Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a technology that allows objects to be lifted off reflective surfaces without physical contact using sound waves. They employed a hemispherical array of ultrasound transducers to generate a 3D acoustic field, stably trapping and lifting a small polystyrene ball.
Researchers found that rhythm perception relies on two separate decisions: grouping and prominence, which are mutually informative. These decisions lead to our rhythmic intuitions, suggesting that speech processing involves complex inferences.
The study presents a phononic crystal that enables robust topological states at three dimensions, allowing for diverse wave steering applications. The researchers demonstrated the ability to engineer negative refraction of sound waves and utilize topological hinge states as transport channels.
Researchers found that Asian elephants produce high-pitched squeaks through lip vibration, contradicting previous assumptions that the sound comes from the trunk. The technique is unique in the animal kingdom and may be learned, suggesting flexibility in sound production.
Researchers at Duke University developed acoustoelectronic nanotweezers that control nanoparticles using sound-induced electric fields. This label-free, dynamically controllable method can be applied to various technologies, including biomedicine and condensed matter physics.
Researchers found that playing broadband sounds during the onset of congenital hearing loss preserved auditory processing of time-related sound features. The intervention also prevented hair cells from dying and maintained sound processing function in brainstems, cochleas, and midbrains.
Scientists have designed metamaterials that can produce rotons, quasiparticles that behave like free particles, without using quantum effects under normal conditions. These materials could enable the manipulation of sound waves in ways previously impossible, such as bouncing or redirecting them.
Scientists observe combined sound and light waves in atomically thin materials, finding that the hybrid wave can speed up and slow down spontaneously and split into two separate pulses. The discovery opens up new possibilities for optical communication through atomically thin layers.
Researchers discover moths have evolved acoustic metamaterials on their wings to absorb ultrasound, outsmarting bats. This adaptation decreases echo return and enhances insect survival, with scales tuned to different frequencies forming a broadband absorption array.
Researchers develop Composite Urban Quietness Index to measure sound diversity of quietness, aiming to provide a new understanding of comfortable quiet. The study reveals that high-intensity sound and silent acoustic environments can cause stress, highlighting the need for quantifiable characteristics of quietness.
The study found that tactile stimuli are detected faster when sound approaches from any direction, but not when it recedes. This suggests that peripersonal representations exist with approaching sound, regardless of direction, implying a nearly circular shape around the body's trunk.
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have built the world's smallest acoustic amplifier, exceeding previous versions by over 10 times. The device uses sound waves to process radio signals, paving the way for smaller and more sophisticated wireless technology.
Researchers at Aalto University developed a new audio technique that allows people to track bats in flight and localise sources of ultrasonic sound, enabling super-hearing. The device records ultrasound using microphones on a small sphere, pitch-shifts the signal, and plays it back through headphones.
Aalto University researchers discovered that wood-based pulp fibers are well-suited for making acoustic materials. These natural fibers have positive environmental impacts compared to traditional acoustic materials, absorbing significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and producing more energy-efficient products.
Researchers have discovered that embryos across various animal groups rely on acoustic signals to inform their development and adapt to environmental conditions. This phenomenon, known as acoustic developmental programming, suggests that sound plays a crucial role in shaping the lives of animals from the moment of birth.
A new study published in Cognitive Science found that parents' use of iconic words improves children's ability to learn new words, especially when introducing novel names. This is because iconicity aids attention to word meaning by exploiting similarities between sound and meaning.
Politecnico di Milano researchers used neural networks to predict the acoustic behavior of violin plates based on geometric parameters. The results showed an accuracy close to 98%, enabling luthiers to design and build violins with optimal sound quality, exploring new designs and materials.
Researchers at McGill University found that brain signals constantly adapt to synchronize visual and auditory inputs, using temporal recalibration to adjust our sense of time. This dynamic process enables us to perceive sounds and images as simultaneous, despite the different physical velocities and neural processing speeds.
The study reveals that inner hair cells are stimulated by sound vibrations through a calcium-based mechanism, contradicting the long-held assumption that only outer hair cells interact with the tectorial membrane. This new understanding may lead to improved cochlear implants for treating hearing loss.
Researchers found bats map the world in units of time, perceiving insects as nine milliseconds away, not meters. This constant sense allows bats to orient themselves without calculating distance based on sound speed.
