Sound

For some time now, a nanomaterial known as MXene has been touted as a faster-charging alternative to the lithium used in batteries. It could soon be an even more viable choice, as scientists have devised a method of making it last much longer.

A new study has reported on the first human tests of an experimental therapy using sound and light to treat Alzheimer's disease. The initial results are promising, with the treatment leading to some neurological and cognitive improvements.

If you've ever listened to death metal rock or Mongolian throat singing, you'll be familiar with the growling vocals that are part of both. Well, bats make similar sounds, and it turns out that they do so in the same manner as human singers.

If you're at home alone, you may be reluctant to use headphones or do anything else that keeps you from hearing noises such as ringing doorbells. That's where Earzz comes in, as it's designed to listen for those noises, and alert you when they occur.

Birds sing, dogs bark and turtles – well, talk in their way too. A new study has found a range of “mute” species do actually vocalize, and concluded that all acoustic communication can be traced back to a single ancestor more than 400 million years ago.

The Earth’s magnetic field isn't something we can usually see, feel or hear. That last point has now changed though, as scientists and musicians have worked together to convert magnetic field data into sound – with spooky results.

Scientists have digitally recreated the sound of a long-lost species of insect, not seen since 1869, by creating 3D scans of its wings. The specifics of the tune could help track down living specimens in the wild – if there are any left.

Engineers at Cornell University have developed a new wearable device that can monitor a person’s facial expressions through sonar and recreate them on a digital avatar. Removing cameras from the equation could alleviate privacy concerns.

Whether they're in cars, buildings or airplanes, most of today's noise-blocking acoustic tiles are made of petrochemical-derived foam. A more eco-friendly alternative may be on the way, however, in the form of seaweed-derived membranes.

A fascinating study has shed light on the phenomenon of using sound for pain relief. Using state-of-the-art brain-imaging techniques, researchers discovered the neural mechanism by which sound reduces pain sensitivity, and reported some unexpected results.

Traditional computer chips run on electricity, while the emerging photonic chips use light. Now, scientists at Harvard have demonstrated a new kind of chip that transmits data in the form of sound waves.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have presented some remarkable audio from a new optical microphone system that uses cameras to see and reconstruct sonic vibrations. Remarkably, it can cleanly separate a single instrument playing in a group.