How Loud Can Sound Physically Get?

A simple question with a potentially existential answer 😂
💗 Support this channel and join an amazing community: / bennjordan
⚡Those lovely custom acoustic panels in the background: psyacoustics.com
(yes! I know, I forgot the pdf of fluid to gas notes, I'll upload shortly)
0:00 - The question
0:55 - How to measure
2:45 - Pressure waves
3:54 - Logarithmic scales
4:53 - Weber-Fechner Law
6:42 - Physical damage
8:05 - The Loudest Sound In History
9:45 - Whales actually aren't that loud
11:01 - You're a wave anyway
#physics #audioscience #synthesizers

[@deathtrips]

CS:GO menu music

[@spaomalley]

What do you mean?

[@extremkrem622]

@@spaomalley To explain the joke, CS:GO's menu music is very loud when starting the game.

[@NINTHSKULL]

Best comment i've ever seen

[@DCUOGeoforcee100]

🤣🤣

[@kidwhiz99]

No, it's actually ARK menu music

[@ThaBeatConductor]

My favorite sound factoid has to do with rocket launches. The pads at Cape Canaveral have these MASSIVE water pump systems on them that flood the launch pad with thousands of tons of water as a rocket takes off. Not because the heat from the exhaust of the rocket might melt the concrete, but because the "sound" is so loud that it would actually liquefy the concrete just from sheer pressure waves if there wasn't that much water present.

[@maddave1113]

you beat me to it, i was thinking the same thing 👍

[@Chilledoutredhead]

Wow that's a fucking cool fact . Now i want a video of sound liquefying concrete

[@Neros_Neckbeard]

Just so you know factoid actually means the "fact" is false! We need a word for a small true fact that doesn't mean that. factlet?

[@ThaBeatConductor]

@@Neros_Neckbeard Nah, fuck that. I'm rebranding factoid. Nothing can top it, it just comes off the tongue so nice. But thank you for the update, I did not know that.

[@Neros_Neckbeard]

@@ThaBeatConductor it would seem the dictionary is on your side. Same way literally came to mean figuratively? Either way

[@B0K1T0]

In some dreams (or actually more dream-like experiences like sleep paralysis and DMT trips) I've heard some incredibly loud sounds, it felt like somebody was tearing the world apart. Somewhat terrifying when it happened, but also wonderful to be able to experience such extreme sounds without destroying your ears :D

[@staticfrequency2250]

I know exactly what you mean. . . I've had dreams with "deafening" roaring sounds.

[@Kiivenn]

That can happen when you're about to sleep and your brain wants to wake you up, you can hear an explosion louder than physically posible

[@literallyshaking8019]

I know exactly what you’re referring to, I’ve had that sensation of reality being torn apart by sound during the random times I’ve been struck by sleep paralysis. It’s like your whole body is vibrating from the intensity.

[@angeltensey]

I had similar experience when i woke up after surgery, it was like wall of unbearably loud sounds, like the world around was screaming right into my brain.

[@BierBart12]

Someone once told me about being woken up by the loudest sound they've ever heard when an ant somehow got onto their eardrum and poked at it, like their house was exploding all around them

[@astrolopitekos]

The “loud distorted voice with noise” vs “soft voice with no bg noise” bit was really cool. Great video!

[@ihopethis1]

Man, the sound science content on this channel is always so fascinating and super interesting, amazing as always Benn

[@JJblunden]

It’s definitely some of my fav content too

[@nickm3694]

I guess you could say this some pretty sound science

[@CrusinVK]

Absolutely agree

[@purrfectpomodoro]

might be good to read the comment on many of the videos - Benn seems to present in a "this is how it is" combined with "we don't know shit" when there are lots of points where he seems to get it - well - quite wrong - interesting presentations but i'm quite often not at all convinced no matter the seeming proofs provided...

[@Nivleknosnhoj]

​@@nickm3694I hear ya 😅 totally agree, obviously.

[@jaspertandy]

One thing that really struck me about this video is what an amazing job you did recording your voice so that it sounds consistent in different environments. The first few scenes were quite jarring as I was trying to figure out if you'd recorded your voice indoors and were miming outdoors, but then decided that was silly. Super interesting video - thanks for making it.

[@BennJordan]

Thank you for noticing something I put an absurd amount of time and money being anal retentive about. 😂 Us sound guys are a bit cray.

