h a l f b a k e r y
Inexact change.
idea:
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, best, random
meta:
news, help, about, links, report a problem
account:
Browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
or Create a new account.
|
|
|
Now that someone's invented a silence machine that can generate sound waves in an opposite phase to cancel out irritating noises we should take that one step further and create a modified version of a mechanical voice box that would generate sound waves in the opposite phase when you speak. A companion
piece would be clipped onto the mouthpiece of a phone to convert your words back into the audible range (either by just receiving one phase or receiving a transmission of the words from the mechanical voice box on your neck). It might make your office look like bunch of psychotic people were mumbling under their breath but at least it would be a very very quiet office. It would be even better if we could take this one step further and do the same with cellphones. That way we wouldn't have to be annoyed by people talking to invisible partners.
A tangent - some of the monks belonging to Tibetan choirs are able to simultaneously hold three notes to form a chord. Knowing that, I wonder if there are species out there who communicate the same way, holding two notes in opposing phases. If their ears had evolved to hear only one phase it would be an excellent way to communicate warnings to others in your species without giving away your own position and getting eaten in the process.
Silence Machines
http://www.newscien...s.jsp?id=ns99992094
What's baked so far: http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992094 [longshot9999, Oct 15 2004]
Babel Engine
http://www.halfbake...idea/Babel_20Engine
similar voice cancellation method used [FarmerJohn, Oct 15 2004]
[link]
|
| |
FJ - Hadn't seend the linked idea before. There's a couple of differences though. A minor one, harder's device was internal and mine would be external. A major one, the goal of harder's idea is to facilitate communication between people who speak different languages, the goal of my idea is to get rid of the byproduct of communication (noise in the office and other settings). If people think the ideas are too much alike though I'm willing to delete this one. |
|
| |