Investment Acoustics Acoustics is the science of sound. Acoustical scientists help to increase the clarity of music at concert halls, improve hearing aids, and reduce noise from highways and aircraft. Dating back to World War II, federally supported research on long-range underwater communication introduced sonar and ultrasound techniques which have become ubiquitous. Within industrial settings, robots use sonar for positioning themselves and pinpointing objects.
Doctors now examine almost every pregnancy in the United States with ultrasound.
Measuring the travel time of sound waves in the ocean can help monitor sea temperatures and global changes. Sound barriers along highways reduce noise levels in surrounding neighborhoods, effectively halving the loudness of vehicles. Noise barriers line approximately 1400 miles of U.S. Federal highways alone, with the number growing by 90 - 100 miles every year. Ultrasound techniques use high-pitched sound waves and their reflections to image the inside of the body, break up kidney stones, and stop internal bleeding. Sound waves can create high-energy bubbles in liquids.