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Whale Calls Debunk a Physics Paradox: It’s All About Wave Interference

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Source: Gizmodo
Whale Calls Debunk a Physics Paradox: It’s All About Wave Interference
Photo: Gizmodo
TL;DR

An oceanographer noticed humpback calls near Massachusetts appeared to exceed the speed of sound, but the effect isn’t physics breaking — it comes from interference between the direct sound and its surface-reflected echo reaching the hydrophone, making the strongest signal peak appear to arrive faster. This observer-relative illusion aligns with special relativity concepts, and the researchers propose experiments to verify this underwater SR-like phenomenon, with potential applications to light-based tests.

Topics:sciencephysics-and-chemistry#acoustics#interference#oceanography#physics-and-chemistry#special-relativity#whales
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  1. These Whale Calls Appear to Break Physics, but the Truth Is Even Weirder  Gizmodo
  2. An echo of Einstein: An unexpected link between whale calls and special relativity  Phys.org
  3. Whale Calls Reveal an Unexpected Wave Effect  American Physical Society
  4. Energy Can Move Faster Than The Speed of Light Thanks to Weird 'Loophole'  ScienceAlert
  5. Physicists have found a way to overcome the speed of light barrier  Baku.ws

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