A Matter Of Timing

H/T A list I am on which prefers to remain nameless.


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4 responses to “A Matter Of Timing”

  1. David Case Avatar
    David Case

    The table is free to move side to side in the same plane as the pendulums of the metronomes, allowing the synchronization to occur. If they were all sitting on a block of stone they would all go their separate ways.

  2. Simon Avatar
    Simon

    David,

    I think the communication of vibration through the table would also work. It would just take a lot longer.

    The tendency of oscillators in any kind of “communication” to sync up is well known. It was the discussion of that on the list that brought forth a link to the video.

  3. David Case Avatar
    David Case

    Thanks, Simon, I take your point. It was just that in this case the movement of the table was readily apparent but I suppose that some sort of waves would transmit through a block of stone as well. I recall once seeing a TV demonstration of how objects changed shape in response to forces exerted on them. A hologram was taken of a small ceramic bowl and then the holographic image was projected back into the space still occupied by the bowl. When the bowl was touched its shape changed which was made visible by the appearance of interference lines on its surface due to the difference in shape of the bowl and its image. That impressed upon me that any object, no matter how solid it seems, will respond to stresses by changing shape.

    BTW, good blog. I have enjoyed reading it for several years now. 🙂

  4. Simon Avatar
    Simon

    Thanks!

    My general rule when dealing with the universe is that there are no solid objects. It’s all made of rubber. Of varying degrees of stiffness. I had that figured out by age 13 – 55 years ago.

    I had read in some popular science magazine how scientists had measured the deformation a fly landing on a piece of rail caused. Then my “science” teacher said – when you push on a wall it doesn’t move. I corrected her. She was not too happy. But she did admit I was correct.