International Year of Sound 2020-2021

Resources

There is a wealth of information available on acoustics, sound, and the effects of sound

Infinite Staircase

This demonstration presents an auditory illusion, the acoustical equivalent of an infinite staircase. The pitch of the sound (a minor chord) increases at each step, apparently going up and up and up. However, the sound never does get higher.

Shepard tones and Risset glissandos are related auditory illusions.

 

© 2017-2023 International Commission for Acoustics