Warbling Whistles Are Weird

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 5 тра 2022
  • Signup for your FREE trial of Wondrium here: ow.ly/O6AN30siJKg
    Bird water whistle's have a really interesting mechanism. I made a 2D transparent version so you could see what's going on inside. I also explain how whistles work. Including the kettle whistle.
    CREDITS:
    Air jet impinging on a wedge simulation by Philip Simons using Sjubb:
    You can buy my books here:
    stevemould.com/books
    You can support me on Patreon here:
    / stevemould
    just like these amazing people:
    Frank Hereford
    Will Ackerly
    Brendan Williams
    Cameron Leigh Middleton
    Matthew Cocke
    Frederic Merizen
    Jeremy Cole
    Alan Wilderland
    Joel Van der loo
    Glenn Watson
    Doug Peterson
    Paul Warelis
    John Zelinka
    Alnitak
    Grant Hay
    Heather Liu
    Marshall Fitzpatrik
    Lukas Biewalk
    JJ Masson
    Ben McIntosh
    Damien Szerszinski
    Twitter: / moulds
    Instagram: / stevemouldscience
    Facebook: / stevemouldscience
    Buy nerdy maths things: mathsgear.co.uk
  • Наука та технологія

КОМЕНТАРІ • 2,3 тис.

  • @SteveMould
    @SteveMould  2 роки тому +653

    The Peruvian Whistling Vessel video should be out in a few weeks. Consider clicking the notification bell if you want to be sure to catch that one.
    The sponsor is Wondrium. Signup for your FREE trial here: ow.ly/O6AN30siJKg

    • @elynmartinez4896
      @elynmartinez4896 2 роки тому +2

      👯

    • @jmchez
      @jmchez 2 роки тому

      You just made me order a couple of expensive but beautiful, indigenous, handcrafted Peruvian whistling vessels. I didn't know they existed but I had to have one, I can believe how different the sounds can be when a master craftsman tunes them:
      ua-cam.com/video/ZzoiL7x56Eo/v-deo.html

    • @chappyhappy8483
      @chappyhappy8483 2 роки тому +2

      @9:54 I've always been told that the whistle that has a ball inside would stop working if that ball is broken/removed. Is that true?

    • @sensualgoat3718
      @sensualgoat3718 2 роки тому

      one of your subscribers commented on nathanoakley1980's channel claiming that you can disprove flat earth. Can't wait to hear you try. good luck :)

    • @andersmoore
      @andersmoore 2 роки тому +1

      What would the whistle sound like with different viscosity liquids?

  • @johningham1880
    @johningham1880 2 роки тому +6332

    Presumably, the type of bird that would sound most like a “warbling whistle” would be a warbler, surely?

    • @kempshott
      @kempshott 2 роки тому

      I'd suggest curlew. ua-cam.com/video/w3UBH_M_LGk/v-deo.html

    • @arnavranka4510
      @arnavranka4510 2 роки тому +584

      Actually, they are quite similar to the calls of the Red Vented Bulbul and the Oriental Magpie-Robin.

    • @Aetohatir
      @Aetohatir 2 роки тому +1095

      A bird would probably say that it sounds nothing like them.

    • @ReplicateReality
      @ReplicateReality 2 роки тому +81

      @@Aetohatir if they could talk

    • @transkryption
      @transkryption 2 роки тому +123

      *Bong Birds*

  • @yahyahusainulhasan6910
    @yahyahusainulhasan6910 2 роки тому +3427

    I love these 2D cut-outs, really makes the explanations more intuitive and easier to understand!

    • @nadyaaffendy2614
      @nadyaaffendy2614 2 роки тому +4

      Agreed!

    • @vaisakhkm783
      @vaisakhkm783 2 роки тому +1

      100% true.....

    • @theradicalof1764
      @theradicalof1764 2 роки тому +8

      I wonder ho many prototypes he made before he got them to make a sound 😁 I'm so amazed at his prototyping skills. I know it's UA-cam magic and it take a long time to make these videos but he basically creates multiple great kids toy for all his vids. I wonder if he could monetize his 3d prints through patreon or something. Love the vids

    • @rainboworange
      @rainboworange 2 роки тому +2

      I even like the aestetics. like a puristic reduction.

    • @KalebPeters99
      @KalebPeters99 2 роки тому +2

      It's such a great way to demonstrate the principles. The attention to detail with the white background and coloured water is so clever.

  • @psycoklown8461
    @psycoklown8461 2 роки тому +23

    9 minutes in and you've explained 3 questions I've had my life. How do we whistle with our lips? The tea kettle. How does blowing a blade of grass work? Holding a blade of grass in the wedge of your thumbs.. The wedge method. And how do birds whistle, if they don't have similar equipment as us? The bird whistle is their belly. Madness

  • @GadgetAddict
    @GadgetAddict 2 роки тому +2747

    You're a genius for coming up with these clear 2D representations.

    • @tj1990
      @tj1990 2 роки тому +25

      hes a genius in general lol.

    • @a_diamond
      @a_diamond 2 роки тому +1

      Agreed 😊

    • @danielreed5199
      @danielreed5199 2 роки тому +32

      If you think he is a genius then you should see my 1D versions but you can't, if you can see my point which you can't for the same reasons.

    • @andrypuladejesus8619
      @andrypuladejesus8619 2 роки тому +4

      @@danielreed5199 lol

    • @tuesday5457
      @tuesday5457 2 роки тому +2

      yoo iam the 1000th like

  • @Olodus
    @Olodus 2 роки тому +1730

    I was about to ask Steve how a normal human whistle works, but then I got scared he would make a 2D transparent version of me!

