Wow this thread is getting pretty technical. I consider myself to be some form of engineer but regardless of job description and technical terms used to describe the thing being discussed, it's really all more the same than different. Knowledge is power, and all information is ultimately transferable from one circumstance to the next.
I think the simple term is "common sense" but these days it doesn't seem so common.
It's wonderful that we have reached a point in human history where we have the technology to freely communicate complex thoughts to people who are hundreds or thousands of miles away.
Sound, pressure, and friction are all variables.
I think that a very relative variable to consider is atmospheric density. We can all agree that a motorcycle runs quite differently depending on the weather condition.