Veracohr Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 I am reading [i]The Elegant Universe[/i] by Brian Greene. It describes the superstring theory (string theory) and the quest for the unified field theory of physics. I seem to remember possibly hearing about this somewhere, so it may not be an entirely unique idea: I just started the book, and he gives a very simple explanation early for string theory--that the smallest known atomic particles (quarks, muons, etc.) all consist of these one-dimensional [i]strings[/i], looped or free-ended, that vibrate at different rates. The manner of the vibration of the string determines which particle it will be. I had this thought, which came about because he made an analogy of the strings vibrating like being a piano string vibrating. I thought, (assuming for the sake of argument the string theory is true) "Hey you've got all these different particles, which are just strings vibrating differently. If the frequency of these vibrations were able to be calculated, you could then have a synthesizer play the frequency (transposed up or down into the audio range, if necessary). Then you put together the frequencies of all the different sub-atomic particles, and you have the music of the universe! Though it probably wouldn't be very 'musical'. "And then you have these thoughts in the back of your mind like 'Why am I doing this? Or is this a figment of my imagination?'" http://www.veracohr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brakka Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 Can you post an mp3 sample? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phaeton Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 What determines thier frequency? Length of string? Otherwise, through empathetic vibration, wouldn't everything just turn into the same thing? Dr. Seuss: The Original White Rapper . WWND? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 Veracohr, You might be interested in [url=http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=014904]THIS THREAD![/url] :p :cool: "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veracohr Posted September 4, 2003 Author Share Posted September 4, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by phaeton: [b]What determines thier frequency? Length of string?[/b][/quote]Don't know, haven't gotten that far in the book yet. "And then you have these thoughts in the back of your mind like 'Why am I doing this? Or is this a figment of my imagination?'" http://www.veracohr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wow Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 Whats the simplest way to tell the "flap speed" of a fly's wings. Got this one out of "Science of Musical Sound" by John Pierce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorman Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 yeah - if you can just get past the concept of a "one-dimensional string", you'll be fine (a single dimension has no extension in space - it is a point with no volume). string theory has been around for quite a while now, and is as hotly debated as it ever was. it is just an idea, and should not be mistaken as ANY kind of actual understanding of the nature of reality. if you really want to read about physics that we really do have an understanding of, read QED by feynman, and even there it is only the mechanics of electrodynamics that we can describe, not the underlying "why does it behave that way" part... jnorman sunridge studios salem, oregon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrix Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 Yeah but the ultimate cosmic question is What gauge are those strings? .o11s? Personally Id rather contemplate one dimensional thongs. BTW - At the frequencies involved you'd have to transpose the vibrations down several thousand octaves to get below 20Khz so we could hear it. Also, the vibrations are continuous - so there would be no beat- no groove - Just an endless cosmic drone from a gazillion strings. I suspect this is not very musical. Another book you may find interesting is " The Tao of Physics" by Frijit Capra. It explores the parallels between modern concepts in physics and eastern philosophy/religion. I really related to this one. ( I was a Physics major in College). Very thought provoking. Check out some tunes here: http://www.garageband.com/artist/KenFava Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmy2000 Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by jnorman: [b]yeah - if you can just get past the concept of a "one-dimensional string", you'll be fine (a single dimension has no extension in space - it is a point with no volume)[/b][/quote]If we're gonna be picky it's a line with no volume i.e. it has length and no breadth or depth. [b]if you really want to read about physics that we really do have an understanding of, read QED by feynman, and even there it is only the mechanics of electrodynamics that we can describe, not the underlying "why does it behave that way" part...[/b] That's what kind of depresses me about Quantum Mechanics - if you take the orthodox view, it gives exactly the right answers but you can never know exactly what is going on. That's not Quantum Mechanic's fault though, it just seems to be the nature of things and we all just have to get used to it. The other option is to accept that we're living in a multiverse. The thing is, once you get in to the implications of the various experiments that have been performed to test Quantum Mechanics, many universes doesn't seem all that bizarre! Not wanting to hijack your thread, but has anyone heard about Deutsche (I think) and his theory of how Quantum Computers should eventually be able to prove or disprove the many-worlds theory? In his blue velour and silk you liberated, a boy I never rated, and now he's throwing discus, for Liverpool and Widnes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phaeton Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 gasman sez: [b]Veracohr, You might be interested in THIS THREAD! [/b] They're called [i]strings[/i], not [i]threads[/i], dammit! Dr. Seuss: The Original White Rapper . WWND? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veracohr Posted September 4, 2003 Author Share Posted September 4, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by Kendrix: [b]BTW - At the frequencies involved you'd have to transpose the vibrations down several thousand octaves to get below 20Khz so we could hear it. Also, the vibrations are continuous - so there would be no beat- no groove - Just an endless cosmic drone from a gazillion strings. I suspect this is not very musical.[/b][/quote]True, but you could actually create music out of it. Say, start with an electron, a muon and a neutrino. Then you could fade in a quark, fade in a positron, so on and so forth! [quote][b]Another book you may find interesting is " The Tao of Physics" by Frijit Capra. It explores the parallels between modern concepts in physics and eastern philosophy/religion. I really related to this one. ( I was a Physics major in College). Very thought provoking.[/b][/quote]I've got that one, I love it! If found it easy to grasp, because I already knew most of what it was talking about from the religious point of view. So the book just explained certain aspects of modern physics, and it was easy to see how they compared to what I already knew about eastern religion. "And then you have these thoughts in the back of your mind like 'Why am I doing this? Or is this a figment of my imagination?'" http://www.veracohr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veracohr Posted September 4, 2003 Author Share Posted September 4, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by Is There Gas in the Car?: [b]Veracohr, You might be interested in [url=http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=014904]THIS THREAD![/url] :p :cool: [/b][/quote]More like this: [img]http://www.erowid.org/plants/mushrooms/images/archive/psilocybe_cubensis34.jpg[/img] "And then you have these thoughts in the back of your mind like 'Why am I doing this? Or is this a figment of my imagination?'" http://www.veracohr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrix Posted September 5, 2003 Share Posted September 5, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by Veracohr: [b] [quote]Originally posted by Kendrix: [b]BTW - At the frequencies involved you'd have to transpose the vibrations down several thousand octaves to get below 20Khz so we could hear it. Also, the vibrations are continuous - so there would be no beat- no groove - Just an endless cosmic drone from a gazillion strings. I suspect this is not very musical.[/b][/quote]True, but you could actually create music out of it. Say, start with an electron, a muon and a neutrino. Then you could fade in a quark, fade in a positron, so on and so forth! OK time for the second section of muons to tune up. :D Man- the quark is late for practice again. Well you know you cant simultaneously know both its position and its velocity. So, getting it to rehearsal on time is not so easy. ;) [quote][b]Another book you may find interesting is " The Tao of Physics" by Frijit Capra. It explores the parallels between modern concepts in physics and eastern philosophy/religion. I really related to this one. ( I was a Physics major in College). Very thought provoking.[/b][/quote]I've got that one, I love it! If found it easy to grasp, because I already knew most of what it was talking about from the religious point of view. So the book just explained certain aspects of modern physics, and it was easy to see how they compared to what I already knew about eastern religion.[/b][/quote] Check out some tunes here: http://www.garageband.com/artist/KenFava Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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