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In Reply to: RE: How is Archimago's equipment not "up to the task"... posted by Jaundiced Ear on January 27, 2016 at 20:00:34
Human hearing is able to resolve down to air molecule level. This has strong evolutionary benefits.
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
Follow Ups:
I think you're overstating your position. Human hearing is designed to respond to air pressure, but I'm guessing that it takes more than one air molecule to stimulate the ear.
Think of it: the ear drum is not made up of one atom, but millions of them. So is the bone structure in the ear. So are the hairs in the ear canal. So is the fluid in the ear canal. Having mass, the overall structure of the ear has an inherent inertia. I seriously doubt a singe O2 molecule, or CO2 molecule, or whatever kind of single, gaseous molecule striking the ear drum will be able to overcome the inertia present in the ear and so be "heard."
JE
"A difference which makes no difference is no difference at all." - William James
I am not overstating my position. This is known physics. It also relates to the design of microphones and explains why those that attempt low noise performance have to have large diaphragms. (These microphones do not have omnidirectional capability at high frequencies because of their larger size, also known physics.) Complicating matters is the question of bandwidth, which determines the time over which the ear averages these molecules.
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
Can you cite a verified experiment where a human perceptual difference was detected after the addition or removal of exactly one molecule of "air" in the ear canal? Actually, I would be much more interested in how they could actually do that, rather than the perceptual results. Some amazing experiment! But, as you say, it is well known. Ignorant, unsophisticated me, I am just totally unaware of it.
I never said that the human ear responds to a single air molecule. What I said is that it responds to the level of air molecule motion. Specifically, the thermal motion of random air molecules hitting the ear drum creates a noise spectrum and the ear is sensitive to this noise spectrum (or just about so, within a few dB, depending on the individual).
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
"What I said is that it responds to the level of air molecule motion."
OK, if this is what you are now asserting, then what's your point? Can't we say that all sorts of things respond to the level of air molecule motion? Like birds, or airplanes, or clipper ships, or ocean waves, or buildings being blown apart by tornadoes, or kites, or internal combustion engines or who knows how many other occurrences. What does this have to do with audio?
JE
"A difference which makes no difference is no difference at all." - William James
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