this sensation occurs? Anson Wong, our 5-year-old resident genius, explained exactly how the process happens.
“The cochlea and anvil and succulent and three semicircular canals help with balance,” Anson explained. “When you spin around, the endolymph moves.”
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The endolymph is fluid inside the ear. As you move in any direction, the endolymph has a delayed reaction. The lagging endolymph affects sensory hairs, which send signals to the brain. Those signals tell the brain what direction you’re moving in.
“That’s moving the opposite way. Which makes you think you’re moving backwards,” said Anson. “When you’re actually not. And sends signals to the brain and then it tell you that you are not.”
When you spin, the endolymph moves in the direction that you’e spinning. When you stop spinning, the endolymph lags and continues to spin and sends signals to the brain that you’re still spinning. That’s when the feeling of being dizzy kicks in.
Anson’s Answers features a 5-year-old genius. He has a college-level grasp on various areas of science, dreams of becoming the president and can speak multiple languages. Did you catch that he’s just 5 years old? Anson has a passion for teaching others and loves to share videos explaining the human body, the laws of physics and his ideas for the future. Grab a seat, because Professor Anson’s class is in session!
