Video: The Mystery of 137 - Exploring a Most Illuminating Number

Transcript

Intro

0:01

hi everyone michael smith here

0:04

as a numerologist and former engineer

0:06

and stats guy i've always been

0:08

fascinated by number patterns especially

0:10

when the same pattern or number pops up

0:12

in many different places

0:14

one such number is 137

0:17

although it shows up in key places in

0:19

math physics chemistry and other natural

0:21

phenomena y has remained a mystery

0:24

in this video we're going to explore

0:26

this curious number from various angles

0:28

to see if we can shed some light on that

0:30

mystery

Curious Appearances of 137

0:33

here are some of the better known

0:34

examples of where 137 shows up to give

0:37

you an idea of why it's considered so

0:39

intriguing

0:40

first and foremost the number 137

0:42

appears in one of the most important

0:44

universal constants of nature

0:46

what's called the fine structure

0:47

constant

0:48

with a value very close to 1 over 137

0:52

this number quantifies the strength of

0:54

the electromagnetic interaction between

0:56

elementary charged particles

0:58

essentially the probability an electron

1:00

will absorb a photon of light

1:03

speaking of light 137 also happens to be

1:06

the number of atoms in the chlorophyll

1:08

molecule the all-important molecule

1:10

plants use to collect sunlight for

1:12

photosynthesis to convert it to energy

1:14

for the plant with oxygen as a byproduct

1:17

for life to breathe

1:19

and speaking of plants

1:21

137.5 degrees is the golden angle

1:24

according to which plants arrange their

1:26

stems and leaves for optimal exposure

1:28

exposure to sunlight

1:30

and radial symmetry of the plant for

1:32

structural stability

1:34

in a more general sense the golden angle

1:37

represents the golden ratio of essential

1:39

traits inherited from one generation to

1:41

the next

1:42

one cycle to the next or one fractal to

1:45

the next

1:47

likewise in geometry

1:49

137 also shows up as the highest density

1:52

packing of identical circles for the

1:54

most efficient use of space

1:56

this optimal packing arrangement is

1:58

hexagonal of seven circles that being

2:02

six around one which in turn consists of

2:04

optimal triangular packings of

2:06

individual circles and we'll touch on

2:08

that shortly

2:10

we even see 137 in the current age of

2:12

the universe which is estimated between

2:15

13.7 to 13.8 billion years old

2:19

and if you're into prime numbers 137 is

2:22

also the 33rd prime number

2:25

all of these high profile appearances of

2:27

137 seem to hit at hint at more than

2:30

just coincidence

2:31

so let's examine each to see if a common

2:33

theme emerges

2:35

we'll also touch on my prime vibration

2:37

model of physics and base 12 numerology

2:40

to help with that effort

137 in the Fine Structure Constant

2:44

because of its importance to physics

2:46

we'll start off with the fine structure

2:48

constant denoted by the greek letter

2:50

alpha

2:51

again this number represents the

2:53

electromagnetic interaction between

2:55

charged particles essentially the odds

2:57

and electron will absorb a photon

3:00

where it gets its name is that it was

3:02

first discovered in the spectral lines

3:04

given off by the simplest atom hydrogen

3:06

when illuminated by photons of light

3:09

the fine structure being the gap between

3:11

those lines

3:12

as such every different element has a

3:14

unique spectral fingerprint which can be

3:16

used to

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determine such things as the composition

3:20

of distant stars and galaxies

3:22

although not exactly equal to 1 over 137

3:25

it's very close

3:27

current best estimates put it around 1

3:29

over 137.036

3:33

the precise formula for the fine

3:34

structure constant is e squared over hc

3:38

because it's derived from the charge of

3:39

the electron e the speed of light c

3:42

and a constant of quantum mechanics

3:44

called planck's constant h

3:47

it ties together three main areas of

3:49

physics

3:50

electromagnetism relativity and quantum

3:53

theory

3:54

and because all the units cancel out

3:56

it's considered a dimensionless constant

3:59

which therefore applies universally to

4:01

any system of measurement

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the fact that such an important

4:04

characteristic of nature has defied

4:06

explanation has sparked the curiosity of

4:09

many a physicist

4:10

including arnold zumerfeld who first

4:13

named it and nobel winners richard

4:16

feynman and wolfgang paulie

4:19

in fact paulie became so obsessed with

4:21

the number that he sought out the famous

4:23

psychoanalyst carl jung to help him

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decipher its meaning

4:27

in a strange twist of fate paulie was in

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hospital room number 137 when he passed

