By Nina Kraus From ScientificAmerican.Com
The Faculty Of Hearing Sound Is Such A Treasure So Often Unappreciated But Having Immense Worth
A New Technique For Measuring Our Neuronal Response To Sound Is Yielding Both Good news And bad news.
Sounds have a deep impact on our emotions and offer a wide spectrum of influences, as they can be loud, soft, interesting, annoying, important, distracting, soothing, infuriating.
Like electricity, gravity and air, sound is a powerful force. Yet, because it is invisible, we often remain largely unaware of the powerful influence sound has on our lives. Still, we have tools to protect and maximize its power.
A recent Centers for Disease Control study analyzing causes of noise-induced hearing loss, along with other recent studies about noise pollution due to environmental projects such as fracking, or the effects of loud city living on developing dementia, expose and remind us of the urgent and ongoing dangers of noise.
But sound is also crucial to our brain development in a positive way. There is ample evidence that playing an instrument has a positive impact on the developing brain. Speaking two languages, another form of sound enrichment, is good for attentional skills and multitasking and may prevent the onset of dementia.…




