190th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America
Philadelphia, PA 11-15 May 2026
Acoustics Lay Language Papers
Please keep in mind that some of the research described in these lay papers may not have yet been peer reviewed.
Building Soundscapes: Using Minecraft to Teach the Physics of Reverb
Can a video game teach the physics of sound? 🎧 Explore this Minecraft lesson plan where students build virtual rooms, calculate reverberation time (RT60), and hear how materials like carpet or concrete change the acoustics in real-time! #Acoustics #STEM #Minecraft
Orienting an Outdoor Amphitheater Surrounded by Natural Rock Formations
The view may sell the first ticket, but the sound sells the second. How frequently the audience returns to a venue to hear beautiful music will be determined mainly by the acoustic experience. Come learn how natural rock formations helped shape an outdoor amphitheater.
Why Do Polymer Oboe Reeds Feel Different?
Why do polymer oboe reeds feel different? Our study makes the reed’s fast motion visible, showing that polymer and cane reeds can vibrate in different ways.
A Recommended Noise Standard for Pickleball
A new standard for assessing pickleball noise has been developed to better reflect how people actually experience the sound, especially in neighborhoods near courts.
Waterfall Sounds and Sulfur Scent Shape a Uniquely Relaxing Soundscape
Nature’s best remedy doesn’t always come from complete silence and floral breezes. Sometimes it comes from steam, sulfur, and the steady roar of falling water.
Shrinking Designs, Growing Challenges: Measuring Noise Reduction in Small Structures
Tiny, hand-sized components that block sound in modern systems can now be tested at their true scale; thanks to a novel small reverberation chamber that brings sound transmission loss measurement in line with today’s designs.
Using particle motion to estimate sediment properties
Shear is one of the fundamental mechanical parameter that bridges geological, engineering, and environmental aspects of the seafloor which also influences loss of acoustic energy. This study uses the ratio of the horizontal to vertical components of particle motion amplitudes to estimate the shear properties of sea bottom sediments. This method is demonstrated using simulated data as well as data measured at the New England Mud Patch.
Acoustical consultants are the secret sauce to better restaurants
How much are customers willing to cope with noise as a trade-off for good food and a fun night out? Restaurant owners, designers, and consultants can establish realistic goals based on crowdsourced data and a reframing of what quiet means in the context of restaurants.
Listening for ice: Teaching AI to detect ice using sound
Species like the beluga whale use sound to navigate through icy waters where visibility is limited. Can an AI learn to do the same?
Novel illusions from hearing different sounds in the two ears – and how they happen in the brain
If you listen to two different sounds that are similar in pitch across the ears, something strange happens. The two sounds blend perceptually to create an illusion of a new sound.
Locating Sounds in the World with Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids
Can over-the-counter hearing aids help you locate where sounds are coming from?
Medical imaging in a wearable form: monitoring health on the go
Today we schedule a medical imaging scan in a clinic, doctor’s office, or at a hospital. What if we could self-monitor with a wearable unit?
Researchers are working towards enabling practical wearable units and have taken two key steps to making this a reality.
Do short-tailed fruit bats suffer hearing damage after noise exposure?
Mammals can’t regenerate inner ear hair cells lost to loud noise, but short-tailed fruit bats may not need to. After an hour of loud noise exposure, their hearing was the same as baseline, suggesting that they are resistant to noise-induced hearing loss. 🦇
“Listening” to Arctic sea ice: Using fiber optic cables to track when it might break
By turning a fiber optic cable into hundreds of sensors, we can track how Arctic sea ice flexes under waves and better predict when it will break.
Can Grass Quiet the Shore? Lab Experiments Reveal How Coastal Vegetation Muffles Sound
Coastal marsh grass does more than just breed mosquitos, it can act as a natural sound barrier.
Using Deep Learning to Enhance Photoacoustic Brain Images
Although the porous skull severely impacts the quality of photoacoustic brain images, the deep learning model U-Net can be used for effective image post-processing. This talk explores U-Net’s robustness by training on images with 2D wave effects, then later testing on images with 2D+3D wave effects.
Listening to Liberty: How Modal Analysis Sheds Light on the Sound of the Liberty Bell
Penn State researchers investigate the sounds of the Liberty Bell prior to its iconic cracking
Listening in on the Conversations of Coyotes
We are all familiar with howls, but how many of us have heard a wolf or a coyote squeak?
The Sound of Coffee Tells the Tale of its Molecular Structure
What does coffee sound like? The molecules that make up your morning cup of coffee was one of several molecules explored using a promising new sonification method for creating musical tones from molecular absorption spectra.
Music Features Prominently in Global Prehistoric Archaeology and Ancient Legends
Ancient myths from various parts of the world emphasize the magical qualities of the flute. Musical instruments featuring prominently in prehistoric archaeology and in legends of multiple cultures emphasize the importance of including psychoacoustics in studies of archaeological sites.
Does the slapstick really sound like the crack of a whip?
A study of slapsticks explores variations in instrument designs, all intended to sound like a whip crack in the orchestra. Which whip sounds best? Does the player’s effort make a difference?
Is it possible to break kidney stones with acoustic vortices?
Breaking kidney stones with acoustic vortices!
Shifting paradigms: From noise abatement to acoustics-oriented (aircraft) design
Implementing acoustics-oriented design, we make sure that tomorrow’s aircraft not only burn less fuel and emit fewer pollutants but also sound pleasant—both inside the cabin and out on the ground.
What Emotion Catches Your Ear’s Attention? How anxiety affects what you hear
Imagine you’re eating with your friend, when you both get distracted by someone angrily arguing with their date. The conversation captured your attention due to its emotional nature, but this attention-grabbing experience may intensify for those with anxiety disorders, so we sought to explore how.