Researchers at Boston University found that sound levels increased substantially in Blue Hills Reservation after pandemic lockdowns reduced commuter traffic. Faster-moving cars generate more noise, disrupting wildlife and human health benefits of nature recreation.
Echolocating bats use time-based distance estimates, regardless of air conditions. The study found that bat accuracy improved when closer to targets, suggesting an innate ability to discern surroundings in terms of time.
Researchers found evidence of sound-related genes in corals, which could enable them to use sound to interact with their environment. This discovery has significant implications for understanding coral communication and developing restoration and conservation projects to protect these critical ecosystems.
The brain's auditory system actively tracks the velocity of a sound, just like the visual system. This study reveals that people can improve their ability to track moving sounds over time.
Researchers at the University of Oregon have developed a method to manipulate sound waves in synthetic composite structures known as metamaterials. The discovery uses theoretical and computational analysis of mechanical vibrations of thin elastic plates to dynamically stop and reverse sound pulses.
Researchers developed a new approach to sound location using bat-inspired technology, outperforming human ears. The system uses a single frequency and receiver, creating Doppler shift signatures that are interpretable with machine learning algorithms.
Adult male gorillas emit chest beats with lower peak frequencies for larger males, indicating their body size. This unique sound conveys information on competitive ability, allowing rivals to assess dominance.
A study published in Scientific Reports suggests that mountain gorillas use chest beats to convey information about their body size, allowing identification of individuals. The sound frequencies of chest beats made by larger males were significantly lower than those made by smaller males.
Researchers found that neural networks trained on sound files of human language reached higher performance in image recognition, identifying objects and animals correctly 92% of the time. Using sound as a training tool improved results even with limited training data, outperforming traditional binary input methods.
Researchers at POSTECH have designed a metasurface that can control acoustic and elastic waves, achieving underwater stealth capability untraceable by SONAR. The technology also enables drastic alteration of wave propagation through curved plates, such as vibrations.
Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology used a high-speed camera and 2176 microphones to measure the precise origin of the hummingbird's sound. The team found that the wing's pressure difference generates the hum, which is essential for lift-off and hovering.
A new study finds that gentle streams of water carrying sound and microscopic air bubbles can effectively clean salad leaves, reducing bacterial contamination and the risk of food poisoning. The method has implications for combating anti-microbial resistance and extending food shelf life.
Scientists at Uppsala University have created the first 3D map of the hearing nerve, tracing fine nerve threads and vibrating auditory organ to understand how frequencies are distributed. This new knowledge can lead to more effective cochlea implant treatments for the hearing-impaired.
A new study found that gay men who believe they sound gay are more vigilant about others' reactions and expect acute rejection from heterosexuals. Researchers also discovered that essentialist beliefs regarding voice contribute to prejudice and stigmatization towards gay-sounding men.
Scientists identify a unique voice prosody pattern associated with honest speech, recognized across languages and influencing memory recall. The study, published in Nature Communications, reveals how brain automatically processes this characteristic sound to convey truth-value or certainty.
Researchers perform an experiment that adds or subtracts a single phonon to a high-frequency sound field using laser light interactions. The team's findings show that subtracting a single phonon increases the average number of quanta, defying intuition. This result opens a new path for quantum science and technology with sound waves.
Researchers developed a new theoretical model explaining the spread of vibrations in disordered materials, showing that sound waves lose coherence on shorter length scales. This discovery may lead to the design of heat- and shatter-resistant glass for smartphones and tablets.
A new study by the University of Hong Kong has experimentally proven the existence of Klein tunneling, where relativistic particles can pass through barriers with 100% transmission. This breakthrough has significant implications for fundamental physics and potential applications in sound manipulation and acoustic signal processing.
Researchers at Duke University have created a new method to concentrate and separate nanoparticles using sound waves, working in under a minute instead of traditional centrifugation methods which take hours or days. The technique can be used for precision bioassays, cancer diagnosis, and more.
Researchers used headphones to change sound of footsteps in real-time, finding participants walked faster with high-pitched sounds. Exposure to lemon-scented essential oils combined with high-pitched sounds made participants feel lighter than those exposed to vanilla scents.
Scientists investigate how moisture in sand affects sound travel across beaches, shedding light on factors influencing long-range sound propagation. The findings will help develop numerical models describing how sound travels through coastal areas, accounting for various environmental factors.
