Sonoluminescence is a scientific phenomenon that occurs when a gas bubble in a liquid emits light after being subjected to intense sound waves.
- When two German engineers were studying sonar — the use of sound to navigate, like bats — in 1934, they stumbled upon a strange phenomenon: when a small bubble trapped in a liquid is hit by powerful sound waves, it seems to produce a flash of light.
- Pistol shrimp (family Alpheidae) possess a specialised claw that it can snap shut with incredible speed. The result is a jet of water moving so fast that it creates a low-pressure bubble in the water. And when this bubble collapses, it generates a loud sound, intense heat, and a fleeting flash of light.
Echolocation
- Echolocation is a technique used by bats, dolphins and other animals to determine the location of objects using reflected sound.
- Bats, whales, dolphins, a few birds like the nocturnal oilbird and some swiftlets, some shrews and the similar tenrec from Madagascar are all known to echolocate.