[@jaspertandy]

@@BennJordan haha awesome! You don't exactly make it easy for yourself - where other people would just sit staring into their lens, you seem to go for a walk in areas with exclusively high levels of background noise! I would love a video on how you do it, one day. Unless it's either a secret, or something really obvious that only I don't know 😁

[@rxonmymind8362]

Noticed this too. His voice totally even throughout. Amazing.

[@christofthedead]

@@rxonmymind8362 senpai mode engaged

[@robertpierce1981]

Steady audio levels are one thing I appreciate in YT videos.

[@ucdwino]

Just found this…. And subscribed. Probably less interested in “synth stuff” but the deep dive into science was so done much better than most media outlets…. You handle technical issues without dumbing them down OR getting boring… pretty rare… keep it up!

[@etangrun1406]

You have some of the best science videos out there. Really excellent content. Thank you for taking the time to explain these things.

[@The.Talent]

I’ve never seen this channel before. YT just decided to recommend it to me today. I was quite impressed with the combination of quality, scientific skepticism, and clear explanations… right up until about 11:15. Then there was a duck and all of a sudden, I’d somehow hit the subscribe button without realising that I was doing it. I’m not even mad.

[@m4rvinmartian]

*ROFL... I subbed cause of the duck too. If a duck lets you cuddle them, you can't be that bad of a person.*

[@3xperiman]

He's a professional musician. You should try to listen his music

[@edwardvermillion8807]

came to see if anyone else noticed the duck. was not disappointed. oh yeah, excellent vid/explanation on the physics of measuring sound.

[@Feverm00n]

This is the second vid of his I’ve seen and my main takeaway has been being deeply impressed with the fact that every animal he’s seen holding is INCREDIBLY chill. That’s an indicator of some high quality pet parenting right there.

[@Dr_App]

I did EXACTLY the same!

[@GeorgeCollier]

Stumbled across this channel, now I'm glad I get to watch all your other videos!

[@johananunchiasu1796]

transcribe the loudest sound

[@maniacguitar]

@@johananunchiasu1796 I was about to write the same thing lol Love your channel too George ;)

[@Bobbias]

Go check out his catalogue of music too. He's made some awesome stuff.

[@tfoot99]

Sameeeeee

[@zynosgd9982]

Hello, music sheet person!

[@JordonBeal]

I got into audio as many of us do, through music. But stuff like this is what keeps me interested. It’s so endlessly fascinating, and I could (and do) get stuck in the scientific minutia for hours. Great video, Benn!

[@Cazaq]

Thank you for taking the time to do this video, Benn!

[@KristofferLislegaard]

"Whever try to I break free from the pro audio or synth stuff[...]" it is always freaking amazing! Please keep doing these great videos! But also make sure not to die out on sea.

[@stealthyhydra]

I happened to scroll down to the comments exactly as this line was spoken and happened to read your comment, which was at the top, at the exact same time. Thanks for that utterly surreal moment.

[@alterculture]

yea love the science stuff too

[@PianoMastR64]

Not this time. This is his 8th most watched video

[@vibaj16]

did you have a stroke?

[@adamkruschwitz7692]

I studied audio engineering for 2 years in college, but we never went into the physics deeper than enough to know how a microphone works. This was really fascinating!

[@RyanGerhardtYimimoto]

Love this video. Always love watching informative videos that broaden perspective on subjects taken for granted like sound.

[@JonnyGlessnerStormChasing]

I just found this video. And I have to say, I absolutely LOVE how creative you are with your videos. Earned my sub instantly!

[@BriManeely]

Just casually holding a duck 😅 Amazing video, Benn! Thank you for an entertaining and well informed video!

[@damngood8476]

Isnt it a goose? I am confused :D

[@aStarryBlur]

@@damngood8476 Definitely a duck

[@althejazzman]

@@damngood8476 It's bill looks more duck than goose. Quick research shows there's a breed called the American Pekin Duck which is completely white. Also geese are hostile vicious things that would never let you near them.

[@dickward1090]

is it his pet or just a duck that likes belly rubs?

[@garyrowe58]

It was Lucy in disguise (no diamonds)

[@laurenpinschannels]

clarification I thought would be helpful: "decibels" is a generic magnitude term, the typical implication and I think the one benn meant through most of the video was decibels of sounds pressure level, dB SPL. sound pressure level is a formally defined measurement of pressure amplitude. another you see a lot is decibels full scale, dB FS - that's what's in your DAW; 0 means "maximum displacement" in that context.

