Uploaded July 2017 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
What exactly is sound? What role does it play in our lives? In this talk you will be introduced to sound as a measurable physical quantity and discover how our experience of sound is shaped by biology and perception. How can we distinguish one person speaking across a crowded room? What makes an A sharp the same note, no matter what instrument plays it? Why does our own voice sound alien off a recording? Paradoxical effects and strange mysteries of sound will be explored by demonstration and through listening sessions.
The talk is suitable for all ages. Basic physics will be assumed, but no mathematics will be presented.
Robin Parmar has a degree in physics, a diploma in audio engineering, and a Masters in electroacoustic composition. His research papers cover subjects as diverse as noise, science-fiction, post-punk music, hypermodernism, and the history of recording. His compositions and sound installations have appeared in Ireland, England, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Slovenia, Canada, and the USA.
What exactly is sound? What role does it play in our lives? In this talk you will be introduced to sound as a measurable physical quantity and discover how our experience of sound is shaped by biology and perception. How can we distinguish one person speaking across a crowded room? What makes an A sharp the same note, no matter what instrument plays it? Why does our own voice sound alien off a recording? Paradoxical effects and strange mysteries of sound will be explored by demonstration and through listening sessions.
The talk is suitable for all ages. Basic physics will be assumed, but no mathematics will be presented.
Robin Parmar has a degree in physics, a diploma in audio engineering, and a Masters in electroacoustic composition. His research papers cover subjects as diverse as noise, science-fiction, post-punk music, hypermodernism, and the history of recording. His compositions and sound installations have appeared in Ireland, England, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Slovenia, Canada, and the USA.
