I was reading this month's edition of Wired magazine when I came across this article. To keep a swarm of Asian carp from invading the Illinois River and disturbing the native fish, ecologist Greg Sass is experimenting with 'noisy bubbles'. 

By using air bubbles combined with high, chirping sounds, the carp invasion is stopped. Carp can hear sounds up to 2kHz, frequencies the native fish can't hear. A curtain of bubbles and noise creates a loud 'wall of sound'. Sound in a bubble-water mixture can become extremely loud. 

I never heard of such a 'bio acoustic fish fence', and one might question if we should interfere with nature at this level, but the idea of using the sensitivity of a certain species' hearing combined with the known properties of sound is at least thought provoking. 

Sound is used in so many clever ways in this world, in places we don't know about. It makes me wonder what other purposes sound can have, in a completely functional, un-aesthetic manner. It's fascinating to discover what we can do with sound, and how it can help us in this world. 

Do you know of any interesting, strange, unconventional ways of using sound? I'd be happy to hear. 

Picture by The Artifex

Last week I experienced two completely different soundscapes. First it was Queensday in Amsterdam, which means a whole day of loud music, masses on the streets, shouting children, overdriven speakers and boat horns. A day on which my head had to stand a lot of sonic pressure.

I spent the weekend in a forest in Belgium, with no one around except for a casual walker, enjoying the oxygen-filled forest air in spring. A complete opposite of the screaming city soundscape I experienced two days before.

I need silence at times. After a long day of teaching, traveling or working on a sound design project I don’t switch on my stereo when I get home to listen to some new music. It’s like I can only handle a certain amount of sound a day, next to the fact that I don’t like to just play some music without being able to really pay attention to it.

Sitting on a grass field in the forest I was surprised though by what I heard. It wasn’t that quiet at all.

Click to read more ...