    • @NonTwinBrothers
      @NonTwinBrothers 2 роки тому +212

      Plot twist: Mould is actually a 4-dimensional being and sees inside of us all the time

    • @kevinwells9751
      @kevinwells9751 2 роки тому +64

      if I'm not mistaken it's a lot like the kettle whistle. People only think about your lips doing the whistling, but that isn't really true, you also have to restrict the air in the back of your mouth by raising your tongue up close to your soft palate (if you don't believe me try whistling with your tongue relaxed. Those two holes are like the two holes in the kettle. Then you pair that with using your whole mouth as a resonance chamber and you can control pitch and timbre

    • @Theutcast
      @Theutcast 2 роки тому +18

      @@kevinwells9751 It's almost seems like a mix between the kettle and the wedge. There are the two holes with the concave area inside of the mouth, but your tongue also makes a wedge that pushes the air though. I am a beatboxer so having an understanding of sounds is very important but whistling has always been the coolest. There are so many different types of whistle a human can make.

    • @edwardlane1255
      @edwardlane1255 2 роки тому +5

      @@kevinwells9751 weird - I can't whistle with my tongue up (yet - obviously that's now something i'll need to practise) - the tip of my tongue is touching the bottom of my mouth (somewhere behind the ridge at the base of my gums) when I whistle

    • @depressoespresso5904
      @depressoespresso5904 2 роки тому +2

      @@kevinwells9751 omg i never knew how to whistle this is so helpful thx u

  • @InfectiousWellness
    @InfectiousWellness Рік тому +21

    I have a whole new found appreciation for whistles now. My son LOVED learning about this and so did I! My son was using his whistle while watching this and got so excited when you finally addressed his sports whistle. Love how even the simplest things have an element of physics to them

  • @stratifacations8377
    @stratifacations8377 Рік тому +26

    I love how this video was barely even about the warbling whistle

  • @Tehn00bA
    @Tehn00bA 2 роки тому +941

    There's also the scary aztec death whistle that makes a screaming sound, along with other whistles (like hunting ones)

    • @graysonfox4159
      @graysonfox4159 2 роки тому +36

      Somewhere, a Firbolg druid in a park just smiled.

    • @christianlee1151
      @christianlee1151 2 роки тому +5

      Yes i have a deth wisle

    • @ammakko
      @ammakko 2 роки тому +4

      Today I learned

    • @froggman66
      @froggman66 2 роки тому +17

      There’s also ball whistles (aka the coach whistles)

    • @greatestaxolotl4933
      @greatestaxolotl4933 2 роки тому

      @@graysonfox4159 I was just thinking of that!

  • @MattRose30000
    @MattRose30000 2 роки тому +200

    6:00 reminded me of the "grass whistle" where you blow on a blade of grass that you hold tightly between your thumbs. Probably works the same way.

    • @hart-of-gold
      @hart-of-gold 2 роки тому +13

      I think in the case of a grass or gumleaf whistle the edge flutters and changes the pitch.

    • @vangildermichael1767
      @vangildermichael1767 2 роки тому +8

      whistling with a blade of grass, probably can be explained by these ideas. yup, agreed. But now, how about whistling with two fingers in your mouth. That don't seem to fit any logic he explored.

    • @jpe1
      @jpe1 2 роки тому +5

      I had a similar thought and came to the comments looking for this discussion. One consideration: when whistling over a blade of grass, the tension in the blade directly controls the pitch, so presumably the frequency of the flapping of the blade changes the frequency of the whistle.

    • @vangildermichael1767
      @vangildermichael1767 2 роки тому +4

      ​@@jpe1 pretty cool catch. Thinking about the whole "audio" thing, I should have at least noticed that. But, I didn't (3:00am I guess). But, maybe you play a woodwind instrument? The position and tight you put on your reed make a LOT of difference. That one little thing can make for a bad experience, and turn somebody off playing entirely. forever. Like, "I can't do this". Pitch (as you mentioned) but also (response time), both are influenced dramatically with that one attribute you bring up. Tension.

    • @jpe1
      @jpe1 2 роки тому +3

      @@vangildermichael1767 no, I don’t play a woodwind, but I am “skillful” at whistling through grass. (Is it really a skill? More like a way of annoying people around me😉)

  • @inspiringengineer
    @inspiringengineer 2 роки тому +8

    4:19 - Boyoyoyoying! :D

  • @peggyfillmore1971
    @peggyfillmore1971 2 роки тому +3

    I had one of these as a kid in the 70s I always wondered about these... I love the fact that you explain it easy enough for people like me to understand ..and yet don't dumb it down for more intelligent people. Sign of a good teacher .♥️♥️

  • @anemoiacApache
    @anemoiacApache 2 роки тому +514

    Steve breaking out into a giggle at "corrogaphone" is hilarious.

    • @nerfherder4284
      @nerfherder4284 2 роки тому +7

      I giggled at him saying worlydoodle 😂

    • @matthewbartsh9167
      @matthewbartsh9167 2 роки тому +7

      It's "corrugaphone". Kind of obvious, since it's "corrugated", and not "corrogated", don't you think?

    • @AzureFlash
      @AzureFlash 2 роки тому +10

      Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring
      CORRUGAPHONE!
      Doot doo dee doo dee doo
      (Kinda showing my age with this reference :P)

    • @Dark0neone
      @Dark0neone 2 роки тому +1

      @@AzureFlash Oh man... I used to annoy everyone with that song 15 years ago.

    • @iamchris7491
      @iamchris7491 2 роки тому +9

      @@matthewbartsh9167 its a UA-cam comment, its not that serious

  • @furzkram
    @furzkram 2 роки тому +506

    Like a "normal" whistle, the second / outer hole on the kettle whistle has a wedge that is hit by the air stream - this edge goes all around in a circle.

    • @DemiImp
      @DemiImp 2 роки тому +11

      Good observation. After watching the whole video, that almost seems obvious.

    • @jakefriesenjake
      @jakefriesenjake 2 роки тому +5

      I need to make a kettle whistle for my wife's 2015 mustang 5.0 gt. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

    • @yschroder
      @yschroder 2 роки тому +14

      This would mean it is basically a donut shaped sports whistle, right?

