Lend Us Your Ear Integrative biology partners with Kicker to create interactive Sound of Science exhibits In 2023, Dr. Liz McCullagh — an Oklahoma State University Department of Integrative Biology professor — partnered with Stillwater audio company Kicker to create the Sound of Science, a series of educational exhibits that allow students to interact with and visualize sound. “I’m interested in sound and how the brain processes sound, specifically from where sound comes from,” said McCullagh, an auditory neuroscientist. “I thought that sound and sensory systems are particularly relatable for most people, because either they are into music or want to understand why some folks are more sensitive to sounds.” With assistance from Kicker and a College of Arts and Sciences Community Engagement Grant, McCullagh worked with Kicker’s Aaron Surrat and two OSU undergraduate assistants — Cameron Miller and Peyton Williams — to bring three exhibits to life: sound localization, Kundt’s tube and using string to show waveforms. All three Sound of Science modules were exhibited at the Native American Indian Science and Engineering Fair (NAISEF) on OSU’s Stillwater campus in April. “It’s just all about how to display and visualize sound because sound is something that travels through the air, but we can’t see the air,” Surrat said. “We have all of these displays that we’ve put together to where you can see a waveform, localize sound from an array of speakers and see how fast vibrations travel through a string.” McCullagh configured the Sound of Science in its early stages through her research on testing sound location ability in animals. Pulling from her research, she thought of mobile exhibits that could easily travel around Oklahoma, starting with Kundt’s tube. “The first thing that we came across to display standing waves and waveforms was a pipe that you run gas through and drill holes on top of to light it on fire,” said Surrat, explaining the basics of Kundt’s tube. “You put a cap on one end, the diaphragm on the other and you can see the waveform change visually. We came across that emitting frequency or double frequency allows the display to work properly anywhere.” The team decided the fire was too dangerous for a public exhibit and opted instead for a tube with small Styrofoam beads to illustrate the same waveforms. The team has surprised itself as well as participants throughout its time exhibiting Sound of Science. Some attendees noted that they did not realize how difficult sound can be to track. “It’s not necessarily the things you might think are difficult that truly are difficult with sound,” McCullagh said. “Our ears tell us when something is right in front of you versus right behind. But that is when our ears are perfect. “When you move your head in the sound localization module, it becomes easier to hear. Otherwise, it is difficult to hear. Most people are making errors about four to six times [in the module] because our ears are kind of not optimized to detect.” Having assisted with showcasing the modules to an array of students, Williams hopes to see Sound of Science grow into an exhibit for kids across the state. Allowing kids to experience the visualization can lead to further interest in STEM fields, especially audio and biological sciences. “If they can visualize it and we can get K-12 kids all involved, we can see how far the Sound of Science really works here in Oklahoma,” Williams said. The team plans to continue exhibiting the Sound of Science in local schools and other universities, as well as at community events and Kicker tradeshows. Its ultimate goal is to grow others’ excitement for STEM and sound science fields. STORY JADE DUDLEY | PHOTO JASON WALLACE Scan to watch exclusive content about Sound of Science. OSU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 23
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