30. PHYSICS: What song title, written by the often dark band Coldplay, is synonymous with a certain type of wave that travels at 343.2 meters per second in dry air?
From Quiz When Music Met Science
Answer:
Speed of Sound
The speed of sound is, as stated, 343.2 meters per second in dry air, which a physicist would probably know. Comparably, the speed of light is 186,282 miles per second, which is... a bit hard to swallow, really. The song mentions both the speed of light and the speed of sound in its lyrics. Of course, the 'speed of sound' elements are more prominent within the song as the name would suggest.
When creating the song, bandmember Guy Berryman admitted that when creating the song, they tried to emulate the drum style of a Kate Bush song called "Running Up That Hill". The drum beat is incorporated into the song as the song goes on, although a consistent piano tune is present throughout. However, in a somewhat blunt way, lead singer Chris Martin expressed his dislike of the song, claiming that they "didn't get it quite right on record". Despite this, the song was nominated for two Grammy awards and hit number two in the UK singles chart (and, obscurely enough, a number one in the Polish singles chart!) so Chris Martin's dislike of the song was not universally shared.