[@TranscendentBen]

durnit, I posted that but you beat me to it!

[@HannyDart]

yeah i learned that in my signals and systems class where all of a sudden there where pseudo-units like dB/dec

[@Goodoo4U]

Also the difference between dB and dBA

[@HarmonicaMustang]

Then there's dBu, dBw, dBv, dBm and many other variations for measuring things like microphone sensitivity and driver amplification. And and uni I had to learn to convert between them, which was... fun... . dBFS is probably most often used these days, but there's also VU meters that use dBvu. These are the nice looking meters with needles jumping up and down. Very useful in the past, now they're Virtually Useless.

[@spintonik]

I have a habit of shaking the brain of my younger (audio) testing engineers with questions like "how much does this cost in dB_BicMac?" :)

[@Thugshaker_thequaker]

Hey Ben this was super cool and I love that you have almost hyper-fixated on such an overlooked aspect of life and the world around us. I wish I understood the physics associated with some of these principles in greater detail.

[@emerynoel567]

My first benn jordan video and it was pretty awesome! Love the mix of down-to-earth and science, and of COURSE I loved the duck.

[@SoundSimulator]

7:24 - 7:49 is quite an experience. Always love watching your science vids!!

[@BennJordan]

Quiet distorted yelling > Loud gentle whispering 😂

[@ScottofOakland]

@@BennJordan A warning next time please

[@cameronhumphries2377]

@@BennJordan absolutely insane how our perception is dogshit, didnt think it would be that dramatic

[@AiSard]

@@BennJordan I didn't really get this point.. My (dogshit) senses, as well as my super basic volume mixer, both seem to suggest that the yelling was louder... I trust that for some reason the whispering was actually louder.... but I don't get why? And I don't actually have any evidence that the whispering /is/ louder, except through sheer trust...

[@AdamTheJensen]

@AiSard I don't think you're wrong. Using a sound meter on my phone placed 12" from my speakers seems to agree that the whispering was quieter than the yelling. Maybe I'm not understanding though...

[@RobertTamaskovics]

This is the first time I have seen any of your videos and I am mesmerised. I was raised like this. My father was a math and physics teacher, so he always explained the simplest things in a way that after the answer we were even more confused, but still we thought, he is omniscient. Subscribed.

[@johnholder6601]

This has been one of the more fascinating video's I've watched in a while. Thank you so much.

[@casillasscorer]

I love this type of video. The science behind audio is just as interesting to me making music. Keep up the good work

[@gasolineandwine]

The duck at the end made my day ❤ I absolutely love these type of videos, ever since you made the video on sonic weapons, I've been hooked on these topics and your brand of presentation. Hope there'll be more in the future!

[@Trottelheimer]

Three cheers for the duck! Oh, and pretty good video otherwise too :)

[@duck4862]

I wish I was dead

[@gasolineandwine]

@@duck4862 That can be arranged.

[@1pcfred]

I think it may have been a goose.

[@zombitshe]

Please please please, do more science stuff, it's fascinating and you explain things really clearly!

[@Dormantee]

Never saw your channel before but the way you delivered information has me curious for more! I enjoyed the way you explained the various ways we measure the sun. I'm subbed now!

[@JaysonStork]

wow man, this channel is amazing. How is it only now ending up in my feed?! Thank you for your time and sharing your experience.

[@vanderkarl3927]

So, on Earth, with typical means of sound propagation, there's definitely a limit to how loud things can be, but, I mean, if you try hard enough you can always cram more air molecules into a finite amount of space... until it becomes a black hole.

[@LottoDub720]

Now I want a black hole horn

[@brocklaughrey3212]

So is a black hole 🕳 emitting infinite sounds energy?

[@sirlaser8177]

@@brocklaughrey3212 no it will decay! it will not be infinite

[@ekki1993]

If we go that theorethical route, you'd probably need air at a much higher pressure or at an unreasonably high frequency to get your "black hole pressure" wave. I'm guessing high enough frequency to have "sound black holes" would mean extreme energy consumption for subatomic sized waves with significative gravitational interference, so I'd rather go with higher pressure atmosphere. In that case, it would work much like water, increasing the maximum dB level up to a limit. Wonder what that limit could be.

[@Nefville]

@@LottoDub720 the mental picture of this is hysterical however the sound could never exit the black hole so I would suggest a neutron star horn.

