Fungus as a sound absorber

As healthy and tasty as mushrooms might be, they are good for much more than just the dinner plate. The Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT has now teamed up with the Fraunhofer Institute ...

Recording the soundscapes of spring

This April, when you step outside and hear the first sounds of spring, you won't be hearing just songbirds and buzzing insects, but aural evidence of an awakening ecosystem.

Three ways to get your nature fix without a garden

Spending time in a garden is good for you. It doesn't matter if you're watering plants or simply chilling on a deck chair—there's a whole range of benefits that come with it. These include improved health and well-being, ...

Weighing gas with sound and microwaves

NIST scientists have developed a novel method to rapidly and accurately calibrate gas flow meters, such as those used to measure natural gas flowing in pipelines, by applying a fundamental physical principle: When a sound ...

Obama admin blocks seismic surveys in Atlantic Ocean

The Obama administration on Friday rejected requests by energy companies to conduct seismic surveys in the Atlantic Ocean to map potential drilling sites for oil and natural gas.

A new approach to identify mammals good at learning sounds

Why are some animals good at learning sounds? Did this skill appear when animals started "faking" their body size by lowering calls? In a new study on a wide range of mammals, Andrea Ravignani from the Max Planck Institute ...

How COVID-19 shutdowns are allowing us to hear more of nature

On a Friday, in late February, during rush-hour in Truro, N.S., I recorded 80 seconds of noise dynamics at a four-way intersection. I returned on April 3 after the COVID-19 restrictions sent people in Canada indoors. More ...

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