-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The 32 metronomes are started out-of-sync and after a couple of minutes they are synchronized. One metronome takes a little longer than the others. What’s going on? Answer below the fold.
The answer is provided by Julianne Dalcanton:
The key is that the metronomes are not on a solid table, but instead are on a slightly flexible platform hanging from a string. Thus, as a metronome’s pendulum rod changes direction, it imparts a small force to the platform, which leads to small motions in the platform. The moving platform then gives small nudges back to the metronomes. These forces will tend to push the other metronomes to speed up or slow down to match the timing of the original metronome, bringing the metronomes “in phase”.
Here’s another:
What’s the point ? To me it’s visualizing of the workings of all of us eventually fall in line !
Not me, i’ll be the last.
First one more like – “Metronomes Rise Up”
It’s like a disorganised mob evolving into a chanting mob evolving into a marching army.
- a bit like basic training for military – 1) how to march 2) how to shoot
This one is not quite the same thing, but in the topic of simple things apparently doing ZOMG-how-does=that-happen things.
Cool nal…. If you think about it…. The miracle of the way the heart works is very similar…..
Wow, what deep answers!
What came to me:
!) who decided who was the leading metronome that they all synced with?
2) was the master the one who synced last?
Then the observation that this is a good example of order within chaos, ie non-linear systems. We saw one system progress through a naximum non-synced phase onto a fairly rapid syncing (sys 2).
There are often in non-linear systems several (potentially an infinity of) different phases of synchronization to use that characteristic.
The requirement is of course the linking together.
Just as the Atlantic and the Pacific are linked together, and the Baltica and the Mediterranean less so with the Atlantic.
Our weather is stongly linked, and the climate less so. But the latter is heading towards catastrophe, with its linkings to several external factors.
A subject for another time.
If this were done on a hard fixed surface with only impulse transmission through the surface or the air (ie sound impulses) then the synchronization might take months to happen.
And just a try at deepness, you noticed that the one on wheels was moving finally in one direction—towards the edge of the table—ie catastrophe.
The question remaining and the symbolical irony is:
Who chose the direction, and both ways led to disaster.
But this is only metaphorically societal. These metronomes are controlled by some physical factors, not bt leadership or the mob.
Reminds me of a lot of threads on blogs …
Nal, Good posts, may I call you Mr. Wizard?
PS The climate is driven by our human external imputs, so that we are driving in one direction. But discussions, riots and political decisions without physical thermal effect have no effect on the direction. Only thermal effects count.
The edge of the table (ie catastrophe) is when the gravity takes over in this illustration of the metronomes.
In the climate case, it is when the methane frozen in the arctic thaws and is freed over a climate cliff which can not be restored by us. We don’t have the techniques and the energy to freeze-store the methane again. And methane means runaway heat rise. Heat death occurs. That is the short description, the long one is more depressing.
Some say the earth has fought this process with ice age period previously. But the original must have been done by the “big death” when most of the earth was covered with ice, and only sea creatures and sea plants existed, from which we have developed.
Is your dependence on non-recyclicable enegy worth extinguishing life? So far that Gaia can ever restart is again,
Venus is such a heat death planet. And Mars?, Mars is a chimera created by a desperate NASA and scientists needing jobs. It has a poisonous atmosphere, and a solar heat input which could NOT sustain life. Forget the “greening” of Mars.
Here is where we were “created” and here is our only hope, and soon that will end. Air conditioners have become for Americans life necessities. Was it so 100 years ago.
More to say, but it will keep.
See below for typo edited version.
HEAT DEATH BY CLIMATE WARMING
=============================
The climate is driven by our human imputs, so that we are driving the climate in one direction. What can effect this warming process. NOT by discussions, riots and political decisions without physical thermal effect have no effect on the direction. Only thermal effects count.
The edge of the table (ie catastrophe) is when gravity takes over in the case of the metronomes.
In the climate case, it is when the methane frozen in the arctic thaws and is freed, causing the planet to fall over a climate cliff. Can we or the earth refreeze it?
By no known process. We don’t have the techniques and the energy to freeze-store the methane again. And methane means runaway heat rise. Heat death of all life occurs. That is the short description, the long one is more depressing.
Some say the earth has fought this process with ice age periods previously. But the original must have been done by the “big death” freeze, when most of the earth was covered with ice, and only sea creatures and sea plants existed, from which we have developed.
Is your dependence on non-recyclicable energy worth extinguishing life? So far that Earth can NEVER restart life again. I can describe why if needed.
Venus is such a heat death planet.
And Mars? Can we flee there? Mars is a chimera created by a desperate NASA and scientists needing jobs. It has a poisonous atmosphere, and a solar heat input which could NOT sustain life. Forget the “greening” of Mars. Forget Mars or the Moon as refuges.
Here is where we were “created” and here is our only hope, and soon that will end. Air conditioners have become life necessities for Americans. Was it so 100 years ago?
More to say, but it will keep.
Write your congressman today. Or tomorrow will do.
But not too long. The methane is melting, as is the ice.
I’m reading newest to oldest. This is much ore interesting than statistics.
The sound of 5 metronomes out of synch is pleasant. More so that when they are in synch and sound like a marching army.
Sling, I got the very same image from the first video.
BettyKath,
“The sound of 5 metronomes out of synch is pleasant. More so that when they are in synch and sound like a marching army.”
Marches versus symphonies.
While symphonies have a tempo and a director as metronome. The notes from the diffeent instruments are not given synchronously. And with many phrase repetitions with minor variatins giving a form of asynchrony. Pleasant. Yes.
Idealist. Sounds like a lot of hot air to me
OT OT OT somewhat
From metronomes to lockstep governing.
