How do our ears hear?
the physiological
This video (created by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders NIH) explains how our ears receive sound waves, how those “vibrations” are translated into nerve impulses and sent to the brain, and how the brain converts it to information our thinking processes can then analyze and interpret … based upon our history of experiences.
PHYSIOLOGICAL IMPEDIMENTS TO HEARING
A recent YouTube video by Fauquier ENT (watch it here) states there are 23 causes for hearing loss - but they fall into one of three categories: conductive hearing loss - related to the structures within the outer & middle parts of the ear (and can be addressed through medical treatment); nerve hearing loss (which can be addressed through the use of hearing aids); and central auditory processing disorders - which is related to issues within the brain (and can be addressed with the assistance of an audiologist and/or ENT specialist).
but your ears can be deceived
Just like our eyes, our ears can be “tricked” too.
Do you remember playing the “Telephone” game in elementary school? That’s when all the students are in a line (or a circle) and the teacher whispers a phrase or sentence into the ear of the first child, who then turns and whispers what they heard into the ear of the second child, who then turns and… well, I’m sure you get the idea - even if you haven’t played it before. Remember how when the last person says out loud what they heard, it was ALWAYS different from the initial phrase or sentence?
Even though that game was a social-emotional lesson on the dangers of gossiping, it also reflects how our ears deceive us.
Check out some (or all) of the videos linked below to discover more audio illusions.