Oh My Goodness! Before Radar–Acoustic Ears!

While the following pictures are certainly chuckleworthy as we look at them now, before the invention of radar the only way to know if planes were coming was to listen for them. And what better way to listen for them than with the most sensitive receivers available at the time, plus a few pair of human ears to interpret the sounds being heard?

If the people in these pictures are still around, they’re probably having a laugh at themselves with this crazy-looking apparatus:

I hope my buddies never see this pic!

Well, they're telling me this won't hurt my eardrums one little bit!

Thank goodness my face isn't showing...

... Uh-oh! Spoke too soon! I'll never live this down...

Hey, what are you doing back there?

That's it guys, heads down! No one will know it was us...

Don't they have something like this at Magic Mountain now?

Look what we built with our Legos today, Sarge!

This guy seems appreciate the silliness factor!

... as opposed to the Brits, who as always kept a stiff upper lip...

So they told us, pretend you know what the triangle doohickies are for, and keep a straight face...

I'm giving you my best I'm-so-cool-and-nonchalant-I-belong-in-GQ-magazine pose, because I've no idea what these cone thingies are supposed to do...

What Would 3D Sound Be Like?

Here’s an interesting article by Hal Espen in The Atlantic, who had the opportunity to experience Princeton University rocket scientist Edgar Choueiri’s “Pure Stereo Filter”, which promises “truly 3-D reproduction of a recorded soundfield.”

While there’s currently no online way to transmit this acoustic sensation so you can share in it directly, Esplen does an excellent job of describing what he heard and how his brain processed the signals he received.

Find out what it was like here.

Harry Potter’s Cloak Comes to Life…

A new acoustic invisibility cloak made of a plastic metamaterial makes objects invisible to sound waves, researchers say. It could be used to shield ships from sonar, or build better soundproof walls for concert halls and other spaces.

Read about it here.

All Tennis, No Grunt Work!

Disgruntled tennis fans fed up with the primal screams of the world’s top players at Wimbledon were empowered Thursday with the ability to turn down the volume on the Centre Court squawks.

Here’s the full story.

We’re Back!

Sorry for the gap of several months with no new posts. Blog author–yours truly–suffered serious medical injury (broken hip and femur) at the end of February and has been away from work several months convalescing. However, all is well now and we’re up–although not quite “running” (!)–again. Enjoy the new articles!

AIA Orange County COTE Tour Laguna Beach

The American Institute of Architects Orange County Chapter is hosting a COTE Sustainable Building Tour (and holding its general meeting) at a private residence in Laguna Beach, California on Thursday, March 3, 2011 from 5:45 pm to 7:15 pm.

The 3,650 square foot luxury home allows natural ventilation, light, the use of sustainable features, and eco-friendly material to create a special ambiance. A large central courtyard with pool and spa organizes living spaces in two discrete building masses: one oceanfront with direct views and the other, street side with courtyard views allowing all the rooms to have daylight, breezes and the joys of outdoor living.

The presenter will be Mark Singer (AIA), President of AIA Orange County. The event will constitute One Learning Unit in Sustainable Design.

The cost is $15.00 for AIA members, $35.00 for non-members. A 48-hour cancellation policy will be applied.  To register, click here. The residence address will be forwarded to you by email. For more information, contact info@aia.org.

BDA Inland Empire Chapter Mixer February 10, 2011

The Business Development Association Inland Empire Chapter is holding a mixer on Thursday, February 10, 2011. Here’s the flyer for the event:

There’s no reservation needed, no cover charge, and a no-host bar. So just show up and enjoy!

AIA Orange County COTE Tour CSU Fullerton

The American Institute of Architects Orange County Chapter is hosting a tour of the LEED Gold California State University Fullerton Student Recreation Center, located at 800 N. State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA 92834,  from 6:00 pm through 7:30 pm on Wednesday, February 23, 2011.

The tour will highlight many of the Recreation Center design sustainable features, including cool roof construction, water efficient plumbing fixtures and landscape irrigation, recycled materials and low VOC finishes. The presenter will be Duane R. Fisher of Langdon Wilson International. 

The cost is $15.00 for AIA members, and $35.00 for non-members. A 48-hour cancellation policy is in place. To register, click here. For more information about the tour and the AIA OC Chapter, contact info@aiaoc.org.

ASCE Continuing Education

The American Society of Civil Engineers’ Lifelong Learning Opportunities is offering the following live continuing education interactive webinars during the month of February 2011:

Vibration of Concrete Floors – Evaluation, Acceptance and Control, on February 17, 2011, 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm Eastern Time.

Culvert Design for Fish Passage – Design Steps and Examples, on February 22, 2011, 12 noon to 1:00 pm Eastern Time.

High Capacity Transit Alternatives Analysis Process and Considerations – Project Sponsor Perspective, on February 25, 2011, 12 noon to 1:00 pm Eastern Time.

For a limited time, companies with less than 5 engineers can receive a $100.00 discount off the price of site registration, by using the code: LESS10.

For more information on these webinars,  contact webinars@asce.org, or call: 1-800/548-2723.

SMPS Orange County Annual Appreciation Event

The Society for Marketing Professional Services, Orange County Chapter, is holding a special appreciation event from 7:30 to 11:00 am on Friday, February 11, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 17900 Jamboree Boulevard, Irvine, CA. Registration, breakfast, networking and headshots will take place from 7:30 to 8:30 am, and then the program will begin.

The event will feature two speakers:

Dr. Ariane David, whose topic is Myers Briggs Personality Types: Yours and others; how it makes us tick, and

Terri Langhans, CSP, whose topic is Helping them Hire You!

For a fuller appreciation of Dr. David’s presentation, it’s recommended that you take the Myers-Briggs test online here before attending this event.

In addition to the speakers, SMPS-OC is providing each attendee with a complimentary professional headshot, courtesy of Execushot.

The cost for this event is $50.00 for SMPS Members and Sponsors. A $500.00 SPonsorship opportunity is also on offer, which provides advertising and 4 admission tickets.

To register, click here.