The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Would you instantly recognize the sound of gunshots?

sakeneko · August 5, 2009, 01:14 PM

True, peetzakilla, *but* in most cases people judge the distance a sound is coming from by identifying the sound and then gauging how far it would have to be to sound that loud. If you aren't sure whether you're hearing a car backfire or a shotgun in the first place, knowing that a shotgun is louder only tells you that IF it is a shotgun, it probably came from 1/4 of a mile away, while a car backfire means no more than a couple of blocks.

That's useful information; if it's a shotgun it isn't all that close to you. But it isn't necessarily helpful if you need to determine what the sound was.

August 5, 2009, 01:14 PM	#8
sakeneko Senior Member Join Date: May 23, 2009 Location: Nevada Posts: 644	True, peetzakilla, but in most cases people judge the distance a sound is coming from by identifying the sound and then gauging how far it would have to be to sound that loud. If you aren't sure whether you're hearing a car backfire or a shotgun in the first place, knowing that a shotgun is louder only tells you that IF it is a shotgun, it probably came from 1/4 of a mile away, while a car backfire means no more than a couple of blocks. That's useful information; if it's a shotgun it isn't all that close to you. But it isn't necessarily helpful if you need to determine what the sound was.