Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 November 1893 — How to Hear a Color. [ARTICLE]

How to Hear a Color.

One of the most wonderful discoveries in science that has been made within the last year or two is the fact that a beam of light produces sound. According to Milling, a beam of sunlight is thrown through a lens on a glass vessel that contains lampbllok, colored silk or worsted or other substances. A disk, having slits or openings cut in it, ia made to revolve swiftly in this beam of light so as to cut it up, thus making alternate flashes of light and shadow. On putting the ear to the glass vessel strange sounds are heard so long os the flashing beam is fall ng on the vessel. Recently a wonderful discovery has been made. A beam of sunlight is caused to pass through a prLm so as to produce what is called solar spectrum or rainbow. The disk is turned and the colored light of the rainbow is made to break through it. Now place the ear to the vessel containing the silk, wool, or other material. As the colored lights of the spectrum fall upon it sounds mil bo given by different parts of the spectrum and there will be silence in other parts. For instance, if the vessel contains red worsted, and the green light flashes upon it, loud sounds will be given. Only feeble sounds will be heard if the red and blue part of the rainbow fall upon the vessel, and other colors make no sound at ail. Green silk gives sound best in red light. Every kind of material gives more or less sound in different colors and utters no sound in others. — [New York Advertiser.