If you enjoy demos like this and live in or visit San Francisco, check out the Exploratorium, which is full of amazing physical demos like this.
Pendulum Waves (2010)
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Re: Pendulum Waves (2010)
#12I’ve seen this demonstration at least a couple of times, once as an undergrad around 1971. I always remembered it and a few years later I was working with a minicomputer with limited I/O so I decided to blink the row of front panel lights just to show that the program was running. I blinked each on and off with a slightly different frequency and got a similar, interesting effect.
Re: Pendulum Waves (2010)
#13I recreated this in CSS/JS a few years ago, inspired by this video. https://codepen.io/madelinw/details/ocnCl
Same principle, though not a physical simulation: http://wry.me/hacking/moire-eel.html
By moving the mouse you can amuse yourself with various Moiré effects.
Re: Pendulum Waves (2010)
#14Without analyzing it too much this seems to be a perfect visualization of the mathematics of music theory. The lengths of string become quite a direct metaphor for the wavelengths of notes on the music scale, and seeing them move together in progressively different "groups" of notes I imagine closely matches traditional chord structures in different keys. Quite mesmerizing, and mathematically satisfying at the same t…
jazz is variable actuators/pendulums
Re: Pendulum Waves (2010)
#15Without analyzing it too much this seems to be a perfect visualization of the mathematics of music theory. The lengths of string become quite a direct metaphor for the wavelengths of notes on the music scale, and seeing them move together in progressively different "groups" of notes I imagine closely matches traditional chord structures in different keys. Quite mesmerizing, and mathematically satisfying at the same t…
Less the notes and scales themselves, and more polyrhythms and phasing. This reminded me of Steve Reich's Clapping Music , and similar phasing-heavy works ( Piano Phase , Drumming , Music for Pieces of Wood , 6 Pianos/Marimbas , and Pendulum Music ).
amazing, I need to read that book, any other suggestions ?
Re: Pendulum Waves (2010)
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
Less the notes and scales themselves, and more polyrhythms and phasing. This reminded me of Steve Reich's Clapping Music , and similar phasing-heavy works ( Piano Phase , Drumming , Music for Pieces of Wood , 6 Pianos/Marimbas , and Pendulum Music ).
amazing, I need to read that book, any other suggestions ? also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18696782
Read that book??
Re: Pendulum Waves (2010)
#17Great to see this come up again! Here's a simulator I wrote for it a looooong (almost 8 years!) ago: https://cs.stanford.edu/people/paulliu/webapps/pendulum.html
Re: Pendulum Waves (2010)
#18Now what happens when you couple the oscillators?
Re: Pendulum Waves (2010)
#19It seems like the pendulums fall into a few repeating patterns. E.g. for a second it looks like a snake, for another second it looks like a double helix, and so on. The whole set cycles through each pattern and then begins again. How many patterns are there?
Re: Pendulum Waves (2010)
#20If you enjoy demos like this and live in or visit San Francisco, check out the Exploratorium, which is full of amazing physical demos like this. https://www.exploratorium.edu/
They have “adult swim” on Thursday nights. I.e. adults only, and alcohol for sale. Classic first date spot. But to really make the most of it you’ve got to go by yourself and spend a day there, taking the time to appreciate and think about each exhibit.
I have fond memories of field trips to the Exploratorium back when it was at the Palace of Fine Arts.