Physicists Develop Acoustic System That Absorbs Sound
Even if they have a fancy name, noise-cancelling headphones aren’t exactly a new development. They’re the end result of a need to lock some sounds in and keep other sounds out — which in a sense extends to acoustics in general. But now scientists are ready to take the mastery of sound to the next level, even if that means finding ways to erase it entirely.
The issue at hand is that even if it’s possible to absorb and silence some sounds, completely erasing them hasn’t really happened. That might be about to change if a band of Hong Kong physicists have their way. By hooking two vibrating parts called resonators together, they can be matched in frequency and tuned to the space around them. As a result, the resonators absorb and interfere with the sound wavelengths. One resonator puts errant sound waves at the ideal frequency, while the second creates enough interference to cancel them out.
The end result is that a whopping 99.7 percent of a sound can be wiped away — and as a result, create what might as well be silence. There’s still a ways to go before the new system hits the market, but the potential is there for anyone looking for a little more peace and quiet.
