Across Acoustics

Feb 23 2025 73 ep. 26 mins 38

Across Acoustics Podcast artwork

The official podcast of the Acoustical Society of America's Publications' Office. Highlighting authors' research from our four publications - The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics (POMA), and Acoustics Today.

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Show Your Scattering Coefficients

Feb 23 2025 38 mins

The phenomenon of acoustic scattering, when a sound wave bounces off a surface and is redirected in different directions because of the surface texture, has been recognized since ancient Greece. Accounting for acoustic scattering when designing a built space, however, can be tricky. In this episode, we speak with Michael Vorländer (RWTH Aachen University) about his work to develop

Reducing Shipping Noise for Fatter, Happier Marine Mammals

Jan 19 2025 23 mins

Human-made noise from shipping is an ongoing problem for aquatic life. However, actually implementing measures to reduce noise can be costly and time consuming-- a risk many ship makers don't want to take without knowing how effective those methods will be. In this episode, we talk with Vanessa M. ZoBell (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) about her research that simulates the im

Acoustic Levitation and Trapping

Dec 15 2024 16 mins

Acoustic levitation allows objects to be suspended in air or in liquids without falling. In this episode, we speak with Philip Marston (Washington State University) about the history of acoustic levitation, and his work to translate previous research into terminology more accessible to modern readers and those outside of the field of physics. Associated papers: - Philip L. Marston.

Student Paper Competition: Modeling Trumpets and Falcon 9 Flyback Noise

Dec 01 2024 36 mins

This episode is part two of our interviews with the POMA student paper winners from our meeting in Ottawa. First, we talk with Miranda Jackson (McGill University) about her research regarding modeling the mouthpiece and bells of brass instruments. Next, Mark C. Anderson (Brigham Young University) talks about the noise created by the Falcon 9 boosters as they fly back to Earth and t

Student Paper Competition: A Small Ship-Like Structure, Underwater Micronavigation, and Rotorcraft Noise

Nov 10 2024 49 mins

This episode, we talk to a few of the latest round of POMA Student Paper Competition winners from the 186th ASA Meeting in Ottawa about their exciting research endeavors: - Using a small-scale ship-like structure to test noise mitigation techniques for shipping noise - Modeling spatial coherence in underwater sonar - Understanding the noise created by rotorcraft Make sure to keep a

An Ultrasound-Based Touchscreen

Oct 27 2024 20 mins

Current touchscreen technology has its limitations. In this episode, we talk with Jérémy Moriot (Université de Sherbrooke) about his team's development of an ultrasound-based system that not only can work with various types of surfaces, but can also detect multiple touches at the same time. Associated paper: Maxime Bilodeau, Jérémy Moriot, Joëlle Fréchette-Viens Raphaël Bou

Continuous Active Sonar's Impact on Killer Whales

Oct 14 2024 13 mins

When pulsed active sonar was found to cause mass strandings of whales, researchers turned to the quieter continuous active sonar for underwater monitoring. In this episode, Brian K. Branstetter (Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific) shares his work to find out how this sonar affects killer whales. Associated paper: Brian K. Branstetter, Michael Felice, Todd Robeck,

How Classroom Acoustics Fail Autistic Students and Teachers

Sep 22 2024 47 mins

We know noisy classrooms and learning environments can negatively impact students and teachers. However, these problems can be compounded for those with autism. We talk to Carmen Rosas-Pérez (Heriot-Watt University) about her research to better understand the experiences of autistic people in daily life acoustic environments. Associated paper: Carmen Rosas-Pérez, Laurent Galbrun,

Can Sound Be Used to Diagnose Arteriosclerosis?

Sep 08 2024 20 mins

Because cardiovascular disease is the world's leading cause of death, researchers have been looking for ways to diagnose it early. Low-frequency sounds have been used to assess the elasticity of blood vessels, but until now, the elastic waves being studied were too fast to get precise measurements. Sibylle Gregoire (INSERM) discusses how here team has been able to image a different

Ultrasound Transducers for Measuring Martian Wind Speeds

Aug 25 2024 14 mins

We have yet to fully understand the wind on Mars, even though it transfers heat, momentum, and molecules from the surface. Traditionally, heat loss and motion detectors have been used to measure wind speeds. Robert D. White (Tufts University) discusses his team's work on ultrasound transducers that may offer a more precise way to measure turbulent eddies on the Red Planet. Associat