Search Results for: Noise

Plants

Stressed plants make ultrasonic clicking noises

Tomato and tobacco plants emit high frequency sounds, which could one day find a use in agriculture, as a way to detect thirsty crops.

Ecosystems

‘Crossings’ explores the science of road ecology

Ben Goldfarb talks about his new book, which looks at the science that’s helping to prevent animals from becoming roadkill.

Archaeology

Pre-Inca people stomped salutes to their thunder god on a special dance floor

Excavation of a drumlike platform in the Andes turned up a structure seemingly designed to absorb shocks and emit resonant sounds when stomped upon.

Physics

Why even small sonic booms are more annoying in cities

Quieter sonic booms from next-generation planes could still be annoying in cities thanks to narrow streets and tall buildings, simulations suggest.

Cosmology

Astronomers spotted shock waves shaking the web of the universe for the first time

Studying these elusive shock waves could give scientists a better look at the mysterious magnetic fields that permeate the cosmic web.

Neuroscience

The classic map of how the human brain manages movement gets an update

Functional MRI scans provide a new version of the motor homunculus, the mapping of how the primary motor cortex controls parts of the body.

Math

Here’s how we could begin decoding an alien message using math

A new mathematical approach looks for order in strings of bits – without relying on human assumptions.

Animals

Zoo gorillas use a weird new call that sounds like a sneezy cough

A novel vocalization made by the captive great apes may help them draw human attention.

Paleontology

Katydids had the earliest known insect ears 160 million years ago

Fossils from the Jurassic Period show katydid ears looked identical to those of modern katydids and could pick up short-range calls.

Math

The metric system is growing. Here’s what you need to know

Science News spoke with a metrologist about the metric system’s latest update, which will help scientists interpret exceedingly big and small numbers.

Materials Science

This fabric can hear your heartbeat

With special fibers that convert tiny vibrations to voltages, a new fabric senses sounds, letting it act as a microphone or a speaker.