Episode 36 – Hearing What?

First, you will need to download the Hearing What? lab manual.

Can you hear that? Did you feel that? That’s sound at work! How does sound work anyway? This episode will explore exactly that!

Sound travels in waves, similar to the way a wave forms in the water. While sound can travel through water, humans most often hear sound that is travelling through air. These vibrations, or waves, cause a series of events to occur inside our ears that then send signals to our brain about what types of sounds you are hearing! This is why on a nice summer day the birds and wind you hear can be understood as birds and wind.

Many people in the world have difficulty hearing, or are hard of hearing. Nearly 5% of the entire human population has difficulty hearing in some way! These people hardly loose their ability to communicate and live life enjoyably, however. Sign language is becoming a widely-used form of communication and subtitles or closed captioning provide a greater connection to audio visual media. Some hard of hearing individuals can use hearing aids or implants to help them use their sense of hearing. These are only a few of the technologies hard of hearing people may use. What other ways can or has the world become more inclusive of people who are hard of hearing? Maybe you can create another useful tool someday!

Saskatchewan Curriculum Connections: SE1.2 (j): Explore how humans and animals use their senses to interact with their environment. SO4.3 (i): Assess personal, societal, and environmental impacts of sound-related technologies. CS8.4 (g): Analyze how the interdependence of organ systems contributes to the healthy functioning of the human body.