Science: Beam of Silence

The standard way to silence noisy equipment is to enclose it in material that absorbs or reflects sound. This is not easy to do with electrical transformers, which are sometimes unpleasantly noisy and as big as cottages to boot. So General Electric Co.'s laboratory at Pittsfield, Mass, has been looking for a more subtle system. A promising one developed by Engineers W. B. Conover and R. J. Ringlee is to broadcast programs of competing racket.

The noise of a transformer comes from the alternating current that is passing through it, and most of it...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!