Psychoacoustics of the Paranormal: Psychology, Sound and Paracoustics Seminar
- Time:
- 16:00
- Date:
- 10 November 2015
- Venue:
- 13/3017
Event details
Engineering and the Environment Seminar
Dan Pope will present an introduction to psychoacoustic effects that influence what we hear and how we may interpret them, with a focus on why some sounds are interpreted as being supernatural in origin. Interest in acoustics from within the field of paranormal investigation is growing and recent publications on "Paracoustics" have attempted to make a science of the subject. This review will highlight where researchers have overlooked well documented acoustic phenomenon, where acoustics has been applied badly, and what other psychological factors should be taken into account.
Speaker information
Dan Pope, Atkins. Dan Pope is a senior acoustician for Atkins. He has 11 years' experience as an acoustic consultant and a further 3 years' experience as a technical writer, including publications on The Future Sound of Cities, perceived loudness of television broadcasts, multi-channel broadcast and multi-channel pitch-shifting. As a consultant he has been an expert witness at public inquiry, worked on strategic noise planning, and assessed noise from windfarms, roads, industrial sites, oil drilling, construction, and once braved taking measurements whilst a squirrel threw nuts at him. He is chair of the south west branch on the Institute of Acoustics. He has never seen a ghost.