What is this?

An interactive visualization of a standing wave — and what it might mean that you're inside one.

What's a standing wave?

When a wave travels forward and bounces back, the outgoing and returning waves interfere with each other. Instead of seeing two waves passing through, you see what looks like a wave vibrating in place. 

The wave isn't actually standing still, energy is still moving through it. But the *pattern* appears stable. Fixed points called "nodes" seem motionless while the space between them oscillates.

Guitar strings do this. So do organ pipes. Some physicists think reality might too.

What are the two views?

Standing Wave: Watch forward (red) and returning (blue) waves combine into the cyan pattern we'd experience from inside. The gold dots mark the nodes; zero points where the waves cancel out completely. Places where change becomes possible.

Nested Boxes: A different take on the same idea. Every scale looks definite from inside — you in your room, your room on Earth, Earth in a galaxy, galaxy in universe. There's no outside to step to. The cat in the box is always in a definite state from its own perspective.

What's it for?

Looking at. Thinking with. A toy that does real work if you let it.

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Part of The Wild Pendulum series on consciousness and pattern.

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