Popular Social Media Posts – March

As we bid farewell to March, let’s take a moment to revisit the posts that captured the attention of our social media community, sparking engagement and igniting discussions around acoustics research.

First up, a JASA post on Facebook which discussed how retroreflective array treatment can change room acoustical conditions, concentrating reflected energy onto an arbitrarily located source. Read the article at https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0025162.

Facebook

Then, folks on LinkedIn enjoyed an Acoustics Today post featuring ASA students. Read “Tuning into Change: Students Fostering Inclusion in the Acoustics Field” at https://doi.org/10.1121/AT.2024.20.1.71.

LinkedIn

Next, on Twitter (X), a post featuring the open access ASA press book, Understanding Acoustics: An Experimentalist’s View of Sound and Vibration was well received. Check out the book online at https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-44787-8.

Twitter (X)

Over on Instagram, a image showing sound transmission paths including flanking paths through a separating wall assembly was well liked. Read the article at https://doi.org/10.1121/2.0001844.

Instagram

Lastly, we’re thrilled to announce our venture into a new social media frontier – Threads! Join us on this exciting platform and share your favorite social media hubs in the comments below.

Threads

The sounds of March Madness

As March Madness sweeps across the nation, basketball enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the exhilarating clashes on the court. Yet, amidst the thunderous roars of the crowd and the rhythmic bounce of the basketball, there lies a hidden symphony of sound that influences both players and spectators alike. Research sheds light on the intricate relationship between sound and the game, unveiling the fascinating dynamics at play within basketball arenas.

March Madness - crowd noise

You have probably noticed how the crowd’s energy during March Madness games ebbs and flows. Researchers meticulously analyzed the acoustic signatures of basketball crowds to classify behavior based on various emotional states expressed through sound. From the jubilant cheer of a successful shot to the collective groan of a missed opportunity, each acoustic cue provides insight into the emotional pulse of the audience. Understanding these nuances not only enriches our appreciation of the game but also offers valuable insights for enhancing spectator experiences. Read “Classifying crowd behavior at collegiate basketball games using acoustic data” in POMA at https://doi.org/10.1121/2.0001061.

march madness - bounce

While spectators contribute to the symphony of sound in basketball arenas, players themselves are attuned to a different sound—the bounce of the basketball. A study published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA) explores how listeners utilize auditory cues to anticipate the trajectory of a ball. Remarkably, individuals demonstrate an ability to predict the timing of a bounce. Read “Predicting the timing of dynamic events through sound: Bouncing balls” at https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4923020.

March madness - reverberation

While basketball arenas resonate with the fervor of March Madness, these spaces are not confined solely to sporting events. In a thought-provoking article featured in Acoustics Today, the complexities of converting arenas for alternate purposes are unveiled. From transforming a raucous sporting venue into a serene place of worship, acousticians navigate a myriad of challenges to optimize sound quality and ensure a seamless transition between functions. The meticulous orchestration of sound within these dynamic spaces underscores the profound impact of acoustics on human experiences, transcending the boundaries between sports and spirituality. Read “From sprots arena to sanctuary – Taming a Texas-sized reverberations time” at https://bit.ly/3D7ypVM.

While you immerse yourself in the excitement of March Madness, take a moment to listen closely—you just might discover the hidden sounds that enrich the game beyond the final buzzer.

New Across Acoustics Episode: What is an acoustic metamaterial?

Metamaterials have been a hot topic in the acoustics community since the late 1990s, but there’s no consensus among researchers as to what a metamaterial actually is or when they first came about. Christina Naify (University of Texas – Austin) took a deep dive into the literature about metamaterials and then posed the question to an audience of researchers in a session at the ASA conference in Chicago. In this episode, we talk to her about what came up during this discussion.

Like the episode? Check out the related article!

Seeking POMA Session Summaries from Sydney

Helen Wall Murray

POMA Manuscript Manager

helenwallmurray@acousticalsociety.org

Sydney POMA

Greetings, again, ASA Sydney Session Chairs! We’re checking in after a few busy months of papers flowing into POMA from the 185th Meeting to invite you, once again, to submit a Session Summary highlighting the information and research shared during your session in Sydney.

The format of the summary is flexible: it can describe various aspects of your session including an overview of the topics presented or a recap of the discussions that took place. Some session organizers provide background on the session topic, and others include a list of abstracts for the talks presented. For example, please see recently published summaries from the 184th Meeting in Chicago:

https://pubs.aip.org/asa/poma/article/51/1/002001/2918967/Summary-of-Additive-Manufacturing-of-Acoustic;
https://pubs.aip.org/asa/poma/article/51/1/002002/2919119/Summary-of-Microphones-Design-Development-and.

Given both the effort involved with organization and the excellent perspectives often shared during the talks, this is a valuable opportunity to have a written, archived record for all of the ASA membership to enjoy and delve deeper into, as more and more corresponding and related papers are published!

In fact, allow POMA to turn your Session Summary into a permanent Collection with POMAs from individual presentations in the same session!  Please see some examples of POMA Special Topics Collections from past ASA Meetings: https://pubs.aip.org/poma/collections

All Session Summaries and Collections are further advanced and disseminated by promotion on social media and in email campaigns featuring new POMA content.

More information about Submitting to POMA, including templates in Word and LaTex, can be found at https://pubs.aip.org/asa/poma/pages/manuscript.  Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Manuscript Manager at poma@acousticalsociety.org.

We look forward to receiving your Session Summary submission soon! Plus, keep an eye out for the results of the Sydney POMA Student Paper Competition.  Student presenters have made an impressive showing so far. In fact, a bounty of other papers based on presentations and poster sessions delivered at the meeting are currently in process, with several published already in Volume 52 of POMA.

Spring Issue of Acoustics Today now out!

The spring issue of Acoustics Today is now out! The cover features close up images of mud from the New England Mud Patch. The related article talks about why the acoustics of mud are interesting and important (pg. 37). (Fun fact, the image is actually adapted from a figure in this POMA article!)

Other topics in this issue:

  • The ways acoustical oceanographers use underwater ambient sound to measure the complex internal structure of the ocean,
  • The unprecedented changes in the world’s acoustical environments that people observed during the pandemic
  • Changes to soundscapes as the world enters a postpandemic era
  • Jim Simmons’ career studying bat echolocation
  • The unique acoustics of large venues like arenas, stadiums, and ampitheaters

Plus there’s an interview with Karl Grosh of University of Michigan, an overview of the International Liaison Committee’s Excellence in Acoustics Around the World session during the most recent ASA meeting, and look at how students are fostering inclusion in the field of acoustics.

If you don’t want to wait for your print copy to arrive in the mail, you can check out the entire issue online!

 

Spring Acoustics Today