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People who are profoundly deaf and candidates for cochlear implant surgery often have musical hallucinations, hearing symphonies and concerts in their heads. These hallucinations disappear after the implant, which allows them to hear speech.
Tinnitus, a phantom sound produced by the brain, is similar to phantom limb pain. While some people can ignore it, others find it debilitating, highlighting the variability in how our brain circuits handle emotional components.
Dr. Konstantina Stankovic explained that the auditory system can be more sensitive after being in a quiet environment, similar to how the visual system reacts to changes in light. This highlights the importance of gradual exposure to normal sound levels.
Hearing thresholds can predict the city someone lives in because different environments shape auditory experiences and sensitivities.
Outer hair cells in the inner ear can move at audio frequencies up to 20,000 hertz in humans and up to 100,000 hertz in bats, showcasing the incredible design of the auditory system.
A safe rule of thumb for headphone use is that if someone else can hear what you're listening to, it's too loud. This is crucial for parents to ensure their children's hearing safety.
Hearing is crucial not just for communication but also for emotional, relational, and cognitive well-being. Historical figures like Socrates and Helen Keller have highlighted the profound impact of sound on human experience.
Hearable technologies are emerging that can listen to voices and determine what is best for immediate health and mental states.
The relationship between sound and emotion is deeply rooted in our brain's pathways. Auditory signals travel from the ear to the brain, interacting with emotional pathways and the limbic system, which explains why music and speeches can be so emotionally moving.
Hidden hearing loss can occur even if standard audiometric tests show normal results. This happens when synapses connecting sensory cells to neurons are damaged by loud sounds, leading to issues like tinnitus.