Great brain candy! I think I understand the slinky, but need to look at
the rubber band one longer.
I see the slinky as being like the candle in a closed jar or the washers
on rubber bands hung over the sides of a glass. When all of these are
dropped there is zero relative acceleration of gravity for the object in
free fall. As that is what makes the candle burn, the washers stay over
the edge of the cup and the slinky elongate, all of these phenomena
cease. How did I do, Don?