Tech New audio tech could let you listen privately without headphones With acoustic metasurfaces, researchers bend sound waves to their will Scientists are developing technology to deliver private audio directly to a listener’s ears out in the open so that others nearby can’t hear it. PETER CROWTHER By Ananya Palivela 36 seconds ago Controlling sound has long been a staple of science fiction and fantasy. In Dune, the cone of silence allows characters to converse privately, even in open spaces. The eerie billboards of Blade Runner 2049 whisper advertisements into the ears of those passing by. In the real world, quirks of architecture, intentional or not, can direct where sound goes. In the U.S. Capitol’s hall of statues, for example, a whisper can travel silently across the room from one spot to another. The sound waves interact with curved surfaces to focus the audio. Now, scientists are looking to precisely control sound, perhaps one day resulting in a world without earbuds, but directing sound waves is a challenge. Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.