(Press-News.org) May 3, 2013 – Wind turbine noise, virtual concert halls, and buzzing cicadas will feature alongside bio-inspired microphones, sound-enhanced biofuel production, and acoustic oil spill detection next month at a major international meeting on the science of sound, in Montreal.
The 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013 Montreal), to be held June 2-7, 2013, at the Palais des congrès in downtown Montreal, joins together the 165th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) and the 52nd meeting of the Canadian Acoustical Association (CAA) under the auspices of the International Commission for Acoustics (ICA).
ICA 2013 Montreal will feature more than 1,600 presentations on sound and its applications in physics, engineering, and medicine. Reporters are invited to attend in person for free (see details below).
Journalists may also remotely access meeting information with ASA's World Wide Press Room, which will go live one week before the conference begins.
Preliminary Meeting Highlights
MONDAY, JUNE 3
Personal Listening Zones in Cars
Abstract: Search for "1aSP9" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/monday_am.pdf
Excerpt: "The generation of personal listening zones in a car cabin would allow the different occupants to listen to different audio programmes without the use of headphones."
Monitoring Oil Spills with Sound
Abstract: Search for "1aPAa2" at
http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/monday_am.pdf
Excerpt: "Here we demonstrate for the first time the development of an acoustic standing wave based microfluidic platform capable of processing large amount of liquid samples from which dispersed oil can be concentrated and separated to a detectable level by acoustophoretic force."
How Cicadas Make Sound
Abstract: Search for "1pAB10" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/monday_pm.pdf
Excerpt: "A basic model of a ribbed finite plate is first considered, with the plate connected to a parallel surface by a nonlinear spring…. The basic model is extended….for the Cyclochila australasiae (a relatively large species of cicada)."
Texting in the Military – Can It Break through the Noise?
Abstract: Search for "1pNSa3" at
http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/monday_pm.pdf
Excerpt: "Military signal operators listen, transcribe, and respond to audio traffic over multiple audio channels, in high-level noise from vehicles and weapons. The messages typically overlap in time and may be difficult to disentangle. Two studies were carried out to determine the benefit of supplemental texting."
TUESDAY, JUNE 4
Fly-Inspired Hearing Aid Microphone
Abstract: Search for "2aEA1" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/tuesday_am.pdf
Excerpt: "A MEMS differential microphone is described in which the diaphragm design is inspired by the mechanics of directional hearing in the fly O. ochracea. The microphone and optoelectronics are packaged into an assembly that can be incorporated into a mock behind-the-ear hearing aid."
Improving Music Practice Room Acoustics
Abstract: Search for "2pAAa4" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/tuesday_pm.pdf
Excerpt: "As distinct from a much larger concert hall, the typical practice room directs added acoustic emphasis to small room challenges such as room resonances and unwanted reflections. Although rich reverberation is not easily achieved in a small space, the proposed diffusor/absorber seeks to make practice more acoustically comfortable and rewarding."
How Your Skull Influences Your Musical Preferences
Abstract: Search for "2pMU3" at
http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/tuesday_pm.pdf
Excerpt: "The resonant properties of the skull might contribute to auditory perception of music and musical preferences. While results were subtle, participants were found to be influenced in their judgments of loudness and musical preference for the melodies."
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
Do Dolphins See with Sound? Not Exactly
Abstract: Search for "3aAB7" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/wednesday_am.pdf
Excerpt: "Dolphin echolocation is often described as 'seeing with sound;' however, vision and audition vary substantially in terms of direct access to spatial information…. Shape does not appear to be easily accessible to dolphins via echolocation, although it is accessible through vision."
Hearing Wind-turbine Noises Too Low to be Heard?
Abstract: Search for "3aNSa5" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/wednesday_am.pdf
Excerpt: "Can we hear slowly surging or pulsating sounds for which the LEQ spectrum is below the threshold of hearing, where 'slowly' means that the pulses come at a rate that is no faster than about 4 pulses per second? The short answer is yes…."
Open Wide and Shut your Ears: Masking Dental Procedure Sounds
Abstract: Search for "3pNSc8" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/wednesday_pm.pdf
Excerpt: "In dental treatment, patients feel a strong discomfort [caused by] the treatment sounds which arise by tooth grinding. In order to add comfort to quality of life, we aim to reduce the discomfort with dental treatment sounds."
