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Loud Music Drowns out Traffic, Reaches Edge of Solar System Not the same music, of course. An audiology professor in Montreal cranked up the volume on some powerful stadium speakers to help city residents get to sleep. Meanwhile, quietly, a gold record crossed the boundary of our solar neighborhood and spun into the void.
In Canada, Tony Leroux of the University of Montreal tried a bold experiment: mask loud construction sounds with even louder sounds of nature, and see whether nearby residents would sleep better. The surprising result: they seem to! A neighborhood suffering from nearby freeway work was treated to 65 to 75 decibels of waterfalls, crashing waves, crickets, frogs and rain – 10 decibels above the annoying construction din. Most found the sounds more soothing and suitable for sleepytime. Read about Prof. Leroux's nocturnal noisemaking
Read about NASA's golden record, or explore a Flash animation (with some of the sounds) Read a complete listing of the music contained on the golden disc Read the complete story of Voyager's exit of our solar system
In a related story, Patti Labelle has been nominated for a Grammy for her rendition of "Way Up There," an anthem used to honor the lost crew of the Columbia shuttle, which was destroyed on reentry early in 2003. Written by Labelle's longtime collaborator Tena Clark, the song had been commissioned by NASA's Art Program to celebrate 2003's centennial of flight. However, ever since Labelle performed it at the National Cathedral during the Feb. 6 memorial service to the Columbia crew, the words took on new meaning. The chorus: "Way up there, peace remains. Silence thunders and angels sing. Imagination and amazing grace bring us closer to our home in space." The Grammy Awards will be telecast on February 8th. Listen to Patti Labelle sing "Way Up There" on NASA's web site Explore the site of NARAS, the Grammy organization |
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