# If all the Indians simultaneously shouted at the ISS, could astronauts detect it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 24, 2013, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034 "2013-08-24T05:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/1 "2013-08-24T05:50:17Z")
The International Space Station is [going to cross India soon](http://www.isstracker.com/). If everyone there looked up and shouted for 10 seconds as loudly as they could, would it be detectable from orbit? For the purposes of this question, let’s assume that the astronauts are given an 1-hour window to monitor, and from that they must determine the correct minute the shouting occurred in. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/2 "2013-08-24T05:52:47Z")
No. Sound needs air. The ISS, in LEO, is in a vacuum. No air begets no sound. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/3 "2013-08-24T05:55:37Z")
The ISS orbit at 360 km is in high vacuum. No sound waves could propagate at that level. ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/4 "2013-08-24T06:06:21Z")
According to Ridley Scott, [no](http://zouchmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/alien-movie-poster41.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/5 "2013-08-24T06:43:10Z")
Only if all the Chinese jumped at exactly the same time. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/6 "2013-08-24T09:41:58Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Only if all the Chinese jumped at exactly the same time. While they were on a treadmill. You **know** _somebody_ was gonna say it. Might as well get it over with. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/7 "2013-08-24T09:45:14Z")
> [@sco3tt](#): > > According to Ridley Scott, [no](http://zouchmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/alien-movie-poster41.jpg). \ ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/8 "2013-08-24T13:50:40Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > No. Sound needs air. The ISS, in LEO, is in a vacuum. No air begets no sound. I don’t think the question is specifically if it would be heard at the ISS. The question is could it be detected. Would there be any mechanism where they could determine that such an event happened? Something that could be measured in the atmosphere below them? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/9 "2013-08-24T13:57:38Z")
what would they all shout? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/10 "2013-08-24T14:38:42Z")
“Get away from that magazine rack, this is not a reading room!” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/11 "2013-08-24T15:08:43Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > I don’t think the question is specifically if it would be heard at the ISS. The question is could it be detected. Would there be any mechanism where they could determine that such an event happened? Something that could be measured in the atmosphere below them? I don’t know, but I’d love to see [Randall Munroe](mailto:whatif@xkcd.com) take a stab at this. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/12 "2013-08-24T16:58:56Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > I don’t think the question is specifically if it would be heard at the ISS. The question is could it be detected. Would there be any mechanism where they could determine that such an event happened? Something that could be measured in the atmosphere below them? It is theoretically possible to measure surface air pressure from satellites, but evidently a practical system has yet to be developed, even for the very great pressure differences found in hurricanes. From[here:](http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/diabar_prt.htm) > [@](#): > > It’s hard to believe that, in this day and age, we don’t have a way to measure sea-level air pressure during hurricanes. NASA researchers, however, are working on a system that will improve forecasting of severe ocean weather by doing just that. The device measures sea-level air pressure, a critical component of hurricane formation – and one that has been extremely difficult to capture. > > The Differential Absorption Barometric Radar (DIABAR) prototype is scheduled to make its second flight early this year. > > DIABAR remotely senses barometric pressure at sea level, which is important in the prediction and forecasting of severe weather, especially hurricanes, over oceans. > > But the ability to measure sea-level air pressure is a major missing link in storm observation, says Dr. Bing Lin, an atmospheric scientist at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. If it’s not possible yet to detect even such large pressure variations, it’s probably a long time off before we can measure the slighter and much smaller scale fluctuations produced by sound waves. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/13 "2013-08-24T17:40:08Z")
Maybe if Christo had them all unfurl pink banners, it would be visible? ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/14 "2013-08-24T17:45:35Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Maybe if Christo had them all unfurl pink banners, it would be visible? India has a population density of about 1,000/mi2. That’s a lot of ground to cover for each person, so I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/15 "2013-08-24T17:51:09Z")
Laser Pointers. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/16 "2013-08-24T17:51:58Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > what would they all shout? Beat Pakistan! (Re: Cricket) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/17 "2013-08-24T18:33:58Z")
[Sound waves generated by the 2011 earthquake in Japan have been detected by satellite.](http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2013/03/11/2011-Japan-quake-was-detected-in-space/UPI-34901363047220/) However, the GOCE satellite that detected them orbits at only 170 miles, or 270 km, much lower than the ISS, where there is still some atmosphere to carry sound waves. > [@](#): > > GOCE orbits at the lowest altitude of any observation satellite but at less than 170 miles up it has to periodically use its thrusters to compensate for drag from the thin upper remnants of the atmosphere. Also, the sound was extremely low frequency (infrasound) and very powerful, and thus not comparable to sound waves that would be generated by people. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/18 "2013-08-24T19:30:25Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > what would they all shout? “Thank you, come again!” ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/19 "2013-08-24T22:48:30Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > what would they all shout? “Welcome to Microsoft technical assistance, how can we help you?” ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034/20 "2013-08-24T23:04:13Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > “Welcome to Microsoft technical assistance, how can we help you?” [Raj Koothrapalli]That’s so racist, dude.[/RajKoothrapalli] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-all-the-indians-simultaneously-shouted-at-the-iss-could-astronauts-detect-it/667034.md?page=2)