The sounds around us

Abstract

The world is full of sounds that carry information. A rushing stream, like the one shown in figure 1, can improve your mood and lowers stress.1 A clap of thunder alerts you to take cover. Unique sounds can remind you of home. Understanding how sounds influence behaviors and interactions with the environment is paramount to the field of acoustic ecology. It originated in the 1970s when researchers began exploring people's awareness of sound as a response to the deteriorating listening environment from noise pollution.2 Now the field also has important applications in urban planning, musical composition, landscape architecture, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation.