(sigh)
OMG.
Was reading today about some new very high-pitched ringtones on cell phones that teens can hear but adults cannot. At first I was incredulous, but as I read on I realized this is for real. According to the pieces I read, this is due to the ears' cochlear hair cells, which are vigorous in children and teens but which have been damaged and put to rest by mature adulthood. Evidently the cochlear hair cells enable high-pitched tones to be conveyed to the brain. I had to laugh when I read that it's common for men to lose the ability to hear women's higher-pitched voices. They can explain it away all they want with talk of degenerated cochlear hair cells. We women know it as "selective hearing," in that men hear only what they WANT to hear -- and WHEN they want to hear it.
The gist of this ringtone news is that teens are able to receive text messages, etc., on their cell phones during class because most of the teachers are unable to hear the tones. What practical application all this will have is questionable, but it was an interesting aside. I never cease to be amazed at stuff.
I'm including a link if you'd like to download the tone to see how you stack up. When you click on the link, hit "Search/Archive" and go to the 6/16/2006 headlines. It's the one entitled "You Can't Hear Me Now." http://www.fredericksburg.com
By the way, I downloaded the tone and listened. I heard it clearly. What a shame I don't still have teenagers in the house out to try to flummox me! LOL
2 comments:
Hadn't seen this before. Interesting.
I heard the tone too.
I was fascinated by this. Is there really a tone, because I don't hear a thing? But the four-year old in the house listened and reenacted it for me. It seems like a good torture device for the young.
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