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Fact or Fiction?: An Opera Singer's Piercing Voice Can Shatter Glass

scientificamerican.com

1–10 of 25 posts

Re: Fact or Fiction?: An Opera Singer's Piercing Voice Can Shatter Glass

#2
According to my Radio Shack SPL meter, I can hit at least 127 decibels — which is where the meter tops out.

Now, I have not yet replicated that process in a more controlled test, in a suitably calibrated environment. But I would be interested to do so.

Re: Fact or Fiction?: An Opera Singer's Piercing Voice Can Shatter Glass

#5
> A famous commercial from the 1970s showed Ella Fitzgerald shattering a wine glass with ease through Memorex speakers

No. The ad was for Memorex recording tape, and the hook was that Ella's voice recorded on Memorex tape was equally as effective as Ella singing live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjV0DswlXeo

Re: Fact or Fiction?: An Opera Singer's Piercing Voice Can Shatter Glass

#6

According to my Radio Shack SPL meter, I can hit at least 127 decibels — which is where the meter tops out. Now, I have not yet replicated that process in a more controlled test, in a suitably calibrated environment. But I would be interested to do so.

Here's Jaime Vendera (measured at 120 db) doing it:

https://youtu.be/QGk8nXs6Aao

Apparently unless you're at the resonant frequency you need over 163 db to shatter glass:

http://decibelcar.com/menugeneric/87.html

Re: Fact or Fiction?: An Opera Singer's Piercing Voice Can Shatter Glass

#9

> A famous commercial from the 1970s showed Ella Fitzgerald shattering a wine glass with ease through Memorex speakers No. The ad was for Memorex recording tape , and the hook was that Ella's voice recorded on Memorex tape was equally as effective as Ella singing live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjV0DswlXeo

Watching that, I just realized I've totally mixed up Memorex and Maxell in my memory:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiJzLfxWooo

Re: Fact or Fiction?: An Opera Singer's Piercing Voice Can Shatter Glass

#10
post #6

According to my Radio Shack SPL meter, I can hit at least 127 decibels — which is where the meter tops out. Now, I have not yet replicated that process in a more controlled test, in a suitably calibrated environment. But I would be interested to do so.

Here's Jaime Vendera (measured at 120 db) doing it: https://youtu.be/QGk8nXs6Aao Apparently unless you're at the resonant frequency you need over 163 db to shatter glass: http://decibelcar.com/menugeneric/87.html

Eh... isn't the secret of the trick to be at the resonant frequency? To brute force it seems like a superhuman feat.
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