News releases with regard to Acoustic Research (Feb 12, 2010) Disclaimer: With regard to using Rush
Limbaugh's voice to control bark beetles: This needs to be
put into the correct context.
First, this WAS NOT a political statement - for the sound of Rush's
voice could be useful or not useful to control beetles. Human voices
have been know to affect other organisms.
We used his voice BECAUSE he is well known
and thus easy to replicate for
scientific purposes of replication. Second, we wanted to use a
voice that had a particular intonation to it.
Rather than a soothing calm passage we chose to test a passage that
had an angry intonation. This was tested in 2005 and found
that human voices did not impact bark beetles within trees.
The research focuses on biological relevant sounds that the beetles
make. The media created the Rush Limbaugh and Music angle of
this research which should not be emphasized. http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=1259937
http://www.theadventurelife.org/2010/02/breakthrough-bark-beetle-epidemic-could-be-staunched-by-anti-beetle-boombox/
http://news.discovery.com/animals/beetles-acoustic-stress-heavy-metal-music.html
NAU School of Forestry | PO Box 15018 | 110 E Pine Knoll Drive | Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5018
Voice: (928) 523-6452 | Fax: (928) 523-1080
