# Worlds of Sound This Vertically Integrated Project explores the physics of sounds, our subjective experiences of sounds and our responses to sounds. ## 2022 - 2023 The 2022-23 portion of the project was created to identify and examine possible tranquil walks in Galway city and Ireland as a whole in order to further our understanding of how sound and its many forms influence our idea of tranquility. With this, we can analyze the data gathered on the walk we identified, from decibel levels to types of sound, over a 12 hour period, and use it as a baseline for our investigation of environmental sounds, how they promote or inhibit wellbeing, and the role our experience of sound plays in these effects. Some sounds help us relax, but some distract and annoy. Our hope is that this primary research undertaking will create a platform for further research on this VIP as a whole with these and other forthcoming measures in mind. Another area we are particularly interested in is the sounds of traffic, wind turbines, the waves and different forms of music. We also hope that our preliminary identification of a possible Zone of Tranquillity in Galway City can help us in further identification across the country. The work of this VIP will feed into an international research initiative coordinated by the IEA (international Energy Agency), in which Dr King and Dr O’Hora are collaborating with world leading researchers to accelerate the development and deployment of quiet wind turbine technology and consolidate understanding of wind turbine sound emission, propagation, and ultimately its perception by residents. Find out more about Task 39 here: www.iea-wind.org/task39