h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Wonder of the Human Ear - A2318230
Author: Mort ( ACE, Sub, Guru ) - A Girl, Interrupted - Love h2g2? Join us at T376427 - U204689

I picked this up from the fleamarket as A952599 - The Human Ear

I haven't really done that much, but I have incorporated the comments from the previous PR thread F113013?thread=246579 and Jimsters catchy title!!

"...sounds of a billion times more intensity than the softest..."

Would "...sounds a billion times more intense than..." sound better?

Looking good though

change made.

To be honest had this not been so close to being accepted already, I wouldn't have chosen it, as it is not my are of expertise! But it did seem a shame for it to get so far and then end up in the fleamarket.

Thanks for the feedback



Mort

Like it - lots of lovely comparisons.

I disagree slightly with this last sentence - 'the movements of layers of air are meaningless without the ear.'

If you've ever stood close to a big bang the movements of air literally knocks you off your feet - the 'bang' comes after.

Hi Mort!

Really nice piece! Although, you are bound to get a lot of controversy over that last conclusion, as you are finding out.

Think of it this way, if the 'sound' wasn't produced, no passing ear could hear it.

Sound, radio transmissions, and even light are all merely manifestations of energy. If the energy is there, so is the manifestation; whether or not it is perceived. If you are in a totally dark room, and someone switches on the light, your presence isn't really required for the 'light' (merely a segment of the EM spectrum that we call 'visible light') to be there.

If you were in the room and blindfolded, the light would be there.
If you were in the forest and deaf, the sound would be there.

An empty room with a light on, is no different if the person in it is sighted, or blind. If it is infra-red light (or ultra-violet), the fact that you cannot perceive it does not preclude a properly outfitted camera from getting a picture.

It was, once, a nice little philosophical question; but science blew it out of the water decades ago.

on the article, though! I expect it will reach edited status with little trouble.



So, What is the sound of one hand, clapping?

Cl



and the other one makes the ap

Sorry, I had a giggle there

Thanks again folks. I have ammended the last line, actually Fords I liked the way you put it so much I have used that sentence. Hope you don't mind

It isn't really imperative that it stays in, although it does round of the entry in a nice light-hearted way I thought. But if you guys think it should come out then I bow down to those with the knowledge



Mort

I remember this article from the last time around.

Were I to consider any changes, I might suggest mentioning a little more about the function of the pinna (external ear) in not simply focussing sound into the auditory canal, but also transforming the sound by adding direction-dependent information that the brain can use to help accurately locate the source of a sound. It *is* possible to do a surprisingly good job of locating sounds using just one ear, and much/most of this is due to the external ear and subsequent signal processing in the brain.

It seems that possibly the section:
"The outer ear consists of the pinna, which is essentially a sound-gathering device. It allows us to hear more easily those sounds that come from in front of us. The fact that we have two ears gives a three-dimensional perspective: we have directional hearing."

is maybe oversimplifying a bit much compared to the rest of the article

Even a single sentence "The external ear also 'colours' the sound to greatly assist the brain in locating sound sources" could be a worthwhile addition, but I'd suggest the 'Outer ear' section could be better as something like

"The outer ear, (or pinna), is partly a sound-gathering device, helping us to hear more easily those sounds that come from in front of us, but also subtly alters sound depending on the direction it comes from. Adding to that the fact that we have two ears gives the brain the ability to extract good spatial information from sound: we have directional hearing."

with possibly an additional

"Using just a single ear, we can often locate sounds surprisingly well, especially with the assistance of slight head movements"

Thanks Potholer

That sounds great.

I am going to add everybody in, as this has been a collaborative rescue - I have done very little!



Mort

Let me know if I have missed any from either of the PR threads

Hi there!

This is good... however I was wondering about the how the human ear helps with balance of the body, because it is not necessarily just about sound, and it's a fairly major job of the ear. Perhaps there could be a section on it?

Looks good so far!

Caper Plip

Thanks Caper clip.

I think there was some concern that this entry didn't overlap with A577019 which describes in more detail the structure of the ear, so this one focussed more on how *wondrous* hearing is.

However just having read the other entry again it doesn't mention balance at all either.

What does everybody else think?

Caper plip

The balance-sensing organs *are* located near the cochlea, and ear infections and other problems can affect balance.

However, it is arguable that the linear and rotational accelerometers that comprose the balance organs are not *logically* part of the ear, despite their physical proximity. From a practical point of view, they could probably be located anywhere in the head and still be as useful.

Maybe just a mention that these organs are located near the cochlea, and that inner ear problems can also affect balance would be sufficient.

The balance system of the human body really deserves an article to itself, dealing with the head-mounted accelerometers, visual information, information from the rest of the body (particularly the lower limbs) etc.

I think that you could either change the title to make it clear that the entry is focusing solely upon the sound aspect, or add a section on balance, as the ear deals with balance as well as sound

Eek, simulpost!

Bit added in

Mort

Wow, Mort! You certainly start busy threads!

Your welcome of course, to any bits or pieces that I offer. No recognition necessary, as this is what Peer Review is for.

I had liked the way you ended it with the philosophical question, except for the actual conclusion. I like the way you worked in this sentence, much. I think it works.

Take care,

For a minute I thought it was another change needed

Just goes to show - the first time in PR it was almost at picking point, but with fresh eyes it has been able to be improved upon even more!!

I have credited everybody because each person has had as much input as I have, which has really only been to include the previous PR comments, add links and tidy spelling etc up.

I am trying to sprinkle happy dust (not that kind ) around h2g2 at the moment!