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In both the technology and the aesthetics of extending high fidelity reproduction to surround-sound, reproduction of natural ambience is crucial. The ‘quadraphonic’ attempt to reproduce four stereo-blended tracks, derived from multi-microphone mix-down, cannot provide this. Complete spherical directionality can however be encoded on to a minimum of two audio channels to produce acoustically acceptable surround-sound systems. Limitations are set both by the number of available loudspeakers and by the number of channels.
The author suggests that evidence for lightning on a grand scale in astronomy is most convincing. It might explain stellar flares, cosmic jets, quasars, galactic evolution, and much more. In this model, electrical charges accumulate in apparently highly conducting atmospheres.