Sound is everywhere. There seems to be nowhere in the universe that sound does not exist. It also has powerful effects on the physical world.
Image credit: Adrien Olichon
Sound is everywhere. It’s generated by every piece of modern technology, from the blip of device notifications to the soothing clack of our keyboards to the rumble of engines. It exists in nature as birdsong, the resonance of wolf calls, the susurration of the wind rustling tree branches, and the rushing hum of water. It manifests from inside of us as language, and indicates life through our heartbeats. Even in the blackness of space, cosmic bodies generate sound on gravitational waves. There seems to be nowhere in the universe that sound does not exist.
Sound also has a powerful effect on the physical world. We feel this in the way bass notes boom through our bodies at concerts. We often protect our ears from very loud sounds because we know it can cause nerve damage and harm our hearing. In extreme cases, sound can severely injure or kill living beings. It can also cut and levitate objects, when applied correctly.
Sound can also heal. Cats purr at frequencies that promote healing and pain relief, and many of us have felt the soothing rush of musical frisson when listening to particularly moving melodies. In fact, sound has such a complex role in our personal well-being that many now believe that sound doesn’t just have the power to evoke an emotional response or relieve pain—it can target and heal maladies at the cellular level.
Check out the presentations below to learn more about the incredible medical potential of sound:
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