Sound Bites - News From The World Press
Contributor: Robert MacNevin

This section provides news headlines of interest to acoustic ecologists. Links to full articles are provided for quick access.

Manilow to Drive out "Hooligans" (BBC News) A council in the Australian city of Sydney is taking radical measures against car-revving youths - the calming tones of singer Barry Manilow.
   Officials in Rockdale say that local youths have been hanging around in car parks, revving their engines and generally annoying residents. So the council has decided to strike back.
   From July, Barry Manilow's greatest hits will be piped into one car park in a bid to drive the youths away. Read Full Story.

The sound that repels troublemakers. (BBC News) A device emitting a sound wave which is designed to drive young troublemakers away from a problem area of Swindon, UK, has been hailed as a success.The 'Mosquito' is a sonic deterrent device was installed by the Wyvern Theatre in an attempt to stop groups of up to 100 youngsters from gathering around Theatre Square.
     It was named the 'Mosquito' because the sound resembles that of a buzzing insect. And it works by emitting a harmless ultra sonic tone that generally can only be heard by people aged 25 and under. In trials, it has proven that the longer someone is exposed to the sound, the more annoying it becomes. Read Full Article.

Teen's Use "Mosquito Alarm" to their Advantage. (Metro.com UK) A high-pitched alarm which cannot be heard by adults has been hijacked by schoolchildren to create ringtones so they can get away with using phones in class.
     Techno-savvy pupils have adapted the Mosquito alarm, used to drive teenage gangs away from shopping centres.
    Schoolchildren have recorded the sound, which they named Teen Buzz, and spread it from phone to phone via text messages and Bluetooth technology.
    Now they can receive calls and texts during lessons without teachers having the faintest idea what is going on. Read Full Story.

Hospital Try To Bring Down the Decibels. (Washington Post) Wham! Wham! Wham! The sound source was actually a pillbanger, used to crush medications for geriatric patients who can't swallow whole pills. This and other sounds form a concophony of noise as work shifts change throughout the day and night at many hospitals. The noise level can reach an unhealthy 113 decibels. Montefiore Medical Center in New York is hoping to make a change. Read Full Article.

Noisy, Wiggling Ears Explained. (Discovery.com) Human ears can wiggle and make noise, and now researchers have a better understanding of how these unusual processes work.
Since ear wiggling involves complex coordination of facial muscles, the research could shed light on related disorders, such as Bell’s palsy, which can cause facial paralysis. Read More.

How Was It For You? (Globe and Mail) Toronto's Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts has had acoustical issues since its construction. What those problems are depends on who you ask and where you sit for specific concerts. Read More.