Despite excellent auditory capacities, dogs fail to attend to differences between words with single speech sound variations. This may be why dogs' learned vocabulary remains low throughout life. Brain activity studies show dogs quickly differentiate known from nonsense words but not those differing in just one sound.
A team of researchers from the University of Sussex created a sound projector that can deliver spatial sound at a distance by forming a beam of audible sound. The system uses a portable speaker, metamaterial lenses, and tracking hardware to track users and send sound directly to them.
Researchers developed a detector that mimics a mosquito's antenna to identify species and sex based on sound patterns. The bioinspired device uses machine learning and speech recognition tools to differentiate between species and sex, offering a potential tool for disease-carrying mosquito identification and selective pesticide use.
MIT physicists create a perfect fluid in the laboratory, capturing its sound waves to measure viscosity. The results confirm that strongly interacting fermion gas behaves as a perfect fluid, with properties applicable to studying neutron stars and the early universe's plasma.
High-frequency sound waves revolutionize ultrasound-driven chemistry, enabling the development of innovative biomedical technologies and advanced materials. Researchers can deliver drugs to the lungs for painless vaccinations and create protective nanoparticles using patented nebulisation technology.
Researchers discovered the precise construction of moths wings that enable extraordinary ultrasound-absorptive properties, creating a resonant absorber 100 times thinner than sound wavelength. This breakthrough inspires the design of ultra-thin sound absorbers for homes and offices.
Researchers at King's College London have discovered a way to change baby brain activity through associative learning, which could lead to innovative rehabilitation methods for infants with brain injuries. The study involved 24 infants who learned an association between sound and movement, resulting in altered brain activity.
Researchers have developed a new theory for observing the quantum vacuum, which could lead to new insights into black hole behavior. By using sound particles and ultra-cold atoms, they created a two-dimensional cloud where sound waves become audible to an accelerated observer in a silent phonon vacuum.
Researchers used zebrafish with genetic mutations similar to those found in humans with Fragile X syndrome and autism to study sound sensitivity. The study revealed that the brains of these fish processed auditory information differently than normal fish, with more activity in the hindbrain and thalamus.
A research team at Toyohashi University of Technology developed a method to reduce aerodynamic noise using a plasma actuator. By periodically switching off the power, they achieved a higher reduction in sound pressure level compared to continuous operation.
Researchers developed SoundWatch, a smartwatch app for deaf, Deaf, and hard-of-hearing people to receive sound alerts from various sources. The app uses machine learning to identify and classify common home-related sounds, enhancing users' experiences and connection to the world.
Researchers have developed a chip-based technology that generates high-resolution sound profiles with intense sound pressure. This allows for more effective and easier ultrasound therapy, potentially benefiting patients with cancer, brain conditions, and other diseases. The technology also enables the creation of organoid models for dr...
Researchers found daily average sound levels dropped approximately 3 decibels during the pandemic, which could have a significant impact on people's overall health outcomes. The analysis shows that digital devices can be used to evaluate daily behaviors and exposures.
Researchers found the upper limit for the speed of sound to be around 36 km per second, which is faster than previously thought. This discovery has implications for various scientific fields, including materials science and condensed matter physics.
Researchers create detailed models of tip links, crucial components of the inner ear, to shed light on how hearing works. The study reveals key dynamics and interactions between proteins that form tip links, providing new insights into hearing loss and balance disorders.
Researchers found vessel traffic and whale vocalizations contribute to ambient sound, with fluctuations by month and seasonal peaks. The study establishes a baseline for understanding the impact of human-made noise on the sanctuary's ecosystem.
Researchers have discovered that seismic rumblings on the seafloor can provide a new way to monitor ocean temperatures, using existing seismic monitoring equipment and historic data. By analyzing sound waves from undersea earthquakes, they can determine changes in ocean temperature at depths normally out of reach of conventional tools.
Researchers from HSE University developed seven phonological tests to assess children's reading skills. The study found that more complex tests predicted reading fluency and identified phonological deficits, suggesting their use in diagnosing and addressing reading problems like dyslexia.
Researchers at Duke University demonstrate prototypes for acoustic tweezers that use sound waves to manipulate bioparticles in Petri dishes. The technology has the potential to bridge the gap between academia and industry, enabling a wider range of laboratories to adopt it.