Whispering-gallery wave Whispering-gallery wave Whispering-gallery waves, or whispering-gallery modes, are a type of wave that can travel around a concave surface. Originally discovered for sound waves in the whispering gallery of St Paul’s Cathedral, they can exist for light and for other waves, with important applications in nondestructive testing, lasing, cooling and sensing, as well as in astronomy. Whispering-gallery waves were first explained for the case of St Paul's Cathedral circa 1878 by Lord Rayleigh, who revised a previous misconception that whispers could be heard across the dome but not at any intermediate position. He explained the phenomenon of travelling whispers with
Trail of the Whispering Giants Peter Wolf Toth began this project in 1972. Schumaker has documented his information on the WEB site Peter Wolf Toth which has the most current information on the "Whispering Giants" and messages from the artist himself. The 74 "Whispering Giants" range from in height, and all resemble natives of the region in which they are located. Toth always donates the "Whispering Giant" he creates to the town he carved it in, and never charges a fee for his time. He does require that the raw materials (a large log between in diameter) be provided, as well as lodging and living