A short history of bad acoustics

J Acoust Soc Am. 2006 Oct;120(4):1807-15. doi: 10.1121/1.2336746.

Abstract

Every branch of science attracts its share of cranks and pseudoscientists, and acoustics has been no exception. A brief survey of those who touched on acoustics is given with quotations from the more interesting or egregious examples. A contrast is drawn between the nineteenth century contrarian's quarrel with particular theories and the modern new age wholesale rejection of theory. This world-view is traced back to the later scientific writings of Goethe. Examples of pseudoscience applied to biomedical acoustics, architectural acoustics, and audio reproduction are given.

Publication types

  • Biography
  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustics*
  • Concept Formation
  • History, 19th Century
  • History, 20th Century
  • Humans
  • Physics / history*
  • Sound*

Personal name as subject

  • Alexander Wilford Hall
  • Joseph Battell
  • John Ernst Worrel Keely
  • Hans Jenny
  • Johann Wolfgang von Goethe