The Little Mermaid scientifically proven
The Little Mermaid scientifically proven
#1The Little Mermaid scientifically proven
Posted: 2/13/08 at 10:15am
For the anal retentive there are spoilers below:
The Little Mermaid
In the Disney version of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, Ariel (the mermaid) asks a witch to make her human because she has fallen in love with a human prince. The witch bargains with Ariel and takes her voice in exchange for performing the transformation. For a considerable part of the story Ariel cannot speak, which is a problem because the prince can only recognize her by her incredibly beautiful singing voice. Later, she recovers her voice and wins the love of the prince (sorry to spoil the ending).
In the story, Ariel loses her voice because of a curse. However, a less skilled sorceress could use a different method to silence a singing mermaid. Scientists have figured out a way to bend sound waves around an object and, can even prevent the escape of all sounds created inside a given area (important for keeping a transformed, singing mermaid from being heard).
Recently, Steve Cummer, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University announced that it is theoretically possible to create such a sound shield. Building on research demonstrating how light waves can be bent around an object to make it appear invisible, Cummer and his collaborators used mathematical analysis to show how to do the same thing with sound. They established that it is possible to create a material that bends sound waves around walls, pillars, or any enclosed area, where the sound waves emerge as if nothing had been in their way. It would be like someone in the bedroom being able to hear what someone in the living room said, but as if there were no wall between them.
A side effect of this discovery is that sound waves generated inside the enclosed area would never escape. If the witch had been extremely clever, she could have built this material, and there would have been no need for a curse. Or maybe she did, and a transparent sound shield based on these principles was what enveloped Ariel until her love for the Prince melted it away, finally releasing her melodious voice for the Prince to hear.
Link
....but the world goes 'round
Updated On: 2/14/08 at 10:15 AM
husk_charmer
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
#2re: The Little Mermaid scientically proven
Posted: 2/13/08 at 10:23amSome people (not you taz), have too much time on their hands.
http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer
#2re: The Little Mermaid scientically proven
Posted: 2/13/08 at 11:23am
Way to go for them to ruin the DISNEY MAGIC.
;D
#3re: The Little Mermaid scientically proven
Posted: 2/13/08 at 11:50amDo you mean scientifically? I think you have a typo in your thread title.
Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder
#4re: The Little Mermaid scientically proven
Posted: 2/14/08 at 2:59amTazber, at least learn how to link correctly!
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#5re: The Little Mermaid scientically proven
Posted: 2/14/08 at 3:33amAriel gets the prince in the end? Whoa... my mind is BLOWN.
"Why, I make more money than... than... than Calvin Coolidge! PUT TOGETHER!"
~Lina Lamont
My name wasn't, isn't, and will never be Scott.
~Lina Lamont
My name wasn't, isn't, and will never be Scott.
#6re: The Little Mermaid scientically proven
Posted: 2/14/08 at 9:55amInteresting article. Thanks for sharing!
"Everytime you step on that stage it is somebody's first Broadway show and somebody's last Broadway show. Make it count."
italianpride888
Stand-by Joined: 12/27/07
#7re: The Little Mermaid scientically proven
Posted: 2/14/08 at 2:34pmwell.. when they cast Bill Nye the Science Guy as Ursula, this method will be used. I promise you that.
#8re: The Little Mermaid scientically proven
Posted: 2/14/08 at 4:01pm
Now that would be amazing if they cast him 
Your aspirations are your possibilities-Samuel Johnson (and a little help from nomdeplume)
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