About Simon Wood

Lecturer in medical education, lapsed mathematician, Doctor Who fan and garden railway builder. See simonwood.info for more...

8 thoughts on “Charlotte Green Is A Legend

  1. I’d heard about that recording, but I hadn’t heard that recording… I can’t say I can blame her for this.

    Who knew that 150 years ago, French songs sounded liked like doves caught in the clothes dryer?

  2. I’d heard about that recording, but I hadn’t heard that recording… I can’t say I can blame her for this.

    Who knew that 150 years ago, French songs sounded liked like doves caught in the clothes dryer?

  3. I’m fascinated by this phonautogram. I love the fact that it was recorded with no way of playing it back, and now with a high resolution digital scanner and some nifty software these guys can recreate a sound from further back than has ever been heard before.

    I was intrigued by the story when I heard about it in the 7am bulletin, but fell asleep and forgot about it. Happy Charlotte Green brought it back to my attention!

  4. I’m fascinated by this phonautogram. I love the fact that it was recorded with no way of playing it back, and now with a high resolution digital scanner and some nifty software these guys can recreate a sound from further back than has ever been heard before.

    I was intrigued by the story when I heard about it in the 7am bulletin, but fell asleep and forgot about it. Happy Charlotte Green brought it back to my attention!

  5. I reminds me of something I read some years ago about someone trying to extract sound from ancient clay pots. The theory being, like a primitive phonograph, sound impressions might had been laid down while on the potters wheel.

    I think it all came to naught, but I remember thinking, “How incredible would that be if something – either natural or unnatural – totally unbeknownst to the people or creatures around was somehow laying down sound and that someday, some clever person would be able to extract little audio vingnettes!”

    It could be a whole new branch of archaeology. Probably the closest we’d ever get to time travel.

    So, when (and if) they can refine their software to the point they can take that phonautogram and reconstruct the sound into something recognizable… who knows what might be possible.

  6. I reminds me of something I read some years ago about someone trying to extract sound from ancient clay pots. The theory being, like a primitive phonograph, sound impressions might had been laid down while on the potters wheel.

    I think it all came to naught, but I remember thinking, “How incredible would that be if something – either natural or unnatural – totally unbeknownst to the people or creatures around was somehow laying down sound and that someday, some clever person would be able to extract little audio vingnettes!”

    It could be a whole new branch of archaeology. Probably the closest we’d ever get to time travel.

    So, when (and if) they can refine their software to the point they can take that phonautogram and reconstruct the sound into something recognizable… who knows what might be possible.

  7. I remember that… The possibility that elaborate reconstructions of the past based on such artifacts might eventually be possible is exciting… and perhaps one step closer.

  8. I remember that… The possibility that elaborate reconstructions of the past based on such artifacts might eventually be possible is exciting… and perhaps one step closer.

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