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so i guess we shouldn't be surprised

4:34

that one over 137 of the electromagnetic

4:37

bond also happens to equal 0.007

4:41

another enigmatic bond with the license

4:43

to kill

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another quirk about the number 1 over

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137 is that it equals a repeating

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decimal number with the same 8 repeating

4:52

digits of 0729

4:55

9270

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and which are also palindromic

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meaning they read the same forwards or

5:01

backwards

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and if you're into symbology the letter

5:04

alpha is derived from the phoenician

5:06

letter alef which coincidentally looks

5:09

just like our modern symbol of an eye

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looking of seeing what's illuminated

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and just like the trigonometry symbol

5:16

for measuring an angle

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of expressing a portion of a cycle

5:20

which brings us to the golden angle

137.5 as Golden Angle of Optimal Self-similarity

5:24

the rotational angle of

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137.5 degrees plays a big role in nature

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as the golden angle of self-similar

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regeneration in natural cycles

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based upon the golden ratio of traits

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being preserved in a consistent way from

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one generation to the next it

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essentially represents the idea of a

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child being like its parent just as the

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parent is to its grandparent

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or in terms of sectors of a circle as

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shown here

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360 degrees in black is to

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222.5 degrees in blue

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just as 222.5 is to 137.5 in orange

6:01

mathematically the golden ratio is

6:03

typically expressed as a ratio between

6:05

consecutive numbers of the fibonacci

6:07

series an infinite series which

6:09

eventually converges to the rational

6:11

number

6:12

1.618 etc which i cover in another video

6:17

this golden angle of cyclical

6:19

consistency

6:20

is perhaps most clearly seen in the way

6:22

plants grow

137.5 as Golden Angle of Optimal Plant Structure

6:23

branches stems and leaves tend to follow

6:26

this radial stagger of

6:28

137.5 degrees around the central trunk

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or stock of the plant

6:33

this not only distributes the weight of

6:35

the appendages evenly to keep the plant

6:37

stable

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but more importantly maximizes the

6:40

exposure of its leaves to sunlight so

6:43

that photosynthesis can be optimized

6:46

interestingly the chlorophyll molecule

6:48

which collects sunlight for

6:50

photosynthesis converting water and

6:52

carbon dioxide into energy for the plant

6:55

and oxygen as a byproduct

6:57

likewise consists of 137 atoms

7:00

so

7:01

just as 137 optimizes plant structure

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for exposing chlorophyll to light

7:06

137 also optimizes the molecular

7:09

structure of chlorophyll itself for

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utilizing that light

Optimal Circle Packing of 1-3-7

7:15

in a purely geometric way 137 also

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describes the optimal packing of

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identical circles to best utilize an

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available area

7:24

this packing arrangement is the

7:25

hexagonal

7:27

of seven circles six around one which in

7:30

turn consists of triangular packings of

7:32

individual circles

7:34

this progression from one to three to

7:36

seven is just a different way that 137

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can show up as a sequence of three

7:41

optimization steps instead of a single

7:43

optimized number

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interestingly the next higher level uh

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packing configuration containing the

7:50

hexagon is the dodecagon of twelve

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circles around six around one

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the same pattern as the primary mirror

7:58

of the recently launched james webb

8:00

telescope

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only there using hexagons instead of

8:03

circles so as to fully utilize the

8:06

surface area with no gaps

8:08

and the same ultra efficient honeycomb

8:10

structure mastered by bees to store the

8:12

maximum amount of honey within a minimum

8:15

structure of wax

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now that we've looked at various ways

8:21

137 shows up in nature particularly in

8:24

the mathematics of energetic cycles

8:26

let's examine the number cycle itself

8:28

in particular the base 12 cycle

8:31

that's because when numbers are

8:32

described in the most fundamental way as

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prime numbers it's the base 12 cycle

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that seems to express the most simply

8:39

and efficiently

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and that base 12 cycle generates the

8:42

figure eight vibrational pattern shown

8:44

shown here

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what i call the base 12 prime vibration

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for reasons covered in depth in my other

8:50

videos i suggest this may be the

8:52

fundamental vibrational cycle through

8:54

which probabilities manifest into

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physical reality

8:58

and because it's generated by the base

9:00

12 cycle the prime vibration consists of

9:03

12 quantum states or frequencies much

9:06

like the 12 node octave of a musical

9:08

scale

9:10

these 12 frequencies have a rotational

9:12

geometry as well not only a vertical

9:14

amplitude like the 2d vibration of a

9:17

guitar string but also an angle of spin

9:20

into or out of the page much like the

9:22

twisting 3d double helix shape of dna

9:26

the 12 rotational angles are shown here

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as little blue arrows in the 12

9:31

increments of the base 12 cycle

9:33

essentially what each of those

9:34

rotational angles would look like from a

9:36

side view

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however as observers of our reality what

9:41

we perceive is just the figure eight

9:43

front view projection of the 3d prime

9:45

vibration like the 2d image on a tv

9:48

screen

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and that projection takes the form of a

9:51

figure eight vibration shown here

9:53

consisting of two half cycles from

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position zero to six

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and six to twelve

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essentially mirror images of each other

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but opposite in polarity

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the left side of positive probability

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that we perceive and the right side of

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negative probability that's hidden

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what this model suggests is that reality

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is fundamentally vibrational and that

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everything emerges through resonance

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with this 12 stage cycle

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so

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in the left half cycle from 0 to 6 that

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we experience

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we see that its maximum projection as a

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probability range is achieved at

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position 3.

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its highest energy has a point

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probability at position zero

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and its lowest energy as a point

10:34

probability at position six

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as such for the prime vibration as a

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manifestation cycle at all scales of

10:41

nature

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its optimal state of physical expression

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is achieved at position three

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halfway between its unmanifest ground

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state of position six

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that is the higgs field at rest

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and its fully energized kinetic state of

10:55

position zero a photon of light in

10:58

motion position 3 as reality at its most

11:02

manifest is indeed reflected at all

11:04

scales of nature for that goldilocks

11:06

position

11:08

at the subatomic scale with the top

11:09

quark as the maximum particle of mass

11:12

at the atomic scale with neutral atoms

11:14

as the building blocks of composite

11:16

matter

11:17

at the medium scale with complex

11:19

biological life occurring at the very

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midpoint between the largest and smaller

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scales of nature

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and at the cosmic scale with the 13.7

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billion year old universe at its maximum

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size stability and probability range for

11:34

complexity to emerge including us

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as such position 3 as nature at its most

11:40

optimal in a vibrational sense

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seems to be synonymous with 137 in a

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physical sense

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and like the golden angle discussed

11:49

previously

11:50

position 3 represents the maximum

11:52

expression of a cycle outward into form

The Numerology of 137

11:57

where the prime vibration views reality

12:00

as a vibrational cycle of distinct

12:02

quantum frequencies

12:03

numerology takes it a step further by

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giving each number frequency a distinct

12:08

theme or meaning with which it resonates

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although there's various approaches to

12:13

numerology here i'll use the two i'm

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most familiar with the traditional base

12:17

10 pythagorean system developed by

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pythagoras of ancient greece and my own

12:23

base 12 adaptation of that system

12:26

where the base 10 or decimal system

12:28

gives meanings to the numbers from 0 to

12:30

9 the base 12 or duo decimal approach

12:34

gives meanings to 0 through 11.

12:36

these 12 themes are shown here in the

12:38

prime vibration with color-coded dots

12:41

representing the color frequencies they

12:43

represent

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note that i've also underlined the 10

12:47

and 11 here to denote them as single

12:49

digits in base 12 rather than the double

12:52

digit numbers as in base 10.

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now in numerology you reduce a number to

12:57

a single digit theme by adding together

12:59

any multiple digits

13:01

the only exceptions to this are twin

13:03

digit numbers such as 11 22 or 33 which

13:07

aren't typically reduced further

13:10

these are called master numbers and

13:12

basically represent the idea of

13:14

mastering a higher octave of its single

13:16

digit theme

13:18

first let's look at the numerology of

13:20

the number 137 itself

13:22

in base 10 137 reduces to 1 plus 3 plus

13:26

7 equals master number 11 which means

13:29

illumination in base 10 numerology

13:32

to instead find its meaning in base 12

13:34

numerology we first need to convert 137

13:37

from base 10 to base 12

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which is 11 5 in base 12 that is 11

13:43

dozen plus 5 remainder

13:46

this in turn reduces to eleven plus five

13:49

again it equals fourteen in base twelve

13:51

that is one dozen plus four remainder

13:54

but since it's not yet a single digit we

13:57

reduce once more to get one plus four

13:59

equals five

14:01

which means change through new

14:02

beginnings of structure

14:04

the 5 energy through the 1 and the 4.

