Sound Waves in the Cosmos

Imagine that you are aboard a spacecraft, where sound waves carrying information through air or another medium allow us to hear every word almost instantly. However, behind this apparent magic lie fundamental physical limitations – sound travels at a speed of about 350 feet per second. Under conditions familiar to us, this delay is imperceptible because we communicate in a confined space where distances are not enormous. But if one were to try conveying information using sound over interstellar distances, the delays would become critical, highlighting the need for faster methods of communication. This difference not only underscores the marvels of modern technology that let us enjoy auditory communication across unimaginably vast cosmic expanses, but also reminds us of the harsh realities of the universe, where physics lays down its own rules. Ultimately, an awareness of these limitations fills our understanding of space with energy and a drive for innovation, because only by surpassing the speed of sound can we truly open new horizons for intergalactic communication.

How do sounds propagate inside spacecraft, and what are the peculiarities of this process?
Within the confined space of a spacecraft, sound waves travel through air or another medium, allowing humans to perceive speech and other sounds almost instantly. However, a key feature is the finite speed at which sound moves – approximately 350 feet per second. This means that when trying to use sound to transmit information over long distances (as would be necessary for interstellar communications), delays become significant, rendering this transmission method inefficient. In the closed environment of a spacecraft, this limitation does not noticeably affect our everyday perception of sound, but it does highlight the contrast between our familiar acoustic experience and the physical constraints of sound propagation on a universal scale.

Supporting citation(s):
"To unravel this, we would have to consider the fastest processes available. If we were to cover vast distances using sound, if we set up an acoustic telephone using tubes, the conversation would be rather tedious, because sound travels 350 feet per second. Especially when it comes to cosmic distances, as discussed in the context of knowledge acquisition, communication via sound would be absent, naturally pushing us to use faster processes. For everyday consciousness, sound appears to be transmitted instantly from speaker to listener, giving the impression that distance has no temporal effect." (source: link , page: 1739)