A World of Sound

Did you know that the scales on a moth’s wings have evolved to absorb the exact frequency of sound emitted by bats when they are hunting? This effectively makes the moths invisible to bats, and their design has inspired the production of super-sound-absorbing meta-materials which are being used to dampen unwanted sounds in the human world.

This is just one of the many fascinating insights I’ve discovered whilst working on a brilliant project with the UK Acoustics Network.

I've been working with acousticians from all over the UK on a fantastic project to help engage young people and inspire them to find out more about the fascinating world of SOUND.

2020/21 was the first International Year of Sound, initiated by the International Commission for Acoustics, and was established as a celebration of the role sound plays in our lives.

In response, experts from the UK Acoustics Network and the International Year of Sound team, have got together to create a series of articles which introduce us to some of the most fascinating and cutting-edge research and discoveries that acoustic scientists are working on today.

Each article has been written by a team of academic experts, and they invited me to read and edit these articles to make sure they are appealing and engaging for children aged 8-12. These are being published on Frontiers for Young Minds, an online scientific magazine for children.

I'm really delighted with how they’ve turned out. I've basically re-written around 25 articles, taking care to ensure all technical details are correct and keeping the overall style created by each team of authors.

Head over to Frontiers for Young Minds and take a look!

(image credit: Frontiers for Young Minds)