    • @JamieJamez
      @JamieJamez 2 роки тому +2

      @@jakefriesenjake Tha whistles go WOOO

    • @furzkram
      @furzkram 2 роки тому +2

      @@yschroder a donut shaped whistle. There's no thrill.

  • @douglaschester2097
    @douglaschester2097 2 роки тому +14

    *When it comes to investment, diversification is key. That is why I have my interests set on key sectors based on performance and projected growth. They range from the EV sector, renewable energy, Tech and Health.*

    • @douglaschester2097
      @douglaschester2097 2 роки тому

      To achieve your goals, proficiency makes your plans a reality. I engage in compound interest and leveraging and as well operate exclusive packages with an lnvestment professionaI and so far I’ve attained good ROI (amount is confidential)

    • @charlottenelson8378
      @charlottenelson8378 2 роки тому

      Productive lnformations is what we all need, these a good example. I buy the idea of employing the services of your lnvestments ProfessionaI.

    • @douglaschester2097
      @douglaschester2097 2 роки тому

      As to get more details about my lnvestment; *(DIANA ALEXANDRA HUNTS)* easily do quick internet research where you can easily approach her from, do your research with her full names mentioned.

    • @charlottenelson8378
      @charlottenelson8378 2 роки тому

      Great! Got it.

    • @duranamaris8476
      @duranamaris8476 2 роки тому

      Tnx for this info, I just looked up your lnvestment ProfessionaI and found her web page. Her experience is pretty impressive. I wrote her and I'm waiting on her reply.

  • @sariya74
    @sariya74 2 роки тому +8

    I remember seeing these warbling whistles everywhere on markets in my home town. I absolutely love these things

  • @AtomicShrimp
    @AtomicShrimp 2 роки тому +1066

    Fascinating dive into the workings and fluid dynamics. Really enjoyed that. Can you use this knowledge to design an entirely novel kind of whistle, I am wondering...

    • @mekkthemighty1962
      @mekkthemighty1962 2 роки тому +11

      probably, you could try to couple multiple chambers of different sizes that all blow from a singular source of air flow, would be interesting to see which tones come out at different air flow speeds, would one chamber dominate the tone? or would they mesh? Or what if all the exited air from each chamber were to be directed into eachother, would we get a secondary tone?

    • @EmronWalker
      @EmronWalker 2 роки тому +6

      @@mekkthemighty1962 look up World’s best Whistler. I think it’s a Wired video… about 10 mins in length. Pretty incredible whistle that man has.

    • @xenontesla122
      @xenontesla122 2 роки тому +6

      @@mekkthemighty1962 There's actually a type of whistle used in samba music that's close the the first thing you mentioned. It has one wedge that leads to multiple chambers with holes so it can make different tones.

    • @MrNikolidas
      @MrNikolidas 2 роки тому +1

      You can make your own whistle with your hands by cupping them together to make a cavity and blowing on the knuckles of your thumbs. Takes a bit of practice and patience.

    • @chloepeifly
      @chloepeifly Рік тому

      @String instruments SUCK thinking the same thing! love seeing him in the wild on youtube :)

  • @xilm22
    @xilm22 2 роки тому +62

    my 22 years of curiosity of how a whistle works
    finally cured

    • @WanderTheNomad
      @WanderTheNomad 2 роки тому

      @Dave Smith Probably your cheeks clapping back and forth as gas separates them and they want to come back together.
      I'd imagine a silent fart would only have your cheeks opening once and releasing all at once instead of alternating between open and closed.

  • @PhillipRajcany
    @PhillipRajcany Рік тому +3

    What a great explanation of whistles, I've wondered about this my whole life, and describing the effect with visuals really brought it to life for me.

  • @doomakarn
    @doomakarn 2 роки тому +7

    A whirly tube is just a Helmholtz resonator. As it spins around, the air passes over the hole; but air does not travel throughout.
    Theoretically you could just attach a string to a bottle and swing it around and get the same noise as a whirly tube.

    • @Queer_Nerd_For_Human_Justice
      @Queer_Nerd_For_Human_Justice 2 роки тому +1

      Ohhhhhhhh, I've done that! I know what you mean! It's not the same noise tho, it's just another mechanism to get bottle blowing timbre.

  • @0Fidel0
    @0Fidel0 2 роки тому +239

    There is a whole lot of literature about airflow an whistles in the organ building section, even cutaway slow-mo smoke airflow pictures on how the air curls and bends when hitting the organs flutes. Quite fun to watch and definitely interesting.
    Thx for your work, I really do enjoy your videos!

    • @KalebPeters99
      @KalebPeters99 2 роки тому +1

      Ooh that would be a really interesting test!
      I wonder if Steve vapes? 😆😆

    • @thelogician3845
      @thelogician3845 Рік тому

      Where can I find it?

  • @TheMetalKiwi
    @TheMetalKiwi 2 роки тому +69

    I literally never saw one of these before until today. I was visiting a museum gift shop with my fiancee and we saw a cute little purple jug and decided to buy it for a friend of ours as a souvenir, and then the guy who works at the museum goes: "Do you know what this is?" and proceeds to show us how to work it. We were blown away, like a couple of kids!
    Not 6 hours later, I come home to this gem of a video. 😁

  • @euchreairgaming
    @euchreairgaming Рік тому +19

    2:44
    Another interesting bit is that many american WWII fighter planes make a whistling sound while they're in tight turns. This is the exact same effect as the corrogaphone as air is passing over the barrels of the M2 Browning 50. Cal guns.

  • @peterk.4266
    @peterk.4266 Рік тому +3

    Dude, you`re my man. I`m exactly like you, always trying to understand those seemingly mundane things, which are not mundane whatsoever, they are incredibly complex and beautiful. I`m a science teacher by the way, and I absolutely appreciate all the see through devices you put together. ( I have built a few myself in the past!) Thank you for this channel.

