# If you can't hear sound in a vacuum... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 27, 2002, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151 "2002-06-27T02:06:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/21 "2002-07-08T23:48:05Z")
When I clean my interstellar vacuum I have a heck of a time getting rid of all the superstring wrapped around its rotating brush. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/22 "2002-07-09T00:42:04Z")
For me, it’s re-attaching the asteroid belt. [rim shot] Is Dirt Devil[TM] the Official Vacuum Cleaner of Hell? [groans] What’s the best tool for cleaning the Milky Way galaxy? Wet vac. [outer-rim shot] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/23 "2002-07-09T02:33:18Z")
Several years ago, a senator was visiting Wright Patterson Air Force Base on a ‘fact finding mission’. Basically he was looking for some expense to cut so he could trumpet how he was cutting unnessiary expenses while of course increasing his states porkage. As he was being given the tour of the base, he noticed several large silvery spheres about three stories high in some cases, all with large pipes leading to them and impressive looking suplimentary equipment next to them as they sat not far from one long nondiscript building. Looking at them, he asked how much did they cost to build and maintain, several hundred thousand dollars he was told. He then asked what the purpose of the building was, “Wind Tunnels sir.”. So, what do they store in those spheres. His guide, straight faced said, “Absolutely nothing sir.” It took the senator some time to understand the explaination that the spheres were vaccum chambers used in conjunction with the high speed windtunnels. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/24 "2002-07-09T03:38:27Z")
You’ve got to wonder though, what would you use to clean the outside of the space station? You can’t use a vacuum cleaner despite its name. I don’t think a wet rag would stay wet for long, either. I suppose you can clean the _inside_ of a space station by just connecting a hose to the outside. And use it very carefully… ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/25 "2002-07-09T03:42:44Z")
They clean the space station and the space shuttle _very_ carefully every day, several times, with battery powered vaccums much like the ones you use to clean your comptuer keyboard or like the dirtdevils used to clean your care. Particlate matter is not left to gather on them at all on the inside. On the outside…eh, it’ll burn off in the reentry. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Qis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Qis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qis)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/26 "2002-07-09T04:56:16Z")
ohkio. say i’m not drunk ( which i am) and i yell. Also assume that i’m inside a sphere that is surrounded by a vacume. where does teh sound energy go? does the sound bounc bac like when you shine a light out of a shpere surrounded by darkness? i’m drunk. sorry for spellingmistakes. anyway. whats your oppinion? all i want is a straight answer? sorry if this is silly/ a naive question. but my crappy mind cant think of anything/ apaprt from the light/mirror/reflection thingummy. night all. ---
**Author:** ![Nenya\_Elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@Nenya\_Elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nenya_Elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/27 "2002-07-09T05:47:08Z")
**Qis** I expect that some of the sound energy would bounce back and some of it would be absorbed by the walls of the sphere. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/28 "2002-07-11T08:29:16Z")
What I want to know is, when faced with a dirty vacuum, just how does one get a vacuum cleaner? ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/29 "2002-07-11T15:48:51Z")
You sillies . . . Sounds are **LOUDER** in space because there’s no _air_ to _ **get in the way!** _ ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/30 "2002-07-11T21:24:53Z")
“I didn’t think it was possible, but this (thread) both sucks and blows.” - Bart Simpson ---
**Author:** ![Smartypants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@Smartypants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smartypants)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/31 "2003-04-21T05:55:04Z")
sound needs a medium to travel trough. sound can travel trough air but when you remove air sound had no medium to travel through. a vacuum, such as space, has no air- there for no sound. A vacuum cleaner is based on a vacuum becuase of it removing the air. so a vacuum is quiet. a vacuum CLEANER is not.🙂 :o ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/32 "2003-04-21T06:26:16Z")
this subject is just plain silly and not worth commenting on ---
**Author:** ![paul\_smars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3be4f8/32.png) [@paul\_smars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paul_smars)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/33 "2003-08-16T00:53:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Narile \* > \*\*They clean the space station and the space shuttle _very_ carefully every day, several times, with battery powered vaccums much like the ones you use to clean your comptuer keyboard or like the dirtdevils used to clean your care. Particlate matter is not left to gather on them at all on the inside. On the outside…eh, it’ll burn off in the reentry. 😉 \*\* Why does the inside of self-contained environments need to be vacuumed?? ---
**Author:** ![3\_14159265358979323846](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/eada6e/32.png) [@3\_14159265358979323846](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3_14159265358979323846)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/34 "2003-08-16T06:08:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by paul’smars \* > \*\*Why does the inside of self-contained environments need to be vacuumed?? \*\* There’s a statistic out there that the majority of the “dust” in our homes is actually dead skin cells. So, to keep dust out of the electronics, NASA has the option of either vacuuming the insides of their spacecraft, or developing a skinless astronaut. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/35 "2003-08-16T11:20:01Z")
I was visiting my elderly aunt in Dallas Texas. It had rained the night before, and water had leaked into her closet and soaked the floor. She called the apartment manager, explained the problem, paused for his response, then exclaimed testily, _“I should say not”._ “What was that all about?” I asked. She replied, “They asked if they should send over a wetback to clean it up.” ---
**Author:** ![Teegus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Teegus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teegus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/36 "2003-08-16T11:29:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ficer67 \* > \*\*this subject is just plain silly and not worth commenting on \*\* This reply is just plain silly and not worth quoting on :b Quote_Originally posted by 3\_14159265358979323846_ **So, to keep dust out of the electronics, NASA has the option of either vacuuming the insides of their spacecraft, or developing a skinless astronaut.** [conspiracy theorist hat on] NASA is currently developing skinless astronauts in Area 51 with the help of Aliens and the Illuminati. Keep it a secret though… ;j [conspiracy theorist hat off]; ---
**Author:** ![Teegus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Teegus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teegus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/37 "2003-08-16T11:55:43Z")
I could have sworn I had the second quote box in there. Thats what I get for not previewing ---
**Author:** ![paul\_smars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3be4f8/32.png) [@paul\_smars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paul_smars)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/38 "2003-08-16T16:29:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by 3\_14159265358979323846 \* > \*\*There’s a statistic out there that the majority of the “dust” in our homes is actually dead skin cells. So, to keep dust out of the electronics, NASA has the option of either vacuuming the insides of their spacecraft, or developing a skinless astronaut. \*\* Aren’t they suited up 24/7?? If not why? And why not self-contain the electronics?? U may think I am trying to re-design their system, but do we really want our astronauts house cleaning?? P ---
**Author:** ![fnord1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@fnord1966](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fnord1966)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/39 "2003-08-16T17:13:05Z")
Well, thats a janitor job that wouldnt suck. Err would suck, but wouldnt. Oh, you know what I mean. In fact, I think they should have one person whose job is cleaning. I think It should be me. Free space rides, amazing photographs, and all the Tang you can drink. Do they still have Tang? If not, I wont go. Ok, I would still go, but please? Can I have some Tang? Ever see SpaceBalls? Remember the maid ship? That vacuum was quiet in orbit, but on the planet it was noisy wasnt it? Speaking of noise in space, why do lazer guns make sounds in space? They dont make noise in air, so why in the vast nothingness? I have ADD cant you tell? ---
**Author:** ![AK-Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@AK-Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK-Dave)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151/40 "2003-08-16T19:06:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Smartypants \* > **sound needs a medium to travel trough** Leave John Edwards and those other frauds out of this. I don’t believe in that nonsense anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hear-sound-in-a-vacuum/116151.md?page=3)