The Color of Sound

Does Kent Hovind know the difference between a light wave and a sound wave?  The evidence would suggest he does not know.

Lets refresh the same high school physics that Hovind claims to have taught for 15 years.  Light travels in waves; a particle called a photon physically travels from point A to point B (we’ll overlook the quantum duality of light for the moment).  Sound, on the other hand, is a mechanical vibration which is transmitted from one particle to another like balls on a billiard table.  This is why sound cannot travel through outer space but light can.

Visible light is a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum.  The electromagnetic spectrum contains many familiar things like infrared, ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma rays etc.  But the electromagnetic spectrum does not contain sound.  And sound has no electromagnetic properties.  Sound and light, from a physics perspective, are like apples and oranges.

When I first noticed Hovind publicly confuse the concepts of sound and light I thought it was nothing more than an amusing slip of the tongue.  However, when I found he had done the same thing at least three times a pattern began to emerge.

Example 1

Our first example dates from around 1999.  The following quote is from a transcript of Hovind’s seminars prepared by Hovind’s own staff.

The electromagnetic spectrum contains all the different wavelengths.  Radio waves, microwaves, X-rays, radar, sonar, including a small piece in the middle called light. [Emphasis added, italics original] [1]

Did you notice the reference to sonar?  Sonar is high frequency sound waves used by dolphins and submarines.  Recall that sound has nothing to do with light.

But maybe this was just a slip of the tongue?

Example 2

Hovind likes to describe what he thinks Heaven will be like.  Apparently things are very odd in Heaven because sound becomes part of the electromagnetic spectrum.  Heavenly light is supposedly pressure waves (i.e. sound)

Here are two quotes taken a few years apart. 

(Mid 1990’s) Suppose when we get to heaven God [...] gives you an eyeball that is capable of seeing all the frequencies on the [electromagnetic] spectrum.  That means that you would be able to see the radio waves going through the air as a color.  Also, you would be able to see the sounds that come from a piano. [3]

(Circa 2002) Can you imagine if we get eyes [in Heaven] that can see the entire [electromagnetic] spectrum?  You're going to be able to see the sounds coming off the piano and organ.  Right now we can only hear them.  What if we get new ears that can hear the entire [electromagnetic] spectrum?  What if you could hear the colors? [2]

Conclusion 

We must reluctantly conclude that Kent Hovind does not understand the high school science he claims to have taught for 15 years.  Misspeaking once could be excusable but to do so at least three times - on the public record - speaks of professional incompetence for a so-called science teacher.   The second example above also shows how Hovind has sermonized based upon erroneous information. There is a possibility that Hovind does know the difference between sound and light.  However, this would mean Hovind intentionally misrepresented facts (lied).  None of these scenarios instill confidence.

Carl Marychurch 2004  

[1] Source: http://www.algonet.se/~tourtel/hovind_seminar/seminar_part2.html [December 2003]

[2]  Source: Seminar Part 2 (2003) @ 1:49:20

[3]  Source: Unmasking the False Religion of Evolution Chapter 6 - a transcript of Kent Hovind's early sermons circa 1996.  http://home1.gte.net/dmadh/hovind6.htm [no longer available]