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From: csm@garnet.berkeley.edu
Newsgroups: sci.misc,sci.physics
Subject: Re: differences between sound and light waves?
Keywords: macroscopic behaviour
Message-ID: <6917@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 8 Feb 88 21:40:23 GMT
References: <413@prlb2.UUCP> <4110@aw.sei.cmu.edu>
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In article <4110@aw.sei.cmu.edu> firth@bd.sei.cmu.edu.UUCP (Robert Firth) writes:
>In article <413@prlb2.UUCP> ronse@prlb2.UUCP (Christian Ronse) writes:
>>As I am thinking about differences between vision and audition, I would like
>>to know the difference of behaviour between light waves and sound waves which
>>manifest themselves at our everyday (Newtonian, non-quantum) scale. For
	...
>(b) We can perceive the pitch of sound accurately, but have very imperfect
>    colour perception.  For instance, we can't tell many colour "chords"
>    from pure monochromatic light.

Some of us are more adept at naming colours than chords.

>(e) Finally, of course, we can generate sounds as well as perceive them; we
>    can't generate colours.

Well, I hope you weren't blushing when you wrote that.

A stick breaking under foot generates a (sonic) shock wave (chaotic behavior
due to parts of the stick moving faster than the speed of sound ?) -- I
don't think there is analogous light behaviour in the everyday world
(aurora borealis?).

	-- Brad Sherman

I don't know what I like, but I know art when I see it.