Recently we were called in to consult on some highway noise that was affecting a residential community. The state had added a new exit ramp that diverged right through the back property lines of several of the residences. While we talked with one of the home owners, he asked about the acoustical effects of planting more trees and foliage between his house and the new exit ramp. As Acoustical Consultants, this is something we hear all the time: the idea that trees and plants can effectively mitigate loud noise. Hopefully, this blog will help put to rest some of the myths about acoustical attributes of trees: where they fail and where they succeed. (more)
University Technology: Attending Class In Your Underwear
Urban legends claim that a good way to calm your nerves before giving a speech is to imagine the audience in their underwear. But what if you could attend class in a T-shirt and underwear without anyone else ever knowing it? Well, at many colleges and universities around the world, you already can.
To understand this miracle of science, we have to examine the link between two rapidly changing technologies: distance learning and classroom connectivity. These two might seem unrelated, but in fact they are deeply intertwined. (more)
In the “old days” of trial litigation, lawyers were expected to present their arguments and evidence through one of several basic modes of communication: namely the spoken word, the written word, and physical evidence. And the best evidence always seemed to be an eye-witness account or a “smoking gun,” as it were. But as we learned in the 1990s, sometimes even the best of leather gloves won’t seem to fit. (more)
How Many Employees Can You Fit Into a VW Beetle?
In a former life I worked for a very large engineering company with over 1,000 engineers working in an open plan office, everyone working on one floor. We lovingly referred to our floor as the “cube farm”. One day I arrived at the office just as the lunch crowd was making their mass exodus. Although I was frustrated by my inability to enter the building, I couldn’t help but think of the old “how many college kids can fit into a VW Beetle” gag as I waited for the never-ending trail of people to exit the building.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that most companies are decreasing the amount of working space allotted for individual employees. (more)
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