  • @covanentsbane
    @covanentsbane 2 роки тому +71

    This honestly makes whistling with just your lips that much more impressive to me. We can just intuitively create different shaped cavities to produce different tones without even thinking about it, just adjusting the shape based on our ear and muscle memory.

    • @jsowiki6142
      @jsowiki6142 2 роки тому +6

      theres a thing called double whistling. There are two variations, the first is using your tongue as a divider to cause two distinct cavities for a whistle to appear. The second variation is a standard whistle, but flapping your tongue in a way that creates a secondary tone, though I think the later is caused by harmonics rather than a whistle mechanic. There is also very unique whistles created by the beatboxers, Helium, D-Koy, Milky, and Zekka. Those whistles are pretty much impossible for me to explain lmao.

  • @frostjune6072
    @frostjune6072 2 роки тому +136

    you should do a video about how boomerangs return, i understand they create lift through wings but what makes them lift at the front only to turn around

    • @NigelMelanisticSmith
      @NigelMelanisticSmith 2 роки тому +15

      That's a good question, I always just kinda accepted Boomerangs lol

    • @EarsoftheWolf
      @EarsoftheWolf 2 роки тому +19

      I would love to understand them, as well as learning about their... Aborigins

    • @sweeflyboy
      @sweeflyboy 2 роки тому +8

      I'm pretty sure it's because the advancing blade has a higher speed relative to the air than the retreating blade. Just guessing tho

    • @legyengeza4768
      @legyengeza4768 2 роки тому +4

      A boomerang is not symmetrical, its a propeller which is bent a bit. Both the sides generate lift at the samr direction if rotated.

    • @Mr_Astro-Vera
      @Mr_Astro-Vera 2 роки тому +4

      Smarter every day -_-

  • @ThreadedNail
    @ThreadedNail 5 місяців тому

    Thanks for this great explanation! I was wanting to make a whistle out of an antler and I found tutorials but nothing explaining how it works. This video helped so much.

  • @SICresinwrks
    @SICresinwrks 2 роки тому +8

    Gotta love the 2d versions, they are definitely a great help explaining things. This is a neat whistle for sure

  • @JeromeDemers
    @JeromeDemers 2 роки тому +64

    I 3D printed one for my kids and they love it. Really bad idea btw. They whistle in the cars and spill water everywhere 😂

    • @bubbles17ec
      @bubbles17ec 2 роки тому +16

      they make candy whistles in japan and korea, they’re shaped like hollow life savers, and whistle when you blow into them. great, cuz most kids can’t resist eating them, so they end fairly quickly

    • @thesauce1682
      @thesauce1682 2 роки тому +2

      cool parenting

  • @TheSpiffyNeoStar
    @TheSpiffyNeoStar 2 роки тому +144

    I think the corrogaphone is actually the same as the bottle, just without a bottom. Both are air moving across an opening of a cylinder. You could cap one end of the corrogaphone and it should drop in pitch by an octave.

    • @SteveMould
      @SteveMould  2 роки тому +56

      Apparently it doesn't work unless it's corrugated!

    • @JimC
      @JimC 2 роки тому +15

      No, it depends on the airflow through the tube. The whirling end has lower pressure, causing the airflow. Also, as you whirl the tube faster, the pitch jumps to the next harmonic.

    • @TheSpiffyNeoStar
      @TheSpiffyNeoStar 2 роки тому +16

      @@SteveMould really??? I'll have to try by spinning a non-corrugated tube and see. I always thought the flared end was the important bit.

    • @FinetalPies
      @FinetalPies 2 роки тому +23

      I've definitely gotten some good wooshy whistles out of swinging PVC pipe around like a sword, so the jug similarity makes sense to me. Not sure what different mechanism a corrogaphone could have

    • @YiannisANO1911
      @YiannisANO1911 2 роки тому +2

      @@SteveMould spoilers!

  • @ThatOneKitsune
    @ThatOneKitsune Рік тому +7

    1:09 man really said ⤵️⤴️

  • @brushrolla8379
    @brushrolla8379 2 роки тому

    I got one of those in China town ten years ago. We had no idea what it was; it sounded plain but looked cute. Was in my closet and I almost gave it away-- then today your video came up completely random. The brown whistle looked like mine but it is white porcelain and coloured at the wings/crest in blue and pink.
    This is so cool, it made the sound crisp and clear!! Wow!! I'm going to keep it.

  • @haloKINGSstudios
    @haloKINGSstudios 2 роки тому +116

    I received one of those bird whistles at the beginning as a gift. I just assumed it was a poorly made whistle. Now I know to fill it with water. Thanks! :)

    • @VVVVV99611
      @VVVVV99611 2 роки тому +3

      Git gud

    • @sandraswan9008
      @sandraswan9008 2 роки тому

      @@VVVVV99611 ?

    • @PhantomGato-v-
      @PhantomGato-v- 2 роки тому +2

      @@sandraswan9008 just a salty person. Dont mind them.

    • @zappyapp
      @zappyapp Рік тому +1

      @@PhantomGato-v- how's that salty though

    • @PhantomGato-v-
      @PhantomGato-v- Рік тому +1

      @@zappyapp It was uncalled for and mostly git gud is used as an insult

  • @resurgam_b7
    @resurgam_b7 2 роки тому +79

    Wow, I have never actually had whistles explained to me before. I just kind of intuited that the shape of the whistle part is important to make noise and the size of the body or cavity usually determines the pitch but I never investigated the mechanisms for why that is the case. It's fascinating that such "simple" devices can function by such a wide range of mechanisms and that even though they are quite distinct from each other, they all boil down to interrupting a stream of air in repetitive but semi-random patterns.

  • @quadrupleheart
    @quadrupleheart 2 роки тому +1

    By 7:50 I had completely forgotten this video was about warbling whistles in the first place and was very content to just learn about how whistles worked in general! Very well made video!

