How are these related to our daily lives?

Outside of ocean acoustics, how are the elements introduced above relate to our daily lives?

As humans, sound play an important role in how we perceive the world. For example: We can usually tell how heavy the rain is by the sound of raindrops hitting the windows. In a large and empty room, we “hear” the space through echoes of our own voices. Attending a concert or singing in a group can be a deeply emotional experience. Many unsighted people also use sound to navigate, including developing the capability to echolocate!

On a smaller scale and with higher resolution, we apply similar principles in medical ultrasound, a non-invasive diagnostic tool that uses sound waves to image the human body.

In addition, radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) also operates on the same principles, but uses electromagnetic waves instead of sound for sensing. It is widely used to track airplanes, characterize weather phenomena (e.g., cloud, rain, snow), and even observe the migration of large bird groups in the night sky.

The principles we explore in these tutorials are not just relevant to ocean acoustics: They can also help us understand how we experience sound in our environment and how similar technologies shape our world.