A new challenge took over social networks, this time it is the ‘broomstick challenge,’ which consists of managing to hold a broom without any support, but what are the relationship with NASA and this challenge? Well, several users around the Internet have declared that this challenge went viral because NASA said that on February 10, it was the only day on which a broom could be sustained due to the gravitational attraction of the earth. Although of course, this information was never published in any of the official accounts of NASA, social media users have not stopped doing the ‘broomstick challenge.’ In fact, there are several celebrities who have taken on this fun challenge as well.
It all started when one Twitter user @mikaiylaaaaa posted a video of a broom standing up straight on its own. The user claimed that NASA said it’s the only day a broom could stand up on its own, because of the earth’s gravitational pull.
This user on Twitter said that NASA had said that only for this day brooms can stand upright alone because gravity is stronger and planets line up. The comment is incorrect but unleashed thousands of users to try.
The challenge consists of letting a broom stand alone on the bristles. This happens, apparently, by a phenomenon of gravitational attraction of the planet over the spring equinox, or vernal equinox. The #broomchallenge went viral Monday, February 10, after an alleged message sent by NASA said the challenge would only work on that particular date.
Without thinking twice, users of social networks, and even celebrities and TV presenters, attempted last Monday, February 10, to demonstrate that they could leave their broom paralyzed only by the attraction of the force of gravity, and this way a lot of brooms became the protagonists of the day on Instagram and Twitter.
Many people think differently about these viral challenges on social networks. “This type of challenge is stimulating because it brings extra emotion and breaks with everyday life,” says Francesc Núñez, a sociologist of emotions and professor of Humanities at UOC.
Actually, CNN published a video in 2012 explaining that brooms can stand alone on any day, it’s just a matter of knowing the right technique. Everything is a matter of balance. So, what is certain is that with much patience, we could get our broom to stand up.
What is false is that it is only possible on the date of February 10th or that we have to wait for the spring equinox. We could get it at any time of the year. It is also false that the phenomenon has to do with the gravitational attraction of the Earth on a given day.
Actually, it is related to balance, and that the center of gravity on a broom is very low and rests directly on the bristles. This means that if you can place them like a tripod, your broom will remain standing. And that will happen on any day of the year.
Lesson of the day: Don’t believe everything that you see on the internet.