  • @australiannie822
    @australiannie822 Рік тому

    I've had a ceramic one of these since I was 11 years old, bought from a market in Hobart Tasmania. I've always wondered how it worked, thank you! 🐦

  • @chrishakoda008
    @chrishakoda008 2 роки тому +187

    I tried designing a whistle before. Failed miserably. Read a couple papers, tried a multi-physics simulation, could not get the desired behavior.
    What I did find out from failing matches what Mr. Mould said, the turbulence generates a wide band of frequencies (via pressure field disturbances), which changes depending on the qualities of the turbulence. However, this sound is too quiet, but when paired with a resonator (e.g., the green tube that's open on either end counts as a resonator), the frequencies that the resonator resonates with will be amplified and we hear the whistle. My guess is that all whistles are designed differently because turbulent flow is a pain to control (and 3D geometry can all sorts of crazy resonances), let alone turbulent flow generated from the blowing of people who are young/old and different lung capacities. As a result, most whistles aren't engineered so much as they are discovered by mistake or trial-and-error.
    Some people in the comments mention that musical organs are a great place to start if you want to learn more, which I totally agree with. The line between whistles and instruments is blurry (e.g., ocarina), but I found classical instruments to be far more "engineered" and easier to understand. I always found whistles to be cool because of the sheer variety and wackiness.

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 2 роки тому +8

      Out of curiosity, any particular reason you tried designing a whistle?

    • @wordzmyth
      @wordzmyth 2 роки тому +6

      That makes sense. We can only game chaos by educated accident. Keeps life interesting

    • @WujuStyler
      @WujuStyler 2 роки тому +5

      I've made some flutes in the style of Native american flutes which use a wedge design and a cylinder with holes and to be honest it is so interesting, but getting everything right is such a pain as well. I have now planted bamboo back home for more flutes down the line

    • @thelogician3845
      @thelogician3845 Рік тому +3

      @@WujuStyler ikr. As if the length of the tube isn't enough,even the diameters of the holes play a big role in the pitch.

  • @JohnyByrne
    @JohnyByrne 2 роки тому +128

    The BIC biro cap can act as a whistle. It has a single hole but has an interesting shape like a rocket engine. Produces a super high pitched tone!

    • @EarsoftheWolf
      @EarsoftheWolf 2 роки тому

      And when someone in your class has been doing that right behind you for 20 minutes solid, you can take it off them and stab them with it.
      A technological marvel

    • @SteveMould
      @SteveMould  2 роки тому +37

      Very good point!

    • @EnthalpyAndEntropy
      @EnthalpyAndEntropy 2 роки тому +6

      First, where's the second reply? All I see is Steve's. Second, still works the same. The only thing that is different in all of these whistles is what the resonance chamber is and what is causing or helping the oscillations, maybe the number and types of symmetry available for analysis if you want to go that far.

    • @cassandra2860
      @cassandra2860 2 роки тому +9

      @@EnthalpyAndEntropy replies from shadowbanned users are counted but not shown.

    • @EnthalpyAndEntropy
      @EnthalpyAndEntropy 2 роки тому +6

      @@cassandra2860 oh, youtube does shadowbans like reddit and twitter, eh? It saddens me tremendously how myopic and unfathomably stupid people can be, especially ones with a modicum of power. I'm curious what they said. If it was a spamming bot, so be it. If it's someone who says allegedly controversial stuff, what could they have said here and how could it hurt anyone?

  • @SummerAlleriaWindrunner
    @SummerAlleriaWindrunner 2 роки тому +1

    This guy has an amazing personality. Very charismatic and the right amount of energy.

  • @marklanghirt2099
    @marklanghirt2099 2 роки тому +3

    Nice video! I just wanted to say (as you alluded to) you could view all of these whistles as variations of Helmholtz resonators with various shaped cavities and holes. If we adopt the low frequency lumped-element model for these, then a cavity acts as a gas spring and the hole has a column of air that acts like an inertial mass (inertance). The spring acts like a high-pass filter and shows up as a zeroth-order derivative term in the ODE. The column of air acts like a low-pass filter and shows up as the second-order derivative in the ODE. Putting those together we get an acoustic resonance from our makeshift bandpass filter, and this is directly analogous to inductor-capacitor circuits or the simple-harmonic-oscillator. This is obviously oversimplified but I think it provides great physical intuition about what is going on.

  • @jerrys.9895
    @jerrys.9895 2 роки тому +235

    Adults everywhere: *Exists*
    Steve: So I started wondering how this everyday thing works, and it's not as simple as you think.
    Adults everywhere: No way, I thought we settled this when I was like eight.
    Steve: *Accidentally creates an experimental quagmire for practical scientists everywhere*

  • @andriypredmyrskyy7791
    @andriypredmyrskyy7791 2 роки тому +208

    It's taking you an inhuman amount of willpower to avoid the word "fipple hole". The "standard whistle" is called a fipple.

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 2 роки тому +31

      I feel so much happier now that I know the word "fipple."

    • @EleanorPeterson
      @EleanorPeterson Рік тому

      Alas, UA-cam has uppity censorship algorithms that will seek out and destroy all kinds of perfectly normal, innocent words, especially those used in British English.
      I used to play a fipple flute. Very... er... ethnic. Windswept. Celtic, even.
      I don't know the exact origin of the word, but I've had numerous Comments deleted or even deemed 'unpostable' over the years for using common English terms that clearly outraged pious Merkin sensibilities. (Whoops.🤭 Pubic wig alert...)

  • @josefrogoschewsky6458
    @josefrogoschewsky6458 2 роки тому

    I've always wondered about whistles, but never have it much thought. Rather fascinating. Great episode!

  • @ImNotGam
    @ImNotGam Рік тому +2

    I am a nerd and a hockey official, which means I automatically love videos about whistling. So glad you added the pea whistle I was so curious how it worked.

  • @edzejandehaan9265
    @edzejandehaan9265 2 роки тому +31

    The shepherd whistle used in stockdog training is quite interesting too.

