Dancing Symphonies

I’m a couple days late, so I’m going to post today and then Thursday again (which is more in line with blogging) so I can get back on track.

Last week we talked about the different symphonies that exist…those created by man and those orchestrated by our Creator. We mentioned the different scientific disciplines and that each maintains its own song. Whether it is the dance of electrons, neutrinos and quarks, or the dance of the elements of our DNA, the movement of particles throughout the universe is singing to us.

Do you think I'm only speaking metaphorically? I’m not!

Symphonies contain many linear musical phrases called melodies and different instruments play these melodies. “Music is organized on many different levels. Sounds can be arranged into notes, rhythms, textures and phrases. Melodies can be organized into anything from a simple song to a complex symphony.” (http://cnx.org/content/m12373/latest/)

Instruments create the sounds for symphonies. The movement of particles in waves creates sound. Visit the above link to see pictures of those waves. (The link also provides a great explanation of how those waves work in music. You’ll enjoy the text!)

Remember the “theory of everything” that talks about particles? All those particles also move in waves. Visit the following link to see those waves. Try your hand at changing the frequencies. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/resonance.html) You can see the resonance of strings of particles. I’ve copied the following excerpt from the above website for you to read.

“According to string theory, absolutely everything in the universe—all of the particles that make up matter and forces—is comprised of tiny vibrating fundamental strings. Moreover, every one of these strings is identical. The only difference between one string and another, whether it's a heavy particle that is part of an atom or a massless particle that carries light, is its resonant pattern, or how it vibrates.

All objects, not just fundamental strings, have resonant patterns associated with them. Pluck the string of a violin and you hear mainly one tone. This is the string's fundamental resonant pattern, or frequency. And the instrument's resonance doesn't stop there. The body of the violin has resonant frequencies, which work to amplify the sound created by the vibrating string. There's resonance in objects that aren't musical, too. Your desk has resonant frequencies, and so does a flagpole, and so does the Earth.”

What other “waves” are there? Go to the following link and click on the series of pictures.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/scale.html

You guessed it! Right in the middle, you saw DNA strands. They wind around each other like waves as well. They have the same shape as waves.

Do you see all the symphonies together? They are all dancing! Dancing symphonies of music, particles and DNA exist in our universe—together and in harmony.

Now go through your day and see if you can pick out all those harmonies that sing to us every day and see you on Thursday.