Acoustics and modern physics

AUG 01, 1949

Early in May, 1949 the Acoustical Society of America held its twentieth anniversary meeting and in recognition of current attitudes grouped its papers functionally. With the main theme “Acoustics and Man,” acoustics was discussed in relation to the arts, to health and comfort, to communications, and to research. This article is taken from an invited paper.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3066586

Philip M. Morse

Before the war it was always hard for a physicist to know what to answer when asked what he did. Any answer which included the word “physics” resulted either in complete lack of recognition or in some form of medical humor. I am reminded of a friend who spent a confused and confusing time with a local draft board, some seven years ago, in small middle western town, trying to explain why a young physicist should not be transformed into a G.I. just then. After a series of dissertations and questions and explanations on the subject of “what is a physicist?” my friend saw a gleam of understanding appear in one pair of eyes. “I see,” said one of the board members, “a physicist is a kind of an electrician! Why didn’t you say so?”

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More about the authors

Philip M. Morse, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.