The 163rd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) will feature more than 1,300 presentations on the science of sound and its impact on physics, engineering, and medicine. Topics include: hearing and its interplay with the other senses; using sound to monitor the environment; and new insights into human and animal communication.
An acoustic diode, enabling the one-way transmission of sound waves, could dramatically improve the quality of medical ultrasound imaging and lead to better sound dampening materials. Such a device has now been created by researchers at China’s Nanjing University.
For the ears, a cocktail party presents a chaotic scene: glasses clink, voices buzz, light piano music may waft down from the stage. A group of researchers at The John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., is trying to understand how the brain makes sense of such complex auditory environments. The team is testing how humans track sound patterns over time, and under what circumstances the brain registers that the pattern has been broken.
Toothed whales navigate through sometimes dark and murky waters by emitting clicks and then interpreting the pattern of sound that bounces back. The animals’ hearing can pick up faint echoes, but that sensitivity can be a liability around loud noises. Now researchers have discovered that whales may protect their ears by lowering their hearing sensitivity when warned of an imminent loud sound.
To gain new insights into how dolphins communicate, researchers in Japan created a prototype of an extremely broadband “dolphin speaker” capable of projecting dolphins’ communication sounds, whistles, burst-pulse sounds, as well as detection sounds such as echolocation clicks.
Though they evolved separately over millions of years in different worlds of darkness, bats and toothed whales use surprisingly similar acoustic behavior to locate, track, and capture prey using echolocation, the biological equivalent of sonar. Now a team of Danish researchers has shown that the acoustic behavior of these two types of animals while hunting is eerily similar.
A U.S.-Netherlands research collaboration discovered that actual actions on objects, such as physically stirring a spoon in a cup, have less of an impact on the brain’s understanding of speech than simply gesturing as if stirring a spoon in a cup.
New findings from a Canadian research team suggest that not only is there a real connection between vision and other senses, but that connection is important to better understand the underlying mechanisms that can quickly trigger sensory changes.
Listening to amplified music for less than 1.5 hours produces measurable changes in hearing ability that may place listeners at risk of noise-induced hearing loss, new research shows.
Although we have little awareness that we are doing it, we spend most of our lives filtering out many of the sounds that permeate our lives and acutely focusing on others – a phenomenon known as auditory selective attention. Hearing scientists at the University of Washington (UW) are attempting to tease apart the process.
Volcanoes emit a broad spectrum of sonic energy. In the case of basaltic eruptions, most of that acoustical energy in the infrasound range. A new study reveals that this low-frequency sound can give scientists an enhanced understanding of the behavior of volcanoes and a tool to monitor the lifecycles of their eruptions.
National parks are prized for their visual splendor, but the sounds of nature are also part of that rich experience. Researchers and protected area managers are working together to help ensure that the sounds in U.S. national parks remain as natural as possible.
Acoustic cues for blind travelers, sound as a tool, and the use of metamaterials for seismic mitigation are just some of the lay-language versions of papers being presented at the Acoustics 2012 meeting in Hong Kong, May 13-18, a joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), Acoustical Society of China, Western Pacific Acoustics Conference, and the Hong Kong Institute of Acoustics.
Perfect pitch, dolphin communication, and noise in the community and in nature are just some of the intriguing topics that will be presented at the 164th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA).
Hard collisions can lead to player concussions, but the physics of how the impact of a helmet hit transfers to the brain are not well understood. A research team from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., has created a simplified experimental model of the brain and skull inside a helmet during a helmet-to-helmet collision.
Global temperatures directly affect the acidity of the ocean, which in turn changes the acoustical properties of sea water. New research suggests that global warming may give Earth’s oceans the same hi-fi sound qualities they had more than 100 million years ago, during the Age of the Dinosaurs.
Noise can be distracting, especially to a person trying to concentrate on a difficult task. Studying annoying noises helps architects design better building environments and policy makers choose effective noise regulations. To better understand how short noise bursts affect humans’ mental state, researchers from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln played quarter-second-long white noise clips to test subjects as they worked on arithmetic problems.
Concern is growing that human-generated noise in the ocean disrupts marine animals that rely on sound for communication and navigation. In the modern ocean, the background noise can be ten times louder than it was just 50 years ago. But new modeling based on recently published data suggests that 200 years ago – prior to the industrial whaling era -- the ocean was even louder than today due to the various sounds whales make.
Miss hitting the “sweet spot” on a baseball bat and the resulting vibrations can zing your hands. Bat companies have tried for decades to reduce these painful shocks with limited success. But Daniel Russell, a professor in the graduate program in acoustics at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, has figured out that bat vibrations between 600 and 700 hertz (Hz) cause the most pain and that specifically tuned vibration absorbers are the best at combatting the sting.
Earthquakes sway buildings, buckle terrain, and rumble – both audibly and in infrasound, frequencies below the threshold of human hearing. New computer modeling by a team of researchers indicates that most of the low-frequency infrasound comes from an unexpected source: the actual “pumping” of the Earth’s surface. The researchers confirmed their models by studying data from an actual earthquake.
An acoustic navigation system being developed by a team of University of Texas at Austin researchers studying the science of sound propagation inside burning buildings may one day become a life-saving addition to firefighters’ arsenal of tools.
Japan’s Fukushima Dai’ichi nuclear disaster that occurred in 2011 -- a result of the strongest earthquake on record in the country and the powerful tsunami waves it triggered -- underscored the need for a method to monitor the status of nuclear fuel rods that doesn’t rely on electrical power.
People with perfect pitch seem to possess their own inner pitch pipe, allowing them to sing a specific note without first hearing a reference tone. This skill has long been associated with early and extensive musical training, but new research suggests that perfect pitch may have as much to do with genetics as it does with learning an instrument or studying voice.
