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Physics, ecological acoustics and the auditory system
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Physics, ecological acoustics and the auditory system

Josh H. McDermott, Vinayak Agarwal and James Traer
Current biology, Vol.34(20), pp.R1006-R1013
10/21/2024
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.056
PMID: 39437718

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Abstract

Sound occurs when vibrations travel through a medium. These vibrations, their propagation, and their interaction with the environment are dictated by laws of physics, and indirectly reflect underlying physical properties of things in the world. The sense of audition exists to measure sound and infer its causes in the world, so as to help organisms interact with the world around them. Audition is thus indirectly but intimately shaped by the physics of sound. In this primer, Josh McDermott, Vinayak Agarwal, and James Traer provide an overview of how physical principles shape sound in the world, and how implicit knowledge of these principles guides our sense of hearing.

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