White Noise

The term white noise is most commonly used in the scientific literature to describe the properties of sound. The term is an analogy to color naming of frequencies in the visual light spectrum. Although white in the color spectrum is used to indicate the simultaneous presence of all visual frequencies of light, white noise refers to the intensity of sound across a range of frequencies. However, there are important differences in applying this color naming strategy to sound. As anyone who has used a prism knows, each of the frequencies of light is simultaneously represented in white light, and through refraction, these different frequencies of light might be revealed as distinct colors. However, white noise means more than just the simultaneous presentation of all sound ...