hearing

90% occlusion = half-brightness // 99% occlusion = quarter-brightness // 99.9% occlusion = 1/8th brightness // Eclipses, Audio Power, and the mathematics of Human Perception

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Listening to WTOP FM news in Washington, DC today, “eclipse day 2024”, it was hammered home to me how little even smart people understand the mathematics of human perception. DC experienced an 88% to 91% occlusion, depending on exact location.  News casters and commentators kept harping on how dark it would become during near-totality / … Read more

How the human ear works: Science of hearing for musicians

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In this video I go over the basics of how a human ear works, and why we all hear things a little differently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrM3K8QCJcE   === Understanding how the human ear works is crucial for musicians, as it directly affects how they perceive and interact with sound. Here’s a simplified overview of the science of … Read more

The Discordant Eardrum – Chaotic and Superior above 3 kHz

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Abstract   “At frequencies above 3 kHz, the tympanic membrane vibrates chaotically. By having many resonances, the eardrum can transmit the broadest possible bandwidth of sound with optimal sensitivity. In essence, the eardrum works best through discord. The eardrum’s success as an instrument of hearing can be directly explained through a combination of its shape, … Read more

BENOX REPORT – 1953 – An Exploratory Study of the Biological Effects of Noise

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PDF – BENOX REPORT The BENOX Report, officially titled “An Exploratory Study of the Biological Effects of Noise,” is a landmark scientific study conducted in 1953 by the British National Research Development Corporation (NRDC). The report focused on investigating the potential health effects of noise exposure on humans, animals, and plants. The BENOX Report was … Read more

EXCELLENT — The Mathematical Problem with Music, and How to Solve It — “Performance is an art of compromise” – Temperament, timbre, intonation, tuning, voice, tone

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Equal Temperament purpose — Divide octave into 12 equal intervals (ratios) to facilitate octave transposition on keyed / digital / discrete instruments.   VIDEO DESCRIPTION / NOTES   There is a serious mathematical problem with the tuning of musical instruments. A problem that even Galileo, Newton, and Euler tried to solve. This video is about … Read more

Sight over sound in the judgment of music performance

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The concept of “sight over sound” in the judgment of music performance refers to the tendency for visual cues to influence or even override auditory perceptions when evaluating a musical performance. This phenomenon highlights the complex interaction between visual and auditory stimuli in shaping our perception of music. Research in psychology has shown that visual … Read more

Sound Quality in Car Audio

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What is “sound quality”? Measurement Mania Not long ago, and presently in many circles, sound quality (“SQ”) was said to be best represented by audio systems amplifying with the lowest Total Harmonic Distortion (“THD”) measurement. Overlapping the THD focus was realization and consideration of Transient Intermodulation Distortion (“TIM”, AKA Slew-Induced Distortion “SID”), also a quantitative measurement said to … Read more

How the human ear works — the science of hearing for musicians

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrM3K8QCJcE     Understanding how the human ear works is essential for musicians, as it enables them to appreciate and manipulate sound effectively. Here’s an overview of the science of hearing relevant to musicians: 1. **Outer Ear**: Sound waves are collected by the outer ear, which consists of the pinna (visible part of the ear) … Read more

Functional anatomy of musical processing in listeners with absolute pitch and relative pitch

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Abstract We used both structural and functional brain imaging techniques to investigate the neural basis of absolute pitch (AP), a specialized skill present in some musicians. By using positron emission tomography, we measured cerebral blood flow during the presentation of musical tones to AP possessors and to control musicians without AP. Listening to musical tones … Read more

Good Vibrations: The Science of Sound

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsYt-FBhE2Q   “Good Vibrations: The Science of Sound” is a phrase that likely refers to the scientific study of sound and its effects on the environment, human physiology, and consciousness. Sound, as a form of energy produced by vibrations traveling through a medium, has long been a subject of fascination and inquiry in fields such … Read more

From perception to pleasure: Music and its neural substrates

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Abstract   Music has existed in human societies since prehistory, perhaps because it allows expression and regulation of emotion and evokes pleasure. In this review, we present findings from cognitive neuroscience that bear on the question of how we get from perception of sound patterns to pleasurable responses. First, we identify some of the auditory … Read more

MIT Institute: ringing-ears/tinnitus 96% linked with cognitive decline — all due to microwave onslaught

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  ===   Tinnitus is a condition characterized by the perception of noise or ringing in the ears when no external sound is present. While tinnitus itself is not directly linked to cognitive decline, some studies suggest that there may be associations between tinnitus and certain cognitive impairments, particularly in older adults. Here’s an overview: … Read more

Contribution of active hair-bundle motility to nonlinear amplification in the mammalian cochlea

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Abstract   The cochlea’s high sensitivity stems from the active process of outer hair cells, which possess two force-generating mechanisms: active hair-bundle motility elicited by Ca2+ influx and somatic motility mediated by the voltage-sensitive protein prestin. Although interference with prestin has demonstrated a role for somatic motility in the active process, it remains unclear whether … Read more

The basis of musical consonance as revealed by congenital amusia

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Some combinations of musical notes sound pleasing and are termed “consonant,” but others sound unpleasant and are termed “dissonant.” The distinction between consonance and dissonance plays a central role in Western music, and its origins have posed one of the oldest and most debated problems in perception. In modern times, dissonance has been widely believed … Read more

Simplified Model to Demonstrate the Energy Flow and Formation of Traveling Waves similar to those found in Cochlea

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The hearing nerves of vertebrates have their endings on the basilar membrane. The total length of this membrane in man is 35 mm. Its width varies continuously from 0.04 to 0.5 mm., and accordingly the stiffness of the membrane decreases over its length one hundred fold. The whole membrane is imbedded in fluid, and, when … Read more

160,000 watts of RUSH — how loud is that, really? Turns out, only about 8 times louder than a 300 watt amp! And only about 16 times louder than a 30 watt amp!

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The mention of one-hundred sixty thousand watts, holy cow, that’s huge! actually breaks down this way: Every doubling of power is represented as 3 dB, but it takes 10 dB difference to make something sound (to most humans) “twice as loud” or “twice as quiet”. So 160,000 watts sounds only about twice as loud as … Read more

TOP 10 SONIC TORTURE SONGS FROM GITMO — Psychosonic Drugs – Psychosonic Attacks – Weaponizing Lady GaGa (or any artist / MP3)

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You’ll learn how different mental states can be created using frequencies that interact with the brain, how the military is using this attack vector, how Vegas uses these same techniques on customers, which open source software creates these frequency generated psychic states and sites so you can continue your adventures in psychosonics. Multiple new attacks … Read more

Soyuz “Globus” Mechanical Navigation Computer

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Remember: “Globe Theory” Also, one of the Big Questions RE supposed space flight, rocket launches, etc. is the absolutely total absence of any and all rocket engine noise and roar that surely should have been overwhelmingly loud (and therefore at least somewhat audible in all recordings, completely contrary to all available evidence) given the propinquity … Read more

Symphony! The Inheritors Stole The Music! It Was Composed by Giants! — Martin Liedtke — Scores, Instruments, Bridges, Cannonballs, Bells

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  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17LzL7w__1w   From the comments: “In a lecture about ‘millionaire raw’ on Long Island, NY. Almost all those old mansions had Organs. There are still pictures of those houses and organs in them. Later so many fires happened and many those mansions were gone with fire.” —– Martin, finally! Finally someone has brought up … Read more