Curious Cases Good Vibrations?
10 snips
Oct 17, 2025 
Helen Czerski, a physicist and oceanographer at University College London, delves into the fascinating world of resonance, explaining how everything around us has a natural frequency. She shares stunning examples, such as how spiders use resonance to catch prey and the tragic collapse of Mexico City buildings during an earthquake due to frequency matching. The discussion also touches on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the impact of resonance on human health, including effects from vibrations in jobs like tractor driving and the potential benefits of sound therapy.
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Natural Frequency Versus Resonance
- Everything around us has a natural frequency that determines how it wobbles when nudged.
- Resonance occurs when an external repeated push matches that frequency and amplifies the motion.
Tune Systems To Select Frequencies
- Tune circuits or systems to the desired frequency to pick out signals like radio stations.
- Altering a system's natural frequency lets you control which external oscillations it responds to.
Spiders Use Resonance To Catch Prey
- Nocturnal spiders design web thread tension so struggling insects produce resonant frequencies that travel to the spider.
- The spider then detects those amplified vibrations and goes to capture its prey.