How the Shape of a Plane Affects the Noise Inside
Abstract: Search for "3pSAb6" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/wednesday_pm.pdf
Excerpt: "The turbulent boundary layer excitation is one of the main sources of aircraft interior noise over a large frequency range and in particular in the flight deck."
Special Event: A 'virtual concert hall acoustics' demo and concert at McGill University
Excerpt: "The session organizers of 'Virtual Concert Hall Acoustics' Special Session are preparing a demonstration and a live music concert using virtual acoustics technology at McGill University. The demo and concert would take place Wednesday evening in the Multimedia Room (MMR) at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University.
THURSDAY, JUNE 6
3D Sound Recording for Smartphones
Abstract: Search for "4aSP2" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/thrusday_am.pdf
Excerpt: "In order to provide a consumer possibility of 3D audio recording adapted to [portable audio] devices, we developed a compact microphone array able to pick-up a full 3D sound scene, using less than four microphones."
A Database of Global Shipping Noise
Abstract: Search for "4aAB3" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/thrusday_am.pdf
Excerpt: "In this work we develop techniques for modeling soundscapes on a truly global scale and present as an example world maps of ship noise."
Sound in Burning Buildings: New Work May Help Save the Lives of Fallen Firefighters
Abstract: Search for "4aEAb4" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/thrusday_am.pdf
Excerpt: "In the United States, most firefighters are equipped with a Personal Alarm Safety System (PASS) device that emits an alarm sound when the firefighter becomes incapacitated…. While the PASS device has been enormously successful, anecdotal evidence has shown it fails in some interesting scenarios."
Croaking Chorus of Cuban Frogs Fouls Everglades National Park
Abstract: Search for "4pAB4" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/thrusday_pm.pdf
Excerpt: "Our results show that Cuban treefrog chorus altered the soundscape in Everglades National Park and affected the acoustic behavior of native treefrogs."
FRIDAY, JUNE 7
Ultrasonics Make Biofuel Production Faster and Cheaper
Abstract: Search for "5aPA3" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/friday_am.pdf
Excerpt: "This work evaluated the use of high-powered ultrasonics to enhance biofuel production in terms of efficiency and costs. A wide range of feed stocks, including switch grass, corn stover, and soft wood, were studied."
One Small Step for ? Scientists examine Armstrong's famous first words from the Moon
Abstract: Search for "5aSCb53" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/friday_am.pdf
Excerpt: ""That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Neil Armstrong insisted for years that his famous quote upon landing on the moon was misheard, and that he had said "one small step for a man." This controversy has continued, as examinations of the sound files of his transmission have yielded mixed opinions about whether he produced 'a'."
Recreating St. Paul's Cathedral in London Before the Fire of 1666
Abstract: Search for "5aAAa5" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/friday_am.pdf
Excerpt: "We have [recreated] the entire soundscape of a specific event, in this case John Donne's 1622 Gunpowder Plot sermon at Paul's Cross, outside St. Paul's Cathedral in London as it was prior to the fire of 1666."
The Sound of an Ancient Chinese Chime-bell Set
Abstract: Search for "5aMUa3" at http://acousticalsociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/friday_am.pdf
Excerpt: "Consisting of 65 bells with different sizes and tones, Marquis Yi of Zeng's set is an ancient musical instrument with fascinating acoustical features, but scarcely appears in current music performances for being huge and inaccessible. To preserve this cultural legacy in digital form, sounds of a complete set of replicated Marquis Yi of Zeng's chime-bells were recorded and analyzed."
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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ICA 2013 MONTREAL
USEFUL LINKS:
Main meeting website: http://www.ica2013montreal.org/
Itinerary planner and technical program: http://acousticalsociety.org/meetings/ica-2013/
Hotel site: http://www.ica2013montreal.org/accommodation.html
WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM
In the coming weeks, ASA's World Wide Press Room (http://www.acoustics.org/press) will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay-language papers, which are 300-1200 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio, and video.
PRESS REGISTRATION
We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact Jason Bardi (jbardi@aip.org, 240-535-4954), who can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.
This news release was prepared for the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).
ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, ECHOES newsletter, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org.
Contacts:
Jason Bardi
Catherine Meyers
cmeyers@aip.org
301-209-3088
Virtual concert halls, buzzing cicadas, and more from ICA 2013 Montreal, June 2-7
2013-05-03
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