Scientists Create World's Tiniest "Ear"

Posted by samzenpus on Sunday January 15, 2012 @04:01AM from the for-the-little-voices dept.

sciencehabit writes "If you've ever wondered what a virus sounds like, or what noise a bacterium makes when it moves between hosts, you may soon get your chance to find out. Scientists have created the world's tiniest ear. The 'nano-ear,' a microscopic particle of gold trapped by a laser beam, can detect sound a million times fainter than the threshold for human hearing. Researchers suggest the work could open up a whole new field of 'acoustic microscopy,' in which organisms are studied using the sound they emit."

4 of 64 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Finally by pseudofrog · 2012-01-15 04:12 · Score: 5, Funny

Now someone can hear when I play the world's tiniest violin.
1. Re:Finally by dfay · 2012-01-15 04:25 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  And now we can finally hear what this sounds like!
Big Deal by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-15 04:13 · Score: 5, Funny

If I wanted to know what parasitic bacteria sound like, I could just as easily turn on C-SPAN.
Re:Coupled with a real good microscope.. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-15 05:31 · Score: 5, Funny

O
oo
O-O
O O
Oh yeah...