▲ 692 ▼ AI data centers face increasing complaints about inaudible but 'felt' infrasound — citizens complain high- and low-frequency sounds do not register on decibel meters but cause adverse health effects (www.tomshardware.com) submitted 4 months ago by throws_lemy@lemmy.nz to c/technology@lemmy.world 144 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 5 points 4 months ago (2 children) Exposure to this level of infrasound What level is that? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 9 points 4 months ago (1 child) The article mentions 96 dB for 24 hours a day permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] merc@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 months ago The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), a non-profit organization, said that high- and low-frequency sounds emitted by these industrial sites can be heard and felt for hundreds of feet in surrounding areas, with noise levels reaching as high as 96dB for 24 hours a day and seven days a week. It says "these industrial sites" so it's making a generalization, it says "as high as" so that's presumably the maximum they measured at one of those many sites. They also talk about high and low frequency sound, so it may not be the infrasound that is "loud" but the high frequency sound, which doesn't as easily travel through the ground, etc. Because sound tends to follow an inverse square law, if they measured that 96 dB at 100m from the sound's source, it could be just 2% of that level at 800m away. So, that "96 dB" figure needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The figure as actually measured in some person's home might be a tiny fraction of that amount. Again, it doesn't mean there's no problem, just that it needs some further investigation. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 9 points 4 months ago (1 child) The article mentions 96 dB for 24 hours a day permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 1 child comment replies: [–] merc@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 months ago The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), a non-profit organization, said that high- and low-frequency sounds emitted by these industrial sites can be heard and felt for hundreds of feet in surrounding areas, with noise levels reaching as high as 96dB for 24 hours a day and seven days a week. It says "these industrial sites" so it's making a generalization, it says "as high as" so that's presumably the maximum they measured at one of those many sites. They also talk about high and low frequency sound, so it may not be the infrasound that is "loud" but the high frequency sound, which doesn't as easily travel through the ground, etc. Because sound tends to follow an inverse square law, if they measured that 96 dB at 100m from the sound's source, it could be just 2% of that level at 800m away. So, that "96 dB" figure needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The figure as actually measured in some person's home might be a tiny fraction of that amount. Again, it doesn't mean there's no problem, just that it needs some further investigation. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 months ago The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), a non-profit organization, said that high- and low-frequency sounds emitted by these industrial sites can be heard and felt for hundreds of feet in surrounding areas, with noise levels reaching as high as 96dB for 24 hours a day and seven days a week. It says "these industrial sites" so it's making a generalization, it says "as high as" so that's presumably the maximum they measured at one of those many sites. They also talk about high and low frequency sound, so it may not be the infrasound that is "loud" but the high frequency sound, which doesn't as easily travel through the ground, etc. Because sound tends to follow an inverse square law, if they measured that 96 dB at 100m from the sound's source, it could be just 2% of that level at 800m away. So, that "96 dB" figure needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The figure as actually measured in some person's home might be a tiny fraction of that amount. Again, it doesn't mean there's no problem, just that it needs some further investigation. permalink fedilink source parent