Acoustic levitation - cool!
Discussion
Presumably sounds beyond human hearing able to levitate objects would appear to be 'magical'. So maybe sounds of varied pitch could produce different effects/directions/speeds. Given that energy needed to move heavy objects using conventional fuels is greater than that needed to generate high pitched sound, what price space travel now?
Thorodin said:
Presumably sounds beyond human hearing able to levitate objects would appear to be 'magical'. So maybe sounds of varied pitch could produce different effects/directions/speeds. Given that energy needed to move heavy objects using conventional fuels is greater than that needed to generate high pitched sound, what price space travel now?
Well for a start you'd have to solve the somewhat thorny issue of transmission of sound waves in a vacuum, not to mention that you need to surround the object to be moved with speakers. Practically speaking I don't think that space travel is the ideal application for this 
Sound generally diminishes with an inverse square law. However, reflections do reduce this effect.The items they levitated were also rather low in mass. I'd hate to think what sound pressure wuld be needed to levitate a train as per the article - probably loud enough to deafen every dog and bat in the northern hemisphere..
Of course, in space no-one can hear you scream.
It isn't. Outside the spacecraft, however, is.
Sound waves are pressure waves, that means they need a 'medium' in order to be effective, so that's some kind of fluid that it can transmit waves through, which effectively is the movement of fluid molecules backwards and forwards in relation to the movement of the 'speaker cone.
In order to transmit waves through a vacuum, i.e. Space, you need an electro-magnetic wave. Currently I don't think we can do it any other way. Electromagnetism doesn't require a medium, it effectively creates its' own.
However, you can't, as far as I know, use an electromagnetic wave to 'push' against another object in order to impart motion.
Could be wrong though.
Sound waves are pressure waves, that means they need a 'medium' in order to be effective, so that's some kind of fluid that it can transmit waves through, which effectively is the movement of fluid molecules backwards and forwards in relation to the movement of the 'speaker cone.
In order to transmit waves through a vacuum, i.e. Space, you need an electro-magnetic wave. Currently I don't think we can do it any other way. Electromagnetism doesn't require a medium, it effectively creates its' own.
However, you can't, as far as I know, use an electromagnetic wave to 'push' against another object in order to impart motion.
Could be wrong though.
Super Slo Mo said:
It isn't. Outside the spacecraft, however, is.
Sound waves are pressure waves, that means they need a 'medium' in order to be effective, so that's some kind of fluid that it can transmit waves through, which effectively is the movement of fluid molecules backwards and forwards in relation to the movement of the 'speaker cone.
In order to transmit waves through a vacuum, i.e. Space, you need an electro-magnetic wave. Currently I don't think we can do it any other way. Electromagnetism doesn't require a medium, it effectively creates its' own.
However, you can't, as far as I know, use an electromagnetic wave to 'push' against another object in order to impart motion.
Could be wrong though.
You can manipulate small objects using a laser (optical tweezers) and it's theroretically possible to use higher powered lasers to propel a 'solar sail'.Sound waves are pressure waves, that means they need a 'medium' in order to be effective, so that's some kind of fluid that it can transmit waves through, which effectively is the movement of fluid molecules backwards and forwards in relation to the movement of the 'speaker cone.
In order to transmit waves through a vacuum, i.e. Space, you need an electro-magnetic wave. Currently I don't think we can do it any other way. Electromagnetism doesn't require a medium, it effectively creates its' own.
However, you can't, as far as I know, use an electromagnetic wave to 'push' against another object in order to impart motion.
Could be wrong though.
Halmyre said:
You can manipulate small objects using a laser (optical tweezers) and it's theroretically possible to use higher powered lasers to propel a 'solar sail'.
Ok, that's interesting. I know there's developments in the weapons field, with regards to being able to transmit energy down a beam, although I understood it was effectively a plasma beam.I suspect things will change massively in the next 50-100 years anyway.
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