[@feeberizer]

The two loudest sounds I've heard were the Concorde at Heathrow Airport in the UK and the SR71 at Paine Field in Everett in Washington state. I was inside a plane on the taxiway when the pilot announced that Concorde would be taking off next. I plugged my ears and felt my chest and the plane rattling. I'm thankful I wasn't outside like I was for the SR71 years later. Not only did it take off, but it did a "dirty" fly-by with the gear down and then a faster one with gear up. My whole body was rattling and it felt like someone was standing on my chest. I could barely breathe, but I still screamed with the enthusiasm of a little kid.

[@JustinVodden]

The loudest thing I've heard is Dwight Yoakums gtr amp

[@d.thorpe2046]

The loudest thing I've heard was being track side at a top fuel drag event. It's so loud that your eyes shake when it goes by and you can't see properly. Coming a close second were -Running a 996 race car in the shop with the exhaust headers off. -Exit corner 3 on the first lap at Montreal F1 before the turbo era -Having a homemade 'firework' go off in my hand when I was 10 (amazingly not badly hurt)

[@RandoManFPV]

Imagine how the landing gear felt if the shear power of the wind hitting it made you feel so crazy lol 😂 that's some integrity right there

[@kingcosworth2643]

The loudest sound I have heard (and I'm a licenced powder monkey) is easily the top fuel dragsters. Nothing prepares you for those things. I have set off charges that physically punch you 1/3 of a mile away, but the top fuellers blur your vision and vibrate your skeleton and organs even your soul for the 3 seconds or so that the exhaust is pointed in your general direction. They are absolutely incredible.

[@wbwarren57]

Great video! Thank you very much. I have always been confused about decibels and now I realize that decimals are extremely complicated and very, very confusing. Made me feel much better!

[@belg4mit]

I just found your channel today, and will say that I've quite enjoyed the few science/(non-audio) tech videos I've found and look forward to more.

[@krishnamoorthy3541]

As a sound engineer appreciate your efforts mate, before answering the question explaining the basics of sound to make every person to understand who ended up seeing this video by accident. Only few youtube channel can be recommended to childrens to gain knowledge in simple terms and you nailed by doing it 👏👏👌👍

[@koopstacochran]

This was the most accurate answer possible to this question. Thank you.

[@mikeprice25]

As a failed attempted sound engineer and acoustician - this was such a well explained video of stuff I mostly knew or had come across, but in a way I can send to my friends and family. It's also great because of 08:00 summing up my generalised anxiety as to why I stopped wanting to study sound.

[@krishnamoorthy3541]

@@mikeprice25 Nothing is too late bro, there is always opportunities out there,., only thing we have to find without giving up 👍

[@mihailmilev9909]

@@krishnamoorthy3541 true

[@mihailmilev9909]

@@mikeprice25 hope u achieve ur dreams my guy

[@viridianloom]

Benn is an extraordinary person. I've been trying to be more productive and learn new things and pursue new goals but when I look at Benn it seems like he's accrued 80 years of knowledge. The dude makes incredible music, makes incredibly well produced videos, built his own studio, writes his own programs, knows a butt-load of science, and travels the world. I find myself wondering how a person can be so intensely focused and productive and what I can do to be a fraction of that.

[@5amJones69]

He's a very interested and inspiring person for sure. He's also an ex MMA fighter and ran a non profit music school in chicago for a bit. I think?

[@difflocktwo]

You lost the genetic lottery.

[@viridianloom]

@@difflocktwo my brain no work good

[@difflocktwo]

@@viridianloom I know that feel.

[@alexwild1435]

I can sympathise.

[@anotherhardcase]

Very cool video!!! Awesome explanations !! Loved it!!

[@BummersAbound]

That is some interesting science. Your explanation of these complex ideas is captivating and easy to grasp. Thanks for another kick ass video. Hi Lucy!

[@opryl]

You didn't mention anything about frequency. Having personally listened to bass frequencies approaching 170dB without losing my hearing (yet, lol), I can tell you frequency matters.

[@rysea9855]

How are you not dead? Keeping in mind that every 10dB up is 10x louder, that just sounds insane

[@opryl]

@@rysea9855 I mean, it didn't feel good. Hurt my chest more than my ears. It felt like what I imagine getting bear hugged by a gorilla would feel like.

[@hamburgerhamburgerv2]

@@opryl it sounds like it was destroying your insides

[@Species-lj8wh]

I feel ya, the same at NHRA tracks. Despite ear protection you can feel the sound waves.

