I — Progress in noise measurements

THE INITIAL STANDARDS of acoustic measurements, presented by Doctor Fletcher in the article following this one, form a milestone of progress which deserves attention. They create a universal language in which distant observers can communicate and preserve the results of their investigations. They permit engineers to evaluate numerically the noise performance of machines of varied designs. Ultimately they will give to the public a means for translating its now vague desire for quiet into concrete legal and commercial terms.