Topic description and stories

Water on tap

What causes the sound of a dripping tap – and how do you stop it?

22 Jun 2018

Scientists have solved the riddle behind one of the most recognisable, and annoying, household sounds: the dripping tap. And crucially, they have...

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Clangers

Mice sing like jet engines to find a mate

10 Oct 2016

Mice court one another with ultrasonic love songs that are inaudible to the human ear. New research shows they make these unique high frequency...

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Tea kettle whistle. Homepage banner image: Dwayne Bent (Att-SA)

How the kettle got its whistle

24 Oct 2013

Researchers have finally worked out where the noise that makes kettles whistle actually comes from – a problem which has puzzled scientists for more...

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Violin -- closeup

String theories: the mathematics of the violin

07 Mar 2013

The screeching produced by children starting out on the violin has curdled the blood of many a parent over the centuries. A pre-concert talk at the...

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Violin

Virtual violins

01 Sep 2008

Why does one violin sound different to another? Investigating this question has brought together researchers from music, engineering, experimental...

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