Dominic of ViralVideoLab (previously) explained how to make a piece of penne pasta spin in endless circles over a flat heating element like a hot plate. The magic behind this cool looking trick has to do with heat flow and explansion.
The principle behind this experiment is simple: the heat flow from the hot plate generates the movement by causing thermal expansion in the noodle. This thermal deformation interacts with the prescribed deformation of the noodle geometry and causes the rotation.
