Those Good Vibrations

Environmental & Science Education, STEM, History of Science, Nature of Science

Ed Hessler

The long and short of it is that everything vibrates as Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder explains in a new video, accompanied with a transcript (7m 58s). 

Hossenfelder starts by calling our attention to the popularity of this idea "among alternative medicine gurus and holistic healers." And she opens with a short video exchange between two women who are talking about their own "vibrational frequency" as a preventitive to COVID-19 and hence not needing "ever" to wear a mask.

Hossenfelder continues by talking about definitions and usages and why it is better to talk about oscillations - "any kind of periodic behavior." Stuff oscillates because it is made of particles which leads her to a short summary of quantum mechanics. Here the explanation gets thicker but hang on. She reminds us that the universe is more than particles. Einstein first introduced the idea of space-time. It wiggles too (gravitational waves).

She closes by saying "Really, everything vibrates, kind of, all the time. It's actually correct. But it doesn't help against COVID."

Please scroll through the comments. There are only 40. What I found interesting were some quite critical of Hossenfelder on her "smugness," that she was talking-down to people. This led to a string of counter-responses and relating of experiences. Hossenfelder deleted some of the comments and in the end turned them off entirely. Too many insults to her and to others..