Challenging Dutch TV viewers with the sounds of the planets
Professor Tim Leighton’s research into the sounds of the planets was recently featured on Dutch national television as part of the 19th Dutch Annual Quiz.
Professor Leighton's research formed the basis for question 10 out of the 15 questions asked: Imagine it would be possible for you to survive on Venus, what would you sound like?
A) As a small dwarf with a soft low voice
B) As a small dwarf with a loud high voice
C) As a giant with a loud low voice
He provided a voice changer that gave the presenter the voice they would have had on Venus (were they to survive). One million viewers attempted the question online; the correct answer was A) As a small dwarf with a soft low voice. ( Watch the clip )
Professor Leighton explains: "On Venus, the pitch of your voice would become much deeper. That is because the planet's dense atmosphere means that the vocal cords vibrate more slowly through this ‘gassy soup'. However, the speed of sound in the atmosphere on Venus is much faster than it is on Earth, and this tricks the way our brain interprets the size of a speaker (presumably an evolutionary trait that allowed our ancestors to work out whether an animal call in the night was something that was small enough to eat or so big as to be dangerous). When we hear a voice from Venus, we think the speaker is small, but with a deep bass voice. On Venus, humans sound like bass Smurfs."
His colleague Prof Paul White and his MSc student Nikhil Banda assisted in the programming.
