New acoustic fibers can 'sing' and hear sounds

[Judi Lynn]

New acoustic fibers can 'sing' and hear sounds
When stretched, strands can be used in clothes and act as a microphone
updated 39 minutes ago

Researchers have created new plastic fibers that can detect and produce sound. When stretched, these strands could be used to make clothes that act as a microphone or generate electricity.

"You can actually hear them, these fibers," said Noémie Chocat, a graduate student in the materials science department at MIT and co-author of a paper describing the fibers.

"If you connected them to a power supply and applied a sinusoidal current" — an alternating current whose period is very regular — "then it would vibrate," Chocat said. "And if you make it vibrate at audible frequencies and put it close to your ear, you could actually hear different notes or sounds coming out of it."

Microphone check
The heart of the new acoustic fibers is a plastic commonly used in microphones. By playing with the amount of the element fluorine in the plastic, the researchers were able to ensure that the material's molecules remained "lopsided," with the fluorine atoms lining up on one side and hydrogen atoms on the other.

More:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38210604/ns/technology_and_science-innovation/

[Duer 157099]

1. Uh oh. Just what we need, our clothes talking to us

"Wash me goddammit!" "Oh wearing me again are you?"

Doctor, it's not the voices in my head, it's the voices in my clothing!

[Birthmark]

2. God help us if they make underpants out of this stuff! nt

[Orsino]

3. Disregard. My underwear are goddamned liars. n/t