Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:13

Friday, April 24, 2009

The "benefits" of hyperacuity

This is a post I'm emailing in, so I can't do much with formatting and you'll probably have to follow a link by cutting and pasting instead of the fancy way.  But I thought this was interesting. 
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=13142607
 
It's a brief video about a tone that teenagers can hear but most adults over 25 cannot due to normal gradual hearing loss with aging.  It's being used as a ringtone that teens use during school so teachers don't know they are texting.  It's also used as a "teen deterrant" to keep teens from congregating in public places.  The noise is high-pitched and described as "painful" by the teens.
 
I'm way over 25 and I can hear it quite clearly, even when it's turned down in volume.  It leaves a ringing in my ears and in fact I'm deterred.  I'd call it highly annoying.  I'm willing to bet that this is in large part due to my avoidance of music, tv, movie theaters, and crowds over the last 10 years. 
 
So, there is actually a health benefit to bipolar:  I can hear obnoxious noises!  (or, I guess, I find so many noises obnoxious because I hear really well, not just because I'm hyperaware of what I hear).  Who knows. 

1 comment:

Jean Grey said...

Interesting. Maybe this loss of hearing explains why I am tolerating noise and crowds so much better now! And I thought it was my meds.