Turning sound into light
Actors who perform in musicals often sweat in torrents when they have to zap around the stage on roller-skates or sing a ballad under a burning spotlight, dressed in bearskin. To allow the audience to hear them clearly, the artists wear cleverly hidden microphones underneath their make-up and costume. But as soon they break into a sweat, the... view more... (2003-09-18)
Sound turns solids into powder
The ancient alchemist's art of solvere et coagulare - dissolving and combining substances - evolved into an entire spectrum of modern processes. Grinding grain and baking bread are probably the most well-known. But it is not just in food processing technology, or in pharmaceuticals and the building materials industry that the condition of the... view more... (2003-04-24)
Scientists at Low Temperature Laboratory planning to model a black hole
Academy Professor Matti Krusius and Antti Finne, M.Sc. (Eng.), were invited to a recent science breakfast, hosted by the Academy of Finland, to talk about their ongoing work to produce a first-ever laboratory simulation of a black hole. A black hole is created as a result of the most extreme concentration of matter. Scientists have been arguing... view more... (2003-04-16)
Detailed echoes from inside the body
In the early days of medical ultrasound, physicians only saw shadowy outlines of the structures inside the body. Today's techniques are not only capable of providing still and moving images of very high resolution. They can be used to measure the rate of blood flow or even discern signs of hardening of the arteries: Where the walls of the blood... view more... (2003-03-11)
Face-to-face contact in a virtual environment
Although many sectors of the telecommunications industry are eagerly awaiting a ray of hope on the economic horizon, the prospects for video conferencing systems look good: Last year, sales on the European market increased by almost 15 percent, and the consultant Frost & Sullivan predicts that the growth rate will exceed 20 percent next year.... view more... (2003-03-10)
INRIA at IMAGINA 2003, the international festival for digital images
3-6 february - Monaco. High place for digital creation, IMAGINA 2003 will be held at Grimaldi Forum and will present great names of industry and research teams of the sector. INRIA has been significantly involved in computer graphics for many years. The Institute is developing research, methods and tools in computer graphics for new sectors of... view more... (2003-02-05)
'Laser tweezers' may help the hard of hearing
A University of Sussex neuroscientist has been awarded £775,000 by the Medical Research Council to continue his research into the causes of deafness, by looking at hair cells in the ear. "Hair cells are the sensory receptors in the ear. Sound vibrates the hairs, which produces an electrical current, and this current starts a chain of... view more... (2003-02-05)
Hearing is believing
Novel developments in electronics which are giving ecologists important new tools to quickly and easily measure biodiversity will be described at the British Ecological Society's Winter Meeting, being held at the University of York on 18-20 December 2002. Speaking at the meeting, electronics expert and entomologist Dr David Chesmore from the... view more... (2002-12-09)
Voice from the past - hear Imre Lakatos speak 30 years on
The voice of distinguished LSE philosopher Imre Lakatos can be heard giving a lecture once again - almost 30 years after it was first broadcast. To mark the 80th anniversary of Lakatos`s birth on 9 November 1922, the Imre Lakatos Memorial Fund at LSE is making available on the internet the recording of his 20 minute BBC Open University radio talk... view more... (2002-11-14)
Oxford research furthers understanding of 'Foreign Accent Syndrome'
Oxford neuropsychologists have located some very small lesions in the brain which can lead to a rare speech disorder known as Foreign Accent Syndrome. This condition, which is usually the result of a stroke or head injury, makes patients change their pronunciation to sound like non-native speakers. The finding is a further piece in the puzzle... view more... (2002-10-03)
The mini that roared
ANTIPOLLUTION laws have taken all the fun out of driving, according to two American inventors who miss the meaty roar of engines. Their answer? A car radio that plays the throaty sound of the classic car of your choice in synch with your driving. So any rusting old hatchback can sound like a Ferrari, or even a... view more... (2002-09-20)
Musicians risk impaired hearing
A study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Sweden, showed that 74 percent of rock/jazz musicians in the test group have impaired hearing. But as many as 68 percent of classical musicians also evinced impairments. A large proportion of the musicians have troublesome combinations of hearing problems, such as tinnitus. view more (2002-09-16)
Starquakes reveal stellar secrets
Looking into the interior of the Earth or the Sun is a bit similar to examining a baby in its mother`s womb using an ultrasound scan. Light cannot penetrate the area, so we make pictures in these cases using sound waves, which human ears cannot hear. With SOHO, ESA has probed deeply into the Sun using the sound-waves principle, and with great... view more... (2002-08-14)
Rhyme & rhythm offers new approach on dyslexia
A groundbreaking theory about dyslexia could offer new approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Scientists at University College London have challenged accepted thinking, by testing rhythmic ability in dyslexic and non-dyslexic children. Dyslexia involves difficulty in language processing across reading, writing and speech. It is assumed there is an... view more... (2002-07-22)
Media invite: Live performances and debates at `Sounding Out` - an international symposium on sound.
Journalists are invited to the first ever international symposium on sound being held at Staffordshire University in Stoke-on-Trent this Thursday, Friday and Saturday (July 11 - 13). The event will bring together film and radio professionals with academics to debate the role of sound in today`s media. The media may be particularly interested in... view more... (2002-07-09)
Aural and visual appreciation of arts
Museum visitors appreciate the direct access to relevant information provided by audio-guided tours of exhibitions using headsets that eliminate the need to leaf through fat catalogs to read about the works of art. Imagine, how much more exciting it would be if exhibits could recognize a visitor's focus of interest and interact with him directly.... view more... (2002-06-26)
Joint Statement at the International Space Station Heads of Agency meeting
The leaders of the space agencies taking part in the ISS programme, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the European Space Agency (ESA), National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (Rosaviakosmos), met today at... view more... (2002-06-03)
Through the sound barrier without a boom?
Supersonic aircraft might not be plagued by the problem of sonic boom if a radical design proposal by a Cambridge academic could be made to work. Professor John Ffowcs Williams, Master of Emmanuel College Cambridge, directed the Concorde Noise Panel in the 1960s and 70s. He now believes it is possible to build an aeroplane that could pass through... view more... (2002-05-27)
Winner announced for Joint Research Councils Business Plan Competition
Joint EPSRC, ESRC, NERC and PPARC press release Winner Announced ( May 8th) Today's Scientists, tomorrow's entrepreneurs The winner of the Joint Research Councils Business Plan Competition has just been announced. The aim of this competition is to find the best business plan to commercialise British funded science. The judging took place at... view more... (2002-05-09)
Press Invitation: Research Councils Business Plan Competition Finalists for 8 May 2002
The five finalists have now been selected in this competition to find the best business plan to commercialise British-funded science. The teams are: Hale-Stephenson Ltd from the University of Newcastle: The researchers have developed a new type of vibration-sensor that can be sprayed onto the surface of any structure, just like paint. When the... view more... (2002-05-03)
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