Paradox of Sound in Space

[TranquilNightElf]

In space there is no air to speak of..
at least very little and that too near planets or whatever.
So Don't you think the explosions and laser fire etc etc shown in deep space by sci-fi movies including starwars should be completely silent?....or would they have a sound even if a few particles of a medium is present?

[DaDaimon]

Where is the paradox? If there is no medium from the origin to our ears, there is no soundwave.

[Nuts]

I'm thinking he was trying to sound intellectual by using fancy words. ;)

Paradigm, paradigm, paramutual........ do I sound smart now. ;)

And to answer the question, if there were no sounds from explosions in space on television, don't you imagine it would be rather boring?

[henrywonderchimp]

haha... boring, indeed :D

i'd imagine there wouldn't be any sound though, becasue there's nothing for the sound waves to travel on. i'm no scholar though :p

[TranquilNightElf]

Oh Yeah didn;t you know?...that's my pastime actually...to dazzle people with fancy words I don't know... . :D

Actually after I posted , I realized there was no paradox.. so :p to Nuts
I just came off posting a huge one on the universe paradox post.




Yeah I guess it'd be boring..but factually correct.
As I recall Starwars was one of the most scientifically correct sci-fi space movie.
Like Episode 1 when the huge ship blos up from the inside, in the final battle scenes you don't hear the sound.

[Doom_Dragoon]

Trying to copy my thread I see... tsk tsk...

[Schwitzer]

The paradox is that there is no paradox... fascinating... ;)

[TranquilNightElf]

Trying to copy my thread I see... tsk tsk...

You wish ;)

[Lucifer_Hawk]

Oh Yeah didn;t you know?...that's my pastime actually...to dazzle people with fancy words I don't know... . :D

Actually after I posted , I realized there was no paradox.. so :p to Nuts
I just came off posting a huge one on the universe paradox post.




Yeah I guess it'd be boring..but factually correct.
As I recall Starwars was one of the most scientifically correct sci-fi space movie.
Like Episode 1 when the huge ship blos up from the inside, in the final battle scenes you don't hear the sound.
Well you dazzled me man, you should keep up the good work...

[TranquilNightElf]

Why Thank You kind Sir

[OboeGuru]

It's called the Suspension of Disbelief, fellas. There's no paradox, it's a sort of filmographic liberty.

[Kahuzal]

2001: A space odecey

No sound in space... actually, the entire movie is pretty damn odd...

But yeah, there is a small SMALL ammount of gas atoms floating around in space, which would require extreamly-high speed space-craft to be shaped "aerodynamic" out of nesecity, and not just for appealing look... or a big block.

[Achelus]

Intergalatic space travel is all bs anyway. We'll basically have to do "magic" to pull any of it off. I'm speaking relatively here, as even the principles on which such a travel would be conducted is unknown, not because we'd need David Copperfield to head up the program.

[Neo]

Intergalatic space travel is all bs anyway. We'll basically have to do "magic" to pull any of it off. I'm speaking relatively here, as even the principles on which such a travel would be conducted is unknown, not because we'd need David Copperfield to head up the program.

Wow you certainly have hopes for our society!

Why is Intergalactic travel BS? I cant imagine its impossible, I mean hell, its not that we cant its just that we are to slow currently ;D

Star Wars scientifically sound? o.o Lets not go there please.

Technically no sound doesnt travel, but then the thing your watching wouldnt be fun. Also you could think of what your hearing from "laserS" and such as shockwaves instead of sound, since there arent any movies I know of that let you "feel" physical things... o.o

-Neo

[TranquilNightElf]

Intergalatic space travel is all bs anyway.

Well i don;t know about that..
They are working on a theory abuot travelling via space folds...ie two bits of spaxce with a wormhole connecting them.

but Would would there be any point ?...with the universe expanding at such a huge velocity and everything moving away as fast as possible , would we be able to go to other galaxies and establish bases maybe even meet alien life.
I mean one day you visit a planet and the next it is a million million miles away.

[Modred]

Sound is a compression wave, meaning that it requires particles within a certain proximity of each other than can vibrate and move one another, creating a frequency, which is translated into a sound by the apparatus of our ears and brain.

What few particles there are in space are too far apart for sound to travel by this method. Of course, radios will still work since they "transform" sound energy into electomagnetic waves, which do not require a medium.

Anyway, I think most of you already knew that.

And I think the lack of sound in 2001: Space Odyssey was a stylistic thing, not a strive for realism. But it could double as that too.

