http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/acoustics/ Read all the latest research on acoustics, including novel sound systems, wearable musical instruments, and information on indoor acoustics. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:05:01 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/acoustics/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124121425.htm Using the video game Rock Band, organizational psychologists have found that -- like Goldilocks -- most people achieve flow with work that is neither too easy nor too hard but just right. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124121425.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124113608.htm Rocket science is opening new doors to understanding how sounds associated with Navy sonar might affect the hearing of a marine mammal -- or if they hear it at all. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124113608.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111115841.htm The explosive growth of video on the internet calls for new ways of sorting and searching audiovisual content. Researchers have developed a groundbreaking solution that is finding commercial applications. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111115841.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112095046.htm Researchers have created bowtie-shaped antennae that function as the first tunable nano color sorters, able to capture, filter and steer light at the nanoscale. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112095046.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027185140.htm Electrical engineers recently pitted Genius -- the music recommendation system in Apple's iTunes -- against two experimental music recommender systems. Genius appears to capture acoustic similarities among songs within the same playlist, the researchers found. The electrical engineers also discovered that the music recommender they built from scratch can generate song playlists that human subjects thought were as good as those that Genius generates. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027185140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025162530.htm Researchers have developed the world's first acoustic hyperlens, a device that provides an eightfold boost in the magnification power of ultrasound, underwater sonar and other sound-based imaging technologies. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025162530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101549.htm Scientists have developed a system to identify common patterns in versions of songs, which will help to quantify the similarity of musical pieces. The technique could be applied to analyze time series of data in other fields, such as economy, biology or astronomy. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022101549.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074527.htm Light can be confined to a very small space using a microscopic container surrounded by reflective walls. The light can then be stored by continuous reflections and cannot escape. Physicists in Germany have now for the first time realized a microresonator that combines all the desired properties -- long storage time, small volume, and tunability to arbitrary optical frequencies, in a single monolithic device. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729074527.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111418.htm At the 27th "Osnabrücker Baumpflegetagen," a researcher's biotech violin dared to go head to head in a blind test against a stradivarius -- and won! The new violin is made of wood treated with fungus, and played against an instrument made by the great master himself in 1711. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111418.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165241.htm Scientists are developing a new technology for use in underwater acoustics. The new technology uses flashes of laser light to remotely create underwater sound. The new acoustic source has the potential to expand and improve both Naval and commercial underwater acoustic applications, including undersea communications, navigation and acoustic imaging. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904071951.htm Bigger speakers, bigger sound – this is the music lover’s creed. Flat panel loudspeakers offer an alternative to those who would rather not or cannot clutter up their homes with speakers. These speakers can be integrated inconspicuously on walls or in furniture. Scientists in Germany are now demonstrating a completely new concept for ultra-flat loudspeakers that still deliver full sound reproduction. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904071951.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090828143758.htm Ancient instruments can be lost because they are too difficult to build, or too difficult to play, but they can be heard again thanks to the ASTRA (Ancient instruments Sound/Timbre Reconstruction Application) team. These researchers accomplish this feat using computer modeling and grid technology -- the shared resources of a distributed network of hundreds of computers. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090828143758.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825151006.htm Researchers have developed a new technology that helps Parkinson's patients overcome the tendency to speak too quietly by playing a recording of ambient sound, which resembles the noisy chatter of a restaurant full of patrons. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825151006.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090724213354.htm The whole listening experience in cars, cinemas, theaters, and even during video conferences, is likely to improve radically thanks to a new set of tools for application development. Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090724213354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090722120835.htm Music, rather than electromechanical valves, can drive experimental samples through a lab-on-a-chip in a new system. This development could significantly simplify the process of conducting experiments in microfluidic devices. Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090722120835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703091804.htm Video from portable cameras is analyzed to calculate the distance of obstacles and predict the movements of people and cars. This information is then transformed and relayed to a blind person as a three-dimensional ‘picture’ of sound. Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703091804.