[@charliefrancis6438]

You’re absolutely right, you can tell the difference between a 160 db car and a 165 db car , but the frequency is in the sub 80hz range for most auto sound competition, and you don’t loose your hearing, but they do feel different afterwards

[@Notthatkindofdr]

This video just popped up in my recommended list and is the first time I have come across this channel. Superb explanation with an intriguing blend of philosophy, science, and history that could easily have been twice as long and gone into more depth. I especially appreciated the emphasis on how our perceptions are only approximately connected to reality. You have a new subscriber!

[@EweChewBrrr01]

Im so glad i clicked the ‘ something new’ button. This is the first video of yours i have seen and it was so interesting that i subbed. Since it was your science content that brought me here then i would love you to do more. Thanks mate.

[@mikemuponda1781]

That was an awesome video man and super interesting topic, thank you!

[@W3llDunn]

This was possibly the most interesting video I have seen in a really long time. I have an understanding of dB's from my job and this still really opened my eyes, or ears as it pertains to this video. Excellent work a pleasure to watch.

[@OscarUnderdog]

Man, I loved this so much 💚 Thank you for everything that you do. And the duck killed me, iconic move.

[@Sam-zy5ck]

First video of yours that I've seen. Loved it. Great stuff man

[@argylenomad]

Great info Benn!!

[@Lantertronics]

The bit at 7:25 reminds me of how guitarist refer to distortion as "gain," when it's really something more like "attempted gain" or "failed gain" on the part of the device.

[@DogdaySunrise]

That was very interesting. I would love to hear more about sound science. Hope the algorithm agrees :)

[@OrangeboxCoUkwebdesign]

I found your video fascinating, thanks and please keep on with these science topics!

[@aaronluncford5290]

This is an awesome video! You explained everything so well. Thanks for the really dope science video

[@RatBastardDan]

So, I kinda work with acoustics in this scientific sense for a living. Let me know if you ever want to talk about beamforming and sound localization. Anyway, the visualization illustrating logarithmic perception starting at 5:31 is brilliant. Also, update about the anechoic chamber: it looks like you're using a photo of the lab in Minneapolis. If I recall correctly, the quietest place on Earth record has been moved to a lab at Microsoft in Washington state. It holds the record at -20.3dBA (Not sure about unweighted.) But Minneapolis is probably the best most people can hope to experience, as it is open to the public (or at least was. Not sure about anything anymore thanks to COVID.)

[@GregConquest]

Is it true that we feel nauseaus in such anechoic chambers? Have you experienced this?

[@MikeLumer]

@@GregConquest some do. I didn't, but I was only in one for about 4 minutes. I've been told the longer you stay in, the weirder it gets.

[@bananermat3798]

I'd love to hear more about the future of bionic hearing. As a mixing engineer and producer with hearing loss this is something I pray will be possible at a reasonable price some day.

[@philcassel]

Hi Benn, been watching your channel for about a year now, and love your aesthetic and attention to detail. Fun to watch and very informative. I have an idea for a future video: tinnitus! I have it in one ear after an unfortunate accident with feedback and have found little information about possible cures. I see on reddit that there is a bunch of research being done but haven't found anyone that can do an up to date synthesis of all of this information. I always thought of it as a "modern" ailment, but this video made me realize that humans have been exposed to loud noises for much longer than the modern era.

[@mubakka2642]

This is one of my fav videos of urs love it

[@TerraCotton]

Absolutely brilliant introduction to measurement, perception, and scientific thinking in general!! This should be taught in school to everyone

[@sydthegoat88]

Yep, truly scientific to define the system of measurement to lay the foundation. You can tell there is no other agenda other than to describe the phenomena objectively

[@prorok21]

That was quite a trip for me, definitely wasn't expecting that haha. Awesome content sir, now I'm going to binge watch your Chanel. Keep it up!

[@shanemcfadden6427]

Thorough explanations without condescension or meandering. Rare indeed. Thank you sir. Please continue the fine work.

[@allysterlaw777]

Unbelievably well done - thanks Ben!

[@wightwulf]

I found this very fascinating! I learned a lot in such a short video and it's great how well you explained complex concepts in a simple way. I'm glad you took the time to make something different from your usual content because then I've found your channel! Liked, commented, and subscribed. Please keep it up 👍

[@nicolasduguay4]

3:12 I literally had a jaw drow, this is the coolest visual representation of a sound I ever have seen! Amazing content!