While we're on the topic of stuff movies get wrong, consider the traditional image of a rocket blasting through space. Of course, there is a large flare of fire coming out of the boosters. Yet there are only trace amounts of oxygen in space, and without oxygen, fire dies. So what little flame there would be should die incredibly close to the rockets. Unless some of the fuel is being propelled out with the flame. But that would be incredibly inefficient.

And intergalactic travel is not bs, it would just at least a quarter of the average human life span to get out of our solar system, much less our galaxy (let's just say if you took a whole lot of people and continued living normally no the way, your great grandkids might get to another galaxy).. However lightspeed travel is bs. And no, it isn't because we couldn't make something go fast enough. Sounds like a good idea for a new thread.

[Fenguin]

There might be something called dark matter ["ether"] in space. And a group of scientists have just discovered a new condensate that could be the puzzle piece that "fills" space. They changed around the equations of General Relativity, and got new equations that both supported all old evidence and also hinted at this medium.

Therefore, since there probably is a medium, sound waves can travel.

[OboeGuru]

And couldn't it be transmitted along the heat that exists in space as well?

[GrassDragon]

sounds? i thought they could only move through a medium which can expand and contract and vibrate? heat doesnt do that as far as i know

[OboeGuru]

Heat is basically energy, which is stored in photons (I think?). The photons could behave like a transmission medium, in theory... not a very good one though.

[TranquilNightElf]

There might be something called dark matter ["ether"] in space. And a group of scientists have just discovered a new condensate that could be the puzzle piece that "fills" space. They changed around the equations of General Relativity, and got new equations that both supported all old evidence and also hinted at this medium.

Therefore, since there probably is a medium, sound waves can travel.

Yes quite right ...scientist say dark matter comprises of over 90% of the universe matter and that it is like a glue without which all the energy in the universe would rip everything apart.
But if this medium exists then where is it?..if it were there everywhere then perhaps sound could be transmitted.
Maybe it is embedded into space time...hmmm..


Heat is basically energy, which is stored in photons (I think?). The photons could behave like a transmission medium, in theory... not a very good one though.

the problem with that is that there is not enough light density in the universe to constitute what one might like to call a transmitting medium for sound.
Most of the light is absorbed before it reaches us...and unlike mediums(media?),,,light doens't just saty at a place..it radiates in every direction.


So what little flame there would be should die incredibly close to the rockets. Unless some of the fuel is being propelled out with the flame. But that would be incredibly inefficient.
I think it is exahust fumes already ignited that come out..but you have a point there
nonetheless.
But you must realize that oxygen is not essential for flame like flares to be in space..
look at the sun..no oxygen but massive energy .

[wraith_captain]

2001: A space odecey

No sound in space... actually, the entire movie is pretty damn odd...

But yeah, there is a small SMALL ammount of gas atoms floating around in space, which would require extreamly-high speed space-craft to be shaped "aerodynamic" out of nesecity, and not just for appealing look... or a big block.2001: A Space Odessy is a good example. It may be "pretty damn odd", but it's also pretty damn scientifically accurate, too.

[wraith_captain]

There might be something called dark matter ["ether"] in space. And a group of scientists have just discovered a new condensate that could be the puzzle piece that "fills" space. They changed around the equations of General Relativity, and got new equations that both supported all old evidence and also hinted at this medium.

Therefore, since there probably is a medium, sound waves can travel.Nice idea, but I think they've already proved sound waves can't travel in space. Dark matter does exist (I'm pretty sure they proved it), but it apparently can't carry sound waves.

[Battlecruiser]

In space there is no air to speak of..
at least very little and that too near planets or whatever.
So Don't you think the explosions and laser fire etc etc shown in deep space by sci-fi movies including starwars should be completely silent?....or would they have a sound even if a few particles of a medium is present?

umm yeah they should be silent but then again do you want to watch a silent movie?

[Fenguin]

Nice idea, but I think they've already proved sound waves can't travel in space. Dark matter does exist (I'm pretty sure they proved it), but it apparently can't carry sound waves.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mystery_monday_030922.html
On the contrary, sound waves can travel in space. It's just that our ears can't hear them. :) Maybe if the lasers were loud enough, we would be able to hear them.

[TranquilNightElf]

umm yeah they should be silent but then again do you want to watch a silent movie?

Just wittling away at questions in my mind man :)




On the contrary, sound waves can travel in space. It's just that our ears can't hear them. Maybe if the lasers were loud enough, we would be able to hear them.

:worship: Fenguin to the rescue :D

I liked that scene in starwars episode 2 when Obi Wan was in the asteroid belt and the bounty hunter released some kind of sonic bombs of a sort.They would explode with a minimal of sound then let out a shattering "Twang" destroying everything around. :ninja:

[singo]

There would be no sound.

But who cares? starwars=great series