CAP Lecture

The Sound of Science

Ben Newling

University of New Brunswic

Music has fascinated scientists since the time of Pythagoras. We will explore some of the beautiful physics and mathematics behind music and noises and things in between. This will be an excellent excuse to hit some stuff, and blow some stuff, and twang some stuff. More than that, we can see how Rayleigh's studies, beginning with kettle drums, gave rise to modern non-linear dynamics, how the interactions of bubbles and sound can produce temperatures many times that on the surface of the sun, and why physics says you really do need to crank the bass up to the end of the dial.

“Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.” — Plato
“I was just playing loud.” — Jimi Hendrix

This talk is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Physicists