Physics
Reverberation
Quick fact
The famous 'reverberation time' RT60, the time it takes for sound to decay by 60 decibels, was first quantified by Wallace Sabine in the early 1900s while optimizing the acoustics of Boston's Symphony Hall.
Why this is interesting
Have you ever clapped your hands in an empty gymnasium and heard the sound linger for a moment? Why does that same clap sound dead in a carpeted living room?