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submitted 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) by Patnou@lemmy.world to c/askscience@lemmy.world
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[-] Xenny@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Sound is caused by vibrations in a medium. Common mediums we experience sound in are air and water. You can hear how the difference in sound mediums affect how you perceive the sound.

Space has no medium for sound to travel it is a near perfect vacuum. There would be nothing to vibrate to produce sound.

[-] Eldritch@piefed.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

There's a medium even in interstellar space. But the pressure is low, so transmission is as well. There is no hard boundary on 'atmosphere'. Just smooth gradients of density across the universe

[-] frongt@lemmy.zip 2 points 3 weeks ago

Technically true, there is matter in space. But the particles are so far apart that they don't vibrate against each other, so no reasonable person would describe it as a medium of transmission.

[-] Eldritch@piefed.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

Particle's still collide in space. There's nothing keeping them from doing that. Collisions simply increase due to increased pressure. It's not really technical, just true. If anything it's a misunderstanding to imply otherwise or that empty space exists. If you want to distinguish human audible. Then certainly it isn't that. But then neither are infrasound or ultrasound.

Technically and extremely fascinating is that "space itself" not just the baryons inside it, is still a medium. Its literally how LIGO functions. And if that's not mind blowing enough, there actually are massive structures in space caused by pressure waves that we can detect. Those are technical. And another fun fact, if the atmospheric pressure at sea level extended all the way to the sun. We would be able to perceive the sound of the sun. Millions of miles away. Everywhere across the surface of the earth a constant 100 Dba roar. A bit quieter than standing close to a jet engine.

[-] Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Thank you for the rabbit holes, interesting stuff!

Just coming back to say the rabbit hole lasted about 7 hours lmao

[-] teft@piefed.social 1 points 3 weeks ago

Space has sound as sound is just waves in a medium. Space isn’t completely empty just really empty.

Here is a picture of sounds/sonic booms in space:

[-] Kolanaki@pawb.social 0 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

There is no air in space, thus no medium for vibrations to propagate through; so yes, in space no one would hear you scream. You also wouldn't be able to scream anyway since the vacuum would literally suck the air out of your lungs the moment you opened your mouth to scream. Not to mention all the other nasty shit that would happen upon being exposed to the vacuum.

[-] entropiclyclaude@lemmy.wtf 1 points 3 weeks ago

As a true scientist I refuse to take your claims without proper evidence.

I require that you test this claim by releasing the richest 1000 Americans into space to assert your claims.

I will also accept the whole of the US Federal Government.

this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2026
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