In Sweden, you may not be outstanding, even if people like it or it does not cost more. Instead of letting the outstanding person teach others, they are forced by bureaucrats to under-perform.
Don’t spur by example, you might make them depressed. Is this so in your town?
Is this why MOST school food stinks? Preparation for a life at McDonalds only?
Lunch lady slammed for food that is ‘too good’
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http://www.thelocal.se/43656/20121006/
“What’s for lunch?”, “Pizza!”, “We had that yesterday!”, “Yeah, ain’t that great!?” “Coke too!”
Of course, there are different kinds of Coke…..there is Diet,and there is ……..!
The question is, is the earth orbiting to slow and getting closer to the sun or is the earth orbiting to fas and it’s slowly moving toward the edge of our solar system.
Bruce,
You always say the same thing. Do you only have one rubber stamp? One brain contains many ideas, but not yours.
Bo wake the others, or wait until their Saturday errands are done. I sing apparently to keep myself company. Do share the bandwidth, if you will. Or be quiet. Puss på dig!
Bruce,
If you want to know I can answer you.
The responses were so entertaining that I never got around to watching the metronomes!
Imteresting stuff David. While watching the first video, the movie Fantasia came to mind!
<b<Bruce 1, October 6, 2012 at 11:17 am
Idealist. Sounds like a lot of hot air to me
=================================
There is good hot air and bad hot air.
Let’s look at an example of bad hot air.
In the oil addiction arena, the war on drugs is morphing into oil wars, with a recent twist that will put the oil drug war on steroids:
Bruce 1, October 6, 2012 at 11:17 am
Idealist. Sounds like a lot of hot air to me
=================================
There is good hot air and bad hot air.
Let’s look at an example of bad hot air.
In the oil addiction arena, the war on drugs is morphing into oil wars, with a recent twist that will put the oil drug war on steroids:
(The Peak of The Oil Lies). This report indicates that all these years your oil security has been a myth fostered by those who financed 9/11, those we have been invading the past decade, and as it turns out, those who do not like us.
They out lied us even though everyone thought no one could out lie us.
Much more interesting than syncrhonized swimming/diving.
“In Sweden, you may not be outstanding, even if people like it or it does not cost more. Instead of letting the outstanding person teach others, they are forced by bureaucrats to under-perform.
Don’t spur by example, you might make them depressed. Is this so in your town?
Lunch lady slammed for food that is ‘too good’”
Reminds me of a Heinlein quote:
“How anybody expects a man to stay in business with every two-bit wowser in the country claiming a veto over what we can say and can’t say and what we can show and what we can’t show — it’s enough to make you throw up. The whole principle is wrong; it’s like demanding that grown men live on skim milk because the baby can’t eat steak.” — Robert Heinlein
How much misery has been caused in the world because “we got a complaint”?
The world is full of two-bit wowsers who need someone to give them a great big wedgie. Sometimes playground justice is the best.
Eddie Slovak,
What’s the difference between Heinlein and Ayn Rand, please? We got one of her followers here, a nice guy but……
When there are libertarians running around, I feel like Trayvon Martin with George Zimmerman in pursuit.
Victoria Treder,
Watch out! See all the lovesick guys gathering. Feeling “in”? You are soon surrounded.
Watch out for lady attacks. Quick, show them your grandkids photos, if you have any…-.grandkids.
Here is a syncronized 3-D printer in action … it can print almost anything:
Do not judge by outward appearance. Harmony may be in front of you, and you will not know it. There was an internal harmony that was not seem right away. People jump to conclusions. Accusations, and persecutions result.
How popular is the saying “do a (whatever)” in the USA?
An old one here is do a poodle, which a politician does when he flops ´down afer admitting a mistake.
Then “Do a Reepalu”, after our anti-semite mayor of Malmö.
Now we have “Do an IKEA” now up for testing sticking power.
I thought it was because they were German metronomes. Or is that just a stereotype?
The black guys playing dominoes in the television room, and they wouldn’t shut up.
lol@HenMan
BettyKath:
or this one:
I first heard the Ghana Post Office drumming (to keep the work pleasant and to get all on board to synchronize to each other and cooperate with the work) from a CD that was tucked into one of my kid’s college books when he took a course in African Drumming and Dance. It had started with the stamping and then all sorts of other office sounds synchronized in. These were the approximations I could find on the web today.
In Scotland the rhythmic work songs are called “waulking” songs. They are sung by the women at work tables as they work newly woven cloth so it will be soft an pliable. This process is called waulking the cloth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waulking_song
Being a guy who loves beautiful Scottish women, I prefer Karen Matheson any day to a Ghana postal worker. The language is Scots Gaelic.
Here is Mary Ann Kennedy with another one. These songs were recorded at the famous Highland Sessions a few years ago.
i felt something of a kinship with the one metronome that stayed 180 degrees out of step with the others for so long.
pete9999,
Me too, aa I noted above wondering if he were not the leader, not a reactionary rebel.
Bu you have over time here shown your right to that 180-degree position best to my mind.
OS, wow, thanks for that music. The language sounds like the most difficult language in the world!
Malisha, Gaelic is a difficult language to both read and speak. You may notice the words have a way of flowing together without pausing between words. It is a language of both poets and warriors. Here is Amazing Grace, the most famous hymn ever, in Scots Gaelic. Below the video, you will find the Gaelic lyrics and can read along with the song. Karen Matheson, the beautiful woman in the first video above is the singer. Enjoy:
Nal,
There’s out of tune and then there’s out of tempo …
Liebe Blog-Eigentümer! Ich möchte Ihnen für die Bereitstellung von so viel nützliche Informationen danken. Sie haben einen schönen Stift, bravo! Glück
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Don’t understand that either. Perhaps you should spear American.