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Lirdon t1_jaba3i0 wrote

Reply to comment by triffid_hunter in If space could have noise what would it be? by Exciting-Release-284

That’s the realistic answer. But even that is assuming this interplanetary atmosphere would just suddenly appear out of nowhere. If it would exist throughout history, our star system would look very different indeed

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Exciting-Release-284 OP t1_jabake7 wrote

But what if the only effect that was help was sound? What if there was something that sound could travel through in space and it wouldn't have effected us and we could withstand the sound, in a way that we can hear all sound just fine! It comes to my thoughts that maybe space would sound cool! It already does!

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Lirdon t1_jabazrz wrote

It would sound like a deafening mess and creatures would not develop the sense of hearing that much, because it would all be just white noise.

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triffid_hunter t1_jabcc5j wrote

Sound works by particles in close proximity repelling each other and thus passing pressure ripples along - so we either have sound everywhere and no chance of orbits or life, or vast swathes of emptiness with occasional islands where life could occur.

Fwiw it's thought that some of the variations in the CMB were from 'phonons' ie packets of sound energy in the plasma - see here

Also note that we have problems with the sound of rocket exhaust shredding concrete at launch pads (which is the main reason why we spray water under rockets when they lift off, it breaks up the shockwaves) - so astronomical events would trivially destroy everything over and over again if their sound could reach us.

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Exciting-Release-284 OP t1_jabdaui wrote

Damn man, it was just a what if situation with creative thoughts. I like that you are taking it realistic though. But what would you think it would sound like if we could hear everything without consequences and death and not universal atmosphere, just like... our ears would be able to hear loud noises just fine and no destruction from sound... just imaginative... just a what if.

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triffid_hunter t1_jabeay7 wrote

> I like that you are taking it realistic though.

This is a sub for hard science after all, there's others better suited for creative writing ;)

> what would you think it would sound like if we could hear everything without consequences and death and not universal atmosphere, just like... our ears would be able to hear loud noises just fine and no destruction from sound... just imaginative... just a what if.

Ever been near a rocky seashore on a windy night?

Like that but louder than a jet engine 24/7 (mostly from the sun) with occasional gut-thumping cracks thrown in (from large celestial events) and maybe a couple discernible tones from millisecond pulsars depending on how loud of a sound your medium could carry before hitting vacuum at one extreme.

It would be pretty unpleasant

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kevin1d t1_jabp1l0 wrote

You'd perhaps hear something like this Sun sound. Although 10.000 times harder. Just static, white noise. If life evolved under those circumstances, I doubt they'd evolve any hearing mechanism. It's just too loud.

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