14:07

so we see that both base 10 and base 12

14:10

approaches offer fitting numerological

14:12

meanings for 137 just from slightly

14:15

different perspectives

14:17

of the 11 energy and base base 10 as the

14:20

illumination of a photon of light say

14:23

and the 14 5 energy in base 12 as the

14:26

fine structure of the different

14:27

frequencies of that light

14:30

next we'll consider the numerology of

14:32

the fine structure constant of 1 over

14:34

137

14:36

when expressed as a decimal number

14:38

as we touched on earlier this is a

14:40

repeating decimal number of the same

14:43

eight digits of zero seven two nine nine

14:46

two seven zero

14:47

and which are also palindromic reading

14:49

the same forwards or backwards

14:52

when those digits are added and reduced

14:54

to a single digit we get the nine of

14:56

completion in base 10

14:57

such that every iteration of that

14:59

sequence is basically a complete cycle

15:02

likewise in base 12 those eight digits

15:05

reduce to the three of the catalyst

15:07

of something that creates influence in

15:10

this case of repeating the palindrome

15:12

sequence again and again

15:14

the number 137 as mentioned previously

15:17

also happens to be the 33rd prime number

15:20

which in base 10 is master number 33 of

15:22

mastering the catalytic theme

15:25

and in base 12 the eleven of

15:27

illumination

15:29

so even through the more esoteric lens

15:31

of numerology we find a similar

15:33

interpretation of 137 emerging as we did

15:36

with the scientific viewpoint

15:38

an interpretation that becomes apparent

15:40

when we recap what we just covered

15:44

starting with the fine structure

15:46

constant we saw how 137 essentially

15:49

represents the optimal expression of

15:51

electromagnetism as the fundamental

15:53

interaction between matter and light

15:56

then onto the golden angle as the

15:57

optimal radial configuration for plants

16:00

for maximum sun exposure and of optimal

16:02

regeneration from one cycle or fractal

16:05

to the next

16:07

next the chlorophyll molecule as the

16:08

optimal collector of that sunlight for

16:10

photosynthesis and the air we breathe

16:13

the 137 packing of circles for optimal

16:16

density in a purely geometric sense

16:19

and finally position 3 of the base 12

16:21

prime vibration as the optimal

16:23

manifestation of reality in a

16:24

theoretical sense

16:27

finally with numerology in which 137

16:30

resonates with the 11 energy of

16:31

illumination in base 10 and the 14 5

16:34

energy of change through new beginnings

16:36

of structure in base twelve

16:39

both reflecting that same idea of

16:41

optimal illumination expressed through

16:43

structure

16:45

so from all the different circumstances

16:47

in which 137 arises

16:49

a consistent interpretation does seem to

16:51

emerge

16:52

as that of the optimal expression of an

137 = Optimal Expression of Energetic Cycles?

16:54

energetic cycle

16:56

or as i hinted at in the title of the

16:58

video 137 may be the most illuminating

17:01

number quite literally when it comes to

17:03

natural cycles

17:05

and as we saw

17:07

such cycles can take many forms

17:09

vibrational as with electromagnetism of

17:11

the fine structure constant and the base

17:13

12 prime vibration

17:15

geometric as with the golden angle and

17:17

circle packing

17:19

chemical as with the chlorophyll

17:22

molecule

17:23

generational as with the golden angle of

17:25

inherited traits

17:26

and even numerological when we consider

17:29

numbers as a cycle of vibrational themes

17:31

we can experience

17:33

in all cases we find the number 137

17:36

emerge when each cycle is at its optimal

17:38

state of expression manifestation and

17:41

illumination

17:42

and maybe that's why 137 fascinates so

17:45

many people

17:46

as society becomes more enlightened we

17:49

resonate more closely with the

17:50

vibrational nature of who we truly are

17:53

and how we can express ourselves most

17:55

fully and authentically

17:57

we are definitely in a time where truths

17:59

are being illuminated and the contrast

18:02

between light and dark being highlighted

18:04

so that we can follow a brighter path

18:07

and like 137 as a universal consonant

18:09

that applies equally to all

18:12

that brighter path is meant to be walked

18:13

together so that we bring out the best

18:15

in each other

18:17

that to me is what 137 is all about at

18:20

least metaphorically

18:21

and the various ways it shows up in

18:23

nature is a constant reminder that

18:25

everything is ultimately energy seeking

18:28

its optimal expression

18:30

and doing so through creative cycles

18:32

including us

18:34

thanks for watching