Even in the bustling halls of Grand Central Terminal, you can hear a whisper across a room. This is possible because of the whispering gallery. Whispering galleries are architectural gems that exist both accidentally and intentionally all over the world. The domed ceilings make them work: one person can whisper into a corner, and the sound will travel up along the curve and down into the opposite corner, or other specified parts of the gallery depending on the shape of the ceiling. Another famous example of this acoustical oddity is St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
Sound
The Whispering Gallery Is An Acoustic Oddity
Listen In On A Whispering Gallery
In the lower concourse of Grand Central Terminal, you can hear a whisper across the room.
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Key Facts In This Video
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There is a whispering gallery in the lower concourse of Grand Central Station. 00:53
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You can speak into a corner of a whispering gallery and it will be heard in the opposite corner by someone else. 01:23
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Sound travels along the arched ceilings of whispering galleries. 02:00
Go Inside An Anechoic Chamber
Can silence drive you crazy? Find out what it's like inside an anechoic chamber, a room that absorbs echoes.
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Key Facts In This Video
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The foam wedges inside an anechoic chamber cause low-frequency sounds to bounce until they dissipate. 00:48
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People have reported claustrophobia, disorientation, dizziness, nausea, and even aural hallucinations inside anechoic chambers. 03:06
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See if you can hear the sounds of Veritasium's heartbeat in an anechoic chamber: 04:54
The Science of Sound
How does sound travel, anyway? A short lesson in physics.
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