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Sultan of Sound, Dr. James Flanagan, Passed Away Aged 89
An anonymous reader writes: A pioneer in the field of acoustics, Dr. James L. Flanagan provided "the technical foundation for speech recognition, teleconferencing, MP3 music files, and the more efficient digital transmission of human conversation." The NYTimes covered his recent passing: "His innovations included preserving the sound of a human voice while crunching it digitally, as well as teaching computers to articulate — converting sound waves into digital pulses. He also helped devise a 'force-feedback' tactile glove, similar to today’s video game accessories, that enabled medical students to simulate hands-on examinations when a live patient or cadaver was not available (or to mimic a game of handball). Dr. Flanagan also played a minor role in the drama surrounding the downfall of President Richard M. Nixon." An older (2005) article from IEEE Spectrum titled "Sultan of Sound" provides background on his work and impact. An interview (1997) discussing his WWII service, research at AT&T Bell Labs & Rutgers University is part of the IEEE oral history series.
R.I.P.
Political correctness is really just herd psychology pushed by insecure people who desperately seek social conformity.
He should have used a lossless algorithm to avoid degrading.
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Why is this here? Some Old dude that pioneered the beginning of understanding digital sound has left the mortal coil ... sounds like this stuff happens all the time.
He enabled so much of the storage and processing of speech that the NSA does now. He should have thought about the consequences of his actions.
I figured that if this guy really was a big shot in sound, he should be footnoted somewhere in my old copy of Rabiner and Gold. Sure enough, Chapter 10, Ref. 10: J. L. Flanagan, Speech Analysis, Synthesis, and Perception, 2nd. ed., Springer-Verlag, New York, 1972.
"Dr. Flanagan also played a minor role in the drama surrounding the downfall of President Richard M. Nixon."
What exactly was his involvement in the downfall of President Richard M. Nixon?