Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Sound as Pressure Waves

Sound as Pressure Waves

Sound waves, which are longitudinal waves, can be modeled as the displacement amplitude varying as a function of the spatial and temporal coordinates. As a column of the medium is displaced, its successive columns are also displaced. As the successive displacements differ relatively, a pressure difference with the surrounding pressure is created. The gauge pressure varies across the medium.
The pressure fluctuation depends on the difference in displacements between the successive points in the...

Sound Waves: Resonance

Sound Waves: Resonance

Resonance is produced depending on the boundary conditions imposed on a wave. Resonance can be produced in a string under tension with symmetrical boundary conditions (i.e., has a node at each end). A node is defined as a fixed point where the string does not move. The symmetrical boundary conditions result in some frequencies resonating and producing standing waves, while other frequencies interfere destructively. Sound waves can resonate in a hollow tube, and the frequencies of the sound...

Sound Waves: Interference

Sound Waves: Interference

Sound waves can be modeled either as longitudinal waves, wherein the molecules of the medium oscillate around an equilibrium position, or as pressure waves. When two identical waves from the same source superimpose on each other, the combination of two crests or two troughs results in amplitude reinforcement known as constructive interference. If two identical waves, that are initially in phase, become out of phase because of different path lengths, the combination of crests with troughs...

Sound Waves

Sound Waves

Sound waves can be thought of as fluctuations in the pressure of a medium through which they propagate. Since the pressure also makes the medium's particles vibrate along its direction of motion, the waves can be modeled as the displacement of the medium's particles from their mean position.
Sound waves are longitudinal in most fluids because fluids cannot sustain any lateral pressure. In solids, however, shear forces help in propagating the disturbance in the lateral direction as well....

Echo

Echo

The human ear cannot distinguish between two sources of sound if they happen to reach within a specific time interval, typically 0.1 seconds apart. More than this, and they are perceived as separate sources.
Imagine the sound is reflected back to the ears. Assuming that the source is very close to the human, the difference between hearing the two sounds—the emitted sound and the reflected sound—may be more than the minimum time for perceiving distinct sounds. If this is the case,...

Perception of Sound Waves

Perception of Sound Waves

The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies in the audible range. It may perceive sound waves with the same pressure but different frequencies as having different loudness. Moreover, the perception of sound waves depends on the health of an individual's ears, which decays with age. The health of one's ears may also be affected by regular exposure to loud noises.
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Software Tools for Passive Acoustic Monitoring in Aquatic and Terrestrial Bio- and Ecoacoustics: A Living Systematic Review.

F1000Research·2026

Same author

Behavioral data suggest adaptive buoyancy control during shallow dives in humpback whales.

The Journal of experimental biology·2025

Same author

Identification of Two Common Bottlenose Dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) Ecotypes in the Guadeloupe Archipelago, Eastern Caribbean.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2025

Same author

Behavioural context of call production in humpback whale calves: identification of potential begging calls in a mysticetes species.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2024

Same author

Vocal complexity in a socially complex corvid: gradation, diversity and lack of common call repertoire in male rooks.

Royal Society open science·2024

Same author

Social calls in humpback whale mother-calf groups off Sainte Marie breeding ground (Madagascar, Indian Ocean).

PeerJ·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 1, 2025

A Lightweight, Headphones-based System for Manipulating Auditory Feedback in Songbirds

A Lightweight, Headphones-based System for Manipulating Auditory Feedback in Songbirds

Published on: November 26, 2012

Bidirectional Interactions With Humpback Whale Singer Using Concrete Sound Elements.

Aline Pénitot¹, Diemo Schwarz², Paul Nguyen Hong Duc³

¹Compagnie Ondas, Paris, France.

Frontiers in Psychology

|June 28, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This art-science project explores humpback whale vocalizations to create novel sounds for two-way acoustic communication. By analyzing whale songs, researchers aim to establish interspecies dialogue, moving beyond traditional playback methods.

Keywords:

bassoon humpback whale song interactions music interface musique concrete

More Related Videos

Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication

Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication

Published on: June 5, 2016

Automated Interactive Video Playback for Studies of Animal Communication

Automated Interactive Video Playback for Studies of Animal Communication

Published on: February 9, 2011

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 1, 2025

A Lightweight, Headphones-based System for Manipulating Auditory Feedback in Songbirds

A Lightweight, Headphones-based System for Manipulating Auditory Feedback in Songbirds

Published on: November 26, 2012

Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication

Recording Mouse Ultrasonic Vocalizations to Evaluate Social Communication

Published on: June 5, 2016

Automated Interactive Video Playback for Studies of Animal Communication

Automated Interactive Video Playback for Studies of Animal Communication

Published on: February 9, 2011

Area of Science:

Bioacoustics
Interspecies Communication
Art-Science Collaboration

Background:

Humpback whale songs are complex, involving social interactions and hierarchies.
Current methods like playback are one-way, limiting true acoustic exchange.
Understanding whale sound production is key to developing reciprocal communication.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze humpback whale vocalizations for acoustic features and temporal structure.
To develop novel sounds for initiating two-way acoustic interactions with whales.
To explore the potential for interspecies dialogue through sound.

Main Methods:

Analysis of humpback whale vocalizations using scientific and musical approaches (musique concrète).
Identification of acoustic features and sound morphologies.
Development of a music interface for real-time sound generation.

Main Results:

Identified similarities between whale sounds and bassoon tones.
Processed whale sounds into "concrete sound elements."
Designed a novel music interface for creating interactive musical phrases.

Conclusions:

The study provides insights into humpback whale sound generation abilities and limits.
Developed methods enable the creation of sounds for potential interspecies communication.
The project paves the way for bidirectional acoustic interactions between humans and whales.