Science Illustrated

Quantum microphone hears the world’s lowest sounds

MICROPHONE CAN ONLY BE OBSERVED VIA A MICROSCOPE

In order to capture the world’s lowest sound, scientists have invented the world’s most sensitive microphone, so small it can only be seen through an electron microscope.

0. 000 5 mm

Every time you hear a sound, there are vibrations in the air. If you play music on your hi-fi, the loudspeakers produce vibrations in the air. The vibrations spread as sound waves, finally influencing your eardrums to be perceived as music.

When you turn down the volume, the vibrations become weaker, until the level becomes so low that you can no longer hear the music. But how low can a sound get?

Like heat, sound is considered a wavelike phenomenon in

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