How Active Noise Cancellation Works
Digest
The Basket Case podcast delves into the complexities of mental health, exploring the factors that contribute to mental distress and offering potential solutions. The podcast emphasizes the importance of understanding the interplay between mental illness, biology, culture, and society. The episode then shifts focus to the science behind noise-canceling headphones, explaining how sound travels as longitudinal waves and how active noise cancellation works by producing out-of-phase sound waves to cancel out unwanted noise. The history of noise cancellation technology is explored, highlighting the contributions of key figures like Paul Luke, Lawrence Fogel, and Amar Bose. The episode discusses the challenges and breakthroughs in creating effective noise-canceling headphones, from military applications to consumer products. The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to subscribe to Tech Stuff and other iHeartRadio podcasts.
Outlines
Mental Health and Noise Cancellation
This episode explores the intersection of mental illness, biology, culture, and society, while also delving into the science behind noise-canceling headphones.
Understanding Mental Distress
The podcast explores the conditions that contribute to mental distress and aims to uncover why so many struggle to feel sane.
The Science of Noise Cancellation
Jonathan Strickland explains the science behind noise-canceling headphones, discussing how sound travels as longitudinal waves and how active noise cancellation works.
The History of Noise Cancellation
The episode traces the development of noise cancellation technology from military applications to consumer products, highlighting key figures and breakthroughs.
Call to Action
The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to subscribe to Tech Stuff and other iHeartRadio podcasts.
Keywords
Active Noise Cancellation
A technology that uses sound waves to cancel out unwanted noise. It works by producing out-of-phase sound waves that interfere destructively with the incoming noise, resulting in silence or reduced noise levels.
Longitudinal Waves
Waves in which the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave propagation. Sound travels as longitudinal waves, with areas of compression and rarefaction.
Mental Illness
A wide range of conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior. It can be caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors.
Mental Health
A state of well-being in which an individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to contribute to their community.
Culture and Society
The shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and institutions of a group of people. Culture and society play a significant role in shaping mental health and illness.
Noise Cancellation Technology
Technology that uses sound waves to reduce or eliminate unwanted noise. It can be passive, using physical barriers, or active, using electronic circuits to generate out-of-phase sound waves.
Paul Luke
A pioneer in noise cancellation technology, who patented the concept in the 1930s.
Lawrence Fogel
A scientist who created a working prototype of active noise cancellation in the 1950s.
Amar Bose
An engineer who developed consumer-grade noise-canceling headphones in the 1980s and 1990s.
Q&A
How does active noise cancellation work?
Active noise cancellation works by producing out-of-phase sound waves that interfere destructively with the incoming noise. This results in silence or reduced noise levels.
What are some of the key figures in the history of noise cancellation technology?
Key figures include Paul Luke, who patented the concept in the 1930s, Lawrence Fogel, who created a working prototype in the 1950s, and Amar Bose, who developed consumer-grade noise cancelling headphones in the 1980s and 1990s.
What is the relationship between mental illness and culture and society?
Culture and society play a significant role in shaping mental health and illness. Social stigma, cultural norms, and access to resources can all influence the prevalence and experience of mental illness.
What are some of the ways that mental illness is shaped by culture and society?
Culture and society can influence the way mental illness is perceived, diagnosed, and treated. They can also shape the experiences of people with mental illness, including their access to support and resources.
Show Notes
There's nothing like wearing noise cancelling headphones while on a noisy flight. But what technology lets you listen to your sweet tunes while eliminating the loud hum of an aircraft?
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