  • @KX36
    @KX36 2 роки тому +87

    jaguar whistles are pretty interesting too, especially when played by someone who actually knows what they're doing (i.e. the hawkers at mexican tourist spots)

    • @merelii13
      @merelii13 2 роки тому

      I had to look this up, but it was totally Worth it, that's sound so cool!

  • @ToxicLemonsyeah
    @ToxicLemonsyeah 2 роки тому +1

    i had some of those as a kid!! one of my old gramdmas that passed away when i was younger made me one after if gotten a couple from a school fair and said i liked them a lot (she made me blankets too, one of which i still use today)

  • @Whenuknow
    @Whenuknow 27 днів тому

    I made a UA-cam video in 2019 where I was recreating bird songs with a synthesizer, I had to use a lot of FM (frequency modulation) to get the right sound, now I understand why! Haha I love this channel

  • @_fedmar_
    @_fedmar_ 2 роки тому +5

    "In other words, boioioing."
    -Steve Mould, 2022

  • @mymo_in_Bb
    @mymo_in_Bb 2 роки тому +12

    Fun fact that you certainly will find useful: That wedge shape that produces the sound (that can be found on edge-blown aerophones such as the recorder, pennywhistle, slide whistle, sports whistle or indeed the warbling whistle), is called a fipple. It's a fun word. Josh Plotner goes more in depth in his video "Everything is a flute."

  • @sanjayprajapati6597
    @sanjayprajapati6597 Рік тому

    Your work is comprehensively detailed and overarching.💮👍

  • @Alexvenlo
    @Alexvenlo Рік тому

    After this video I don't know much about whistles because I was fascinated by the way you approach things.

  • @alvaropalacios8291
    @alvaropalacios8291 2 роки тому +17

    love the clear excitement all throughout the video! that's a true scientist right there.

  • @xenontesla122
    @xenontesla122 2 роки тому +43

    Fun fact, the word for the regular whistle type is sometimes called a *'fipple'* . I wonder how well those other types of whistles work on wind instruments with holes. I might try 3D printing some and see what happens.

    • @mymo_in_Bb
      @mymo_in_Bb 2 роки тому

      Fipple gang!

    • @keepermovin5906
      @keepermovin5906 Рік тому

      The ocarina uses a fipple so you might want to look into that.

  • @capuchinosofia4771
    @capuchinosofia4771 2 роки тому

    aaaaa i love this video. Your explanations are lovely :D they made me understand how the different types of human whistling work: one by making only the tonge move, another by moving only your lips, and another one by moving both to make the pitch u want.

  • @potatothistle
    @potatothistle Рік тому +2

    great video! thanks Steve. I'm guessing this is similar to how woodwind instruments work. Opening and closing holes to change the resistance and geometry of air in the tube. Enjoying this series of sound objects!

  • @cammyT
    @cammyT 2 роки тому +37

    I’d love to see a follow up video explaining how actual birds make their “whistles” (or calls), as well as how humans whistling with just our mouths works

    • @scottb9997
      @scottb9997 2 роки тому +3

      Vocal chords lung tongue

    • @PhantomGato-v-
      @PhantomGato-v- 2 роки тому

      @@scottb9997 haha *no*
      Human whistling is done without the tongue OR the vocal cords, but rather with our lips i think. Lungs ia right though.

    • @thelogician3845
      @thelogician3845 Рік тому +1

      I believe human whistling works like this:
      When air flows through a large opening and is then forced through a smaller one,some of the air bounces around inside the container eventually affecting the pressure at the smaller aperture periodically. This periodic rise and drop in pressure generates sound .When we blow out the opening at the back of the mouth is the larger aperture and the small hole formed by the lips is the smaller aperture.The air blows out,gets bounced around and comes out in a series of pressure regions to form sound.

    • @PhantomGato-v-
      @PhantomGato-v- Рік тому

      @@thelogician3845 that's a good explanation

    • @thelogician3845
      @thelogician3845 Рік тому

      @@PhantomGato-v- ua-cam.com/video/QeFhxTPkP7k/v-deo.html
      This doesnt show the air currents but we'll,you can imagine them.

  • @Pyriphlegeton
    @Pyriphlegeton 2 роки тому +29

    First of all: thank you for making me understand all these fascinating things
    Secondly: you seem like such a likeable guy. Seriously, it's contagious how happy you are about little whistles :)

  • @Emma_The_H0ppin_H00ligan
    @Emma_The_H0ppin_H00ligan 2 роки тому

    Oh hey i haven't thought about this kind of whistle for a pretty long time, i remember me and my siblings each getting one of these at the county fair when i was around 3 or 4 years old and i absolutely loved it

  • @idlehour
    @idlehour 2 роки тому

    Steve. Thanks for making rheee videos. Its time, work, effort. Especially this type of content. Thank you. Much respect and appreciation! I love videos like this and the great personality and attitude you put into everything. Thank you.

  • @ihmejakki2731
    @ihmejakki2731 2 роки тому +18

    The local after-bar pizzeria has these T-shaped water bottle caps with holes on both sides, and when you pour water from one hole it makes a bird chirping sound from the other one. It's been the wonder of many friday nights, now I know how they work!

  • @tandemcart1234
    @tandemcart1234 2 роки тому +6

    I am so glad I found this channel. Every video there is at least one little nugget on information that solves a little mystery in my brain.
    Thanks so much for the amazingly well presented information.
    You always manage to go from ground level, to complex theory and take the audience with you the whole way. Never boring and never too complex

  • @diran0
    @diran0 2 роки тому

    Thanks for the video, the warbling whistle made a great gift for my bird-loving mom

  • @lilithmoore5438
    @lilithmoore5438 Рік тому

    Thank you so much for these videos, I also LOVE a good analogy, and the water whistle at 10:20 really demonstrates the power of analogies. After having made a couple analogous, transparent, hydrodynamic models that we can dissect, we can picture in our minds how that whistle probably works, and make educated guesses based on the sound and geometry of previous models that we've seen in action and factually understand the mechanism in motion!
    (Knowing written theories is great and all, but until I've seen a black hole merger waveform, or a 2d cut-away of a physical model, I can never really be sure if that's how the universe actually works, or how it's been interpreted as working)

  • @mygreenfroggy
    @mygreenfroggy 2 роки тому +35

    When I was a kid my mom had an oversize plastic sports whistle that she would blow to call us home. We had a grade school across the street from our house, large brick building and school yard that we played on. We couldn't hear her (dad could whistle quite loudly) but we could definitely hear the plastic whistle on the other side of the building.

