does humming reduce noise input to ears??

[dazzlepecs]

I remember reading once that if you anticipate a loud potentially ear damaging sound, you can hum and it reduces the decibels


like bats temporarily disconnect their ears when squeaking so they dont blow them out

 

[Fraggle Rocker]

I remember reading once that if you anticipate a loud potentially ear damaging sound, you can hum and it reduces the decibels like bats temporarily disconnect their ears when squeaking so they dont blow them out

Perhaps it will reduce the volume of the sound you hear. But I doubt that it will reduce the damage done by extremely high decibels to the tiny hairs in your inner ear that transmit sound. The sound of your own humming is transmitted to your hearing organs through the bones in your skull, not through the air. The external sound waves coming in through the air will not be canceled by humming.

 

[Read-Only]

I remember reading once that if you anticipate a loud potentially ear damaging sound, you can hum and it reduces the decibels


like bats temporarily disconnect their ears when squeaking so they dont blow them out

Of course not. Unless you can hum at exactly the same frequency as the sound you are hearing, and thereby cancel some of it, all you're doing is adding even MORE sound energy which would cause more harm.

 

[dazzlepecs]

Of course not. Unless you can hum at exactly the same frequency as the sound you are hearing, and thereby cancel some of it, all you're doing is adding even MORE sound energy which would cause more harm.

in a bat the hammer physically lifts off the eardrum (i think) momentarily

I was wondering if we had the same mechanism.. And you wouldnt hum at exactly the same frequency to cancel, you would have to phase shift it 180 deg

 

[Read-Only]

in a bat the hammer physically lifts off the eardrum (i think) momentarily

I was wondering if we had the same mechanism.. And you wouldnt hum at exactly the same frequency to cancel, you would have to phase shift it 180 deg

Of course it would have to be completely out of phase - but it MUST be at precisely the same frequency. Even with harmonics there would be peaks that would be higher than the original sound. Did you know that?

 

[kevinalm]

I believe dazzlepecs is essentially correct. Iirc, there is a reflexive muscle response in the ear (involving the 3 bones in the middle ear) that damps loud noises and the sound of your own speach, which would otherwise be too loud. I'm going completely by memory, but it seems like a muscle pulls on a bone(s?) changing the mechanical resonance and lowering audible sensitivity.

Here we go:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_reflex

It's present in all mammals and some other groups. And it _does_ protect from damage.

 

[dazzlepecs]

Of course it would have to be completely out of phase - but it MUST be at precisely the same frequency. Even with harmonics there would be peaks that would be higher than the original sound. Did you know that?

Really? I have noticed you get some strange effects with harmonics while playing guitar lol

I believe dazzlepecs is essentially correct. Iirc, there is a reflexive muscle response in the ear (involving the 3 bones in the middle ear) that damps loud noises and the sound of your own speach, which would otherwise be too loud. I'm going completely by memory, but it seems like a muscle pulls on a bone(s?) changing the mechanical resonance and lowering audible sensitivity.

Here we go:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_reflex

It's present in all mammals and some other groups. And it _does_ protect from damage.

wow!! Now it has a name... thanks great link!!!!

 

[Read-Only]

I believe dazzlepecs is essentially correct. Iirc, there is a reflexive muscle response in the ear (involving the 3 bones in the middle ear) that damps loud noises and the sound of your own speach, which would otherwise be too loud. I'm going completely by memory, but it seems like a muscle pulls on a bone(s?) changing the mechanical resonance and lowering audible sensitivity.

Here we go:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_reflex

It's present in all mammals and some other groups. And it _does_ protect from damage.

Nice work, Kevin - interesting!!!