Page 8 - Summer 2015

From the Editor | Arthur N. Popper
This issue of Acoustics Today presents the first in an infor- mal “series” of articles that discusses the history of a topic in acoustics, in this case a his- tory of psychoacoustics writ-
ten by former Acoustical Society of America (ASA) presi- dent Bill Yost. Several other manuscripts in this series are in various stages of preparation. I personally find history articles of considerable interest because they are written by leaders in the field who provide his or her unique insights into the historical basis of the work they have been doing, often for decades. I would be pleased to get feedback about including history papers and welcome suggestions from col- leagues who might like to do future articles.
Two articles in this issue deal with publishing and the ASA. In one article, our Emeritus Editor in Chief Allan Pierce pro- vides his very personal and important insights into scientific writing and the Society. In the second article, our current Editor in Chief Jim Lynch talks about current and future plans to improve ASA publications so that they meet the needs of members now and in the future.
As many of you will remember, we did a survey regarding Acoustics Today about a year ago and in it we asked for sug- gestions for future articles. One of those suggestions is the article on forensic acoustics by Robert Maher that appears in this issue. Although not written as a history article per se, Bob does provide a fascinating insight into the evolution of acoustic analysis in law and in the courtroom.
Romain Fleury, Dimitrios Sounas, Michael R. Haberman, and Andrea Alù provide an understanding of the fascinating topic of nonreciprocal acoustics. I admit that this is an area I knew nothing about and did not even know was a topic to be discussed when this was first proposed to me by Mike Haberman. However, Romain Fleury and his colleagues share a fascinating acoustic story and shed light on the ques- tion I immediately raised when the article was suggested, how is nonreciprocal acoustics used?
Finally, Amy Scholik-Schlomer shares the latest thinking about regulatory issues on marine mammals and sound. We have had a number of articles in Acoustics Today related to this topic (e.g., http://goo.gl/GEVBcj) and this is an issue that continues to be of broad scientific and public interest. As Amy discusses in her article, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is working to de- velop new guidelines for sound and marine mammals. The article highlights the major issues raised and discusses the status of these guidelines.
I also want to point out that we have a new feature on the Acoustics Today Web site, “The World Through Sound” (http://goo.gl/NUyurb). The site will have about one article per month by Acoustics Today intern Andrew (Pi) Pyzdek on an aspect of acoustics that interests him. The articles are aimed at providing interesting and useful information about acoustics not only for ASA members but also for a broader public. Please be sure and look at these articles; new ones will appear around the end of the month for a year (while Pi is an intern).
Acoustics Today Interns (ATI)
An opportunity for graduate students and early career acousticians who are members
of ASA to serve the Society and gain experience in publication of a major scientific magazine.
Contact the magazine editor, Arthur Popper, to find out more about the ATI program. (apopper@umd.edu)
6 | Acoustics Today | Summer 2015