  • @bc8010
    @bc8010 2 роки тому +12

    The bird looks like it's chocolate in the thumbnail

  • @SpookyKabuki2.0
    @SpookyKabuki2.0 Рік тому

    Weird and fascinating! Glad I happened upon this channel. Science behind it is really cool.

  • @pagolchagol22
    @pagolchagol22 7 місяців тому

    Bro is so high and happy to share his curiosity. Love it

  • @sparkyprojects
    @sparkyprojects 2 роки тому +48

    The wedge is a 'languid', the kettle whisle works the same as the ref whistle, exceot that the languid is a tube, note the front disc hole is turned inwards to make the languid.
    The space between the discs is the resonant chamber
    A flute with an open end will be twice the frequency of the same flute with a blocked end.

    • @EnthalpyAndEntropy
      @EnthalpyAndEntropy 2 роки тому +4

      This! I came here to say they're all fundamentally the same. The "types" are superficial. It's all resonance and conservation of momentum, i.e., basic fluid dynamics.

    • @nialltracey2599
      @nialltracey2599 2 роки тому +1

      Still, the fipple is a very different construction from the kettle whistle.
      Really wish Steve had taken the time to find out what a fipple was called, though.

    • @EnthalpyAndEntropy
      @EnthalpyAndEntropy 2 роки тому

      @@nialltracey2599 still? That's nice fipple is a term but what are you implying with the construction stuff? Construction just changes the frequencies, amplitudes, and types of symmetry if you want to model the fluid dynamics.

    • @johnswn255
      @johnswn255 2 роки тому

      Surely the air in the cavity of the "standard" whistle in the video is not "feeding back" to the input air stream. It is all just resonance. Otherwise an open ended flute/tin whistle would not work: it would not feedback to the input stream

    • @EnthalpyAndEntropy
      @EnthalpyAndEntropy 2 роки тому

      @@johnswn255 look up turbulence or kolmogorov eddies.

  • @Moonwards1
    @Moonwards1 2 роки тому +11

    I don’t think I’ve ever thought about how a whistle works before
    But now I’ve found out it’s actually very interesting

    • @VegaHawk769
      @VegaHawk769 2 роки тому +1

      I've thought about it but not this deeply before

  • @drdeath68
    @drdeath68 Рік тому +4

    1:58
    thats what he said

  • @PixelLulu
    @PixelLulu Рік тому

    Always love the enthusiasm of your posts

  • @AJD...
    @AJD... 2 роки тому +8

    6:25
    Yes, an audible sound is louder than an inaudible sound. Good job Steve 😁

    • @degiguess
      @degiguess 2 роки тому +5

      Loudness and audibility are not the same thing. Loudness is the amplitude of the frequency which can be high even if the frequency itself can't be picked up by human ears.

    • @AJD...
      @AJD... 2 роки тому +1

      @Dave Smith obviously. But this video and the whistles in it are for humans. Plus he said "audible" without mentioning audible to whom. So of course it's for humans

  • @Shadfillet
    @Shadfillet 2 роки тому +92

    How would using a liquid with a different viscosity affect the whistle's function? Would it still work with something like honey?

    • @rafqueraf
      @rafqueraf 2 роки тому +6

      Less changing

    • @Wulthrin
      @Wulthrin 2 роки тому +25

      as raf says, the frequency of the warble will change. honey would sound like the whistle was in slow motion i reckon

    • @OdinSonnah
      @OdinSonnah 2 роки тому +27

      This is just speculation, but I think with honey you'd have to blow quite hard at first, to form the initial channel through the liquid, but after that it wouldn't collapse quickly enough for any bubbling effect to occur. So once you'd broken the surface it would stabilize, and you'd get one steady note, without any warbling at all. With the air just flowing through the channel you'd already created.

    • @Queer_Nerd_For_Human_Justice
      @Queer_Nerd_For_Human_Justice 2 роки тому +3

      I would start with something closer to water first, like vinegar or milk

    • @emmimiller3677
      @emmimiller3677 2 роки тому +4

      All that, and it would be a nightmare to clean out.

  • @milkoohun
    @milkoohun 2 роки тому

    omg, ive been waiting for this video since i found your channel !! this is amazing

  • @burada8993
    @burada8993 Рік тому

    You are great. Thank you for the good quality content !

  • @lodimas
    @lodimas 2 роки тому +16

    Would be very interested to see the interaction with using a more viscous liquid in the whistle!

  • @Gregemio
    @Gregemio 2 роки тому +5

    0:01 - Yo Steve, Make this your permanent intro!!!!!

  • @ironcladexo
    @ironcladexo Рік тому

    The corrugaphone works just like blowing on the bottle. Instead of blowing over the hole, the tube moves its hole over static air giving us the same effect. Great video and explanations!

  • @RaviAluganti
    @RaviAluganti Рік тому

    A beautiful explanation and humble enough to agree that there are other factors that are working, which is true!!

  • @GeorgePlaten
    @GeorgePlaten 2 роки тому +4

    Lovely to see how much joy Steve gets from something so simple as playing with whistles.

  • @karlkastor
    @karlkastor 2 роки тому +26

    Now I want an explanation of the Aztec "death whistle"
    4:08 Why does a stream of air have momentum? The particles in the stream, sure, but their momentum is mostly forward and maybe slightly up. But if the airstream is fast enough, most particles with some upward momentum will already have moved forward when the airstream is in the middle. So there would be only a tiny bit of momentum at high flow rates. Or am I missing something here?
    Edit: Ohh, my point just means that the faster the airstream, the higher the frequency or otherwise there would be no oscillation as the particles move away too fast.

