Ateisto

Actually, everything *does* have a resonant frequency. Any item or system with mass will have frequencies at which it will resonate sympathetically, and that includes the human body.

As a side note, if you supply sufficient harmonic excitation to a system at its resonant frequency (think of pushing someone on a swing), you can get an exponentially increasing vibratory response to the point of the system becoming unstable and possibly tearing itself apart. The Tacoma Narrows bridge is a famous structural example. A gruesome example is military experiments back in the 60s (I think) where the Air Force vibrated human cadavers at their resonant frequency to the point where their heads tore away.

Of course none of that has the remotest connection to how the human body operates or heals itself. But it sure sounds good to say "resonant frequencies of the human body" in a quack website and I'm sure lots of people will fall for it.

A further side note: I do believe that humans, and many animals, have a genetic propensity for the enjoyment of music. I have read of bears, dolphins, and non-human primates creating "music" (like drumming on hollow logs, for example) apparently solely for enjoyment. So there may be positive psychological benefits, and thus possibly physical ones, to listening to music.

Francois Tremblay

You're right, everything does have a resonant frequency. But unless the entity's form is simple and regular, there should not be any strong resonant frequency. Any application of this principle to sounds of low or medium intensity is ludicrous. Even things with strong resonant frequencies require a very strong force to be shattered.

I don't question that music is a very powerful emotional motivator. In fact I'd say it's certainly a domain that should be more explored than it is today. Perhaps some forms of music may even help healing. But the claims on that web site are, as I said, ludicrous.

Boro Nut

Perhaps this is why everyone farts at the same pitch, and invariably feels much better for it.

Boro Nut

Ateisto

Franc,

If you supply harmonic excitation at a system's resonant frequency, it actually takes a very small amount of force (per cycle) to send the system into catastrophic vibrational amplitudes. That's the weird thing about the phenomenon. The Tacoma Narrows bridge was destroyed by winds less than 40 mph. (See <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bridge/meetsusp.html" target="_blank">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bridge/meetsusp.html</a> about half way down for some video.)

I put that out merely for general information. I am not in any way supporting the quack claims of that website you cited.

Marduk

I believe Tesla used this principle for his "earthquake machine" Using very low sound waves to smash walls etc, the Army thought it would make a great weapon but it proved to have a limited range and I guess was quite cumbersome.

Francois Tremblay

Ateisto, the wind was blowing for a long time also.