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Categories: Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms, Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published Hard-of-hearing music fans prefer a different sound
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers study the impact of hearing loss on subjects' enjoyment of different music mixes. They played different music mixes to listeners with and without hearing loss and found that those with hearing loss preferred louder lead vocals, higher frequencies, and sparser mixes with fewer frequencies overall. Previous research has found that music steadily shifted to quieter vocals and louder instrumentals leading up to 1975, meaning today's music may be less accessible to those with hearing loss.
Published Brain recordings capture musicality of speech -- with help from Pink Floyd
(via sciencedaily.com) For those with neurological or developmental disorders compromising speech, brain machine interfaces could help them communicate. But today's interfaces are slow and, from electrodes placed on the scalp, can detect letters only. The speech generated is robotic and affectless. Neuroscientists have now shown that they can reconstruct the song a person is hearing from brain recordings alone, holding out the possibility of reconstructing not only words but the musicality of speech, which also conveys meaning.
Published Geomagnetic field protects Earth from electron showers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Geophysicists studied the activity of high energy electrons and clarified the unexpected protective role of the geomagnetic field surrounding the Earth.
Published Sun 'umbrella' tethered to asteroid might help mitigate climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Earth is rapidly warming and scientists are developing a variety of approaches to reduce the effects of climate change. An astronomer has proposed a novel approach -- a solar shield to reduce the amount of sunlight hitting Earth, combined with a tethered, captured asteroid as a counterweight. Engineering studies using this approach could start now to create a workable design that could mitigate climate change within decades.
Published A wearable ultrasound scanner could detect breast cancer earlier
(via sciencedaily.com) In hopes of improving the survival rate for breast cancer patients, researchers designed a wearable ultrasound device that could allow women to detect tumors when they are still in early stages.
Published A quick look inside a human being
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Physicists have succeeded in making a new imaging technique ready for use on humans. Radioactive markers and radiation are not necessary for this.
Published Controlling signal routing in quantum information processing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Routing signals and isolating them against noise and back-reflections are essential in many practical situations in classical communication as well as in quantum processing. In a theory-experimental collaboration, a team has achieved unidirectional transport of signals in pairs of 'one-way streets'. This research opens up new possibilities for more flexible signaling devices.
Published Acoustics researchers decompose sound accurately into its three basic components
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Any sound can now be perfectly replicated by a combination of whistles, clicks, and hisses, with implications for sound processing across the media landscape.
Published Robotic glove that 'feels' lends a 'hand' to relearn playing piano after a stroke
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new soft robotic glove is lending a 'hand' and providing hope to piano players who have suffered a disabling stroke or other neurotrauma. Combining flexible tactile sensors, soft actuators and AI, this robotic glove is the first to 'feel' the difference between correct and incorrect versions of the same song and to combine these features into a single hand exoskeleton. Unlike prior exoskeletons, this new technology provides precise force and guidance in recovering the fine finger movements required for piano playing and other complex tasks.
Published How secure are voice authentication systems really?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Computer scientists have discovered a method of attack that can successfully bypass voice authentication security systems with up to a 99% success rate after only six tries.
Published Researchers use ultrasound to control orientation of small particles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Acoustic waves may be able to control how particles sort themselves. While researchers have been able to separate particles based on their shape -- for example, bacteria from other cells -- for years, the ability to control their movement has remained a largely unsolved problem, until now. Using ultrasound technology and a nozzle, researchers have separated, controlled and ejected different particles based on their shape and various properties.
Published Wind farm noise exposure doesn't wake people up from their slumber more than road traffic noise
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Short exposure to wind farm and road traffic noise triggers a small increase in people waking from their slumber that can fragment their sleep patterns, according to new research. But importantly, the new study also shows that wind farm noise isn't more disruptive to sleep than road traffic, which was a little more disruptive at the loudest audio level but not at more common levels. Sleep researchers have studied the impact of exposure to wind farm noise during sleep in three new scientific publications to better understand its impact.
Published When soft spheres make porous media stiffer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Porous media such as concrete physically represent a spherical packing of different components -- in this case cement, rock and water. The mechanical properties of such mixtures are still difficult to calculate due to their discretized nature. A team has now been able to investigate an unexpected property of mixtures of granular media consisting of soft and stiff spherical particles. For this purpose, a combination of ultrasound investigations and X-ray computed tomographic imaging was employed, allowing a three-dimensional (3D) characterization and evaluation. The discovery could contribute to safer future building in earthquake zones.
Published A 'spy' in the belly
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To ensure that wounds remain tightly sealed in the abdomen after surgery, researchers have developed a patch with a sensor function. The polymer patch warns before the occurrence of dangerous leaks on sutures in the gastrointestinal tract take hold, while closes the areas on its own. A new material now enables a fast, easy and non-invasive leak diagnosis.
Published Sponge makes robotic device a soft touch
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A simple sponge has improved how robots grasp, scientists have found.
Published Actively reducing noise by ionizing air
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists show that a thin layer of plasma, created by ionizing air, could be promising as an active sound absorber, with applications in noise control and room acoustics.
Published Source-shifting metastructures composed of only one resin for location camouflaging
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Acoustic source-shifters make observers mis-perceive the location of sound by reproducing a sound emanating from a location different from the actual location of a sound source. Researchers have now developed a design approach to produce high-performance source-shifters using a common polymer for location camouflage. Utilizing inverse design based on topology optimization, this development could pave the way for advanced augmented reality and holography technology.
Published Propellers are louder over ground
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The effects of the ground on propeller noise have now been measured experimentally.
Published A giant leap forward in wireless ultrasound monitoring for subjects in motion
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have developed the first fully integrated wearable ultrasound system for deep-tissue monitoring, including for subjects on the go.
Published A cocktail party of 3D-printed robot heads
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Imagine a cocktail party full of 3D-printed, humanoid robots listening and talking to each other. That seemingly sci-fi scene is the goal of an augmented listening laboratory. With precise control over the simulated subjects, the researchers can adjust the parameters of the experiment and even set the machines in motion to simulate neck movements.