Help solving the vibrating pole mystery.

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the phenomenon of a vibrating street pole reported in an Italian newspaper. Participants explore potential explanations for the vibrations, including environmental factors and mechanical influences, without reaching a consensus on the cause.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the vibrations could be caused by a combination of wind and traffic.
  • Others propose that the phenomenon might be a case of resonance, suggesting that testing with added weight could confirm this hypothesis.
  • One participant speculates about the possibility of an underground motor, such as a water pump, operating at a frequency that causes the pole to vibrate.
  • Another participant expresses skepticism about the feasibility of testing any hypothesis, indicating a belief that the discussion may not yield conclusive results.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the cause of the pole's vibrations, with multiple competing views presented regarding potential explanations.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the assumptions made about environmental conditions and the mechanical properties of the pole, as well as the lack of empirical testing to validate the proposed hypotheses.

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The online edition of an italian newspaper, reported the curious event of a street pole which seems to vibrate for prolonged times, hours, even an entire day and without any clear reason.
Someone talks about a building site in the nearby area, other talks about a wind turbulence called "vortex shredding", but the pole has been vibrating, it seems, even is absence of wind.
See the pole in the linked video:

http://video.repubblica.it/edizione...a-e-vortex-shedding/124054/122541?ref=HRESS-6
 
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Looks like it could be from a combination of wind and all the traffic.
 
The should build all street lamps like this, and harvest the energy to power the lamps.
 
Looks like a simple case of resonance to me. This hypothesis could be easily tested by sticking a weight to the pole and seeing is it stops.
 
I wonder if there could be a motor running, underground near the bottom. A water pump, for instance, at just the right frequency could be supplying the energy to make it vibrate.
I think mrpeedybob is right. Load it and see if it still resonates at a few % different frequency. One thing is sure and that is that there is no free energy getting to it.
There is probably no way of testing any hypothesis about it so we should really let it go - PF policy.