Yesterday I began this unique series of posts about possible energy sources humankind could find itself using in the future. At the moment, these are all fascinating ideas, quite unfeasible, but theoretically valid. In the coming decades and centuries, what now seems like science fiction may be taken for granted by every toddler.
Energy comes in many forms: Magnetic energy, Mechanical energy, Electrical energy, Light energy, Thermal energy, Nuclear energy, and more. According to the first law of thermodynamics, titled the “law of preservation of energy”, energy cannot be destroyed. And according to Einstein, matter and energy are interchangeable (E=MC^2). Put together, we can see that particularly everything in the universe is a potential energy source. The trick is capturing and converting a certain type of energy into a different type of energy that can be utilized into the power grid (i.e. Electrical energy).
I want to dedicate this post to sound waves. The air around us is filled with music. Some of it is the harmonious twittering of birds, and some of it is the loud noise of traffic bustle. In both cases, vibration waves are creating a domino effect in the space around them, slightly changing the compression of matter for a fraction of a second. Sound waves can traverse every state of matter, and not just gas (such as the Earth’s atmosphere). We can hear sounds under water, we can hear our neighbors making love through the wall, and if were able to dive into the sun and stay alive, we could hear the plasma exploding around us. Only in outer space, where the waves of sound have no atoms to vibrate through, silence is abundant.
It’s important to distinguish between sound waves and air currents (winds). Although both involve the movement of molecules in the air, they are not the same. You should not confuse energy produced by wind turbines with the kind of energy conversion I am referring to in this post. To mention just the most obvious distinction between the two, while winds move at relatively slow speeds, sound waves travel the air at an average speed of 767.3 mph.
Now imagine we could manufacture a device that captures sound waves and converts them into energy. Not only would we be tapping into a clean and endless power source, but also by doing so, we could diminish the nuisance of noisy activities, such is the case in airports, in steel factories, and in the streets surrounding a soccer arena.
And if we can allow ourselves to dream thus far, why not take the predictable next step and dream about devices that tap only into sound waves with certain frequencies or at certain decibels. For example, urban layers that absorb only loud noises, or unique devices on stage that prevent live performers from singing off-key, by absorbing certain melodic disturbances and turning them into the electricity that powers the amplifiers.
After all, converting sound waves into electricity is something our own ears are doing constantly throughout our life. Minuscule hair cells inside the inner ear can differentiate among different types of sounds, and turn the vibrations into neural impulses, sending electrical signals to the Primary Auditory Cortex of the brain.
I can imagine futuristic “carpets”, made of billions of these “hair cells”, which will drape the outside of advanced vehicles and prevent them from omitting any sound. Come to think of it, such a technology is prone to appear first in military applications, before it reaches the general public.
So next time you pick your ears, allow yourself to be proud of them….
– Epilogue: –
I have decided to turn these special posts into a regular series, appearing here at Natural Buy every Sunday. It will be called “Future Nature”, and you could find here unique and stimulating posts about possible environmental scenarios we all might encounter in the near future.
Next Sunday on Future Nature I will post the third chapter of Futuristic Alternative Energy, which will deal with the power of sewage and other cool stuff. Don’t forget to check it out.
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