[@BolognaPONYProduction]

You make very educational and fascinating videos! Keep it up!

[@Dana__black]

Yo no 🧢 this is one of the most entertaining yet informative video I’ve seen in a long time

[@HarmonyProcyonLotor]

This kind of stuff is absolutely my favorite stuff on this channel! I don't dislike the audio/synth stuff, but the science stuff is what really makes your work stand out to me, so thanks for that!

[@sneakysmeagol]

This was dope as hell. I love the continued realization that EVERY specialization and profession is incredibly complex, and gets more so the more you look into it. Well done on blowing my brain up.

[@thesupermegaboy]

First video I saw for you, props to the science algorithm mambo jambo! 😂❤ and the content, in-depth explanation made me subscribe and comment. Cheers keep it up !

[@bradkerr2798]

Fantastic the way you build in the practical demos, like a great chem or physics high school teacher. The distorted yelling vs whisper in particular, and reminds me of how a 70dB clock radio sounds deafening and yet on good headphones you have to be very careful because no matter the volume, they never sound loud/harsh.

[@alexstrahle4650]

This was so well done and I love how much thought there was in it! Thank you!

[@regiramanathan6245]

Is that your duck? Or did you just pick up a random duck?

[@turbkeysamdwich1880]

It’s his duck

[@beamshooter]

but the dog was random

[@leontedumitru]

Just wow, I have no ideea how you managed to explain this topic so well. Great job! ❤🎉

[@albinoninjamonkey8967]

This is the first video from you and I subscribed this was great and please keep making more videos

[@redfogwhitefrost2583]

It's wild that I've been in love with music and noise for so damn long yet never entertained this question. I'm only a minute in and I already agree with him. His explanation is going to be very interesting.

[@blech71]

Subbed for future scientific style vids. Since I’m in the RDT&E industry this video came as a high interest and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@3Dshmish]

You have a gift in explaining complex topics, very impressive stuff.

[@csebastian71]

Always love the science. Great format. Subbed

[@distorson]

Very interesting. A warning at 7:24 that the sound will be (perceived) louder would have been nice. Shocked me a little bit.

[@RanDomGaming_AT]

Thank you! I was lucky enough to read your comment before watching the vid

[@ameteuraspirant]

there really should have been a warning.

[@Chance57]

thatsthepoint.jpg

[@wh1plash05]

dude this was really cool, I get if you dont like doing these things because youtube kinda sucks but I think this was really cool to watch, really appreciated how passionate you were about the topic too.

[@TIMHNL]

Fascinating, and instructive, and also amusing! Thank you

[@aenima4892]

11:20 that was a weapon swap!

[@andrewbrown6522]

I don't remember ever learning so many things i had never heard of before in one short video. Thank you! Curious what your take on human tech emited waves creating heat and does angle of incidence between them affect that at all?

[@jasestu]

Keeping it simple while hinting at the complexity, love it.

[@crowlsyong]

I mean dude the 12:00 you make a super cool artistic choice to record your voice by the loud stream..so cool. You executed on it well, thanks again man so stoked for this video.

[@lmolivei]

Man, seriously… you have, by far, the best KZbin channel I ever watched. And I’m not only talking about music.. kudos!’n

[@incompetentlogistics]

Since sound is pressure waves, it's really interesting to think that the pressure waves generated when you're recording your voice for this video, is then actually recreated (to the best of all the technology between you speaking and my speakers recreating the pressure waves abilities) in the room I am in. I hadn't thought of that until now and it kind of blows my mind. 😶

[@wooferhound7571]

and the sound data is compressed, sent over the internet 1000's of miles, arriving at your computer and being decompressed before being amplified and converted back into pressure waves

[@RayTsou]

I think the more interesting point to realize from this is that a microphone and a speaker is the exact same thing, except you run the circuit the other way. In a microphone, you have a diaphragm that's vibrated by the air and is attached to a magnet. The magnet moves and induces an electrical current that is recorded electronically. In a speaker, you have a current running through that induces an electromagnetic field, which moves a magnet attached to a diaphragm and vibrates the air.

[@ellasarax]

as a science undergrad who's learning music production this channel feels like it was made for me

[@markanixon77]

I’m a new subscriber and bloody loving your content. 👍 nice work mate. 👍

[@crowlsyong]

I love this video. This is just so awesome. This is great info for any musician/producer.

