We are the universe observing itself.

I'm a freshman studying mathematics at the University of Ylisse. My interests include Galois Theory and Lie Groups, dry humor, and magnificent hats.

[tragedyseries]

[ineffable-observer]

I conjecture I won't be the only one to enjoy this comic.

[tragedyseries]

[ineffable-observer]

[legacies-in-motion]

I heard the Ren Faire’s in town. Is anyone going?

[ineffable-observer]

When is it? I've yet to go to a Renaissance Faire, but I admit that I have been curious for some time.

[themusicstopped]

[lourryshipperr]

TOPSHOP Pork Pie Hat ❤ liked on Polyvore (see more porkpie hats)

[ineffable-observer]

#hats has been very unsatisfying, but this one is nice.

[ineffable-observer]

I’m quite fond of the Tragedy Series, Saturday Breakfast Morning Cereal, and XKCD, among others.

As for hats, I confess to a fondness for old-fashioned clerical hats. I have one passed down from my mother’s side which is a favorite of mine.

[snowshore]

i’m honestly shocked you’re not into fedoras

[ineffable-observer]

I'm not fond of the way they seem to point forward. I generally prefer hats with a rounded set to them.

[ineffable-observer]

I'm quite fond of the Tragedy Series, Saturday Breakfast Morning Cereal, and XKCD, among others.

As for hats, I confess to a fondness for old-fashioned clerical hats. I have one passed down from my mother’s side which is a favorite of mine.

[1ucasvb]

Standing waves (aka stationary waves)

Standing waves are an interesting physical phenomenon that show up in several places in nature. They’re a wave that oscillates “in place”.

One of the ways a standing wave can be created is by the interference of two waves travelling in opposite directions (like in the second image). By the superposition principle, the resulting wave (in black) is the addition of the both waves (red and blue).

This standing wave has points that remain fixed (called nodes, in red), where destructive interference always occurs, and points that oscillate the most (called antinodes), where constructive interference occurs.

Standing waves are behind the sound of virtually every acoustic musical instrument, whether it is a drum, a flute or a violin. The musician operates the instrument in a manner to generate a vibration, and the vibration is propagated and reflected throughout the instrument. The interference between all of the reflected waves generate standing waves, which is what ultimately produce the bulk of the sound we hear.

The waves shown here are one-dimensional, but this phenomenon occurs in two and three dimensions as well.

By studying how waves interfere and reflect, and how these generate standing waves, one can estimate the vibration and density inside a spherical body (such as the Sun or the Earth — read those links!) from measurements of oscillation on the surface, a very powerful tool for studying the inner workings of such structures.

In the third animation, for reference, we see the wave generated when opposing waves of different frequencies interfere.

[tragedyseries]

Thanks for waiting. I had a lovely time away.