    • @revimfadli4666
      @revimfadli4666 2 роки тому +1

      Yesss, 2d death whistle cut out would be great

    • @SenselessUsername
      @SenselessUsername 2 роки тому

      Had the same question on the Aztec whistle... Claire Chaise suddenly played one, somewhere in the middle of Liza Lim's Sex Magic. Unsettling to say the least. But then before that she played the ocarina --- and those come with in many varieties which I'd like to understand the geometries of, too!

  • @Marco_Onyxheart
    @Marco_Onyxheart 2 роки тому +1

    I have a collection of helmholtz resonator flutes in the form of various ocarinas. Their frequency is determined by the speed of the airflow, total surface area of the holes, and volume of air inside the resonator. Which is quite a number of variables compared to a recorder.

  • @clonefighter1996
    @clonefighter1996 Рік тому +3

    10:29 "I reckon that video will be out in, maybe, like, 3 weeks? 4 weeks?"
    Two months.

  • @iAmTheSquidThing
    @iAmTheSquidThing 2 роки тому +29

    Thanks for all this enlightening information! Maybe some time you can try to explain why my eyes appear to glow like a fox's when I look into a steamy bathroom mirror.

    • @rojeboybalatero8576
      @rojeboybalatero8576 Рік тому +1

      No card

    • @PlatinumEagleStudios
      @PlatinumEagleStudios 8 місяців тому

      You do realize more than half of the money you gave goes to UA-cam and not to Steve? You wasted your money........

  • @RedGarner
    @RedGarner 2 роки тому +2

    Steve, thank you! You had me at harmonics and resonance! You've done it again, helping me better understand principles. Thank you for sharing the answers you find through curiosity. I sure appreciate the quality of your content.

  • @ethansoliga4045
    @ethansoliga4045 Рік тому

    Your such great science videos gives me great knowledge in science. And this video was very informative for me. Thank you for such a knowledgeable video.

  • @TomServo_MST3K
    @TomServo_MST3K Рік тому +1

    When I was very young, a older cousin showed me how to make a whistle out of a cellophane candy wrapper. Basically, you just unfold the wrapper flat, hold it taught with both hands in front of your mouth, and blow directly into the leading edge. It's incredibly loud and I believe it functions like a reed in a wind instrument. Would this not be an example of basic wind-splitting on a wedge? I assume the leading edge of the cellophane acts like a wedge does, but instead of the air flow switching back and forth from the top and bottom of the wedge based on vortices, the wedge itself deviates at a resonant frequency based on the elasticity of the cellophane.

  • @bartekwasik9131
    @bartekwasik9131 2 роки тому +17

    I had to watch this episode on heaphones. My dogs were going crazy :D Anyway, awesome job again! I love to watch your movies. Because of them I know what I've missed at school - great teacher.

    • @bartekwasik9131
      @bartekwasik9131 2 роки тому +4

      @Dave Smith ​ I'm 30 years old. Always been in love with physics. Just had the wrong teachers in my life. Now when I see how electric kettle actually works, it make my day more complete :) I wish I had teacher like Steve is. Even thou' english is not my native language, it's simple to understand. More than stuff that I've heard at school.

  • @rachelllee5954
    @rachelllee5954 2 роки тому +18

    All the time, I had this bird whistle in my house, but I never tried blowing it with water...this is so awesome!

  • @ToqTheWise
    @ToqTheWise Рік тому

    Two things of note:
    1) The first kind of whistle, with a cavity and a wedge, is known as a fipple flute. The most common types bedsides bog standard whistles are the Irish tin whistle and the recorder. Tin whistle playing actually relies on the fact that a notes pitch can change depending on the velocity of air. What you did with your slide whistle is called “over blowing” and it’s how I can three(ish) octaves out of my six holes instrument.
    2) traditional flutes work on a similar principle but your bottom lip forms the wedge. You can do a similar thing by cupping your hands together so that air only escapes from the whole created between your thumbs. If you blow into this hole with your bottom lip covering the top half of it, you will produce a whistle. You can change the pitch by changing the shape of the cavity through altering how much your dominant hand is open.

  • @crypticfable
    @crypticfable 2 роки тому

    Ahhhh, the whistle from a blade of grass between my thumbs now makes sense. Awesome vid!

  • @terryenby2304
    @terryenby2304 2 роки тому +4

    I used to love these as a kid! Thanks for once again making me ask questions and answer them!

  • @TheTylerRobison
    @TheTylerRobison 2 роки тому +3

    The master at explaining anything! love these breakdowns of simple household objects!

  • @Cindy-es4ob
    @Cindy-es4ob 2 роки тому

    Bird vibes 😂 I have a grandchild now and even though it will be years before we can do anything like this. I'm excited about the fact that I can do it with the help of you. So, thank you!

  • @jonathanpalmer5505
    @jonathanpalmer5505 2 роки тому

    Fascinating and beautifully explained as unusual

  • @albmaralb
    @albmaralb 2 роки тому +4

    2:58 at 0.5x speed. Look how happy he is.

  • @theoriginaledi
    @theoriginaledi 2 роки тому +5

    Wonderful and fascinating video as always, but I must say the love/hate relationship my cats had with this one was hilarious to behold. They hate whistling noises in general so they would run away from it, but they were constantly drawn back in by the warbling sounds. :D

  • @kaylor87
    @kaylor87 Рік тому +4

    What a fun video :) Thanks Steve! Youre starting to remind me of that guy who reviews all the old fashioned toys on UA-cam, and is always so enthusiastic about them haha 😊

  • @cfung69
    @cfung69 Рік тому

    Thank you for sharing, I have this bird flute that I bought in China and it is very interesting. 😊