[@gabriellafox7948]

I don’t know how you came into my feed but, very interesting stuff! I love to learn especially when it comes to nature and animals. It helps to understand the tech when you’re referencing animals. Some of this was a little too technical for me, but it’s late Friday night, end of the week so no surprise lol😉 thanks for the share! 🕊🇨🇦♥️🕊

[@rashkavar]

Absolutely fascinating video, very well done. A pity that the algorithm tends to punish you for this sort of work. (Thanks to Tom Scott for sharing this in his newsletter, I'd probably never have found it otherwise!)

[@bromanned7069]

ima sign up to his newsletter now

[@consciouslobster9310]

great video man . Very entertaining and informative.

[@woodybob01]

This is a great channel. I love love this content. You are such a natural explainer. I really really enjoyed this video

[@909955847736]

I had this as a test question in college. The author of that test got it wrong as well. I'm glad to see a few of the commenters are thinking outside of this box. Those solar flares you mention at 2:10 are WAY louder than 194 decibels. And for that matter, so is the typical ambient noise on the surface of the sun. And that is definitely not the loudest source of sound in our universe.

[@extendoduck]

He was EXCEPTIONALLY careful to say "On Earth. Under average atmospheric conditions. In one atmosphere of pressure." His explanation is not wrong, he admits that the answer is limited to specific conditions.

[@909955847736]

@@extendoduck... You're absolutely right about that. But as an answer to the original question it's just plain wrong.

[@puredistraction]

Another sound science topic I'd love to see covered: Why does music sometimes sound slower when running?

[@BoardgameBaker]

Or lifting heavy. When I go heavy on the bench or deadlift songs definitely slow down.

[@JairajSinghPatil]

Or sounds faster when you wake up

[@oliver8101]

i think the pain and exhuastion of running makes you much more aware of the time thats passing

[@Gmh6477]

My guess would be, Its due to blood pressure rising from exercise causing a tiny slow down in how we hear sound or the speed which our brain can convert what the ear drum is telling it to it actually registering.

[@raoultesla2292]

Benn, paused @ 8 minutes cause laughing so much can't 'hear' the vid anymore. My new, NEW favorite channel.

[@jaredtolley4785]

Really interesting video Benn! You mentioned that the volume of you talking softly was a few decibels more than the excerpt of you sceaming because of our brains perception of sound. I've had many discussions about tv volume based on this topic. Can you elaborate more on that?!

[@elijahgooley385]

This is both informative and hilarious. When you did the experiment of the sound getting "louder" I heard my tinnitus (or what sounded like it) flare up for a second and had to pause and cover my ears only for myself to play the video and explain how my perception of volume is dogshit. I knew the first one with distortion was really quiet so I knew it was going to be an experiment, but it still kind of hurt a little bit. Just a thought here maybe this is a part of your point, but at some point when you keep adding energy to the source or the pressure wave, eventually it will convert into heat energy, and eventually light energy. As the energy increases, it enters new fields, which change it from sound to heat to light, but everything from the smallest lepton to the most complex black hole is all the same thing of differing degree, and we are somewhere in the middle of all these waves, surfing on a giant ocean we call the universe. Did I get that right?

[@TimpBizkit]

I plugged in headphones to see if his close to the microphone voice was more SPL than the distorted "150dB" and "185dB". I think the peaks were slightly more although the distortion spreads over more sensitive frequency ranges and puts more average energy into the sound.

[@SickickMusic]

Awesome so informative

[@Therealadriaanvisser]

I really enjoyed this. Thanks ❤️

[@8curious]

this is just awesome xD love that humour of yours

[@jasonlanthier4184]

Hey,!youtube algorithm, stop punishing Benn for making super interesting sciency videos just because they’re not about pro audio or synth stuff! Thank you :)

[@GameKaps]

You definitely don’t lose hearing at 150db. There’s spl systems that have demos of many people sampling 40-60hz that are upwards of 165+db that people have sat in (at the ear not the source).

[@asiffarouk7838]

Ye man, it's wild how common daily setups in the 160s are these days

[@GameKaps]

@@asiffarouk7838 Yep I used to do a little SPL back in the day (2007-2012), and it was nothing like it is now. Had 1 Fi btl 18" on 4k rms in a 32hz box and it was 151ish db setup. Now that wouldnt even really be competitive xd.

[@crowlsyong]

This is excellent. Thanks very much for making this.

[@TheNemocharlie]

An exceptional video. It addresses so many aspects of the subject in a brief 8 min. This would take a mini series on a dumbed down TV science program.