mavric91 t1_j4z3emp wrote on January 19, 2023 at 6:48 AM

So I think the real question your asking here is if sound could make it all the way to the top of our atmosphere? If space suddenly had the ability to transmit sound, that sound would first have to travel through our atmosphere to reach space, or the atmosphere itself would need to make sound to transmit to space.

Assuming the atmosphere still thins with altitude before it reaches “magical sound transmitting space,” then the atmosphere itself won’t be able to carry sound that high. At a certain point, the air will be so thin that sound just won’t be transmitted through it effectively, and even though sound can travel through it, it won’t travel very far. By the same logic, that thin outer boundary of atmosphere won’t be able to efficiently transmit sound into magical sound space.

You could imagine that the atmosphere itself would make noise to. Wind and atmospheric phenomena all over the earth would make a ton of noise. But again, the thinning of the atmosphere would largely contain this to earth.

Basically, sound would travel far for the same reason it doesn’t travel at all in a vacuum, there isn’t enough (or any) physical medium to put that sound out into space at the edge of our atmosphere.

Climhazrd t1_j4z6k9w wrote on January 19, 2023 at 7:26 AM

And to add to this. Let's say we remove the thinning atmosphere issue cause the less medium issue is exactly light why we can't hear anything in space. So sound travels as far as it's gonna go no matter what or how much it's going thru.

Sound doesn't just go forever like light does. It has a finite distance before it's undetectable. So with the thin atmosphere and space issues removed, would you say hear rush hour in LA from space? No you wouldn't. Could you hear Krakatoa erupt? Maybe, but surely not beyond the moon and I think that's being generous.

But I think the biggest thing here, in my scenario we wouldn't hear a GODDAMN THING ON EARTH! The sun would be so loud it would be the only thing we would ever hear. In fact if this was the case life most likely wouldn't have evolved hearing cause what's the point.