invertigo

Army Inside Out

Army Inside Out

Anyone who knows me is familiar with my hobby of playing with language and inventing new words.

Once, while walking down a series of “people mover” moving sidewalks in the Minneapolis airport, I was in such a hurry to get to my gate that I didn’t notice the next moving sidewalk was not working.

When I stepped on that sidewalk, I suffered from disorientation due to “anticipation bias” because I expected it to be moving when I stepped on it.  Having mentally and physically prepared for the motion of the floor under me, landing on that stationary floor caused me to become so disoriented that I nearly fell down.

After recovering from my disorientation, I thought to myself that there must be a word for the odd sensation I had just experienced.

Dizzyness?  No.  Even the highbrow “vertigo” didn’t seem to do it, but was close.

Finally, I came upon Continue reading