Media invited to webcast press briefing at 10:30 a.m. CDT (11:30 a.m. EDT) on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. The briefing will cover select topics being presented at the 164th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA). See: www.aipwebcasting.com
Physics of the Blues, making hospitals quiet, and sound waves for planetary exploration are just some of the lay-language versions of papers being presented at the 164th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), held Oct. 22 – 26 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is seeking nominations for its 2012 Science Writing Awards in Acoustics, which are intended to recognize excellence in the presentation of acoustics-related topics to a popular audience.
The 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013 Montreal) will be held June 2-7, 2013, at the Palais des congrès in downtown Montreal. The meeting will feature more than 1,600 presentations on sound and its applications in physics, engineering, and medicine.
A team of speech scientists and psychologists discuss a novel approach to deciphering Armstrong’s famous moon landing quote. The work will be presented at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013), held June 2-7 in Montreal.
A new approach achieves a significant level of isolation between the front and rear listening zones within a car. The new design will be presented at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013), held June 2-7 in Montreal.
Engineers are using high-frequency sound waves to break down plant materials in order to cook up a better batch of biofuel. The team will present its findings at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013), held June 2-7 in Montreal.
Researchers trying to make an artificial cicada for underwater communication will present their work at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013), held June 2-7 in Montreal.
A team of mechanical engineers has been assessing whether flames might change the sound of firefighters' personal safety alarms. The researchers will present their findings at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013), to be held June 2-7, in Montreal.
Using the sensitive ears of a parasitic fly for inspiration, a group of researchers has created a new type of microphone that achieves better acoustical performance than what is currently available in hearing aids. The scientists will present their results at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics, held June 2-7 in Montreal.
Scientists have modeled shipping noise on a global scale. The world-wide maps will be presented for the first time at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013), held June 2-7 in Montreal.
With the flick of a switch, inflatable sound absorbers can turn classical music halls into houses of rock. The scientist who developed the technology will present his work at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013), held June 2-7 in Montreal.
During command and control operations, military personnel are frequently exposed to extreme auditory overload. Adding a visual cue, such as texting, was explored by a team of researchers in Canada as a way to overcome this problem.
A study presented at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013) in Montreal shows the adverse impact of invasive frog species’ songs.
Researchers will present some of the latest findings from the science of sound at a webcast press briefing at 2:00 p.m. EDT (11:00 a.m. PDT) on Wednesday, June 5, 2013. The briefing will cover select topics being presented at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013) in Montréal, Québec, Canada, June 2-7, 2013.
Susan E. Fox has been selected to be the next Executive Director of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA).
Our voice can reveal a lot about us: our age, our gender, and now – it seems – our height as well. A new study by researchers at Washington University, UCLA, and Indiana University found that listeners can accurately determine the relative heights of speakers just by listening to them talk. The key clue may be contained in a particular type of sound produced in the lower airways of the lungs, known as a subglottal resonance.
What’s the best place to conduct a conversation about a confidential or even classified matter? Surprisingly, probably not a conference room designed in accordance with acoustical criteria approved by the Department of Defense. While such “secret” rooms might meet DOD standards, they offer less protection against snooping than is found in a luxury condo. So says Marlund Hale of Advanced Engineering Acoustics in Simi Valley, California, who evaluated the acoustic performance of several classified spaces.
Human beings don’t come with power sockets, but a growing numbers of us have medical implants that run off electricity. To keep our bionic body parts from powering down, a group of Arizona researchers is developing a safe, noninvasive, and efficient means of wireless power transmission through body tissue. The team presents their findings at the 166th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, held Dec. 2 – 6 in San Francisco, Calif.
The mating roar of a male harbor seal is supposed to attract a partner, not a predator. Unfortunately for the seals, scientists have found evidence that marine-mammal-eating killer whales eavesdrop on their prey. Previous research had shown mammal-eating killer whales are nearly silent before making a kill, neither vocalizing nor using their echolocation. The likely reason, researchers say, is the excellent hearing of the seals, porpoises, and other animals the whales stalk.
When attached to the wheels or the tracks of rail transit systems, vibration absorbers may reduce the noise from trains, bringing more peace and quiet to passengers and those who work or live near the tracks. In tests of two major metropolitan public rail systems, researchers say that vibration absorbers have a modest effect if any on wheel or rail rolling noise, but they may be effective in reducing wheel squeal.
Brazilian researchers study acoustics of the caxirola, official World Cup instrument, in work to be presented at the fall meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA).
The sounds of bubbles escaping from melting ice make underwater glacial fjords one of the loudest natural marine environments on earth, according to research to be presented at the fall meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA).
Craig Dolder, an acoustical engineer, always wanted to go to a Formula 1 Grand Prix but knew he needed to protect himself from the deafening roar of the engines. The advice he found online varied and the technical papers he read provided assessments of sound levels for NASCAR and other races, but he could find nothing that measured the noise levels or dosage specifically for Formula 1. So he decided to conduct his own test.
The American English speech variant known as uptalk, or "Valley Girl speak" – marked by a rise in pitch at the ends of sentences – is typically associated with young southern Californian females. New research shows uptalk is expanding to other demographic groups, including males.
Tongue twisters are not just fun to say; it turns out that these sound-related slip-ups can also open windows into the brain’s speech-planning processes. A team from MIT will report new insights gleaned from a comparison of two types of tongue twisters at the 166th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, held Dec. 2-6, 2013, in San Francisco, Calif.
Arthur N. Popper has been selected to be the new Editor of Acoustics Today magazine, published by the Acoustical Society of America.
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