I was reading this month's edition of Wired magazine when I came across this article. To keep a swarm of Asian carp from invading the Illinois River and disturbing the native fish, ecologist Greg Sass is experimenting with 'noisy bubbles'.
By using air bubbles combined with high, chirping sounds, the carp invasion is stopped. Carp can hear sounds up to 2kHz, frequencies the native fish can't hear. A curtain of bubbles and noise creates a loud 'wall of sound'. Sound in a bubble-water mixture can become extremely loud.
I never heard of such a 'bio acoustic fish fence', and one might question if we should interfere with nature at this level, but the idea of using the sensitivity of a certain species' hearing combined with the known properties of sound is at least thought provoking.
Sound is used in so many clever ways in this world, in places we don't know about. It makes me wonder what other purposes sound can have, in a completely functional, un-aesthetic manner. It's fascinating to discover what we can do with sound, and how it can help us in this world.
Do you know of any interesting, strange, unconventional ways of using sound? I'd be happy to hear.
Picture by The Artifex