Buzz
Sounds are all around us wherever we go, often unnoticed. However, they can be used in ways we don’t always expect. For example, the calming sound of a river can trigger peaceful reactions in the brain, while the noise of construction work at 6 a.m. might have quite the opposite effect. The human voice has a similar power—it can motivate someone to rescue others from a burning building or spark a riot. Sound can heal or harm, showcasing an undeniable and surprising force, even though it is simply vibrating energy. This list highlights some intriguing ways people have used this natural phenomenon.
10. Treating Cancer
At Princess Grace Hospital in London, researchers are developing a technique to destroy cancer cells using sound. Through High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), they have been able to target and eliminate prostate cancer cells by heating them with sound waves. In a trial involving 159 men with prostate cancer, 92% of them showed no signs of cancer recurrence after one year. The procedure only took five hours. Additional testing is necessary to ensure the reliability of this promising technology before it can be widely adopted by doctors.
9. Boiling Water with Sound
Peter Davey, a 92-year-old saxophonist from Christchurch, New Zealand, has created a device that boils water using sound waves. This sonic boiler is simply placed in a container of water, and it can bring it to a boil in mere seconds. As it produces no steam, the amount of cold water you start with is the exact amount you’ll have once it’s boiled. Davey is now seeking business partners to further refine his invention and bring it to the commercial market.
8. Healing Injuries
Various technologies are being developed to use sound in wound healing. One such method is MIST, which involves spraying a saline solution over the affected area and applying low-frequency sound waves. This technique has demonstrated remarkable success in treating specific wound types, like foot and leg ulcers. In one study, 69% of ulcers healed completely after 12 weeks of MIST treatment. Although it is not widely available yet, research on MIST continues to enhance its effectiveness, aiming to offer faster and more reliable healing solutions for patients.
7. Cultivating Food
In 1962, Dr. T. C. Singh, an Indian researcher, conducted studies that explored the impact of sound on plant growth. He found that playing Indian music near balsam plants resulted in them growing 20% taller and producing 72% more biomass. Additionally, a traditional Indian dance called Bharata-Natyam performed around marigold flowers caused them to bloom two weeks earlier than usual. Other experiments have suggested that classical violin music has a particularly positive effect on plants, whereas rock music tends to have negative effects.
6. Unveiling Natural Geometry
Cymatics is the exploration of the patterns formed by sound waves. The Cymascope, a device co-created by John Reid, visualizes the distinct shapes produced by specific musical notes. It does so by placing tiny particles in water, which arrange themselves into intricate geometric patterns when exposed to particular vibrations. Each musical note, as well as human voices, animal sounds, and even the echoes of celestial bodies, generate their own unique geometries. Cymatics is still a relatively young field, and ongoing research aims to uncover how sound vibrations affect everything in our environment.
5. Regulating Brain Waves
Robert Monroe, the founder of The Monroe Institute and creator of Hemi-Sync, has led groundbreaking research on the impact of sound on human consciousness. Through the creation of tracks composed of shifting overlapping frequencies, he has enabled listeners to harmonize the brain waves across both hemispheres of the brain.
4. Sound Dampening
John Paluska, in collaboration with Meyer Sound, has developed a system featuring 123 speakers that utilize noise cancellation technology to manage the disruptive noise levels commonly found in restaurants. If you’ve ever lost your voice after a night out, this could be a solution. The system works by capturing the ambient noise in the space and playing it back in reverse, canceling out the unwanted sounds, like the chatter of rowdy patrons. Additionally, it can generate ambient noise to create a lively atmosphere when needed. Installation of this advanced system comes with a price tag ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.
3. High-Frequency Sound
Ultrasound, which functions similarly to echolocation, is predominantly used in the medical field, allowing healthcare professionals to observe the internal structure of a patient's body. By sending sound waves into the body, it creates a digital image based on how those waves bounce back. Many of us have had the opportunity to view an ultrasound image of ourselves while still in the womb. In addition to pregnancy scans, ultrasound is also invaluable for detecting internal injuries and wounds.
Sound plays a vital and thrilling role in our existence, as demonstrated by numerous studies. Ancient cultures viewed it as a central element of life. It is only in recent years that we have begun to rediscover the incredible potential of this long-forgotten science and have started to learn how to control it. The next several decades are likely to be marked by the discovery of even more transformative uses for sound, such as the potential to turn a baby’s cries into classical music.
2. Sound-Based Navigation
You’ve likely heard of it, though you might not fully understand it: Bats and dolphins use high-frequency sound waves to navigate their surroundings. By listening to the echoes of these sound waves, they form a mental map of the space around them. Today, many blind individuals are learning to use a similar technique. By clicking their tongues and interpreting the echoes, they are gaining independence and improving their mobility. There are now teachers specializing in this new technique who are helping blind people develop their own echolocation skills.
1. Floating Above
When sound waves create compressions in the air between two plates, and those compressions meet at a single point, interference is formed. If a drop of water, for example, is caught in the interference created by two sound waves of different frequencies, it will begin to levitate in mid-air. Now, all we need is the time when humans too might be able to float, thanks to the power of sound.
