Comments on: “Acoustic radiation”

By: Todd Rogers

Todd Rogers — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:54:16 +0000

“Radiation” has a sort of Bikini Atoll / Hiroshima / Silkwood connotation. Thus, I submit its use in this cases is clearly for spin and persuasive ends. Kind of like, “Toxic Assets.” If we let them put those big windmills up, we’ll have Spaniards trying to joust with them…next thing you know the kids will be glowing…and the grand kids will look like aliens

By: Bill Poser

Bill Poser — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 06:18:08 +0000

Douglas,

That reminds me of the story about the Harvard physicist sent to Vermont to help improve milk production during the Depression. After several weeks of study, he called a meeting in the town hall. He began his talk thus: “Consider a spherical cow radiating milk isotropically…”

By: Melvin H.

Melvin H. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 06:11:05 +0000

What got Ms. Winter’s character at the end of the movie was a flashing alarm light on the corridor wall.

(Quick aside: In the book version of the movie, Ms. Winter’s character had a different name–I think–and was male instead of female.)

By: kimsch

kimsch — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:28:30 +0000

Bill, that’s what Shelley Winter’s character in the Andromeda Strain had, the photogenic epilepsy. There was a flashing red light on the computer screen…

By: Bumper

Bumper — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:11:16 +0000

This has all the makings of a Kennedy Special. Teddie doesn’t want a wind farm in front of his beach and Robert, Jr is without a cause since the Special Masters rained on his autism and vaccine parade.

I can see the headline now:

“Acoustic Radiation Causes Brain Cancer”

By: Douglas

Douglas — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:39:17 +0000

“Subsonic” is likely to be a confusing term, as it is also used to contrast “supersonic” speeds of moving objects. “Infrasound” is probably better as a term to describe acoustic emissions that are outside the range of human auditory perception on the low-frequency end.
“Radiation” is likely to be confusing as a scare-word, but I just spent two class periods lecturing on the radiation of sound from loudspeakers, so it is a common use of the term at least in my world.
I don’t consider it outside the realm of possibility that haptic and/or auditory response to low-frequency sound could produce anxiety or sleep disorders.

By: Bill Poser

Bill Poser — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:02:25 +0000

The claim about the strobe effect of the setting sun behind the spinning blades triggering seizures actually does have some scientific basis. There is such a thing as photogenic epilepsy, in which epileptic seizures are triggered by visual stimuli, one of which is light flashing at a certain frequency. I’m not aware of cases triggered by wind turbines, but it is conceivable.

That said, this is hardly likely to be a significant problem. The incidence of photogenic epilepsy of all types is about 0.02% (I don’t have figures specifically for flashing light), so the number of people likely to be sensitive to wind turbines is quite small. Furthermore, photogenic epilepsy is generally triggered only by continued exposure to the flashing light. How many people are going to stare at rotating wind turbines at sunset?

By: kimsch

kimsch — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:12:10 +0000

I don’t know about “acoustic radiation” but I do know that a car or truck is acting as a rolling speaker with the bass on 11, and the car or truck is within about 25-30 feet of my vehicle, I get physically nauseous.

I also get a headache when neighbors, who can be half a block away, play polka music in the car or truck in their driveway. Bass and volume at 11. The house vibrates as well.

By: Pleasedon'tsueme

Pleasedon'tsueme — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:53:35 +0000

Altough the NIMBY people are talking bogus, a recent study has shown that, when compared with other types of renewable energy, windmills are relatively unreliable and expensive. Solar power is the best option as a renewable energy, so if I could choose, I’d rather have a solar power plant next door than a windmill farm. That said, I would prefer any type of ‘green’ powerplant over a fossil fuel powered one.

By: Todd Rogers

Todd Rogers — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:40:13 +0000

purely laughable. Of course, let’s not forget all the poor little endangered birds who may be in jeopardy because of these capitalistic icons.

The best thing that could come out of this would be inter-suing among factions of the Green Movement.