In the future, computers may be capable of talking to us during meetings just like a remote teleconference participant. But to help move this science-fiction-sounding goal a step closer to reality, it’s first necessary to teach computers to recognize not only the words we use but also the myriad meanings, subtleties and attitudes they can convey.
Some of mankind’s earliest and most mysterious artistic achievements—including prehistoric cave paintings, canyon petroglyphs and megalithic structures such as Stonehenge—may have been inspired by the behaviors of sound waves being misinterpreted as “supernatural.”
Researchers uncovering the secrets of spooky sounds, charismatic voices, nestling birds, traffic noise and more will describe their latest findings during a two-hour live Webcast press event on Wednesday, October 29, 2014. It will be streamed live from the 168th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), which takes place this week in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The sounds that most animals use to communicate are innate, not learned. However, a few species, including humans, can imitate new sounds and use them in appropriate social contexts. This ability, known as vocal learning, is one of the underpinnings of language. Now, researchers have found that killer whales can engage in cross-species vocal learning: when socialized with bottlenose dolphins, they shifted the sounds they made to more closely match their social partners.
James F. (Jim) Lynch has been selected to be the next Editor-in-Chief of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA). He began his service with the ASA as Editor-in-Chief Designate on 15 August 2014 and will assume the title of Editor-in-Chief on 1 November 2014.
A research at UT Austin has explored the potential of using the "cracking" sounds emitted by coffee beans during the roasting process as the basis for an automated acoustical roast monitoring technique. Coffee roasting sounds are well known within the coffee roasting realm, but this is believed to be the first quantitative assessment of these sounds and the first suggestion to use them in an automated control process.
Visitors to the country’s National Parks may be seeking tranquil communion with nature, but what they sometimes encounter is the noise of airplanes and helicopter tours. In a study to be presented at the 167th meeting of the ASA, researchers with the U.S. Department of Transportation report on recent results of a joint FAA and National Park Service study to assess potential effects of such flights on the experience of park visitors.
The obvious cognitive symptoms of minor traumatic brain injury can dissipate within a few days, but blast-exposed veterans may continue to have problems focusing attention on one sound source and ignoring others, an ability known as "selective auditory attention.” According to a new study, such apparent "hearing" problems actually may be caused by diffuse injury to the brain's prefrontal lobe -- work that will be described at the 167th meeting of the ASA.
Musicians can now perform as the soloist with a full philharmonic orchestra from the comfort of their own living rooms, thanks to a new computer system that will be described in a presentation at the 167th meeting of the ASA.
Previously, hair cells have long been considered the most vulnerable elements in the inner ear, but researchers have now shown that nerve fibers are even more vulnerable to damage. They will report their findings of “hidden hearing loss” at the 167th meeting of the ASA.
A team of researchers in Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Britain and the United States has demonstrated that remotely monitoring the acoustical structures of dolphin vocalizations can effectively detect "evolutionarily significant units" of the mammal—distinct populations that may be tracked for prioritizing and planning conservation efforts.
When loved ones lose their hearing, audiologists often counsel spouses and family members to speak clearly so they are better understood. But hearing loss professionals say that this well-meaning advice can backfire: clear speech can make you sound angry. A new study, to be presented at the 167th Meeting of the ASA, supports the idea that clear speech can carry negative overtones even when the phrase itself is emotionally neutral.
Due to increased interest in drilling for hydrocarbons in the Arctic and the associated environmental concerns, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution researchers are working to evaluate whether broadband active acoustic techniques can be used to remotely detect oil spills under sea ice.
If you've ever heard the boisterous courtship sounds being made at night by male frogs gathered around a pond or "watering hole" to attract mates, you may have noticed some communication similarities to those of humans enjoying a loud night out at a cocktail party or bar—that familiar cacophony with everyone essentially shouting over each other to be heard. At the 167th meeting of the ASA, researchers will describe how studying how frogs communicate is addressing some long-standing basic questions about how evolutionary processes shape the diversity of communication systems.
Lay-language papers describing breakthroughs to be presented at upcoming Acoustical Society Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island are now available online
The 167th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) will take place in Providence, RI, from May 5-9.
Arthur N. Popper has been selected to be the new Editor of Acoustics Today magazine, published by the Acoustical Society of America.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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).
Susan E. Fox has been selected to be the next Executive Director of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA).
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.
A study presented at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013) in Montreal shows the adverse impact of invasive frog species’ songs.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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