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622194227.htm New technology to hear vibrations through the skull bone has been developed. Besides investigating the function of a new implantable bone conduction hearing aid, researchers have studied the sensitivity for bone conducted sound and also examined the possibilities for a two-way communication system that is utilizing bone conduction in noisy environments. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622194227.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624153116.htm Scientists have created the world's first acoustic "superlens," an innovation that could have practical implications for high-resolution ultrasound imaging, non-destructive structural testing of buildings and bridges, and novel underwater stealth technology. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624153116.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617123652.htm It was an idea born out of curiosity in the physics lab, but now a new type of "laser" for generating ultra-high frequency sound waves instead of light has taken a major step towards becoming a unique and highly useful 21st century technology. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617123652.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603131441.htm Engineers have built a fast, ultra-broadband, low-power radio chip, modeled on the human inner ear, that could enable wireless devices capable of receiving cell phone, Internet, radio and television signals. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603131441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603182120.htm Splash, splatter, babble, sploosh, drip, drop, bloop and ploop! Those are some of the sounds that have been missing from computer graphic simulations of water and other fluids, according to researchers in Cornell's Department of Computer Science, who have come up with new algorithms to simulate such sounds to go with the images. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603182120.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090515093236.htm Electrical engineers presented a solution to their problem with the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" -- and it's not that they don't like this hit from the band Queen. The engineers' issue with "Bohemian Rhapsody" is that it is too heterogeneous. Thu, 21 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090515093236.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424114646.htm Every brain has a soundtrack -- probably many. Can those soundtracks be made useful? When that soundtrack is recorded and played back -- to an emergency responder, or a firefighter -- it may sharpen their reflexes during a crisis, and calm their nerves afterward. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424114646.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090426094329.htm To human ears, the laughs of individual hyenas in a pack all sound the same: high-pitched and staccato, eerie and maniacal. But every hyena makes a different call that encodes information about its age and status in the pack, according to behavioral neurologists. They have developed a way to identify a hyena by picking out specific features of its giggle. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090426094329.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090426094717.htm Technologies that use underwater acoustics -- for sonar, communications, or navigation -- often require a piece of hardware in the water to create sound remotely. Physicists are working on ways to use flashes of laser light instead. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090426094717.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424133450.htm One way to find a clog under a sink is to take on the dirty job of dismantling the pipes. Now mathematicians have developed a cleaner way that hears where a blockage is located, using a technique pioneered in underwater acoustics. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424133450.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408145551.htm A new study of low-frequency sound from Mount St. Helens and Tungurahua volcanoes provides explanation for how the large-amplitude signals from eruptions are produced. Thu, 09 Apr 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408145551.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401102239.htm A groundbreaking new loudspeaker -- less than 0.25mm thick -- has been developed by researchers in England. It's flat, flexible, could be hung on a wall like a picture and its particular method of sound generation could make public announcements in places like passenger terminals clearer, crisper and easier to hear. Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401102239.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316142436.htm By reversing a process that converts electrical signals into sounds heard out of a cell phone, researchers may have a new tool to enhance the way computer chips, LEDs and transistors are built. Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316142436.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090317095026.htm Melancholic songs, dance rhythms or romantic background music? The mood player can recognize musical characteristics and sort songs according to moods. It also blends in suitable images to the rhythm of the music. Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090317095026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225073357.htm Built from a simple Lego NXT kit, a new student-built robotic system can identify different types of dance and music in an intelligent independent manner. The next step is to create and manage choreography between humanoid robots. Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225073357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121174256.htm A video of a new musical instrument created by a student has attracted over one million hits on the internet. The PhD student made the video to demonstrate the BeatBearing - his electronic musical instrument that uses ball bearings to create different drum patterns. Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121174256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090122161522.htm Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are playing increasingly important roles in many fields. Ranging in size from the huge Global Hawk aircraft to hand-held machines, these remotely controlled devices are growing ever more vital to the U.S. armed forces in roles that include surveillance and reconnaissance. Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090122161522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090122141228.htm For centuries, violin makers have tried and failed to reproduce the pristine sound of Stradivarius and Guarneri violins, but after 33 years of work put into the project, one professor is confident the veil of mystery has now been lifted. Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090122141228.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081228200100.htm Space missions are highly complex operations, not only because the satellites or space probes are unique pieces of top-notch intricate high-tech, but also because it is so challenging to get them to their assigned position in space without damage. The technology used is now being transferred to the car industry to increase comfort. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081228200100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217095602.htm Marine scientists have developed the world's first portable system for measuring cetacean hearing sensitivity. Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217095602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081209221746.htm It's 40 degrees F below zero (with the wind chill) at the South Pole today. Yet a research team from the University of Delaware is taking it all in stride. The physicists, engineers and technicians are working to build the world's largest neutrino telescope in the Antarctic ice, far beneath the continent's snow-covered surface. Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081209221746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081121081055.htm Researchers have designed a music system that will allow users to compose and perform in the same few milliseconds, with an infinite number of variations on a single theme. Imagine a concert hall and a stage, with a symphony orchestra that has performed Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth symphony, with the addition of electric instruments and loudspeakers. Imagine the composer who strolls around between the orchestra members on the stage, while they start on the fourth movement. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081121081055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201081721.htm Patients with cochlear implants may want to steer clear of certain magnetic imaging devices, such as 3T MRI machines, because the machines can demagnetize the patient's implant, according to new research published in Head and Neck Surgery. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201081721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081108164152.htm Some sell for more than $3.5 million. Only 700 of them exist, and they're stored in vaults, frequently stolen and often counterfeited. The object in question? Stradivarius violins, constructed by famed Italian instrument-maker Antonio Stradivari between 1680 and 1720. Treasured for possessing sublime acoustic properties, these rare instruments have spawned dozens of theories attempting to explain their legendary tone, and luthiers, makers of stringed instruments, are still trying to reproduce it. The question remains: Are Stradivarius violins worth all the fuss? Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081108164152.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117095032.htm In research that may redefine ear buds, earphones, stereo loudspeakers, and other devices for producing sound, researchers in China are reporting development of flexible loudspeakers thinner than paper that might be inserted into the ears with an index finger or attached to clothing, walls, or windows. Their report on what may be the world's thinnest loudspeakers, made from transparent carbon nanotube films, is scheduled for the December 10 issue of Nano Letters. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117095032.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117091633.htm Hybrid and electric vehicles do not emit the sounds pedestrians and bicyclists are accustomed to hearing as a vehicle approaches them. Human factors/ergonomics researchers examined participants' preferences for sounds that could be added to quiet vehicles to make them easier to detect. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117091633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081111093924.htm "Music is always noise-related - and often not appreciated", the German poet and humorist Wilhelm Busch once mocked. Even though the subject involving beauty is a matter of taste, the sarcastic saying contains some bitter truth: Orchestra musicians jeopardize their ears with their own music. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081111093924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113111225.htm Scientists have induced electrons in the nanocrystals of semiconductors to cool more slowly by forcing them into a smaller volume. This has the potential to improve satellite communications and the generation of solar power. Slowing down the cooling of these electrons -- in this case, by more than 30 times -- could lead to a better infrared laser source and increase the bandwidth of communication satellites. It also could lead to more efficient photovoltaic devices. Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113111225.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081110071240.htm Scientists have developed a method to look into the brain of a person and read out who has spoken to him or her and what was said. With the help of neuroimaging and data mining techniques the researchers mapped the brain activity associated with the recognition of speech sounds and voices. In their Science article "Who" is Saying "What"? Brain-Based Decoding of Human Voice and Speech the four authors demonstrate that speech sounds and voices can be identified by means of a unique 'neural fingerprint' in the listener's brain. Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081110071240.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081106065558.htm Some people know more about their neighbors than they would like to. Whether the other tenants are listening to music, watching television, having visitors, vacuum cleaning or washing clothes - its not possible to avoid overhearing these things, because sound finds its own way. Only the best possible insulation of the walls helps here. Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081106065558.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081024103211.htm Scientists have developed a method with which a pianist can operate the right pedal of a concert grand wirelessly -- a first in the world. A paraplegic pianist can thus overcome the handicap of being able to play the piano using only his arms and hands. Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081024103211.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081014093323.htm Listening to personal music players at a high volume over a sustained period can lead to permanent hearing damage, according to an opinion of the European Union Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks released this week. Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081014093323.htm