Ouch My Ears Hurt!
August 25, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Sensory
Whether or not it is true that an opera singer (singing notes at a volume of up to 100 decibels) can break a glass (as discussed in the August 23rd Scientific American), I do know that high-pitched sounds emitted by the human voice can really bother Charlie. My own voice sometimes rises to such a pitch (or perhaps a squeak) and, in days past, Charlie might cry out or even hit his head: I suspect the sound simply hurt. I remarked on this all the more as Charlie has never been too sensitive to sounds, other than those high-pitched ones made by humans (female voices in particular).
The Scientific American article also notes that former governor of Minnesota Jesse “The Body” Ventura Jamie Vendura was able to make a sound “almost as loud as a jackhammer”—105 decibels—and broke a wineglass. I’m not so sure I’d like for Charlie and me to be within earshot of him at such a moment……..
Jeff Stimpson
Jill Cornfield
No, not Jesse Ventura, a different guy named Jamie Vendera. But I’m sure Ventura would enjoy having the feat associated with him!
I’m debating whether to invest in some of those ear protectors.
Cheers
dakota, I think the sun was blurring letters together for me…..
A little bit of cotton works rather well as ear plugs, methinks. It’s what I wore at some of the mandatory school rallies I had to go to in high school and one of the teachers provided it for students he knew would need something extra to block out all the noise.
Hi Kristina -
I heard the Mythbuster guys on NPR do part of the segment where they got a guy (heavy metal vocalist trainer, not opera) to break a wine class. It sounded like a very funny moment.
- pD