Mechanical resonance Mechanical resonance Mechanical resonance is the tendency of a mechanical system to respond at greater amplitude when the frequency of its oscillations matches the system's natural frequency of vibration (its "resonance frequency" or "resonant frequency") than it does at other frequencies. It may cause violent swaying motions and even catastrophic failure in improperly constructed structures including bridges, buildings and airplanes. This is a phenomenon known as resonance disaster. Avoiding resonance disasters is a major concern in every building, tower and bridge construction project. The Taipei 101 building relies on a 660-ton pendulum—a tuned mass damper—to modify the response at resonance.
The Trouble with Physics in 2006 took place between UCSB physicists at KITP and science journalist George Johnson regarding the controversy caused by Smolin's and Peter Woit's books. The meeting was titled "The String Wars" to reflect the impression the media has given people regarding the controversy in string theory caused by Smolin's and Woit's books. A video of the proceedings is available at UCSB's website. The Trouble with Physics The Trouble with Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next is a 2006 book by the theoretical physicist Lee Smolin about the problems with string theory.