Hand clapping is ubiquitous behavior for humans across time and cultures, serving many different purposes: to signify approval with applause, for instance, or to keep time to music. Acousticians often ...

Several months ago, I went to Disney World with my extended family for a week. If you’ve ever been to Disney, you know that approximately 75 percent of the experience revolves around waiting. A few ...

A researcher in Israel conducted the first study of hand-clapping songs, revealing a direct link between those activities and the development of important skills in children and young adults, ...

Clapping is both a scientific event and a social gesture. A study explores the complex physics behind the sound of clapping. The noise originates from compressed air, not just hand collisions.

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, I ENVIED SALLY CULVER. Though she was five years younger, she had somehow managed to get herself a fan club. It began one summer evening, when Mrs. Culver brought her 1 year-old ...